Heroes get a lot of love in the world of movies, and rightfully so. They're usally the protagonists, the characters at the center of the action. But as film history shows, it's hard to have a really good movie without a really movie villain. The very best movie villains go on to do great things like win Best Supporting Actor Oscars or even get their own headlining franchises. Perhaps the only thing scarier than a hero not saving the day, is a hero not being involved at all.
That will be the case once again with Venom: The Last Dance hitting theaters. Tom Hardy stars in the third and final Venom flick, which finds both of his characters on the run from their own worlds. Venom may have evolved from Spider-Man foe to grudging antihero, but his villainy is downright legendary in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
When we set out to figure out the best movie villains of all time, we polled thousands of Fandango movie fans to help. The fan-vote list includes a lot the usual suspects you're probably thinking of, familiar names from the MCU, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and other franchises with classic good-vs.-evil matchups. But there may also be a major villain or a criminal mastermind that you have forgotten about. So check out this list of the 15 best movie villains ever, and let us know what you think!
Too Long, Didn't Read Summary:
· As film history shows, it's hard to have a really good movie without really good a movie villain
· The very best villains win Oscars and even get their own movie trilogies, like the latest iteration of Venom returning for Venom: The Last Dance in theaters
· We polled thousands of Fandango movie fans to find out the best villain ever, and the list does not disappoint
15. Sauron (Sala Baker/Alan Howard)
As seen in: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
94% (average) on the Tomatometer
92% (average) on the Popcornmeter
Peter Jackson directed all of the installments in this epic fantasy adventure film series, based on J.R.R. Tolkein's novels of the same name. Sauron, the title character and primary antagonist, rules the land of Mordor with hopes of ruling all of Middle-Earth. And that’s where the story is set, following a Hobbit named Frodo Baggins – played by Elijah Wood – as he embarks on a quest to destroy something called The One Ring, an act which will in turn destroy its maker, the Dark Lord Sauron, played physically by Sala Baker and voiced by Alan Howard.
This trilogy kick-started what is considered one of the best and most influential film franchises ever –not to mention one of the highest-grossing series of all time, with nearly three billion dollars made worldwide. All three of the films, The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003), have been praised for their innovative special effects, acting, music and more. And the series won 17 Oscars out of 30 nominations.
14. Nurse Mildred Ratched (Louise Fletcher)
As seen in: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
93% on the Tomatometer
96% on the Popcornmeter
Jack Nicholson stars in this psychological drama as a small-time convict who fakes being crazy so he can get transferred to the state mental hospital. There, he ends up clashing with the facility and its sadistic head nurse, Mildred Ratched, played memorably by Louise Fletcher.
As the head administrative nurse at the Salem State Hospital, Nurse Ratched flexes her near-absolute power over patients' access to medications, privileges and basic necessities. The character has become a staple in popular culture, partly as a metaphor for the corrupting influence of institutional power.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is based on Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel of the same name, and was directed by Miloš Forman. It became just the second film to win all five major Academy Awards in the same year: Best Picture, Best Actor (Nicholson), Best Actress (Fletcher), Best Director (Forman) and Best Screenplay, a feat that wouldn’t be repeated until The Silence of the Lambs did it in 1991.
13. Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving)
As seen in: The Matrix (1999)
83% on the Tomatometer
85% on the Popcornmeter
In a dystopian future, a computer hacker named Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, uncovers the fact that humanity is unknowingly trapped inside a simulated reality called the Matrix. Agent Smith, played by Hugo Weaving in the original trilogy, is a sentient program of the Matrix, in charge of stopping humans from getting out, and of destroying the underground city of Zion where free humans take refuge.
Agent Smith is considered to be the archenemy of Neo in the Matrix trilogy and beyond, and has appeared in much of the related media that has been created. While Smith is usually played by Weaving, actors like Jonathan Groff and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II have also taken the mantle. Agent Smith was selected by Empire magazine as the 84th Greatest Movie Character of All Time in 2008.
12. Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård)
As seen in: It (2017)
85% on the Tomatometer
84% on the Popcornmeter
This horror movie is the first of a two-part adaptation of the 1986 novel of the same name by Stephen King. It is set in Derry, Maine, and follows a group of seven outcast children who are terrorized by an ancient, trans-dimensional shape-shifting evil being that awakens every 27 years, emerging from the sewer in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
After many actors had read for the role, it was Bill Skarsgård who reportedly put a different spin on the character that caught the attention of director Andy Muschietti. The result was a hit film and a memorable performance that carried over to It: Chapter Two (2019), and potentially to a spinoff prequel series set to stream on Max in 2025.
11. Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins)
As seen in: Psycho (1960)
97% on the Tomatometer
95% on the Popcornmeter
This 1960 Alfred Hitchcock horror classic was based on Robert Bloch's 1959 novel of the same name. Anthony Perkins leads the cast as the now-iconic Norman Bates, proprietor of the Bates Motel. The story centers around his dealings with an on-the-run embezzler named Marion Crane, played by Janet Leigh, and those who show up looking for her after she goes missing.
Since its release, Psycho has become a cultural phenomenon, in part because of Perkins’ performance during scenes like the famous “shower scene”. The film set new standards in the horror and slasher film genres, and is often ranked among the greatest movies ever.
10. Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman)
As seen in: Die Hard (1988)
94% on the Tomatometer
94% on the Popcornmeter
The debate will forever rage on about whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie – for the record, we think it qualifies – but one thing that everyone does seem to agree on is that Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber was one helluva villain in this late-80s action flick. The character is a thief from East Germany who is going after $640 million in negotiable bearer bonds when he and his gang hold the Nakatomi Plaza hostage -- a plan that is spoiled by New York cop John McClane, played by Bruce Willis.
Die Hard grossed nearly $140 million on a budget of around $30 million, defying expectations and becoming the year's highest-grossing action film. And since Rickman's performance quickly cemented Hans Gruber as one of the most iconic villains in film history, the franchise introduced his brother Simon Gruber, played by Jeremy Irons, as the main villain in the third installment, Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995).
9. The Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton)
As seen in: The Wizard of Oz (1939)
98% on the Tomatometer
89% on the Popcornmeter
This film adaptation of L. Frank Baum's children's fantasy novel stars Judy Garland as young Dorothy Gale who, along with her dog Toto, is carried away by a cyclone from her Kansas farm to the magical land of Oz. Once there, she makes a mortal enemy of the Wicked Witch of the West, played by Margaret Hamilton, and embarks on a journey with three new friends to find the wizard who can get her back home.
Hamilton's portrayal of the Wicked Witch was the first to feature green skin, a look that has continued in much of the literary and dramatic media that has followed. The Wizard of Oz, despite its critical success, wasn’t profitable until a lucrative re-release in theaters a decade later. That was followed by the 1956 television premiere on CBS, which led to regular broadcasts that introduced the movie and its villain to new generations. In 2010, the Library of Congress named The Wizard of Oz as the most viewed film in movie history. Mic drop.
The land of Oz still inspires new stories today. Wicked, the film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, comes to theaters November 22.
8. The Terminator, T-800 Model 101 (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
As seen in: The Terminator (1984)
100% on the Tomatometer
89% on the Popcornmeter
Director James Cameron came up with the premise for this sci-fi action thriller in a fever dream he had while making his first film, and that dream came true. The movie follows a cyborg assassin known as a Terminator, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who travels from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton, whose unborn son poses a future threat to the A.I. system Skynet.
Things could have looked very different for The Terminator, considering Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson both reportedly turned down the titular role, and O.J. Simpson was suggested – ironically, it was decided that he wouldn’t be believable as a killer. The Terminator's famous line, "I'll be back," was actually originally scripted as "I'll come back." Either way, he did return as a good guy in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Since then, the franchise has grown to include several more sequels, a television series, comic books, novels and video games.
7. Michael Myers (Nick Castle)
As seen in: Halloween (1978)
96% on the Tomatometer
89% on the Popcornmeter
John Carpenter directed this horror film, which would go on to become one of the most influential slashers of all time. Halloween centers around Michael Myers, who, in his younger days, murdered his older sister one Halloween. Fifteen years later, he escapes from a sanitarium and returns to his hometown to stalk a teenage babysitter, played by Jamie Lee Curtis.
The Myers character, known as The Shape in the film’s closing credits, was portrayed by Nick Castle for the majority of the movie, but he was swapped out with Tony Moran for the final scene where Michael’s face is revealed. His mask originated from a cast of William Shatner’s face made for the horror film The Devil’s Rain (1975), which was then painted white.
As the Halloween franchise grew, the actors changed often but the character has appeared in a dozen movies along with novels, video games, comic books and more.
6. Thanos (Josh Brolin)
As seen in: Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
85% on the Tomatometer
92% on the Popcornmeter
This Marvel Studios epic, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, marks the 19th film in the MCU. The group of super heroes known as the Avengers are in a bit of an infinity war -- if you will -- against the powerful Thanos, played by Josh Brolin, who's looking to collect the six powerful Infinity Stones as part of his plan to wipe out half of all life in the universe.
Thanos, an alien warlord from the doomed planet Titan, is one of the main characters in the MCU's Infinity Saga. He appears in five of its 23 films -- most notably this one and Avengers: Endgame (2019), which were shot back-to-back -- and merits mention in several more.
Avengers: Infinity War became one of the most expensive films ever made, with an estimated budget between $325 an 400 million. It would go on to become the first superhero film and the fourth film ever to gross over $2 billion worldwide, and it was the highest-grossing film of 2018.
5. Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund)
As seen in: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
95% on the Tomatometer
84% on the Popcornmeter
A Nightmare on Elm Street introduced horror audiences to two future household names: A young actor named Johnny Depp, and the pop culture icon Freddy Krueger, played by Robert Englund throughout the entire original Elm Street series. The supernatural slasher film was written and directed by Wes Craven and centers around Krueger, an undead child killer who can murder people in their dreams, as he targets a group of teenagers.
Known for his burned and disfigured face, brown fedora, red and green sweater and metal-clawed right hand glove, Krueger helped launch a franchise that includes six sequels, a crossover with Friday the 13th, a remake, a lot more media and even more merchandise. We hear that Depp fellow has been in some movies, too.
4. Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes)
As seen in: Harry Potter Franchise
85% average on the Tomatometer
82% average on the Popcornmeter
The films in the Harry Potter franchise are based on J.K. Rowling's books of the same titles. Daniel Radcliffe stars asathe boy who, upon learning that he is a wizard, enters the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to get his formal wizarding education. The series' main story arc follows Harry's quest to defeat his arch-enemy and all-around bad guy Lord Voldemort, played by Ralph Fiennes. Voldemort heads the Death Eaters, a group of wizards and witches focused on ridding the Wizarding World of non-magical muggles, with Voldemort as the supreme ruler.
The character’s first film appearance with Fiennes in the role is in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005). Fiennes returned for three other films in the series, cementing him as one of the great all-time villains in both book and cinema history.
3. The Joker (Heath Ledger)
As seen in: The Dark Knight (2009)
94% on the Tomatometer
94% on the Popcornmeter
Some of Christopher Nolan's inspirations for the second film in his Dark Knight trilogy included the Joker's comic book debut in 1940, and the 1988 graphic novel The Killing Joke. But one of the main reasons this movie is unlike any other in the trilogy is because of the late Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker.
Ledger, who was picked over actors like Adrien Brody and Robin Williams, died a few months after he completed filming and six months before the movie’s release. He was posthumously awarded a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance. The Dark Knight became the highest-grossing film of 2008 with over $1 billion dollars earned, and became just the second superhero film to be selected for preservation in the National Film Registry after 1978's Superman. But, more importantly, it has become a great way to remember a fine young actor at the top of his game, delivering an unforgettable performance.
2. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins)
As seen in: The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
95% on the Tomatometer
95% on the Popcornmeter
Adapted from the 1988 novel of the same name by Thomas Harris, The Silence of the Lambs is an influential thriller starring Jodie Foster as an FBI trainee. She's assigned to interview an imprisoned, cannibalistic psychopath named Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins, in the hope that he can help capture an elusive serial killer. Hopkins accepted the role after it was turned down by Sean Connery, and he was chosen in part because of his performance in The Elephant Man (1980). Hopkins would play Lecter again in Hannibal (2001) and Red Dragon (2002). While he isn't the only actor to have played the part, he is certainly the most decorated.
The Silence of the Lambs opened on Valentine's Day in 1991 and went on to become the fifth-highest-grossing film of the year. It also became the third and most recent film to win an Academy Award in each of the five major categories: Best Picture, Best Director for Jonathan Demme, Best Adapted Screenplay for Ted Tally, Best Actress for Foster and a Best Actor Oscar for Hopkins.
1. Darth Vader (James Earl Jones/David Prowse)
As seen in: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
93% on the Tomatometer
96% on the Popcornmeter
This is the first installment in the Star Wars franchise to be released, but the fourth episode in the nine-part “Skywalker saga” if you’re following along at home. The film follows Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca and a couple pretty famous droids as they try to rescue Princess Leia from the evil Darth Vader, while helping the Rebel Alliance restore freedom to the galaxy from the dark side.
Despite only having 12 minutes of screen time in A New Hope, Darth Vader quickly became one of the greatest villains of all time, and one with a great – and heavily explored – backstory. The iconic voice for the character comes from James Earl Jones, who actually never met David Prowse, the actor who played Vader’s body, while filming the first movie.
Star Wars has since evolved into the fifth-highest grossing media franchise of all time, one that is still growing and with Vader remaining a driving force behind it all. Pun intended.
