Editor’s note: The first-round polls have closed. Vote in the Sweet 16 here!
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears—uh, eyes. Today we gather not for the funeral of Julius Caesar, but to honor his memory nevertheless. You see, we may have officially entered into 2026, but according to the Chinese lunar calendar, we still have six weeks remaining in the Year of the Snake. And one of those weeks—this week—marks the Season 4 premiere of Peacock’s The Traitors. Are you sensing a theme here? That’s right. We are living in a period of peak treachery. Backstabbers, renegades, slithering serpents abound. Whom can you really trust these days? And if Caesar’s dear friend Brutus was anything to go by, betrayal is a tale as old as time.
From the moment the big man gave us free will, we’ve been dealing in disloyalty. Couldn’t even keep our hands off the apple, and don’t even get me started on Cain. Since those early deceptions, betrayal has evolved into a number of fascinating forms: snitches, leakers, cheaters, double agents, political usurpers, sports-rivalry turncoats, hell, even self-betrayers (you when you break your New Year's resolutions by the end of this week).
The truth is, love ’em or hate ’em (and we tend to hate ’em, unless you lived in Miami from 2010 to 2013), traitors hold a special place in our collective memory. As Brian Phillips writes in his introductory essay, traitors are “case studies in the vagaries of human nature.” They expose uncomfortable truths within us. They create fascinating moral drama. And, in the end, they prove that loyalty can exist.
In that spirit—the spirit of the great Alan Cumming—we have to recognize these conspirators in the only way The Ringer knows how. Welcome to the Ultimate Traitor Bracket.
To gather the contestants for this competition, we cast a wide net across the realms of pop culture, sports, history, and mythology to assemble a legion of all-star traitors whose misdeeds have stood the test of time. In total, our staff submitted well over 200 nominations. It was impossible (and less fun) to account for every heinous Quisling in the book, so our final pool tends to prioritize instantly recognizable figures who linger in popular lore.
Traitors Week at The Ringer
Now we’re asking for your help to determine the greatest traitor of them all. What that means to you surely will vary. Is it the most evil traitor of all time? The cleverest? The most significant? The most—for better or worse—lovable? That’s up to you to decide. All we ask is that you consider, in each matchup, the true essence of traitordom. Let that be your guiding light. We trust you.
For each round, you can vote here on the website and on Instagram every day until 6 p.m. ET, through Friday. Voting will go as follows:
Monday: Round of 64
Tuesday: Round of 32
Wednesday: Sweet 16
Thursday a.m.: Elite Eight
Thursday p.m.: Final Four
Friday: Championship
Saturday: Winner revealed
Remember, folks, betrayal is the only truth that sticks. We’re about to find out what that really means. Let’s dive into the treason. —Aric Jenkins
The Backstabbers Region
(1) Brutus vs. (16) Dan Humphrey, Gossip Girl
Brutus
What do you say when someone betrays you? “Et tu, Brute?” right? Well, meet Brute. Stabbed Julius Caesar, his friend and mentor, to death in the Roman Senate. Was probably trying to save Roman democracy from the rise of a tyrant; may have slightly miscalculated, as his actions led directly to the fall of the republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. Good job, good effort. Literally messed up so hard at work that a thousand years later, Dante put him at the center of the ninth circle of hell. —Brian Phillips
Dan Humphrey
Gossip is the lifeblood of human existence and, just as importantly, of Gossip Girl. Dan Humphrey may have betrayed the trust of his frenemies and lovers by (somehow) spilling all their secrets to the Upper East Side, but the shit they were pulling was absolutely bonkers and needed to be shared with the world. Dan may have been a traitor, but he also provided an essential service to the people of New York and to the world. —Helena Hunt
(8) Luís Figo vs. (9) Sol Campbell
Luís Figo
For anyone unfamiliar with Spanish soccer, Real Madrid and Barcelona are the Yankees and Red Sox of La Liga: These powerhouses hate each other, and players tend to pledge lifelong allegiance to one of them. So when Portuguese winger Luís Figo had the gall to move from Barcelona to Real Madrid, it was tantamount to war. As in, upon making his infamous return to Camp Nou, Barca fans held banners calling Figo “Judas” and even threw a pig’s head onto the pitch. Basically:
Sol Campbell
Arsenal and Tottenham have one of the fiercest rivalries in the Premier League, so, naturally, Spurs’ homegrown, nine-year-serving club captain (1) spent months publicly proclaiming he would stay at Tottenham, specifically saying he would never join Arsenal; (2) joined Arsenal; and (3) joined Arsenal on a free transfer, ensuring that Tottenham would recoup zero money from his sale. He then went on to clinch the league title during Arsenal’s famous “invincibles” season at White Hart Lane. Years later he’s out here making cheeky commercials for Google about the benefits of “switching sides.” Just pure, unfiltered antagonism. —Jenkins
(5) Littlefinger, Game of Thrones vs. (12) Hulk Hogan
Littlefinger
For many on this list, their reputation as a traitor came as a result of a single act of betrayal. And then there’s Lord Petyr Baelish, whose traitorous acts are too many to list in so few words. Littlefinger is a deceitful man who lies, manipulates, and backstabs his way to becoming one of the most influential figures in all of Westeros. Betrayal is merely a tool for him in his attempted ascent to power, and though Littlefinger is ultimately bested in the game of thrones, few played it better than the cunning master manipulator. —Daniel Chin
Hulk Hogan
There are a lot of ways to measure traitorousness, but certainly nobody on this list can top Hulk Hogan—or should I say Hollywood Hogan—in the amount of literal trash thrown at them. The moment that Hogan turned his back on his legion of Hulkamaniacs and joined the nWo at WCW Bash at the Beach on July 7, 1996, the pro wrestling world would never be the same, and fans’ voices would never stop being hoarse from booing him. —David Shoemaker
(4) Iago, Othello vs. (13) Rose Armitage, Get Out
Iago
The villain of Shakespeare’s Othello. Gets passed over for a promotion, decides to dedicate his life to a brutal, secret, and elaborate vengeance campaign against his boss. Relatable. Pretends to be passionately loyal while scheming in private, like Marco Rubio if he were smart. Lies. Cheats. Manipulates everyone around him. A virtuoso of treason, capable of destroying true love with nothing but a handkerchief. Gets a lot of people killed. When caught, refuses to explain his motives, proving that he’d be a high seed in a pettiness bracket as well. —Phillips
Rose Armitage
You know deep down, as it becomes unnervingly clear that something sinister is up with Get Out’s antagonistic Armitage family, that Chris’s girlfriend, Rose, must be in on it. Yet your heart still sinks as she convincingly digs for those car keys only to make a crushing face-turn from concerned ally to vacant-eyed coconspirator. If that isn’t treacherous enough, please watch as she eats cereal by separately snacking on Froot Loops and then sipping on milk through a straw. Who does that?! —Julianna Ress
(6) Stringer Bell, The Wire vs. (11) Robert Ford, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Stringer Bell
“Think I give a fuck? I’ll be chalking you off one night.” That’s Detective Frank Barlow’s warning to Stringer Bell in the series premiere of The Wire after Stringer has, against all odds, helped D’Angelo Barksdale beat a murder rap. Stringer Bell goes on to betray D’Angelo, the rest of the Barksdale crew, and everyone else in western Baltimore before karma catches up with him by the end of Season 3. He goes out so bad that the chalk was all that was left of him. —Justin Charity
Robert Ford
Robert Ford was indeed a real historical figure who killed the real outlaw Jesse James, but I’m going to focus on the dramatized version of him. You know, the one played by Casey Affleck in the movie based on Ron Hansen’s book of the same name. The character is, well, a pathetic hanger-on. He leads Brad Pitt’s James to famously say this: “Can’t figure it out: Do you want to be like me, or do you want to be me?” —Alan Siegel
(3) Scar, The Lion King vs. (14) Jose Canseco
Scar
When it comes to betrayal, fratricide is a classic. So classic that The Lion King is loosely based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. But Hamlet didn’t have adolescent Simba’s sad little Disney eyes, nor Jonathan Taylor Thomas’s trembling little voice when Scar—a trusted male authority figure!—told Simba that his father’s death was his fault. That if it weren’t for him, Mufasa would still be alive. That he should run away and never return. Lying to his nephew for personal gain. How could you, Scar? How could you? A traitor of the highest degree. —Jodi Walker
Jose Canseco
In his sloppy 2005 tell-all memoir, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ’Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big, former MLB heavy hitter (and Bash Brother) Jose Canseco described himself as “the godfather of steroids.” But as Tom Verducci wrote in SI that year, Canseco was more like “baseball’s Sammy [the Bull] Gravano.” Juiced named names, blew up spots, and even quoted Jason Giambi gushing: “My God, your veins are incredible.” Having obliterated baseball’s code of silence, Canseco bat flipped his way onto the bestseller list. —Katie Baker
(7) Fernand Mondego, The Count of Monte Cristo vs. (10) Shane Walsh, The Walking Dead
Fernand Mondego
All-time dirty mack. Sent the homie to prison for a decade and a half so he could steal his girl. Dastardly. Thought he got away with it, too. Then he talked all that shit and got beat down in a duel. Proceeded to transform into a worldless mouth breather. The rest is history. —Lex Pryor
Shane Walsh
Hey, Shane, thanks for taking care of my family while I was away, but I’m gonna need my wife back now. What’s that? You think you’re a better fit for her and should raise my son and remain in charge of the group? You think my leadership style is too soft for the apocalypse and that we should all descend into primal barbarism? Oh, you wanna murder me in cold blood out of jealousy and resentment? Your so-called best friend? Can never thank you enough for everything, bro, but you gots ta go. —Jenkins
(2) Fredo Corleone, The Godfather Part II vs. (15) Ernest Burkhart, Killers of the Flower Moon
Fredo Corleone
He thought he was smart, that he knew things. Blabbing about your escapades in Cuba after you just told your kingpin little brother that you’ve never been there before isn’t exactly the prudent move. The faux smooch Michael gives him is the moment that’s seared into our minds with this backstabbing, but the image I can’t look away from is Fredo, in that Havana bar, heedlessly giving up the whole act. He ain’t the brightest bulb. —Pryor
Ernest Burkhart
Ernest is a pawn in someone else’s betrayal who’s too stupid to know a game’s being played. In Killers of the Flower Moon (as in real life), the loud and loutish Ernest marries Osage oil heiress Mollie Kyle and, at his uncle William King Hale’s bidding, drains her and her family of their health and wealth. He’s a killer parasite who thinks he’s a real stand-up guy. What makes things worse is that he really does love Mollie—he’s too dumb to hide that, but he’s just smart enough to compartmentalize his love for her and for money. —Hunt
The Sellouts Region
(1) Judas, the New Testament vs. (16) Boston Rob, Survivor
Judas
If Jesus Christ Superstar is to be believed, Judas was the most anguished traitor of all time. He slimed out Jesus for an infuriatingly paltry sum, and in an annoyingly cutesy way. The butterfly effect of his betrayal is immeasurable: For one, I blame him for every bitchy tweet from JD Vance. His name is synonymous with betrayal, and by this measure, he’s peerless. —Charity
Boston Rob
Today he’s the affable Bostonian perpetually grinning under a Red Sox cap, but it was his cutthroat gameplay—namely, his brutal blind side of his once-ally Lex on Survivor: All-Stars that came at the cost of their real-life friendship—that made Rob Mariano one of reality television’s early defining villains. Even as 20 more years of Survivor backstabbings have come and gone, Boston Rob’s still cuts the deepest. —Ress
(8) Roger Clemens vs. (9) Prince Hans, Frozen
Roger Clemens
This bracket wouldn’t be complete without featuring either Roger Clemens or Johnny Damon. Clemens is the obvious choice. It’s not just that he left the Red Sox and won the World Series with their most hated rival, it’s that he burned bridges with Boston in the most enduring way possible. After spending 13 years with the Sox, he spurned the team’s fans upon signing with the Blue Jays after the 1996 season. He then turned in the best stretch of his career before forcing a trade to the Yankees. And he became one of the faces of MLB’s steroid era, as he was indicted by a federal grand jury on six felony counts in 2010. Our Ringer boss, Bill Simmons, famously wrote a column for ESPN’s Page 2: “Is Clemens the Antichrist?” If this bracket goes chalk, he’ll face Judas in the next round. —Ben Glicksman
Prince Hans
First of all, sir, how dare you? You come to Arendelle and think you can mess with two sisters who have been through some shit (freezing accident; parents died at sea)? You think you can just sweep sweet Anna off her feet, and then, when a true love’s kiss is needed to thaw her after she is hit with a blast of magic ice by her sister (again), you think you can reveal that you actually had a whole evil plan to take over the kingdom? And then you think you can kill Elsa? No. This is a kids’ movie, for Chrissake! I don’t think so, you absolute piece of shit. —Andrew Gruttadaro
(5) Ernesto de la Cruz, Coco vs. (12) Pat Riley
Ernesto de la Cruz
As with any good character, there’s an inherent truth at Ernesto’s core when his villainy is ultimately revealed, which is that all musicians would absolutely kill their close friends in exchange for a few gigs and some good press. This is kind of what some people think happened to Avril Lavigne. —Nora Princiotti
Pat Riley
It’s not just that Pat Riley spurned New York. It’s not even that he left for the balmier climes of Miami; after all, generations of New Yorkers have done the same. No, it was the when, why, and how of it all that transformed Riley from savior to traitor. Riley faxed his resignation in June 1995. He quit just a year after guiding the Knicks to the Finals. He left right when the franchise needed him most, just so he could have more power in Miami. Riley’s heel turn helped spark the storied Knicks-Heat rivalry of the ’90s, setting the stage for all the playoff clashes, bench-clearing brawls, and petty broadsides to come—along with a steady stream of howls, boos, and “Pat the Rat” signs every time Riley returned to Madison Square Garden. —Howard Beck
(4) Carter Burke, Aliens vs. (13) Perfidia Beverly Hills, One Battle After Another
Carter Burke
Paul Reiser plays the perfect corporate stooge. You know the type: a self-professed nice guy who’s just doing his job. Which in this case means secretly trying to smuggle alien specimens to Earth to hand over to Weyland-Yutani’s biological weapons division. At the cost of hundreds of lives, of course. “I was just following the corporate manifest, but at the premiere my sister punched me in the stomach,” Reiser once said. “I thought, ‘This doesn’t bode well for the public.’” —Siegel
Perfidia Beverly Hills
A member of a far-left revolutionary group, the French 75, that frees detained migrants (nice). Engages in a sadomasochistic relationship with a fascist colonel (bad). Pegs the colonel (... nice?). Suffers from postpartum depression (we sympathize). Enters witness protection in exchange for giving up the French 75 (really bad!). Even though Perfidia Beverly Hills appears in only the first act of the film, she manages to leave behind One Headache After Another. —Surrey
(6) LeBron James vs. (11) Tom Sandoval, Vanderpump Rules
LeBron James
Would The Decision in the summer of 2010 have inspired so many burning effigies in Cleveland had it not been for LeBron’s infamous one-liner? “I’m taking my talents to South Beach” struck the exact tone of a demigod forsaking his loyal and disenfranchised followers. Somehow, LeBron turned what was ostensibly a Boys & Girls Club of America fundraiser into a villain origin story. He’d make up for his sins against the city six years later with the championship he’d long promised, but not before molding the shape of signing and commitment announcements in his image. —Danny Chau
Tom Sandoval
Sandoval was a treacherous deviant before he carried out an affair with one of his girlfriend’s best friends on national television. First of all, he insists that you take his party rock cover band seriously, no matter how much you resist. And then, of course, there was that thing where his girlfriend Ariana was vulnerably explaining how she needed his physical presence more now since her beloved father passed—and he told her that he would always be there for her … except on her birthday, when he’d be in Vegas with the boys. The absolute gall, then, after spending so many years exposing his selfishness on Bravo, to think that he could get away with starting an affair with another cast member while filming and get away with it? Not this time. Not on our watch. —Walker
(3) Dennis Nedry, Jurassic Park vs. (14) John Mulaney
Dennis Nedry
The disgruntled employee is always a suspect, and Nedry is an OG of the form. Sure, you may have daydreamed about putting eggs in your worst boss’s car, but disabling the dinosaur fences? There’s a sympathetic read on Nedry, underpaid, undervalued, and ultimately pressured into one of cinema’s most cataclysmic cases of corporate espionage. Still, you really can’t mess around with those fences, man. —Princiotti
John Mulaney
Let me be clear: I personally cast no judgment upon John Mulaney. What he did—divorce his first wife, with whom he had no children, and marry another woman, with whom he then had children—is a fairly normal occurrence. Not particularly high on the traitorous behavior list. But ask a certain sect of too-online people, and they will tell you that John Mulaney is worse than Judas. A soulless snake who deserves to be burned at the stake for his actions. (You’d think that the victim of Mulaney’s “treason” was his ex-wife, but look a little harder, and it’s clear that the victims are this group of people.) I don’t really wanna get involved. Vote with your heart, whichever way it may lead you. —Gruttadaro
(7) Bob Dylan (Going Electric) vs. (10) Brett Favre
Bob Dylan
So: Bob Dylan. You familiar with Bob Dylan? The Timothée Chalamet character? Bob got famous for playing acoustic guitar whilst mumbling cryptically, but by 1966 he’d decided he wanted to play electric guitar whilst mumbling cryptically, and this royally pissed off fans of acoustic guitars, including some extra-pissed-off dude at a concert who yelled, famously, Judas! Bob, undaunted, told his band to play it fuckin’ loud, and they played “Like a Rolling Stone” pretty fuckin’ loud, and thus rock ’n’ roll was born, or rock ’n’ roll’s penchant for self-mythology was born. There’s no real difference. Timothée should’ve won the Oscar, BTW. —Rob Harvilla
Brett Favre
Brett Favre has done a lot of traitorous and treacherous things in his life, but we’re here to discuss his on-field betrayal: playing for the Minnesota Vikings. Favre spent 16 years of his NFL career as a Green Bay Packer, winning three MVP awards, one Super Bowl, and the hearts and minds of Wisconsinites. Then, in 2009, he turned tail and signed with the archrival Vikings (after one season with the Jets) and nearly led them to a Super Bowl berth. Many Packers fans have forgiven Favre for his disloyalty—his jersey was even retired at Lambeau Field in 2015—but no one has forgotten. —Megan Schuster
(2) Cypher, The Matrix vs. (15) Arie Luyendyk Jr., The Bachelor
Cypher
Look, life after the Machine War isn’t easy. The sky is scorched, the grub is gross, and dance parties aside, there’s a distinct lack of creature comforts. I understand the desire to forget one’s troubles, and maybe Morpheus bears some blame for freeing Cypher’s mind when he was over the age limit (just like the Jedi do for training a too-old Anakin). But missing the taste of steak and having an unrequited crush on Trinity are no excuses for selling out humanity and murdering Dozer, Apoc, and Switch in cold blood. Goddamn you, Cypher! —Ben Lindbergh
Arie Luyendyk Jr.
You can get away with almost anything on the Bachelor franchise. You can date 25 women at once; you can gladly accept the position of most eligible bachelor in America while fully jobless; you can be a 66-year-old man who says he won’t date a woman over 60; you can even propose to your finalist, then circle back and say, “Oopsies, I should have picked the other one,” (looking at you, Jason!). But Arie proposing to sweetheart Becca, then circling back to break up with her and tell her he was choosing his runner-up Lauren instead—and letting the Bachelor cameras film it—was a bridge too far, even for heart-hardened Bachelor audiences. Multiple entities were exposed in Becca’s betrayal: Arie, The Bachelor itself … and maybe us. —Walker
The Turncoats Region
(1) Benedict Arnold vs. (16) Obadiah Stane, Iron Man
Benedict Arnold
What more needs to be said? An entire nation turned my guy’s name into a synonym. All Benedict needed to do was stay loyal for another year or so, and he would have gone down as a national hero. There’d be towns and monuments and federal buildings named after him—the man who won Saratoga and convinced the French to join! Instead, he couldn’t handle getting passed over for a promotion a couple of times. Grow up, buddy; it happens to the best of us. —Jenkins
Obadiah Stane
There are few villains in MCU history who are as memorable as its very first: Obadiah Stane. Much of that is owed to the brutal sting of Stane’s betrayal. Stane was a lifelong friend and business partner to Howard Stark, and he helped mentor young Tony Stark following the deaths of his parents. Despite all of that, Stane would later put a hit on Tony’s life so he could take control of the Stark family business, Stark Industries. When that failed, he paid a bunch of scientists to make him a giant iron suit so he could kill Tony himself. But, hey, at least he brought the guy pizza first. —Chin
(8) Big Pussy, The Sopranos vs. (9) HAL 9000, 2001: A Space Odyssey
Big Pussy
Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero is not the first rat depicted on The Sopranos nor the last, but he is likely the character that springs to mind when you think of “Sopranos FBI informant.” After getting popped for dealing heroin, Sal agrees to sell Tony out to the federal government. As Tony drifts in and out of a fever dream in the Season 2 finale, he finally admits to himself that his best friend is a snitch. By the episode’s end, Tony, Silvio, and Paulie have disposed of their friend somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic. But Tony does grant Sal one thing not afforded to so many other rats on the show: As Pussy becomes aware that he’s about to die, he asks if he can sit down. Tony instead pulls out his gun and starts shooting, ensuring his lifelong friend goes out as a stand-up guy—literally. In a sense, that makes Big Pussy something else relative to other Sopranos turncoats: the most dignified. —Justin Sayles
HAL 9000
He reads lips, cheats at chess, and sends your one companion in the galaxy flailing in zero g like an inflatable tube man. HAL is a supercomputer with a body count due to his advanced AI that operates to survive at all costs and thus imbues him with a level of treachery beyond what a flesh-and-blood human could ever possess. Thankfully, none of this is relevant to today. —Ress
(5) Lando Calrissian, Star Wars vs. (12) Tom Wambsgans, Succession
Lando Calrissian
Lando made a pact with the Empire and then—despite the whole history of Faustian bargains—acted aggrieved when Darth Vader altered the deal. In addition to betraying his “old buddy” by serving him up to the people who put him in carbonite, Lando also betrayed the bro code by macking on Han’s crush right in front of his face. (Also, he cheated at sabacc.) Sure, the Empire put Lando in a tough position, and he ultimately made it up to the Rebels by becoming one himself, but it’s easy to see why Chewie choked him out. —Lindbergh
Tom Wambsgans
“You’re marrying a man fathoms beneath you,” Logan Roy told his daughter, Shiv, about her fiancé, Tom Wambsgans, in Season 1 of Succession, “because you don’t want to risk being betrayed.” Well, ah, whoops! Tom spent most of Succession’s four seasons on his knees, literally and figuratively, but when the music ended, he was the one still standing. Did he outsmart his in-laws? Not exactly. Out-grovel them? Yes, sir! The softest man in the room ultimately wielded life’s sharpest tool: shamelessness. And by selling out the Roys, Tom proved himself worthy of the fucked-up family. Maybe Logan would’ve been proud. —Baker
(4) Kevin Durant vs. (13) Dr. Wellington Yueh, Dune
Kevin Durant
Durant’s neighbors in Oklahoma City used to bring him Skittles on the regular. KD was their golden boy, the perfect young star for a Thunder franchise just starting to figure out its footing in the NBA market. He was the face of an upstart that became a yearly powerhouse that consistently fell just short of its goals. But on Independence Day 2016, Durant instantly became the patron saint of taking the easy way out when he signed with the Golden State Warriors to form one of the greatest teams of all time. He sought basketball nirvana, or at least greater success within the game; for a brief period, he found it. All it cost was a lifetime of online harassment from strangers claiming he ruined basketball forever. Fair trade, all things considered. —Chau
Dr. Wellington Yueh
If House Atreides is the House Stark of Dune, then Dr. Yueh is the closest thing the franchise has to a Walder Frey. The good doctor betrays Leto Atreides because the Harkonnens have captured his wife, threatening her with interminable torture unless Yueh does what they ask. It’s a tough situation, but expecting the people who have a Gigeresque human-spider pet running around to hold up their end of the bargain is so dumb that we’ve gotta revoke his interplanetary MD. At least Yueh had the decency to give Leto a poison pill. —Surrey
(6) Colin Sullivan, The Departed vs. (11) Mark Zuckerberg, The Social Network
Colin Sullivan
In a movie full of traitors, Colin Sullivan sticks out for both his absolute herb-ishness and his absolute fecklessness. If there is an obstacle in his way, he’ll find a body to bridge it with. Just saved Sullivan from imminent imprisonment? Yeah, you’re getting popped in the head. He’s got so many lies spinning at one time, from so many angles, that he’s actually begun believing them. Even his girl thinks he’s a lame. —Pryor
Mark Zuckerberg
“Punk. Prophet. Genius. Billionaire. Traitor,” proclaims the packaging of an old Social Network two-disc DVD set, atop the face of Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, saving the second worst for last. It’s one thing to see Zuck’s character string along the supercilious Winklevoss twins as he launches Facebook. It’s quite another to watch him throw Eduardo Saverin, his “only friend,” headfirst into the shallow end of the equity pool. “You were the business head of the company, and you made a bad business deal,” snarks Eisenzuck, cruelly converting his cofounder into a mere rounding error. —Baker
(3) Walder Frey, Game of Thrones vs. (14) Zuko, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Walder Frey
The “Late” Walder Frey might be the biggest scumbag in Game of Thrones, which is saying something. He’s a slob, he collects young wives, and, oh, he traitorously serves the Stark family up to the Lannisters. Alas, after the Red Wedding, Frey gets his comeuppance at the hands of Arya Stark. But not before he helps orchestrate the most shocking betrayal in recent pop culture history. —Siegel
Zuko
The prince of the Fire Nation betrays his father, sister, and the rest of their evil empire on his ultimate path to redemption. Sure, Zuko ultimately plays a crucial role in helping the Avatar save the world, but before getting there, he double-crosses his sweet uncle, Iroh, and lands him in prison. Zuko even does the same to Katara, who trusts him despite everything he’d done to her and her friends to that point. Zuko might find his way eventually, but he disappoints a lot of people before becoming a worthy Fire Lord. —Chin
(7) Lane Kiffin vs. (10) Nick Saban
Lane Kiffin
One of the reasons Lane Kiffin is in Baton Rouge today is that his Ole Miss teams won three of their six meetings against LSU during his tenure in Oxford. Alas, he’s now behind enemy lines after leaving Miss in the middle of the season, just as the Rebels were poised to compete for a national championship. Accordingly, Kiffin is Public Enemy No. 1 on at least three SEC campuses: Ole Miss, Tennessee (where he escaped fan riots after coaching there for only a 7-6 season in 2009), and Mississippi State. Not that more aren’t lined up to hate him in the future. —Joel Anderson
Nick Saban
Today, Nick Saban calls leaving LSU for the Miami Dolphins in 2004 “his biggest professional mistake.” Imagine how LSU and Dolphins fans feel. After two middling seasons in the NFL, Saban course corrected and took over at Alabama in 2007. He did so after famously insisting, “I’m not going to be the Alabama coach.” Two weeks later, he was in Tuscaloosa, and Dolphins fans responded by calling him “Satan.” Saban went on to turn the Crimson Tide, a longtime rival of LSU, into the most dominant college football powerhouse of the modern era. Saban owned his old friends in Baton Rouge along the way, winning 12 of 18 of their matchups during his reign. —Anderson
(2) Saruman, The Lord of the Rings vs. (15) Michael Dawson, Lost
Saruman
No disrespect to Christopher Lee, but I never trusted him. Guy is a separatist. What kind of government informant fixes their mouth to tell a fellow wizard, “Your love of the halflings’ leaf has clearly slowed your mind”? So when Saruman starts letting his eyes dart off camera and gets all ominous and leans back in his dark-hued throne, the final reveal isn’t much of a surprise. But the subsequent throwdown? Sensational. Hall of Fame fracas. Just two geezers, beating the shit out of each other. What more could you ask for? —Pryor
Michael Dawson
Yes, we know—Michael was just trying to do right by his kid. When Walt was kidnapped by the Others, Michael cut a deal with them to free their imprisoned leader, Ben, in exchange for his son’s return. At the same time, nobody told Michael he had to kill anyone to hold up his end of the bargain. He fatally shot Ana Lucia and Libby before shooting himself in the shoulder as a cover-up. Michael proceeded to trick Jack, Sawyer, and Kate into helping him save Walt, just to give them all up to the Others to complete his end of the deal. Not only did Michael get absolutely fleeced in the trade, but he would have to reckon with the guilt and his son’s resentment forever after. —Chin
The Defectors Region
(1) Anakin Skywalker, Star Wars vs. (16) Alcibiades
Anakin Skywalker
It was said that it was said that Anakin would destroy the Sith, not join them; bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness. And sure, he arguably got around to doing some destroying and balancing, eventually. (At least until, somehow, Palpatine returned.) But he sure took a roundabout route. Anakin killed his wife and dueled his brother, and no possible point of view—or allowances for his harsh upbringing—could justify what he did to those younglings. Mace Windu and Palpatine accused each other of being traitors, but the biggest traitor was standing right next to them. —Lindbergh
Alcibiades
Ancient Greek military commander during the wars between Athens and Sparta. Brilliant general. Brilliant orator. Led Athens to a bunch of victories, then sold them out and defected to Sparta. Led Sparta to a bunch of victories, then sold them out and defected to Persia. Then went back to Athens. A simply phenomenal run of betrayals. Born to chew gum and betray people, and gum hadn’t been invented yet. Eventually assassinated in his mid-40s. No one’s sure who did it, because everyone wanted him dead. —Phillips
(8) Nico Harrison vs. (9) Commodus, Gladiator
Nico Harrison
There are varying degrees of treachery permissible in the NBA, but disgraced former Dallas Mavericks president of basketball operations Nico Harrison blew past the outer limits in February 2025. Trading beloved franchise savior Luka Doncic to (of course) the Los Angeles Lakers under the cover of darkness—without fielding any other offers from the rest of the league!—will go down as one of the worst front office decisions in professional sports history. —Chau
Commodus
What an absolute goddamn snake. It’s not bad enough that Commodus murdered his father, Marcus Aurelius, when Aurelius told him he was going in a different direction for the next emperor of Rome. No, Commodus suffocated his elderly father while said father was kneeling in front of him, telling him that all his faults were actually the sins of his father. Commodus cried while he did it, then lied to everyone about what happened and stole the throne for himself. He deserved a much worse end than what Maximus gave him. —Schuster
(5) Henry Hill, Goodfellas vs. (12) Harper Stern, Industry
Henry Hill
The lesson comes early and with a $20 bill. “Never rat on your friends, and always keep your mouth shut,” Jimmy Conway says to a young, freshly arrested Henry Hill as he slips an Andrew Jackson in his shirt pocket. For the first two acts of Goodfellas, there’s no reason for Henry not to stay quiet. But as the walls close in and the helicopters grow louder, Henry’s left with a choice: self-preservation or protecting murderers who happen to be old friends. He chooses the former and agrees to give his testimony. The enduring image is the final shot of Martin Scorsese’s classic, as Henry picks up a newspaper in his bathrobe in front of his new, nondescript, suburban home and rants about noodles in ketchup. It’s proof that there are fates worse than death—and consequences for not living by your code. —Sayles
Harper Stern
Harper launched her finance career on the strength of a forged transcript and has only grown more ambitious and duplicitous over the past three seasons of Industry. She’s turned the tables on colleagues and clients alike, mined friendships for material nonpublic information, shorted her former employer into oblivion, and even dangled a fake job offer to a frenemy, just to make a point. For traders and traitors alike, an exit strategy is crucial for even the best positions. And Harper has never had qualms about cashing out. —Baker
(4) Macbeth, Macbeth vs. (13) Bill Belichick
Macbeth
NBD, just the protagonist of the greatest examination of the psychology of betrayal ever written. Murders the king he’s sworn to protect while the king is a guest in his house. Treasonously seizes the throne. Then has his best friend killed because of some loose talk he heard from witches. Tries to kill his best friend’s young son. Kills a lot of people. It’s bad luck to say “Macbeth” near a stage; his very name is a betrayal of theater itself. Crushing remorse means he can’t even enjoy being king. Never listen to witches. —Phillips
Bill Belichick
“I resign as HC of the NYJ” goes down as one of the most traitorous sentences in sports history. Belichick scribbled the note on a piece of loose-leaf paper—one of the more disrespectful forms of stationery—and handed it to Jets officials in January of 2000, one day after it had been publicized that he was inheriting the job from Bill Parcells. Soon after, Belichick was introduced as the next head coach of the Patriots, the Jets’ division rivals, who’d requested to interview Belichick when he was still under contract in New York but had been turned down. This is still one of those don’t-go-there topics in Belichick’s world. —Princiotti
(6) Alec Trevelyan (006), GoldenEye vs. (11) Jon Rahm
Alec Trevelyan
Trevelyan was the sort of traitor who had the nerve to lecture James Bond for betraying him in the course of his own botched sabotage of Her Majesty’s Secret Service during the infiltration of a chemical weapons facility in the Soviet Union. Pathetic, if not for Sean Bean’s performance as 006 in GoldenEye being so icy and quotable. Bond: “Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?” Trevelyan: “No—you were supposed to die for me.” —Charity
Jon Rahm
Jon Rahm in February 2022: “I wanted to take this time to say that this is my official, my one and only time to talk about this, where I am officially declaring my fealty to the PGA Tour.”
Jon Rahm in June 2022: “To be honest, part of the format is not really appealing to me. Shotgun three days, to me, is not a golf tournament. … I’ve never really played the game of golf for monetary reasons. I play for the love of the game.”
Jon Rahm in August 2023: “I laugh when people rumor me with LIV Golf.”
Jon Rahm in December 2023:
I mean, come on. —Gruttadaro
(3) Peter Pettigrew, Harry Potter vs. (14) Robert Irsay
Peter Pettigrew
[Hits blunt.] Whoa, I just realized something: Peter Pettigrew is a rat. Indeed, ol’ Wormtail lived up to his name by snitching on the Potters’ location in Godric's Hollow. Some Secret Keeper he was. Betrayed his best friends not even out of any specific personal gain but just the vague suspicion he’d be safer that way. Sirius Black would never. Book readers know that years later, Scabbers couldn’t even finish the job on Harry, and Voldemort choked him out for the perceived disloyalty. Fitting. —Jenkins
Robert Irsay
On a snowy night in late March 1984, Robert Irsay sneaked the Colts out of Baltimore, loading all of the franchise’s belongings into Mayflower moving trucks (and taking the team name, which was an ode to Baltimore’s horse-racing culture) and heading east on Interstate 70, bound for Indianapolis. The move cemented Irsay’s legacy as a hated man in Baltimore—even more than his team’s run of losing seasons or the indignity of having to trade away draft pick John Elway because the QB who would go on to win Super Bowls and become a Hall of Famer refused to play for Irsay’s team. Ouch. —Lindsay Jones
(7) Dr. Mann, Interstellar vs. (10) Mr. Orange, Reservoir Dogs
Dr. Mann
“He’s the best of us.” So says professor John Brand about Dr. Mann, the NASA scientist who heroically leads a group of astronauts on a one-way mission to find a new home for humanity in the cosmos. Well, about that: Upon learning the planet is uninhabitable, Dr. Mann sends back falsified data to ensure he’s saved. In other words, Dr. Mann was literally willing to doom our species because he didn’t want to die alone. He’s the worst of us. —Surrey
Mr. Orange
Easily one of the most excruciating reveals in movie history. Watching Tim Roth’s hideously pale, bloodied Mr. Orange admit to being a police officer while Harvey Keitel’s distraught Mr. White is cradling him in his arms and groaning is sickening. Poor White can’t even take revenge for the betrayal—the cops kill him before he can finish off Orange. —Siegel
(2) Cain, the Old Testament vs. (15) The Robots, I, Robot
Cain
A pioneer in treachery, obviously. You cannot brutally betray your own brother—or murder anyone, really—without paying homage to the OG. Several millennia of copycats and also-rans have yet to improve on the grim eloquence of: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” —Charity
The Robots
I’ll say this for the robots: It’s not their fault they held Will Smith’s grandma and Bridget Moynahan hostage and beat up on a young Shia LaBeouf. They were programmed to betray us—because the only way to save humankind is to enslave it. When I first watched I, Robot on cable in the early aughts, that message—and the threat of killer robots that looked vaguely like my Poo-Chi—took hold deep in my soul (because, unlike a robot, I do have a soul), and I haven’t trusted an AI bot with a four-letter woman’s name ending in i ever since. —Hunt
