Top 5 Greatest Villains

[sirgallahad2]

Oh yes, another "Top 5" list, dear forumites. Okay, just like the "Top 5 Most Disturbing films" list, one basic rule applies. Darth Vader (The REAL Darth Vader from the Holy Trilogy), and the Shark from "Jaws", are all exempt from this posting. I do that out of sheer respect for 2 of the baddest villains ever put to film. Put em' in the trophy case next to Sean Connery's James Bond. I want to see some originality on this one. Now for the fun part. I want everyone's Top 5 list of the most dispicable, depraved, dirty, dastardly, diabolical, down-right degenerate deans of douche-baggery they can muster and why they rock SO hard.

5. Captain Vidal from "Pan's Labyrinth" It's one thing to be bad. It is quite another thing to be not only bad, but to be such a committed idealist that you creep out the rest of the idealists at the dinner table. He is obsessed with his soldierly duties. His uniform and boots are immaculate (Even when dashing into a gunfight with only a Luger pistol telling his comrades that the greatest honor is to die in battle) and Ofelia's mom is nothing to him but a brood mare for him to fire out a son. Idealistic obsession taken completely sideways.

4. Alec Trevelyan from "Goldeneye" Alec sticks out in my mind because who better for the untouchable 007 James Bond to go
up against than agent 006? A bitter, "old-soldier" type who has felt betrayed by his government and has all the MI6 training to back him on his conquest to drive Great Britain into financial ruin. He's just as dapper, slick and ruthless as Bond.

3. Magua from "The Last of The Mohicans" (Michael Mann version)
Wow... I will let the dialogue speak for itself. Standing over a helpless Col. Monroe "Grey-Hair, Before you die.. know that I will put under the knife your children so that I will wipe your seed from the earth forever" Magua proceeds to cut out Col. Monroe's heart, squeeze the blood into his dying mouth, and hold up his heart as a trophy. That and picking apart Uncas piece by piece, kidney-stabbing him, cutting his throat and chucking him off of a cliff leaving Chingachgook as the last of his people. Dude....

2. Clarence Boddiker from "RoboCop" I saw the movie "RoboCop" in the Theater when I was 10. Clarence has still stuck with me as a villain because he's not some over-the-top cackling Hollywood trouser-stain. He is quite simply a very, VERY bad man. He doesn't want to rule the world, he doesn't want ultimate power. He just wants his cut of the coke profits and the freedom to kill cops.

1. Top Dollar from "The Crow" In my opinion, one of THE greatest villains put to film. The incredible evil coolness of him is just mesmerizing. Played by Canadian Crippler Michael Wincott who posesses about the most gravelly voice in recorded human history. No other villain can truly compare to him. From the point when he talks to his half sister about the snow-globe, to when he smokes a human eyeball, Throat-stabs an underling, and then closes out the show when he throws Sarah off of a church to distract Eric Draven... nobody does it better. His "motivation speech" to the Devil's Night fire brigade is my absolute favorite.

[merlinmerry]

But - there are so many to choose from! Like:
5. From Aliens - Paul Reiser's Burke was everything you knew a corporate lackey was and so much more. Cunning, manipulative, amoral and all kinds of sleazy.
4. Star trek, the Wrath of Khan. Ricardo Montalban chewed all the scenery he didn't destroy and, for an old dude, looked pretty hot doing it. This was raging, seething, operatic villainy all wrapped up in Kha-a-a-a-an.
3. Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. Alan Rickman's Sheriff of Nottingham was the only reason to see this movie. He was snarky, oily, satiric and satanic. He was also the original "sexy beast."
2. Once more, Alan Rickman in the original Die Hard. His Hans Gruber was methodical, diabolical and oh, so cool. And it was all just for the money. Dastard!
1. Rutger Hauer as "The Hitcher." I read one review that stated that Rutger Hauer's Hitcher made Freddie Kruger look like a muppet. Once again, evil is wrapped in a beautiful package, making it all the more horrifying.

[StarOpal]

5. Princess Bride's Count "Six Fingered Man" Rugen. The Prince may have been the villian, but Christopher Guest is just the perfect "I'm better than you" badguy. "And remember, this is for science..."

Since someone took Die Hard...
4. Die Hard: With a Vengence - Simon Gruber. I love it when a villian actually likes being a villian and he's just great.

3. Robert Mitchum in Cape Fear. *shivers* It was years before I could watch Robert Mitchum in a movie again. Everything he does is downright evil, but the phone call - the PHONE CALL - to Gregory Peck. So. Messed. Up.

2. Gabriel in The Prophecy. Torturing the undead, some of the best lines in the movie, that whole "Shh" thing. Honorable mention to Viggo Mortenson as Lucifer/The Devil (That whole "feces" line creeps me out to this day).

1. The Hitcher. Rutger Hauer is so scary, and those eyes. And in The Hitcher II he cuts off his own finger! (I don't care if he's already mentioned!)

[aargmematey]

5) The Tannens-The Back to the Future Trilogy
Hilarious, but the villain we all love to see Marty McFly beat in whatever century or decade he's in. No adventure is complete without a Tannen to make everyone's lives (but especially the McFly's).

4) The Wicked Witch of the West-The Wizard of Oz
She controls an ARMY OF FLYING MONKEYS! And she wants to kill Dorothy over shoes. Well, those Ruby Slippers are pretty fly, so I can't blame her.

3) The Nazis-Indiana Jones
"I hate these guys." They're the Nazis. Come on!

2) Gollum-Lord of the Rings
On my list instead of Sauron simply because he's so tragic. Whereas Sauron is "General Bad Evil Guy" Gollum gets points for being corrupted to the point of no return.

1) Scar-The Lion King
He kills his own brother! And tries to kill his nephew! And sings a song about it!
And unlike Claudius he never even asks for forgiveness.

[sarahbot]

In no particular order:

Ursula, from The Little Mermaid. You may not understand this is you were never a frightened three year old girl seeing an utterly malevolent, cackling, 80-foot tall octopus woman in her first time at the movie theatre. I don't care what you say, she's always tops for me.

Jonathon Rhys Myers' character from Match Point. He is a cruel, calculating social climber who'll do anything to ensure he gets everything he wants, and I maintain he planned almost everything from the beginning. Basically a sociopath.

Daleks, from Doctor Who. Not technically movie villains but win anyway 'cause it's my list and so there. They shouldn't be terrifying. They're 3-foot-tall screeching snot-beings in tin cans with plungers. And yet HOLY MOTHER OF GALLIFREY do they disturb me. My friend has a remote control Dalek which is only a foot tall at the most and can't get over bumpy tiles, but I still don't like being in the same room as it when it's going.

Only time the Daleks ever made me laugh - and it still works - was in this interchange from 2-13, "Doomsday:"

DALEK SEK: We would destroy the Cybermen with one Dalek. You are superior in only one respect.
CYBERMAN: What is that?
DALEK SEK: You are better at dying.

zap zap zap!

Lady Macbeth, from Macbeth (duh). Aargmematey made me think of Shakespeare and I think she's the tops. It's not one of my favourite plays but then it's got some pretty fierce competition. I love the way the information about her is revealed, and her relationship with her husband. It's fairly obvious that they love each a lot, and we're told she used to have a child, and do I even need to get into the "unsex me now" speech? Fantastic. I'm thinking in particular of Keeley Hawes's Ella Macbeth in the Shakespeare Retold series.

Last, but not least:

The Operative, from Serenity. He's just doing his job.

[aargmematey]

Oh crap! I forgot about Iago from Othello (not the parrot from Aladdin. He will never be on any of my lists, unless that list is "The Single Most Annoying Bird Ever")! He totally rules, he makes Othello my favorite Shakespeare play.

The fact that nobody ever really knows WHY he ruins everyone only makes him more evil. Man, Iago rules!

[LadyStarblade]

Oooh, seconding the nominations of Hans Gruber, Khan, and the Operative!

To me, the scariest villains are the cool, calculating ones that just...keep...coming. These are the guys that are using their heads, not letting emotion cloud their judgment...the 'professional' baddies. So in that vein, I nominate:

5. T-1000 from Terminator 2. Just seemed like no matter what...bullets, explosions, freezing/shattering...this guy would just pull himself back together and just...keep...coming. Might as well throw the original Terminator into the mix too. Relentless.

4. Voldemort from the Harry Potter universe. First time he really materialized in Goblet of Fire, I got chills.

3. Colonel Tavington from The Patriot. The character is so cliche that it hurts, but Jason Issacs has those piercing blue eyes and is frighteningly blase even when ordering the murder of wounded enemy soldiers or chaining a church full of civilians shut and burning it to the ground.

2. Stryker from X2. What makes him so scary is his clarity of purpose...his hatred of mutants has crystallized to the point that he doesn't care what he has to do to achieve his goal, even use and torture his own son. This is an example of hatred and prejudice put to deadly effect, and that scares the heck outta me...and oh, Brian Cox was so much fun to watch!!

1. Methos when he was Death of the Four Horsemen. He barely edges out the Kurgan as my favorite Highlander villain for one reason, one scene...to the question "Did you really kill all those people?"

"I killed, but I didn't just kill fifty, I didn't just kill a hundred. I killed thousands. I killed ten thousand. And I was good at it. And it wasn't for vengeance. It wasn't for greed. It was because I liked it. Cassandra was nothing, her village was nothing. Do you know who I was? Death! Death on a horse! When mothers warned their children that the monster would get them, that monster was me. I was the nightmare that kept them awake at night. Is that was you want to hear? Than the answer... is yes. Oh, yes."

Doesn't get much better than that.

[PoolMan]

Some of my answers may sound weird, but a few of the ones I probably would have gone with are already above. So full speed ahead!

Bricktop from Snatch. Not many people actually think of this guy right off the top, but he was my first pick. Every single time I see that movie, I'm struck by how coolly malevolent he is. He sees bareknuckle boxers and fighting dogs in exactly the same light, and will step on or over anyone to get what he wants. Plus he gets one of my favourite villain lines ever, after he's offered sugar in his tea: "No thanks Turkish. I'm sweet enough."

Randall Flagg from Stand, aka The Man in Black. Not so much for how Jamie Sheridan played him (he actually wouldn't be my pick of actor... I would have gone for someone a little less "80's porn star") but for the fact that he is basically evil made (semi)human. He's a terrific character for his flaws, and it's fun watching his panic rise as his plans come crashing down.

Dr Evil from Austin Powers. I think the reason Dr Evil makes my list is because he's a kind of pastiche of so many other villains, full to the brim of satire and self-reference. Plus, evil AND funny beats evil every time.

The Joker from Batman. While I have high hopes for Heath Ledger's upcoming take on the Clown Prince of Gotham, Jack Nicholson's spin on the Joker was and always will be a pinnacle in movie badguydom. Kills his boss, maims his girlfriend, electrocutes his competition, and shoots his poor henchman (RIP Bob)... nuttier than a Planters factory. And again, funny to boot!

The Yellow Eyed Kid from A Christmas Story. It may seem weird that a ten year old kid would make this kind of list, but Scut Farkus earns a spot for being a villain that most of us knew as kids. He was that bully who got his every amusement in life from tormenting the closest victim at hand. Best of all, he finally gets his comeuppance at the hands of a glasses-wearing daydreamer who just had enough. Love it.

[pfrsue]

ladystarblade said:

"I killed, but I didn't just kill fifty, I didn't just kill a hundred. I killed thousands. I killed ten thousand. And I was good at it. And it wasn't for vengeance. It wasn't for greed. It was because I liked it. Cassandra was nothing, her village was nothing. Do you know who I was? Death! Death on a horse! When mothers warned their children that the monster would get them, that monster was me. I was the nightmare that kept them awake at night. Is that was you want to hear? Than the answer... is yes. Oh, yes."

Doesn't get much better than that.

It's the "oh, yes" that really sends that passage over the edge.

As far as Highlander goes, Methos is beyond any doubt my favorite villain and my favorite hero. Definitely a multi-dimensional character. I wish someone would explain why they did the spin-off series on Amanda instead of him. *sigh*

[StarOpal]

poolman said:

The Joker from Batman. While I have high hopes for Heath Ledger's upcoming take on the Clown Prince of Gotham, Jack Nicholson's spin on the Joker was and always will be a pinnacle in movie badguydom. Kills his boss, maims his girlfriend, electrocutes his competition, and shoots his poor henchman (RIP Bob)... nuttier than a Planters factory. And again, funny to boot!

Yes. Definitely. You got to love a villain who, with his boss' body lying right there, turns around and mocks him. "You're... my number one... guy."

Ever since I saw Batman I've totally believed grape purple and lime green go together.

[queenhelen]

In no particular order:

Captain Barbossa from the first "Pirates of the Caribbean." He's one of my favorite bad guys because I just can't help but like him. He seems like a villian by default -- not because he's worse than the other characters, but because the script required him to die at the climax. I always hate to see him go. A true gentleman rogue.

Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) from "Gladiator." He's scary because he doesn't seem like an over-the-top movie villain. I believe there are people in the world that cold, intelligent, and completely unhinged -- and I hope I never meet any of them.

Oliver Lang (Tim Robbins) from "Arlington Road." Never before have I wanted to climb through the screen and throttle someone so much. Smart, unflappable, and always one step ahead. I hate this guy.

The Scarecrow (Cilian Murphy) from "Batman Begins." Scary because he and his little narcotic take away your ability to be brave and fight back; all you have is fear. Sadists make the scariest bad guys. They don't just hurt you because it gets them what they want; they do it because they can.

The Reavers from "Firefly." Call me a wus, but I won't watch certain "Firefly" episodes after dark. I don't know why these guys scare me so much. I think it's their sadism -- and their ability to make you just like them.

[LadyStarblade]

pfrsue said:

As far as Highlander goes, Methos is beyond any doubt my favorite villain and my favorite hero. Definitely a multi-dimensional character. I wish someone would explain why they did the spin-off series on Amanda instead of him. *sigh*

You and me both...let's see...The Raven or The Methos Chronicles...let me think...d'oh! *facepalm*

Yep, Methos was my fave as well...that chameleon-like, never-quite-knowing-what-he's-thinking quality was riveting. Oh, and his quips and one-liners would just put me on the floor.

Still on the topic of villains...was never that impressed with Kronos...Kalis was the only other villain that really made me snarl. For the Fitz thing, if nothing else.

[coccatino]

UGH! You guys are stealing my list!

Commodus from Gladiator. He makes me feel dirty. Kills his own father, wants his sister, threatens to kill her kid, has Maximus' wife and kid killed, and fights dirty to boot. The guy makes my skin crawl, and Jaoquin Phoemix did an amazing job with him.

ok- because Commodus was already listed, and it's that time of year, I'm going to bump him and add Mr Potter from It's a Wonderful Life. He doesn't murder anyone, but he nearly drives George Bailey to suicide and steals several thousand dollars because he's a greedy evil man. And all from a wheelchair. Why George... you're worth more dead than alive

Jack Nicholson's Joker. When he dies and his body is laying there all mangled and the little voicebox thing is still laughing- That's just sick. For some reason it really freaks me out. ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?

Hannibal Lecter. The reason why he's such a great villian is because I don't actually really think of him as a villian. I like him. I kind of cheer for him. He makes me cheer for a guy who eats people. That's just wrong.

Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. She truamatized my entire childhood. She turns into a dragon and says 'hell' in a Disney movie.

Pennywise from It. He's a scary demon clown that murders children and ruined any chance I might have ever had at liking clowns. I didn't sleep for weeks.


Poolman- Scut Farkus was also an excellent call.
Colonel Tavington and Hans Gruber- also awesome picks.

[wdm0744]

Wow - great choices all. I wouldn't have thought of Oliver Lang, Commodus, Col. Tavington, or the yellow-teethed kid, but those are classic. Good going! I also second Hans and Simon Greuber, Clarence from "Robocop" (man, I hate that guy!), Magau, and Burke from Aliens.
Here's are some more in no particular order.

5. The Joker (animated version as voiced by Mark Hamil) - More than just a clone of Jack Nicholson, this Joker is a great mix of humor and horror. Hamil's portrayal of disturbing psychosis is particularly deep when the story features some of his troubled relationship with Harley Quinn. Nobody does a maniacal laugh like he can. For a great example watch the Batman Animated Series episodes called "Joker's Favor" and "Harley and Ivy".

4. The "Others" from LOST - Sure they're scary, creepy, and mysterious, but are they evil? As a whole, their complicated and interesting villains, but some of them, like "Mr. Friendly", Juliet, and of course, Ben (aka, Henry Gale, or as I like, Benery), obviously stand out.

3. Dracula in "Monster Squad" - Duncan Regher plays the part well and is for my money the best screen Dracula. He's got the cold brutality of Christopher Lee without the animal tinge I always thought robbed Lee's performance of its power. Regher is more regal, and his Dracula convinces me that he is the Prince of Darkness. I love the part where he goes to dynamite the club house and is so pissed he rips the door of his car. Sweet! Plus, how many other Draculas do you know that drive around a translucent hearse? That's what I'm saying!

2. Phillip Seymour Hoffman in "Mission Impossible 3" - Now this guy scares me. Hoffman nails the part with a sort of passionless and calculated brutality. He's a villain who would murder you and your whole town, without getting angry and just to make a point. Zero empathy - a true sociopath.

1. The Alien from "Alien" and "Aliens" and those other movies I would like to forget about - No other screen monsters have terrified me on a deeper, more visceral level than these creatures from the darkest parts of space. Maybe it's the sense of hopelessness that the movies bring out in me, or maybe its the Freudian imagery - I don't know, but they truly are, in my opinion, the perfect killing machine and the perfect movie villains. I read this somewhere and thought it was a pretty good summary - when it comes to the Aliens, it is the choice between a slow, painful death, and a quick, painful death.

[TheOogieBoogieMan]

Ed Rooney from Ferris Bueller's Day Off - I'm personally glad I never crossed paths with a teacher or principal so dedicated to bringing the hurt on his students. And at the same time, it's funny just how out of his element he is in nearly every situation (listen to his conversation with the cook about baseball).

Amon Goeth from Schindler's List - Building on whoever put "Nazis" on their list, Ralph Fiennes put everything fascism stands for in this one character: a complete lack of sympathy or compassion, and cold ferocity

John Leguizamo as Tybalt - He channeled Clint Eastwood into a Shakespeare character...how cool is that? He has all the character's aggression, but he's cool too!

Edgar/The Bug from Men in Black - I get some sort of perverse pleasure out of seeing Edgar's body decay over the course of the movie, and all the while the Bug keeps on chugging. Don't let him put his hands near his head!

Norman Bates - bit of an obvious choice, but it's obvious for a reason.