The greatest movie villains of all time
Movie heroes are only ever as good as their adversaries.
Great villains have stolen the show so many times with some of the most compelling screen presence in cinema.
The characters come in many forms, from terrifying and monstrous to psychopathic and deeply calculating, but the best are always utterly unforgettable.
From the anti-heroes of horror to those at the heart of insidious thrillers and gripping dramas, these are the greatest movie villains of all time.
10. Count Orlok
Count Orlok became one of the most abiding characters in horror when he appeared in 1922 silent classic Nosferatu. An incredible performance from German actor Max Schreck brought the demonic character to life, looming over his Transylvanian surroundings with long, curled fingers. The character borrows from the tropes of gothic literature and traditional vampire stories, while the scratchy, black and white footage adds to the eeriness. The presence of Orlock helps make the film just as unnerving nearly 100 years on.
9. The Predator
One of the great 1980s action movie monsters, the Predator was as utterly terrifying as it was unstoppable. The super-advanced extra terrestrial gradually picks off Arnold Schwarzenegger’s military team, showing no signs of weakness or mercy. Interestingly, the viewer was given a chance to see from the monster’s point of view. While the thermal-vision effect is pretty dated by today’s standards, it was one of the most inventive use of POV since horror master John Carpenter used it to devastating effect in 1978's Halloween. In the words of Schwarzenegger’s army commender, the Predator might be “one ugly mother*******,” but its still one of the most ruthless movie villains ever. It only remains to be seen whether the 2018 reboot will do the original movie justice.
8. Hans Gruber
Hans Gruber proved the perfect, conniving adversary to Bruce Willis’s all-action, all-American everyman John McClane in 1988’s Die Hard. Alan Rickman’s sinister performance is perfectly pitched, bringing an unlikely charm to the role of the ruthless German terrorist. Incredibly, the part marked Rickman’s first ever movie appearance too. The moment he fakes an American accent to keep his identity hidden from McClane is in equal parts pathetic and terrifying — one of many highlights in a flawless performance.
7. Patrick Bateman
Vacuous investment banker and self-confessed “insane” serial killer, Patrick Bateman welcomed in a new generation of movie villian in 2000’s thrilling blacker-than-black comedy American Psycho, set in 1987 New York.
For all the gruesome violence and manic episodes, it’s the meticulous nature of Bateman that makes him so unnerving — whether it be it the excessive morning exercise and skincare routine, his obsession over business cards and inane pop music, or the way he lays down newspaper and carefully pulls on a raincoat before murdering colleague Paul Allen in his apartment.
The film is constructed in such a way that the viewer’s grasp on reality deteriorates along with Bateman’s mental state during the movie, making us doubt everything we’ve just seen. However, there’s no doubt that Christian Bale’s Bateman is one of the most troubling and insidious screen presence of all time. At one point he confesses to a killing-spree on the phone to his lawyer, saying: “I guess I’m a pretty sick guy” — no kidding.
6. Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Legendary British thespian Donald Pleasence brought Ian Fleming’s villainous creation to life in 1967’s You Only Live Twice, leaving an indelible mark in British film. The shaved head, distinctive facial scar, lapel-less suit and Persian cat made him instantly recognisable, providing the inspiration for hundreds of spoofs down the years — not least Mike Myers’ Dr Evil in the Austin Powers movies. The ham-fisted attempt to revive the character in 2015 film Spectre notwithstanding, Blofeld is Bond's greatest ever adversary.
5. The Terminator (Model 101 and T-1000)
The Terminator series has welcomed not one, but two timeless villians in the form of the time-travelling, cyborg assassins Model 101 and T-1000. While Schwarzenegger’s incarnation of the Terminator in the original movie was ominous in its ruthless pursuit of its target, the shape-shifting T-1000 played by Robert Patrick in the excellent sequel offered a less predictable threat.
They’re both two of cinema's ultimate robot killing machines and two of the most relentless — only when the red lights of its eyes fade in the final scenes of the first movie are audiences able to breathe a sigh of relief.
4. Freddy Krueger
Krueger's ability to haunt the dreams of his victims makes him the single most inescapable and utterly terrifying horror creation of the 1980s. Robert Englund provided one of the finest physical performances the genre has ever seen in 1984's unforgettable A Nightmare on Elm Street, fleshing out this shape-shifting boogeyman with devastating effect. Both the ‘tongue-through-the-telephone’ scene and the sequence with the long, dangling arms are some of the simplest, but most surreal and terrifying moments in horror cinema — truly the stuff of nightmares.
3. The Joker
Different generations of film fans will have their preferred depictions of the Joker, whether it be Jack Nicholson’s frenetic and irreverent take on the role or Heath Ledger’s chilling portrayal in the Dark Knight. However, the compelling DC villain has stolen the show in many a big-screen adaptation, and always proves the perfect counterpoint to the incorruptible Batman. The character is consistently creepy and sadistic, yet charming, while also being utterly devoid of empathy or morality - something that makes him a pretty terrifying prospect.
The less said about Jared Leto’s Joker in Suicide Squad the better, perhaps, but Joaquin Phoenix has the opportunity to do the classic DC villain justice in the upcoming 2019 movie Joker.
2. Darth Vader
The ultimate, undisputed villain of sci-fi cinema has to be Darth Vader, the malevolent heart of the Star Wars franchise. Vader, the uncompromising figurehead of all evil in the galaxy, helped make the original trilogy so compelling and viewers were delighted to see the character make a reappearance in 2016’s Rogue One.
It was nearly so different though — hilariously, the original dialogue recorded for the role by Bristol-born actor David Prowse makes Vader sound less like the leader of the Galactic Empire and more like a substitute Geography teacher. However, once James Earl Jones stepped in to provide the voice, the character was fully realised and the iconic villain was born.
1. Dr Hannibal Lecter
Dr Hannibal Lecter first came to life in the novels of Thomas Harris, before arriving on the big screen in some of the most accomplished thrillers of the last few decades. Anthony Hopkins’ performance in The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal and Red Dragon verge on pantomime-levels of camp and melodrama at times, but always incorporate shocking levels of violence and malevolent cunning — not to mention the most piercing, unblinking blue eyes ever put to screen. He’s synonymous with the role, but he’s not the only one to have inhabited the character. Brian Cox’s more understated performance in Michael Mann’s 1986 movie Manhunter was the first big-screen appearance, while Mads Mikkelsen’s depiction of a more urbane, dashing Lecter was the heart of the cult Hannibal TV series. Lecter remains the most chilling, absorbing and singularly entertaining villain in movie history — once seen, never forgotten.