For every hero, there’s an equal but opposing villain cloud-covering the virtuous and moral attributes of a film’s protagonist. Usually, we’re attracted to these cinematic bad boys in the same way we stop and watch a car crash or a dumpster fire: totally consumed by a fight-or-flight euphoria wrapped up in confusion, wild emotions, and often anger. But, if there’s anything we know to be true in this world, it’s that we love to hate villains! So, purely for entertainment (maybe also a curiosity of the dark side), we’ve taken a deep dive into the abyss of the creepy, the depraved, and the sociopathic. Enjoy this Mandatory list of the worst of the worst, otherwise known as the best movie villains of all time!
Cover Photo: Warner Bros.
Drawn that way: RANKED! 9 TV Cartoon Villains We Absolutely Love to Hate
Mandatory Movies: 10 High School Classics When You Get Nostalgic For Simpler Times
Follow Mandatory on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Movie Villains
-
Voldemort - 'Harry Potter' Franchise
He who must not be named was a classic villain: scary-looking, diabolical, and possessed an insatiable appetite for murdering teenage wizards. He's truly the modern day Candyman; go ahead and say his name in the mirror three times, we dare you.
-
Hans Landa - 'Inglorious Basterds'
News flash: Nazis are bad. But somehow SS Colonel Hans Landa made the bad seem even worse, and he did it with a smile on his face. He was so horrendously evil and sociopathic that he almost seemed likable simultaneously....in a Ted Bundy kind of way.
-
Darth Vader - 'Star Wars' Franchise
He was the Sithiest of the Siths and the absolute meanest of all absentee fathers. Christmases and birthdays must've been very lonely for Luke and Leia, yet surprisingly they both became very successful.
-
Judge Smails - 'Caddyshack'
In the irreverent words of Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets, "the guy's an effing mook." He cheated at golf, welched on his bets, threw golf clubs at people regularly, and allegedly molested collies. Can you think of a worse example of a rich uncle?
-
The Joker - 'The Dark Knight'
Heath Ledger's version of the Joker was the perfect marriage of madness and calculated chaos. Amazingly, he was one of the few villains with an amazing self-awareness as well, proved by his own words in the film: “I’m like a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do if I caught one, you know, I just do…things.”
-
Keyser Söze - 'The Usual Suspects'
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was to convince the world he didn't exist." That's really all you have to know about Keyser Söze's character from The Usual Suspects. He was the greatest chess player of all time when it comes to villains, played perfectly by Kevin Spacey.
-
Harry - 'Home Alone'
The leader of the Wet Bandits and former Goodfella has a lengthy crime resume only surpassed by his flaming hot temper and desire to kill Kevin McCallister. He impersonated an officer, burglarized multiple homes, and attempted to murder a 10-year-old boy. It's time we acknowledge his prowess as a mastermind villain the likes of which we've never seen before.
-
T-1000 - 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day'
If you need to create a terminator who is capable of destroying Arnold Schwarzenegger, the obvious (and only) option is a liquid metal cyborg with shape-shifting abilities and a never-say-die attitude. T-1000 is everything you want in a killing machine. It's a good thing for John Connor and company that Schwarzenegger had one thing the T-1000 didn't: a heart of gold.
-
Biff Tannen - 'Back to the Future' Franchise
The Trump-look alike that terrorized Marty McFly's family through several generations surely deserves recognition for his bullying behavior. In addition to being a complete jerk, he sexually assaulted Marty's mother in the '50s, shot and killed Marty's dad in the alternate 1985 timeline, and never remembered to use two coats of wax on the McFly family's cars in the "fixed" 1985 timeline. He also has one of the most punchable names in the history of film.
-
Judge Doom - 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit'
Not only was he the cruel and racist judge of Toontown, he also was a self-hating, bitter toon hell-bent on killing his own people. Considering his scheme to annihilate an entire race of people off the face of the Earth, he was essentially the Hitler of cartoon characters.
-
John Doe - 'Se7en'
Kevin Spacey has a master's degree in creepy. His character in Se7en was frightening beyond comprehension because it felt so damn real. He could've been living in your apartment building for 20 years without making a peep. How well do you really know your neighbors?
-
Patrick Bateman - 'American Psycho'
If there's anyone out there that can explain the ending to American Psycho accurately, please contact us immediately. Beyond the confusion, Christian Bale made being a sociopathic murderer and prostitute-biting stock broker look...well...completely psychotic. But, he did it with so much style and grace (i.e. the chainsaw scene).
-
Hans Gruber - 'Die Hard'
If Die Hard is a Christmas movie, then Hans Gruber was the ultimate action movie Grinch. His accent was so malevolent, even he had to be afraid of the sound of his own voice.
-
Sid - 'Toy Story'
This one may be a surprise, but let's check his credentials. He destroyed, murdered, and burned toys for fun, he created monster hybrid mutant toys out of dismembered parts of other toys, by all accounts he hated his mother and his sister, and he dressed up like a psychotic doctor to perform unnecessary surgeries on toys for his personal enjoyment. His murderous, sociopathic nature eventually led to becoming a garbage man as an adult, the perfect career for a serial killer to hide the bodies of his victims.
-
Michael Myers - 'Halloween' Franchise
He was the whole villain package: physically huge, wore a creepy mask, carried a huge knife, and didn't even need the English language to communicate. Oh, and he had serious Mommy issues. He was a cornucopia of hate and bitterness with a twist of murderous rage. Happy Halloween!
-
Hannibal Lecter - 'The Silence of the Lambs'
He was refined, classy, and an incredible cook. He'd even serve you your own tongue, if you're feeling peckish. Seriously, is there any villain that's creeped you out as much as Hannibal Lecter does in every single scene? It feels like he'll jump through the screen and bite your nose off if you're not paying attention to his unbelievable performance.
-
Jack Torrance - 'The Shining'
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Words to live by for us all, unless it leads to murder and psychotic behavior towards your family. Who knew being a writer could lead to insanity?
-
Palpatine - 'Star Wars' Franchise
He was the godfather of evil in the Star Wars universe. If Darth Vader is on this list, then his evil stepfather has to be as well. Not only did he order the destruction of entire planets, he also spewed lightning out of his fingers at anyone who pissed him off. Imagine having that guy as a boss!
-
Anton Chigurh - 'No Country For Old Men'
As if his haircut wasn't villainous enough, this guy toted around a cattle bolt pistol to execute his victims as if they were livestock. His calm demeanor lured you in like a fawn to a peaceful, crippling creek of crystal clear water -- then, boom! A burst of compressed air pierced through your head as you fell to your death. Sorry, Bambi.
-
White Goodman - 'Dodgeball'
He was the epitome of rude, arrogant, condescending, disrespectful, greedy, and obnoxious with a Napoleon complex to boot. As if that wasn't enough, his own insecurities provided constant passive-aggressive trolling, and body-shaming, of Globo Gym's members. The guy really needed a swift punch to the face, or a dodgeball to the schnoz.
