15 Worst Villains on Bones

The long-running police procedural Bones placed its lead characters Temperance “Bones” Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) in a number of precarious positions during its twelve-season run on Fox. The Jeffersonian team captivated audiences with humor, intelligence, and romantic tension. During the impressive run, the Bones crew solved an endless stream of dark and disturbing cases.

While investigating these cases, the group encountered criminals so deeply haunting that they still horrify fans to this day. From serial killers to cannibals to creepy clowns, Bones saw it all. But thanks to the work of the iconic duo of Bones and Booth they were able to overcome even the unlikeliest of odds. For fans who still can’t get the horrific villains out of their nightmares, here is a rundown of some of the most well-known and feared characters ever encountered on the show.

15 Heather Taffet aka The Gravedigger

Portrayed by Deirdre Lovejoy

The Gravedigger, known by her real identity as United States Attorney Heather Taffet, is one of the most notorious villains in the series. The Gravedigger first appeared in season two’s “Alien’s In A Spaceship.” The elusive killer had been known for kidnapping victims and burying them alive, only releasing them if she received a massive ransom. And even then, she wasn’t always honest about their survival.

A Miserable Monster

Taffet used her authority as a U.S. attorney to steer the case against her. But despite her tactics, it wasn’t enough to keep her from being found out by Brennan. It wasn’t long after Brennan connected the dots that they were able to convict the notorious killer. The Gravedigger appeared in four episodes of the show until her timely demise in season six’s “The Bullet In The Brain,” where she was gunned down by another Bones villain, Jacob Broadsky.

14 Jacob Broadsky aka Hand of God

Portrayed by Arnold Vosloo

World-class sniper and assassin, Jacob Broadsky (Arnold Vosloo) aka the “Hand of God” is more of a vigilante turned executioner for those he deems to be bad. While he did take down another serial killer, The Gravedigger, Broadsky later became one himself. His elite military training made him one of the most difficult villains to capture and his reasoning for killing made the character deeply complex.

Military Man Turned Madman

After killing The Gravedigger, Broadsky goes on the run and begins to commit more murders of victims he feels are evil. After having already been indicted for murder during his time in the military for what he believed to be the right reason, he continues with this mindset making him incredibly dangerous. For any criminal he decides is deserving of death, he uses all of his skills to take them down. That is until Booth finally stops him in a deadly shootout in season six’s “The Hole In The Heart.”

13 The Gormogon

Portrayed by Laurence Todd Rosenthal

The Gormogon and his disciples are known for the horrific bite marks left on the bones of their victims. The cannibalistic serial killer plagued nightmares as he tallied more deaths and spawned evil apprentices to assist in carrying out his devious acts. He is the main villain of season 3 and is rarely seen, even in his death. Despite being an invisible killer, he leaves behind a long string of deaths with the actual number of victims remaining unknown.

Crazy Cannibal

The hunt for The Gormogon goes on until the season 3 finale. The team is able to get information on his whereabouts from one of his apprentices, Dr. Zack Addy. Booth tracks him down at his home and is able to kill the mysterious cannibal, finally laying to rest another of Bones’ most challenging cases.

12 Christopher Pelant

Portrayed by Andrew Leeds

Pelant (Andrew Leeds) is regarded as perhaps the most devious serial killer in the entire series. But he wasn’t even introduced until season 7 of the show. His impact made him the villain that even Emily Deschanel claims to be the most haunting. The self-proclaimed “hacktivist” becomes one of the show’s most elusive villains, unable to be caught until Brennan finally takes him down in season 9.

Hacktivist

Initially setting out to expose government corruption, Pelant becomes corrupted himself, vengeful after being convicted for hacking. Over the next two seasons, Pelant uses his brains to evade the Jeffersonian team while even framing Brennan for a murder along the way. Forcing Brennan to go on the run and ruining her potential engagement to Booth, Brennan vows to take down Pelant herself and kill him once and for all. Pelant was a dangerous criminal who claimed the lives of over half a dozen people before he was ultimately gunned down by Brennan, finally having gotten her revenge.

11 Howard Epps

Portrayed by heath Freeman

Epps (Heath Freeman) is the first serial killer to appear on Bones in the season 1 episode “A Man on Death Row.” The high-IQ serial killer initially came to Booth and Brennan’s attention after his attorney attempted to get him off death row. But this only helps to confirm more deaths at the hands of this awful murderer. Epps’ typical victims are blonde women. He was instilled with a hatred of women by his abusive mother whom he also killed. He was eventually put in jail, only to later escape and lead the detectives on yet another manhunt.

Killer on the Run

During his time in prison, Epps was able to direct an accomplice to commit crimes in his absence, showing just how horrible he could be even while behind bars. After escaping, he leaves a series of dangerous clues, nearly taking out some of the Jeffersonian team members. It isn’t until late in season two that Booth and Brennan corner the killer known as The Manipulator at the roof of Brennan’s apartment. With no other option, Epps decides to jump, nearly being saved by Booth before Epps lets go, falling to his death.

10 Stephanie McNamara aka The Ghost Killer

Portrayed by Kelly Rutherford

The Ghost Killer aka Stephanie McNamara (Kelly Rutherford) is the mysterious killer whose killings had gone on for decades before being revealed by fellow serial killer, Christopher Pelant. Coming from a wealthy family, her killings went largely undiscovered due to her family being able to pay the right people to cover up her crimes. But thanks to Pellant, Brennan became obsessed with finding this new killer.

Who Is She?

The Ghost Killer’s identity is only revealed after her brother, Trent is found dead. Before the team can put Stephanie behind bars, they find her dead body. Not realizing until they do some digging into her background do they discover that she is the actual Ghost Killer. Her family had kept her dark secret, helping to frame others for her murders. But when the fingernails of her victims are found, it becomes all too clear the monster that Stephanie truly was.

9 Jason Harkness

Portrayed by Andrew James Allen

Harkness (Andrew James Allen) is a young apprentice to the famed Gormogon in the acclaimed series. After getting expelled from six different private schools for assault, Harkness’ attempts at rehabilitation are short-lived as he becomes involved with the Gormogon.

A Dangerous Disciple

Harkness’ involvement even goes so far as for him to have a diamond inset placed into his teeth. But it is due to exactly that that Booth and Brennan are able to capture Harkness. He leaves a unique set of marks on a victim, making him more easy to track down. For the disgusting cannibal who had gone so far as to kill and consume a baby, it was an incredible feat for them to finally catch him. He killed and ate two additional victims during his time as a free man. Once he was placed in prison, he stabbed himself in the heart as an ode to his first time coming across the Gormogon.

8 Dr. Andrew Rigby aka The Cannibal

Portrayed by Alex Carter

Dr. Rigby (Alex Carter) otherwise known as The Cannibal is the first actual cannibal to appear on the show. He is another highly intelligent killer who nearly manages to get away with his killings before being thwarted by the Jeffersonian team. Believing the human flesh to possess otherworldly powers, Rigby murders and consumes his victims in the hopes of taking on the best attributes of each victim.

Dr. Death

The cannibal doctor manages to kill at least two known victims, Ann Noyer and Adam Langer before being caught. After being caught in a lie, Brennan and Booth are able to detain the killer and have him arrested once and for all. But after he is set to go on trial, the potential for Rigby to plead insanity makes Brennan question everything. The amount of times he completed the ritual is unknown, but the disgusting deaths of his victims still leave fans with queasy stomachs.

7 Glen Durant

Portrayed by JD Cullum

Durant (JD Cullum) is one of the most hated characters by Bones fans. He considers himself to be a true patriot, standing for ideals he and his father held dear. It is what prompted him to orchestrate a number of murders and cover ups while also blackmailing government officials. He is another master manipulator and understands how to use influence to get his way. But it isn’t long before the Jeffersonian team is hot on his tail.

Blackmailer

As the investigation begins to close in on Durant, he turns against the Jeffersonian team and commits one of the most heinous acts of the show. He kills the beloved Lance Sweets (John Francis Daly) in a death that will be long remembered by fans. His connection to death even goes so far as to be a link to the notorious Ghost Killer where his father had helped to cover up some of the crimes McNamara and her family committed. Thankfully the crew was finally able to get their man and put him behind bars for life.

6 Mihir Roshan aka The Puppeteer

Portrayed by Ravi Kapoor

Known as The Puppeteer, Roshan (Ravi Kapoor) would taxidermy his victims, making him easily one of the most awful killers to appear on the show. Not introduced to fans until season 11, he made a massive impact on the show and the team behind investigating his crimes. The psychiatrist-turned-serial killer claimed at least five victims during his run on the show and spooked audiences in every episode he appeared in.

Getting Personal

During their pursuit of The Puppeteer, he claims another victim and taunts Brennan by dressing the victim up to look like Brennan. The sadistic killer nearly got away with it too, as the team nearly confirmed Dr. Zack Addy to be the killer. But Zack is almost killed by Roshan himself, before Booth steps in to save Zach and kill The Puppeteer once and for all.

5 Roger Flender aka The Deity

Portrayed by Jason Gray-Sanford

Flender (Jason Gray-Stanford), known as The Deity, is another in the long line of ritualistic killers that Bones and Booth managed to stop in the show’s twelve-season run. He was given this nickname for the symbol he would carve into the chest of his victims. The baker-turned-bad-guy appeared on the outside as a kind and philanthropic person, employing former convicts to work at his bakery. But he viewed his employees as his own disciples and would kill anyone who crossed him or his crew.

Evil Baker

His first killing came after his nephew died of a drug overdose. Flender then attacked his nephew’s boss, Leonard Barnes, murdering him in cold blood. Flender may have believed he was doing the right thing for those he cared about, but as he began to kill more frequently, it would be up to the Jeffersonian team to stop him. And thankfully, they did. He was later sentenced to life in prison in season ten’s “The Verdict in the Victims.”

4 Peter Geller aka The Killer Clown

Portrayed by Nathan Anderson

Peter Geller (Nathan Anderson) makes his appearance in Bones as The Killer Clown. Anderson’s performance includes him in the long line of evil clowns seen on TV and film. A character so harrowing that he can kill his victims through fear alone, it is no question that he deserves to be included in the list of the worst villains to appear on the show.

A Sick Halloween-Inspired Ritual

The Killer Clown went so far as to sedate his victims and dress them up as Halloween decorations before leading them to their eventual deaths. The last thing they would see was him dressed in his infamous clown costume. The clown was only known to have claimed two victims before later being gunned down by Booth.

3 Kevin Hollings aka The Keymaster

Portrayed by Greg Ellis

Hollings (Greg Ellis) is rightfully nicknamed The Keymaster after gouging out the eyes of his victims with a key. Hollings was only just getting started as he brutally killed his first two female victims. Luckily, Hollings was stopped by Jamie Kenton before he was to be tried for his second murder.

Brought Down by Another Bad Guy

While Kenton was not exactly a good guy either, he was at least able to stop Hollings before he could commit any more twisted murders. Having already been acquitted of his first murder, there was no certainty that he would be put behind bars. Hollings was another spiritual killer, believing the keys would unlock the souls of his victims. He is another despicable killer who may not have been stopped by Booth and Bones this time around, but was ultimately taken down once and for all.

2 Richard Benoit

Portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito

Benoit (Giancarlo Esposito) was the owner of a voodoo store in New Orleans. The mystical murderer who attempted to cover up his tracks by committing more murder, nearly killed Brennan during the process. Luckily, she was able to escape with only a broken wrist during her encounter with the madman. After experiencing amnesia after the events, Benoit uses this to frame Brennan for his first murder.

Voodoo Killer

While on the loose, Benoit evaded arrest and killed four people in total, before he was finally captured and arrested. In an attempt to take Brennan down one last time, Benoit had begun to cast a curse on her. But Brennan, being fast on her feet as always, gave him a swift poke in the eyes to stop him. She was nearly bested in this case but was able to consistently keep Benoit at bay.

1 Mark Kovac

Portrayed by Gerardo Celasco

Kovac (Gerardo Celasco) had a vendetta against Booth since he was just six years old. The son of a Serbian warlord, Kovac was there when Booth killed his father. It is a moment that as Kovac grew up, he vowed to avenge. In his quest for vengeance, Kovac becomes skilled in the art of explosives and uses that ability to come as close as anyone to killing Booth and Brennan.

Getting His Revenge

Kovac went so far as to bomb the Jeffersonian Institute. The building was forced to be evacuated, and the team just narrowly avoided being killed. Kovac continued his revenge-fueled rage as he later got involved in a shootout with Booth and Brennan. But Booth was able to use his expert gun skills once more as he shot and killed Kovac once and for all. While Kovac was innocent at the time of his father’s death, he was anything but as he grew up.