- Title: Wander Over Yonder – The Axe
- wiki: link
Blaming Commander Peepers‘ (Tom Kenny) for his declining ranking among galactic villains, which is punctuated when one of Hater’s conquered planets is taken over by the ridiculous Sourdough, Lord Hater (Keith Ferguson) fires his right-hand man. After discovering villainy is more complicated than simply showing up with an evil cackle, Hater keeps asking Peeper for advice over the course of the episode while refusing to admit he might have made a mistake.
Although mentioned, this is the first episode of the series where Wander (Jack McBrayer) doesn’t make an appearance as “The Axe” focuses entirely on the show’s biggest villain and his trusty sidekick. Eventually Lord Hater’s desperation forces him into apologizing and even showing Peepers a little love in the form of his own statue on the conquered planet. The episode is also notable for the introduction of a villain’s leaderboard in which the villains of the galaxy measure themselves against each other. Thanks to the return of Peepers, and a willingness to follow his sidekick’s advice rather than ignore it, by the end of the episode Hater falling stock has been halted and the villain is once again one of the most dangerous men in the galaxy.