History ArcVillain / LiveActionTV

* Very common in ''Series/DoctorWho'' during the Classic Series when it was comprised of multi-episode serials. Less so the Revival Series, which tended to have standalone episodes or two-parters, though it still had some season-long threats.
** Season 8: The Master, who butts heads with the Third Doctor in every single story that season, which spans from his arrival on Earth to his arrest by UNIT.
** Season 20: The Black Guardian, who spends three consecutive serials trying to get Turlough to kill the Doctor out of vengeance for the Doctor's defiance of him at the end of Season 16.
** Season 23: The Valeyard, [[spoiler:a personification of the Doctor's dark side created between his twelfth and final incarnations, who conspires with the Gallifreyan government to steal the Doctor's regenerations for himself via a sham trial]]. Much of the Valeyard's status as an arc villain is owed to the fact that Season 23 was structured and billed as a single fourteen-part serial, though it was produced as four separate stories with an overarching framing device.
** Seasons 24-26: Fenric, an ancient evil being from the dawn of time itself, who manipulated a number of events throughout the Seventh Doctor's era in order to gain a rematch with the Time Lord (following an offscreen confrontation between the two).
** Series 3: Mr. Saxon, aka [[spoiler:the Master, the Doctor's most famous standalone antagonist]].
** Series 6: Madame Kovarian and the Order of the Silence. The Silence's plotting actually encompasses the entirety of the Eleventh Doctor's MythArc, but they are not formally revealed in Series 5 and are absent in Series 7, only returning in his GrandFinale ChristmasEpisode.
** Series 7B: The Great Intelligence.
** Series 8: Missy, a.k.a. [[spoiler:the Master's next, gender-bent incarnation]], who for bonus points had a hand in the events of Series 7B by [[spoiler:getting the Doctor together with Clara Oswald]].
** Series 11: [[spoiler: Tzim-Sha ultimately serves as the main threat of the opener and closer, and his actions, mostly his part in Grace's death, provide the arc of the overall series.]]
** Series 12: [[spoiler: The Master returns in a new form in the two-part series premier and finale]], though more recurring throughout the season is Ashad, a.k.a. the Lone Cyberman.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' has used this several times during both the Classic Series and the Revival Series.

** ''Series/KamenRiderSaber'': The first arc has [[FallenHero Kamen Rider Calibur]], who's aiding the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Megid]] in pursuit of a mysterious goal. The second arc has Reika Shindai, who is responsible for manipulating the other Riders into believing [[TheHero Touma]] is a "traitor" to turn them against him. The third arc has [[spoiler:[[EvilRunningGood Master Logos]], who was also [[TheManBehindTheMan behind]] Reika's actions in the previous arc.]] The fourth and final arc has [[spoiler:Storious, who spent most of the other arcs lurking in the background.]] The Megid are villains throughout, but don't take center stage themselves [[spoiler:until Storious puts his plans in motion.]]

** The "Kamen Rider Chronicle" arc (25-40) has Parado for the first half. The second half sees [[spoiler:Parado forced to cede the main villain spot to [[BigBad Kamen Rider Cronus]].]]

* ''Series/CobraKai'': While the [[ThugDojo Cobra Kai]] dojo as a whole are the [[BigBad main antagonists]], the series isn't without its unique set of major antagonists.

** [[ArchEnemy Negan]] and [[ArmiesAreEvil the Saviors]] for Seasons 6B, 7, and 8.

** Graphite could be seen as this for the "Doctor Gamer" arc (1-12). He's TheDragon to Parado and Genm, but is the one awakening [[MonsterOfTheWeek Bugsters]] for them, and the fight with him in #10 serves as the arc's climax.
** The "Secret of Emu" arc (13-24) has Kamen Rider Genm. He's partnered with Parado, but is the one who takes the lead for most of it.
** The "Kamen Rider Chronicle" arc (25-40) has Parado for the first half. The second half sees [[spoiler:Parado forced to cede the main villain spot to [[BigBad Kamen Rider Cronus]].
** The "Gamedeus Advent" arc has [[AntagonistTitle Gamedeus]], although [[spoiler:after he's defeated, Cronus hijacks him and becomes the FinalBoss.]]

** The "Encounter" arc lacks a specific villain, although the beginning of the next arc reveals all of the Jyamato the Riders fought were grown by [[EvilutionaryBiologist Archimedel]].
** The "Scheme" arc has the Game Master, who begins meddling in the Desire Grand Prix to forcibly eliminate Ace.
** The "Divergence" arc has Chirami, the new Game Master, who goes out of his way to set up Rider on Rider conflicts in order to make the new season of the DGP more entertaining.
** The "Lamentation" arc has Beroba, who has hijacked the DGP from Chirami and converted it into the "Jyamato Grand Prix".

** ''Series/KamenRiderWizard'' has the Phoenix Phantom for it's first half, as much of it was devoted to fighting him.

** ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'' has arcs that focus on Graphite and Kamen Rider Genm, then Genm and Parado, then Parado, Graphite, and Loverica, then finally [[BigBad Kamen Rider Cronus]].