Villains are a major part of a story. Without a good villain, there is no conflict and, therefore, no story. However, some villains rise beyond this status and become arch-villains. These recurring villains stand out from their counterparts by being more vicious and cunning. These antagonists are the hero’s worst enemy and, sometimes, are reflections of the heroes.

Here are five of fiction’s top nemeses. This article contains spoilers.

Ernst Stavro Blofeld: “James Bond” series

British spy James Bond has faced off against many enemies, but his most dangerous opponent comes in the form of Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Blofeld, an evil genius, is the leader of SPECTRE, a criminal organization pursuing world domination. Their crimes have ranged from holding nuclear weapons for ransom to contaminating the world’s food supply. His plans play the Russians against the western powers. His feud with Bond becomes personal after Blofeld kills Bond’s wife in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” A man matching Blofeld's appearance was killed by Bond in "For Your Eyes Only." With the new Bond movie, “SPECTRE”, coming out in November, there is much speculation for the return of Blofeld. His look, outfit, cat, and aspirations for world domination were the inspiration for Dr. Evil in the “Austin Powers” series.

Lord Voldemort: “Harry Potter” series

If you can imagine Adolf Hitler with magical powers, you’ll be able to sum up the evil that is Lord Voldemort. Born Tom Marvolo Riddle to a witch mother and a muggle (non-witch or wizard) father, the half-born wizard grew up to be a powerful dark wizard. With a hatred for people who were not pureblood wizards, he began a genocide. Voldemort and his followers, known as Death Eaters, went about kidnapping, torturing, and killing all who stood in his way. This campaign of terror came to an end when a killing curse, meant for infant Harry Potter, backfired. Due to magical experimentation, Voldemort survived as a shadow of his former self. After being “resurrected”, Voldemort began a second murderous war. This war ended the same way, with Harry Potter managing to kill Voldemort.

Moriarty: "Sherlock Holmes" series

Professor James Moriarty is a bit of an oddity. Moriarty was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to kill off Sherlock Holmes. A college mathematics professor, Moriarty uses his genius intellect to run a massive criminal organization. Earning his nickname, "The Napoleon of Crime", his empire was crushed by Sherlock Holmes. His reign came to an end as both Moriarty and Holmes tumbled down the Reichenbach Falls of Switzerland. Since then, Moriarty has appeared as Holmes archenemy in books, movies, and television. Over the years, his character has shown intelligence, perception, and deductive skills to rival Holmes. Portrayals range from clear and seemingly sane (Jared Harris in “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) to crazy and unpredictable (Andrew Scott in “Sherlock”)

Bowser: “Mario” series

Bowser, the King of the Koopas, is the archenemy of Nintendo mascot Mario. A hulking beast with massive strength, spikes, and fire breathing abilities, Bowser’s major plans involve kidnapping Princess Peach and ruling the Mushroom Kingdom. Controlling a massive army of minions, he spirits away the princess and guards the princess. Somehow, he is always defeated by the Italian plumber. Appearing as the main antagonist in almost every game, Bowser has also shown himself a capable athlete and kart driver. He is ranked by Guinness as the top video game villain of all time.

The Joker: "Batman" series

Of all Batman’s colorful enemies, his greatest foe is the Joker, a white faced psychopathic clown. Joker's backstory is unknown, which has given rise to many backstories. His former jobs have ranged from petty criminal to engineer to failed comedian. The mystery of his origins add to the unpredictability of the Joker. His crimes range from petty theft to mass murder. He is responsible for crippling Barbara Gordon (Oracle/Batgirl) and the murder of Jason Todd (Robin). His insanity and cold-blooded actions have been seen across television, movies, comics and video games. In constant polls, he is ranked to greatest villain of all time.