The Evil Index:
Top 10 DIKT8RS of 2025
EXSPOSING EVIL:
THE FIVE UNIVERSAL SINS bEHIND THE WORLD'S WORST RULERS
At DiKT8R, we’re not here to glorify authoritarianism—we’re here to expose it.
This project exists for those who’ve suffered under dictatorships, those resisting them now, and those who refuse to stay silent. Our Top 10 Dictator Leader Board doesn’t sensationalize power—it breaks it down, trait by trait, to reveal how modern tyranny operates in plain sight.
To do that, we use a clear, universal framework drawn from moral teachings found across multiple global faiths and philosophical traditions—not Western political theory. These five traits are consistently condemned in religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and in indigenous and secular moral systems alike. When they’re concentrated in a single leader, they form the foundation of sustained human suffering.
EGO
The inflated self-image that demands blind loyalty and rewrites truth to centre the ruler.
This sin mirrors teachings that warn against arrogance, pride, and self-idolatry. In dictatorship, Ego fuels the cult of personality and the erasure of dissent.
Greed
The insatiable hunger for wealth and power at the expense of others.
Every tradition condemns greed—from hoarding gold while others starve to looting public wealth for personal empires. This is kleptocracy, repackaged as leadership.
Cruelty
The active choice to inflict suffering, through violence, fear, or neglect.
Whether through executions, imprisonment, starvation, or the suppression of hope, cruelty is a universal wrong—always intentional, and often hidden behind slogans of “order.”
Deceit
The manipulation of truth to maintain control.
Propaganda, election fraud, historical revisionism, media censorship—lies are the glue that hold authoritarian systems together. Every major tradition warns against those who rule by deception.
Control
The obsession with domination over bodies, speech, thought, and identity.
True dictators never stop tightening their grip. When every choice is made under threat, freedom has already vanished. Control is tyranny’s final layer.
Why These 10 Made the List: May 2025
Using these five sins, we’ve evaluated known authoritarian leaders based on how consistently—and how severely—they embody each one. Only those with an average score of 80 or more were included.
We do not rank them for spectacle. We rank them to hold a mirror up to the present—and to challenge the silence that allows these regimes to continue.
TIERS EXPLAINED
TIER
CRITERIA
Supreme Dictator
Overall score of 92+
Solid Authoritarian
Score between 86.0–91.9
Aspiring Autocrat
Score between 80.0–85.9
This is not about east vs west, left vs right, or old vs new.
It’s about power without accountability, and the real damage it causes—wherever it exists.
THE LEGION OF DOOMSDAY
RANK
10
NAME
Narendra Modi
COUNTRY
India
TIER
Aspiring Autocrat
EGO
94
GREED
82
CRUELTY
81
DECEIT
88
CONTROL
84
OVERALL
85.8
EGO
94
GREED
82
CRUELTY
81
DECEIT
88
CONTROL
84
OVERALL
85.8
VERDICT
Modi’s inclusion reflects the authoritarian shift in the world’s largest democracy. While elected, his use of nationalism, religious polarization, and media suppression raise serious concerns. His high Ego and Control scores signal a move away from pluralism toward strongman rule—wrapped in democratic clothing but marked by exclusion and fear.
RANK
9
NAME
Alexander Lukashenko
COUNTRY
bELARUS
TIER
Solid Authoritarian
EGO
86
GREED
83
CRUELTY
87
DECEIT
84
CONTROL
90
OVERALL
86
EGO
86
GREED
83
CRUELTY
87
DECEIT
84
CONTROL
90
OVERALL
86
VERDICT
Once known as “Europe’s last dictator,” Lukashenko has maintained control through rigged elections, violent crackdowns, and unwavering loyalty to Russia. His high Control and Deceit scores reflect a regime that’s fragile yet fiercely repressive—one that clings to power despite losing popular legitimacy long ago.
RANK
8
NAME
Nicolas Maduro
COUNTRY
Venezuela
TIER
Solid Authoritarian
EGO
85
GREED
84
CRUELTY
89
DECEIT
87
CONTROL
86
OVERALL
86.2
EGO
85
GREED
84
CRUELTY
89
DECEIT
87
CONTROL
86
OVERALL
86.2
VERDICT
Maduro inherited Chávez’s populism and turned it into raw repression. His government jails critics, rigs elections, and dismantles checks and balances, all while presiding over economic collapse and mass exile. His Deceit and Cruelty scores reflect the human cost of staying in power through chaos and illusion.
RANK
7
NAME
TEODORO OBIANG
COUNTRY
Equatorial Guinea
TIER
Solid Authoritarian
EGO
84
GREED
96
CRUELTY
88
DECEIT
79
CONTROL
87
OVERALL
86.8
EGO
84
GREED
96
CRUELTY
88
DECEIT
79
CONTROL
87
OVERALL
86.8
VERDICT
The world’s longest-serving president, Obiang has turned Equatorial Guinea into a personal fiefdom, siphoning oil wealth while much of the population lives in poverty. His high Greed score reflects rampant kleptocracy, while his longevity underscores how control and cruelty can be sustained with impunity for decades.
RANK
6
NAME
Isaias Afwerki
COUNTRY
Eritrea
TIER
Solid Authoritarian
EGO
85
GREED
84
CRUELTY
94
DECEIT
80
CONTROL
91
OVERALL
86.8
EGO
85
GREED
84
CRUELTY
94
DECEIT
80
CONTROL
91
OVERALL
86.8
VERDICT
Afwerki rules what is often called the “North Korea of Africa,” with no free press, no elections, and indefinite military conscription. His regime is defined by the brutal silencing of opposition, total control of civil life, and decades of isolation. Few dictators have maintained such a comprehensive grip with so little global attention.
RANK
5
NAME
Ali Khamenei
COUNTRY
Iran
TIER
Solid Authoritarian
EGO
88
GREED
89
CRUELTY
92
DECEIT
93
CONTROL
95
OVERALL
91.4
EGO
88
GREED
89
CRUELTY
92
DECEIT
93
CONTROL
95
OVERALL
91.4
VERDICT
As Iran’s Supreme Leader, Khamenei wields unchecked authority over politics, the military, and the judiciary. His theocratic regime suppresses dissent, jails protesters, and manipulates elections—all while cloaked in religious legitimacy. High scores in Deceit and Control reflect how divine authority is used as a shield for authoritarian permanence.
RANK
4
NAME
Donald Trump
COUNTRY
USA
TIER
Solid Authoritarian
EGO
98
GREED
88
CRUELTY
89
DECEIT
92
CONTROL
91
OVERALL
91.6
EGO
98
GREED
88
CRUELTY
89
DECEIT
92
CONTROL
91
OVERALL
91.6
VERDICT
Though operating within a democracy, Trump’s behavior mimics authoritarian playbooks: disinformation, institutional sabotage, loyalty cults, and open disdain for accountability. With record-breaking Ego, rising Greed, and mounting legal defiance, his continued influence over U.S. politics earns him a place among global authoritarian figures.
RANK
3
NAME
Xi Jinping
COUNTRY
China
TIER
Supreme Dictator
EGO
90
GREED
91
CRUELTY
91
DECEIT
94
CONTROL
98
OVERALL
92.8
EGO
90
GREED
91
CRUELTY
91
DECEIT
94
CONTROL
98
OVERALL
92.8
VERDICT
Xi has taken China’s authoritarian model to new extremes, centralizing power in himself while expanding digital surveillance, ethnic suppression, and ideological conformity. His high Control and Deceit scores stem from the scale and sophistication of the system he commands—one that seeks obedience not only in action, but in thought.
RANK
2
NAME
Kim Jong-un
COUNTRY
North Korea
TIER
Supreme Dictator
EGO
95
GREED
92
CRUELTY
98
DECEIT
89
CONTROL
93
OVERALL
93.4
EGO
95
GREED
92
CRUELTY
98
DECEIT
89
CONTROL
93
OVERALL
93.4
VERDICT
Kim’s rule is a dynastic dictatorship marked by extreme cruelty, total control, and a devastating cult of personality. Under his regime, mass starvation, prison camps, and information blackouts aren’t just consequences—they’re mechanisms of power. His high Ego and Cruelty scores reflect a leadership style built on inherited fear and the myth of divine authority.
RANK
1
NAME
Vladimir Putin
COUNTRY
Russia
TIER
Supreme Dictator
EGO
93
GREED
95
CRUELTY
96
DECEIT
98
CONTROL
97
OVERALL
95.8
EGO
93
GREED
95
CRUELTY
96
DECEIT
98
CONTROL
97
OVERALL
95.8
VERDICT
Putin tops the list as the most complete embodiment of modern authoritarianism. His grip on power blends personal enrichment, military aggression, systematic repression, and state-orchestrated lies. With near-maximum scores across all five sins, he represents a perfected model of 21st-century dictatorship—draped in the language of nationalism and security, yet built on fear and control.
