Summary
The Scooby-Gang has mysteries to solve, one “jinkies!” at a time. Standing in the way of these meddling kids and the satisfaction of a mystery solved is a string of goofy villains. They might have been cantankerous townsfolk more often than actual monsters, but that didn’t stopScooby’s villainsfrom terrorizing Shaggy and his pals.
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TheScooby-Doofranchise extends across movies, comics, and video games, but the originalScooby-Doo, Where Are You?animated series holds a special place in many fans' hearts. It’s where all the shenanigans began, and the threats the Scooby Gang faced within were some of the most compelling.
Updated July 18, 2025, by Callum Murray:The beauty of Scooby Doo: Where are You? is the scope of villains that can feature in the show. There’s cat creatures, ghosts, swamp monsters and many more that feature in each episode. But the thing that makes it most interesting is the human being that hides behind these monsters, revealing their very real motivations ranging from stealing an inheritance to revenge for a missed opportunity. The reveals are always fun and hokey andfeature memorable villains in every episode.That’s what makes the show the unique cult hit it still is today, years after it originally aired.
18Ghost Of Captain Cutler
“A Clue for Scooby-Doo” introduces viewers to the Ghost of Captain Cutler, a villain who remains iconic in large part thanks to his glowing seaweed, footprints, and diving suit. Most villains prefer to stick to the shadows, using the darkness and element of stealth to their advantage, but not this one.
He’s a thief posing as a shipwreck victim,but he’s also one of the few villains who’s identity was deciphered by Shaggy before Velma had the chance, a rare occurrence in the franchise. The unraveling of the boat-stealing Ghost of Captain Cutler makes for one ofthe series’s best segmentsoverall.
17Cat Creature
‘Make a Beeline Away From That Feline’ sees Scooby and the gang investigate a jewel theft by a cat creature who wears a red cape, and it’s a quirky fun mystery as always with this show. The episode gets going straightaway with the investigation, and doesn’t let up.
Aunt Olivia opens a package containing a strange golden medallion which makes her have dreams that she’s a cat creature committing robberies. Turns out the villain of the piece is Dr Bell, who is using Aunt Olivia as a front to commit robberies by hypnotizing her with a golden medallion.
16The Black Knight
Scooby and the gang have gone through numerous changes over the years. They’ve appeared in TV shows, animated and live-action movies, comics, and video games. They’ve been t-shirts and toys of every sort.
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None of that would have been possible without “What a Night for a Knight,” the very first episode ofScooby-Doo, Where Are You?“What a Night for a Knight” introduces viewers to the Black Knight. Two glowing yellow eyes peek out from the visor of his suit of armor, whichlooks more ridiculous than menacing as he chases the Scooby Gang around.Beneath the helmet, he’s just a museum curator trying to protect his art smuggling operation, but the Black Knight is still an icon of the franchise.
15Redbeard’s Ghost
Ghosts and spirits of all sorts are a staple of Scooby-Doo, as the gang investigates one supposed haunting after another, and “Go Away Ghost Ship” brought viewers one more apparition: Redbeard’s Ghost. He may be something ofa forgotten cartoonnow, but Redbeard’s Ghost sure left an impression on the Scooby Gang.
During his brief time with them,Redbeard’s Ghost chains the gang up, forces them to walk the plank, and even makes them cook for him.Magnus, the man beneath the mask, does all this just to disguise the fact that he’s been pirating his own cargo as a form of insurance fraud, making him that much more despicable.
14Apeman
This episode is all about an Apeman who terrorizes a movie set. Apeman is an underrated villain with a good motive.when he is finally unmasked by Shaggy. It’s fairly obvious from the outset who the villain behind Apeman is, but it’s an enjoyable mystery nevertheless.
Carl the Stuntman is the villain behind it all and his motive in ‘Never Ape an Ape Man’' is his bitterness for not getting the lead in a film. This show might be over 50 years old, but it has great storylines that gives their villains a three-dimensional arc, and this episode stands out as one of the best.
13The Ghost Clown
Horror is full of creepy clowns, whether they’re hiding in storm drains or coming to earth from outer space. The Ghost Clown, introduced in “Bedlam in the Big Top,” might not rival those in terms of scare factor, but his grotesque makeup and nefarious deeds still give Scooby-Doo a reason to quiver and shake.
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The Ghost Clown successfully manages to hypnotize several members of the Scooby Gang,distracting them long enough to continue with his plan. Whether dressing as a scary clown or forcing others to perform dangerous circus stunts, the Ghost Clown proves he doesn’t care one bit about the nerves or lives of others. Thanks to Scooby and pals, however, this clown’s reign of terror in the big top is short-lived.
12Moon Monster
‘Scooby’s Chinese Fortune Kooky Caper’ is probably the greatest episode title of the entire series, and the episode also doesn’t disappoint as it features a scary moon monster as one of the series' most memorable villains.
Season three has its fair share of great villains and as the show approaches its end, they add one more iconic villain to the mix. Legend has it the moon monster can turn people into stone, but it’s revealed at the end to be a character called Uncle Chin who was manipulating the legend of the Moon Monster to gain his nephew’s inheritance. The episode is fun and one of the stand-out ones in season three.
11Charlie The Funland Robot
Aggressive speed-walking is the kind of cartoonish trait one might associate witha forgottenLooney Tunescharacter.It shouldn’t be frightening, but when a haywire amusement park robot does it, it is. In “Foul Play in Funland,”
Charlie the Funland Robot is accompanied by a creepy sonar soundthat grows more pronounced the closer he draws to survivors, teasing the audience that he is right around the corner. Throw in some glowing, emotionless eyes, and Charlie is a truly creepy villain and much more interesting than the average Scooby antagonist. Not to mention Funland is itself the perfect setting for his antics.
10The Caveman
“Scooby’s Night with a Frozen Fright” introduced Mystery Inc. fans to the Caveman. Awful generic name? Check. Big club? Check. Conan the Barbarian facial structure? Check. What’s not to love? Sometimeswhole shows need a reboot,and sometimes it’s just a character that does.
The Caveman is great and deserves more time in the Scoobyverse. Unlike many Scooby villains that just try capturing the Gang, the Caveman tries bludgeoning them with his club.The Caveman wants to steal an invention that allows communication with marine life,a surprisingly sophisticated motive for someone in a Caveman costume. Ultimately the villain is undone but the same marine life with whom he wishes to converse, a nice touch of irony in an already well-crafted episode.
9Sea Beast
‘The Beast is Awake in Bottomless lake’ is the last ever episode ofScooby Doo: Where are You?and it features a worthy final villain in the shape of a sea beast.
The gang decide to go on a trip away to Canada to a place called Bottomless Lake, when Shaggy’s doctor tells him to take a hiatus from mystery solving. The trip ends up in the gang doing the opposite of what they went away for-mystery solving. What were they expecting going to a place called Bottomless Lake? The episode is a fitting end to the successful series. The final reveal is credited to Velma who unmasks a woman called Julie who dresses up as the sea beast to scare people away from the lake.
