Who reigns as best villain in King Lear?

Thus far in Shakespeare’s King Lear, it is apparent that Edmund is the most villainous character. Edmund is dubbed ‘villainous’ because he is the individual who does the most wrong and lacks any and all guilty feelings. Edmund is a master of deception from his first monologue. He finds that he is just as worthy of respect as his half-brother, Edgar, and feels he’s been “deprived” (1.2.3) in all respects due to his being a bastard child. His father, Gloucester, enters and Edmund is quick to manipulate him into receiving a falsely-worded letter. The letter states that Edmund is to get half of the inheritance, according to his brother and against his father’s wishes and current societal norms. Gloucester is angered by this indiscretion on Edgar’s part and marks Edgar as a villain. The action itself is devious but it’s Edmund’s behaviors that makes the trick all the more cunning. Edmund feigns subordination and inferiority, claiming he is undeserving of the inheritance but at the close of the scene he states “Let me, if not by birth, have lands by wit” (164). Edmund then goes to Edgar saying it’s in his best interest to leave, for Gloucester is mad at him.
A true master of deception can make their victims see them as protecting and aiding them when really they are accomplishing the opposite. This continues in Act 2 when Edmund confides in Edgar that he should vacate his hiding spot and leave the Kingdom entirely. Edmund proceeds to draw his sword on Edgar to fool Gloucester. Edgar then has a chance to leave. Edmund even goes so far as to wound himself so as to convince Gloucester of Edgar's villainy. Edmund is quick to give Gloucester his altered version of the story and the Earl sends out men to have Edgar killed. The first by-product of Edmund’s wrath is Edgar’s descent into the Poor Tom character and excommunication from his Kingdom and family.
Edmund makes is so that the royal family is tricked into thinking Gloucester is an enemy to them, due to his loyalty to Lear. Edmund has seen his wealth be threatened by this loyalty and he will throw any family member under the metaphorical bus if that is what’s necessary to maintain power. Edmund finds that “The younger rises when the old doth fall” (3.3.23), with no semblance of remorse. Edmund discloses Gloucester’s treason to the bloodthirsty Cornwall, who finds Gloucester a traitor and thief of King Lear. Gloucester is blinded by Cornwall, this being the second product of Edmund’s villainous ways.