Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-16047389-20131219193422

I had recently posted to a thread discussing who was the better antagonist between Harkon and Miraak. In my post I had expressed my disappointment in the two as villains, and gave my opinion on what makes a compelling antagonist. But thinking on that subject matter a bit more, I'm not sure that that is all a villain is. I would like to hear everyone else's opinions on this. What makes a good villain? Is it the threatening amount of power and control that they have? Their motives and how apparent or unknown they are? The origins through which they came to be a villain? Is a villain better if they are just always evil or if they were once good but slowly corrupted?

What are the best qualities of a villain? What are the worst?

Between all the villains in the Elder Scrolls universe, who is the best? Who's the worst?

Simply put, what exactly makes a good villain? 