15 of The Walking Dead’s most vile villains ranked

12. Alpha Wolf Owen, The Wolves

Who is he: Remember those ominous Ws and the even creepier people behind that red graffiti? Owen was the leader of the people behind those stunts. You know, The Wolves. Though he was a typical villain, he was more volatile and irrational than the typical evil mold on The Walking Dead. He was dangerous for a whole new set of reasons. Seriously, Owen prioritized threatening Morgan while he had a gaping wound on his chest. He isn’t above killing children, and he doesn’t really fear anything. He’s a creepy cynical character who carved a W into his forehead, and he’s one of the memorable villains because of that.

Worst act of villainy: He created a nearly-lethal rift between Carol and Morgan because his violent personality was such a stark contrast to Morgan’s then-pacifist persona. But that wasn’t his worst act, oh no. Instead, it was the time Owen conducted an invasion of Wolves on the community of Alexandria. There was a lot of bloodsheds and a lot of loss.

Weakness: He might not have admitted it, but the time he had a casual and threatening conversation with Morgan while he had a giant gash in his chest definitely hurt him (literally). Nonetheless, Morgan tried to convince Owen to give up his villain gig and change his path. If Owen had listened to him, he’d probably still be alive and a reformed member of Alexandria today.

Redeeming qualities: He might be creepy and callous, but he isn’t entirely heartless. Although he had an opportunity to escape Alexandria during some mayhem, he chose to help Denise return to the group. In fact, he almost always had a strange soft spot for Denise — even if he did initially kidnap her and hold her hostage after a confrontation against Carol and Morgan. Maybe it was because Denise herself was always a caring individual. Regardless, saving Denise shows that Owen isn’t completely devoid of compassion, but he’s still an undeniably brutal killer… even if Denise “represents what [Owen] likes about people.”

First appearance: “Conquer” (season 5, episode 16)

Last appearance: “No Way Out” (season 6, episode 9)

Death: Very much dead. Owen was shot in the chest by Carol and bitten by walkers, right after Tara talked him into letting Denise go.