The Mission: Impossible movies are primarily driven by Ethan Hunt's race against time to save humanity, but the real stakes behind his mission come from well-written villains. Considering how many captivating villains — primary and secondary — have appeared in the Mission: Impossible franchise, it is hard not to ponder which ones rank higher than the others. Many factors can determine how a Mission: Impossible villain fares against the others, but the primary elements that make an antagonist a worthy threat is their overarching role in the franchise, the performance of the respective actor who plays them, and the level of perils they direct towards Ethan Hunt.

Apart from that, a memorable villain not only places daunting obstacles in Ethan Hunt's pursuit of saving the world but also exposes his vulnerabilities and fears. While most Mission: Impossible villains have what it takes to keep Ethan Hunt white-knuckled throughout his high-stakes missions, not all tick the right boxes to qualify as worthy adversaries. Hence, here's a rundown of where Mission: Impossible's major villains rank based on their ability to leave a lasting impact in the movies and match Ethan Hunt's skills.

10 Sean Patrick Ambrose

Although Sean Patrick Ambrose is not as widely regarded as most other Mission: Impossible villains, he proves to be an interesting antagonist in Mission: Impossible II because he serves as an antithesis to Ethan Hunt's character. For instance, unlike Ethan, he lets his emotions get the best of him and often acts out his anger. Similarly, while Ethan is subdued and calculative in the first two Mission: Impossible movies, Ambrose is explosive and impulsive, making him the "yin" to Ethan Hunt's "yang."

9 John Musgrave

Portrayed by Billy Crudup, John Musgrave was not the primary antagonist in Mission: Impossible III and was only introduced as an ally of Owen Davian. However, what makes him a compelling antagonist in the third movie is how he double-crosses Ethan Hunt and orchestrates the whole plan to acquire the rabbit's foot. Billy Crudup also perfectly portrays the ambiguity in Musgrave's characterization, which effectively keeps viewers guessing whose side he is on. Unfortunately, Musgrave meets a grim fate towards the end of Mission: Impossible III and becomes easily forgettable because of how Owen Davian overshadows him with his menacing intensity.

8 Sabine Moreau

Sabine Moreau first appears in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol as the assassin who murders Josh Holloway's Trevor Hanaway in cold blood. Although she is not the main antagonist of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, her first kill in the opening scene instantly makes her a perilous archenemy for Ethan and his team. She does not talk much throughout the film but carries herself with an air of mystery that makes her all the more enigmatic and unpredictable. Unfortunately, even though Léa Seydoux does an incredible of portraying Sabine's stoic and intimidating demeanor, the movie does not delve into her background as an assassin.

7 John C. McCloy

Unlike Jim Phelps, who gradually morphs into a more complex character, John C. McCloy was written as a bona fide antagonistic industrialist in Mission: Impossible II. Although he has no direct ties with Ethan Hunt in the second installment of the Mission: Impossible movie series, his characterization feels more believable because he represents how powerful corporations establish control over the masses through unethical practices. This sense of relatability that comes with John C. McCloy's characterization also encourages audiences to root for Ethan Hunt's battle for justice, which is not only driven by his personal reasons but also serves a greater good.

6 Max Mitsopolis

Vanessa Redgrave's Max Mitsopolis is a formidable villain in the Mission: Impossible franchise because she leverages her power and influence to stay ahead of the curve and get herself out of any dire situation. For instance, when Ethan finds out about Max's deals with Jim Phelps, she convinces him to work for her by offering him $150,000. Even when Kittridge and the CIA discover her secret dealings towards the end of the first Mission: Impossible, she avoids facing serious repercussions by negotiating with higher authorities. Her ability to stay invisible while calling the shots from behind the scenes ironically makes her presence known.

5 James "Jim" Phelps

Considering how Jim Phelps was one of the good guys in the original Mission: Impossible TV show, turning him into a villain in the first Mission: Impossible was a risky endeavor that even triggered mixed reactions from viewers. However, this risk paid off well when Oscar-winning actor, Jon Voight, perfectly encapsulated the moral complexities and corruption that consumed the director of the Impossible Mission Force. His unforeseeable betrayal and ability to sneakily pull the strings raise the stakes of the movie's action and drama.

This, in turn, establishes Mission: Impossible as a groundbreaking action franchise from the get-go, proving that it does not shy away from being bold. Despite receiving some criticism from audiences, the change in direction in Jim Phelps' character was also necessary for the movie franchise. It allowed it to seamlessly introduce Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt as the new protagonist while gradually cutting links with the original TV show.

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4 Kurt Hendricks

Code-named Cobalt, Kurt Hendricks is the overarching antagonist in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. He holds extreme ideologies surrounding world peace and firmly believes that "world destruction is an unpleasant but necessary part of evolution." To achieve his ideal view of the world, he goes to great lengths to strike an armed conflict between the United States and Russia, without considering how it could kill millions of innocents. Hendricks also presents himself as a calculative strategist who plays 3-D chess with Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and with his history in the special forces, even stands his ground against Ethan in a hand-to-hand combat.

3 Solomon Lane

Given how Solomon Lane is considered one of the most dangerous and smartest villains in the Mission: Impossible franchise, it is not surprising that he is the only antagonist who has consistently appeared in two M.I. movies. His recurring role in the movie series allows him to gain more narrative significance than most other one-off antagonists of the franchise, which adds more heft to his confrontations and plotting against Ethan Hunt. Following the events of Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Lane's fate remains unknown, but it seems likely that he died off-screen and will not return for Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning.

2 August Walker

August Walker is another Mission Impossible villain who initially seems to be harmless and comes off as a regular operative from the Special Activities Division of the Central Intelligence Agency. However, as Mission: Impossible - Fallout progresses, Walker reveals his true colors, making it evident that he is working with The Syndicate. In its initial scenes, Mission: Impossible - Fallout establishes how physically imposing Walker can be in appearance and hand-to-hand combats. The movie then puts his skills as an assassin on full display, which later makes him a worthy opponent for Ethan Hunt in a climactic showdown.

1 Owen Davian

The intensity and energy with which Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Owen Davian in Mission: Impossible III is enough to make Davian one of the scariest villains of the franchise. His complete lack of empathy and sadistic tendencies also affirm that he would not mind afflicting pain on innocents like Julia, which makes him a personal threat to Ethan. This consequently heightens the sense of danger and conflict that Ethan faces in his pursuit to overpower him. Even from an intellectual standpoint, Davian keeps his minions well under control with his manipulation skills and also manages to outmaneuver Ethan for the most part of the third Mission: Impossible movie.