Throughout the multi-decade run of MTV’s The Challenge, the show has produced some of reality television’s baddest villains. Whether they antagonize the other players to the brink of insanity or steal their partner’s money at the very end, The Challenge’s villains have consistently lived up to their title, bringing some incredibly malevolent moments. Throughout its run on MTV and its spin-offs on CBS and Paramount+, these 10 Challengers are profoundly the baddest villains in The Challenge history.
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In order to make this list, a villain must have some longevity on the program. While the later generation of The Challenge has featured many one-off villains, the baddest villains have stood the test of time. Our baddest villains must have made, at least, one iconic villainous move that impacted the game and their character. And finally, their notoriety as a villain must be a part of the on-screen persona. It’s one thing to be mean or in an opposing alliance. But a true villain’s actions cause the chaos that fans love to watch. Some villains will be one’s fans love to hate. Others, they hate to hate. Regardless, they are just some of the baddest villains in The Challenge history.
The Challenge
Release Date June 1, 1998
Cast T.J. Lavin , Cara Maria Sorbello , Johnny ‘Bananas’ Devenanzio , Aneesa Ferreira
Main Genre Reality
Creator(s) Jonathan Murray , Mary-Ellis Bunim
10 Trishelle Cannatella
Number of Seasons: 5
Image via Paramount+
While some fans may be surprised that her Season 2 The Traitors co-star may not be appearing on this list, CT Tamburella started as a villain, but his growth arc has helped drop him off this list. Trishelle Cannatella, however, has had a much rockier run on The Challenge with many villainous moments throughout her roller-coaster tenure. During her early appearances on The Challenge, she was nicknamed “Trashelle” for her antics in the house. But when she returned for the second iteration of The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons, she had no intentions of leaving and refused to step up into an elimination challenge when her teammate Alton Williams, her costar of The Real World: Las Vegas, threatened to throw the elimination.
While she did make it to the finale, she made some new enemies along the way. A new rival, Sarah Rice. Sarah and Trishelle were paired up for The Challenge: Rivals II where, after an embarrassing arrogant fight with Anessa Ferreiri’s identity, Trishelle attempted to save face and departed the competition, forcing her partner Sarah to leave as well. She would return on The Challenge: All Stars Season 1, but she was eliminated first following a blow up with her former friend, Katie Cooley.
9 Kailah Casillas
Number of Seasons: 6
Image via MTV
There have been many mean girls to make their way through The Challenge. While someone like Veronica Portillo, Coral Smith, or Tina Barta could easily fill this slot, Kailah Casillas is a villain with prowess. Since her first appearance on The Challenge: Invasion of the Champions, The Real World: Go Big or Go Home star has been no stranger to conflict and made friends when it suited her game. Never afraid to hold her tongue, on The Challenge: Vendettas, Kailah is known for leading the charge of tossing Johnny Bananas’s flavor of the week Kayleigh Morris’ belongs off the balcony.
All in the name of avenging her new friend, and Banana’s fling, Natalie Negrotti. Kailah found herself disqualified on The Challenge: Final Reckoning for her altercation with Melissa Reeves, continuing her bad girl presence. Kailah has proven that she is a competitor, but with a target on her back for her social and physical game, it may just keep getting harder for Kailah to ever win a final.
8 Wes Bergmann
Number of Seasons: 14
Image via MTV
One of the most complicated contestants to ever step foot in The Challenge house, Wes Bergmann has always managed to find himself at the center of controversy on The Challenge. When The Real World: Austin roommate began his tenure on The Challenge, he was viewed as a bit of an underdog, but once personal drama became a centralized story on The Challenge: The Ruins following his split with fellow The Real World: Austin costar Johanna Botta, Wes became a target. And so his villain status came to fruition.
As new rivalries bloomed and his manipulative strategies controlled the house, Wes cemented himself as one of the most controversial antagonists the show has known. While fans of Wes would never consider him to be a villain, his growing list of enemies, some of which are villains too, would beg to differ. If Wes likes his partner or alliance member, he is one of the most encouraging allies you could have. If he’s not fond of you or sees you on the other side, be ready for the mind games! Wes is one of the most masterful minds in The Challenge history, but it didn’t always pair well with his social prowess. While he may be retired from the show, for now, his name will forever be synonymous with the longevity of The Challenge.
7 Devin Walker
Number of Seasons: 7
Image via MTV
Devin Walker borrowed many previous Challenger’s game plans and used them to his advantage. And along the way, he found himself on the wrong side of the house. But as the Are You the One? 3 cast member found success, his cockiness took over. Like Wes, Devin has played the game from a strategic perspective, often playing mind games and using Jedi mind tricks in order to instigate the game and the house.
Again, like Wes, if fans were Team Devin, calling him a villain would be incorrect. But Devin’s ability to get under the skin of some of the biggest players in the game, and sometimes beating them at their own game, his arrogance gets in the way. While something will click as he will secure a victory on The Challenge: Ride or Dies with partner Tori Deal, his journey to the top was not always so pretty from the fans’ perspective.
6 Amanda Garcia
Number of Seasons: 6
Image via MTV
Amanda Garcia, another bad girl, arrived at The Challenge following a stint on Are You the One? 3. She has been seen as a feisty and fiery player who never shies away from drama. Called the “pop-off queen,” she came in hot and found herself embattled with many of The Challenge Vets, some of whom appear on this list.
Amanda found herself at odds with Camila Nakagawa, mocking her accent. She fueled rumors of infidelity between Jenna Compono and Bruno Bettencourt, causing a riff with her future The Challenge: Final Reckoning partner, Zach Nichols, whom she caused to see an elimination challenge when they couldn’t agree on who to send in. She knows her place as a good reality television villain on The Challenge and has owned it, even after becoming a mother.
5 Camila Nakagawa
Number of Seasons: 10
Image via MTV
Camila Nakagawa had quite a journey during her time on The Challenge. She first appeared on the Spring Break Challenge special, where she made her mark so strong that The Challenge was eager to get her on the main show. The Brazilian spitfire was often the subject of bullying in her early career, but once she became a vet, her short-fuse caused her to turn from underdog to villain. She never encouraged her partners or teammates.
Eric “Big Easy” Banks comes to mind! Camila often got in the face of her rivals and never quite understood her problematic tendencies. With onscreen tantrums and meltdowns, it would be her off-camera antics that got her barred from MTV and The Challenge. Between racist comments and allegedly assaulting a PA during filming, Camila leaves her time on The Challenge as a villain in all the wrong ways.
4 Ashley Mitchell
Number of Seasons: 9
Image via MTV
Even when she proves fellow Challengers wrong that she is in fact a good competitor, Ashley Mitchell will forever have a villain mark on her chest for her time on The Challenge: Final Reckoning. She wasn’t the first to do so, but Ashley decided to take her partner Hunter Barfield’s portion of the $1 million prize.
While she justified her decision because of how she was treated throughout The Challenge, like Johnny Bananas, in a game relying on teammates, their disregard for their success as a pair was viewed as nothing short of sinful. While many players and fans were not a fan of her unsavory meltdowns, especially when her bag got lost on her way to The Challenge: Dirty 30, causing her to quit, Ashley has never been afraid of creating high-octane television content.
3 Laurel Stucky
Number of Seasons: 7
Image via MTV
The Challenge has never been shy about formulating long-lasting dramatic rivalries. The Fresh Meat generation of The Challenge will help to be defined by the rivalry between Laurel Stucky and Cara Maria Sorbello. Like many other competitors, depending on whose team you’re on would determine who the true villain is in this pair, Laurel was often the instigator in any Cara Maria battles.
Laurel often went beyond mean; in fact, she was so mean that it often turned vile and hard to watch. She mocked Paula Meronek’s eating disorder on The Challenge: Rivals. She targeted Big Easy and his weight during The Challenge: Cutthroat. Laurel is easily one of the best competitors the show has ever known. She was evil on the way up.
2 Beth Stolaczyk
Number of Seasons: 7
Image via Paramount+
Ugh Beth. Beth Stolaczyk was one of the original faces of The Real World, having appeared on The Real World: Los Angeles. When she came to The Challenge, drama followed. Beth was never known for being good at The Challenge, but she was brilliant at being an antagonist. Her brash demeanor often ticked off anyone in her path. Her teammates became frustrated with her, even calling her terrible names, including “Osama Beth Laden.”
When some younger The Real World and Road Rules alum joined the show, Beth tried to fit in but often caused more drama than anyone could handle. She caused drama with Robin Hibbard for accusing Tonya Cooley for hooking up with Mark Long when the pair were dating. This drama resulted in Beth’s clothes in the house pool courtesy of Tonya. Beth quit the show multiple times. She was on the receiving end of a punch by Tina Barta. Her relationship with Nehemiah Clark was blown out and became a multi-season story line. Even with time gone by, when Beth returned for The Challenge: All Stars, she was still up to the same terrible tricks. Between stirring the pot and ruffling all the feathers, it seemed she continued to lose respect from every cast member of every season she was in. If House of Villains is looking for the evil queen of The Challenge for its second season, Beth is ready for the call.
1 Johnny Bananas
Number of Seasons: 21
Image via MTV
House of Villains rightly cast him as Johnny Bananas IS the baddest villain The Challenge has ever known. His reputation has followed him wherever he goes. Which is partially why he saw an early demise in Season 2 of The Traitors. He is the original mastermind behind stealing his partner’s money at the final. Bananas cemented his face on the Mount Rushmore of The Challenge Villains when he prevented his partner, Sarah Rice, from receiving her prize in The Challenge: Rivals III. He claimed he was returning the favor for a move Sarah made during The Challenge: Exes II, but nothing could truly compare to taking away money.
Bananas has often found himself being cruel to his fellow cast mates, mainly in his treatment towards the women in the house. While some fans enjoy his diabolical game moves, when, season after season, half of the house is out to get him and his alliance knows they will succeed if they’re on his side, Bananas has figured out how to dominate The Challenge through an evil lens. The modern age of The Challenge would not exist without Johnny Bananas. The fans love to hate him, and he loves every bit of it. There are easily many other cast members that could be considered the baddest villains on The Challenge. Whether causing drama or creating chaos, the villains of The Challenge have become the backbone of the show. With no signs of slowing down, new villains are bound to be born.
The Challenge airs on MTV, and previous seasons can be streamed on Paramount+.
Stream on Paramount+
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