Whenever I see something like this that implies a villain is only a great villain if they are somehow morally complex or tragic I get annoyed. I mean their are hundreds of great villains who have zero moral complexity to them and are doing evil just because they are evil.

I mean in the original Ben10 series Vilgax's motivation was never more complex then 'steal omnitrix, conquer the galaxy' and he was still one of the show's most entertaining villains because of his raw onscreen presence. Emperor Palpatine is considered to be one of Star War's best villains, and he's the epitome of 'villains who are evil due to lust for power,' alongside almost every other Sith. And the Joker is considered to be Batman's best nemesis even though his motives are frequently 'a mystery and seem almost insane at times.'

In short the difference between a boring villain and an entertaining villain isn't 'moral complexity' or 'sympathetic background.' The real difference between a boring villain and an entertaining villain is all about presentation.