The Best Movie Villains of All Time

The Best Movie Villains of All Time


July 17, 2025 | Allison Robertson

The Best Movie Villains of All Time


Welcome to the Dark Side!

Ever wondered who the real stars of the movie are? Yep, the villains. They’re charming, chaotic, and impossible to forget. We’ve ranked 25 of the most iconic movie villains ever, based on menace, charisma, and pure scene-stealing power. Buckle up — let’s celebrate the baddies we secretly root for!

Villains Msn

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#25: Commodus

Gladiator (2000)

Best known for: Daddy issues and thumbs-down executions.

He’s pathetic but dangerous, and that combo? Chef’s kiss. You almost want to smack him, but he makes the movie so much juicier.

Emperor Commodus factsDreamWorks, Gladiator (2000)

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#24: Hans Gruber

Die Hard (1988)

Best known for: Suave heist skills and perfect hair.

Alan Rickman redefined “charming villain,” making us almost wish he got away with it. Honestly, John McClane wouldn’t have been half as fun without him.

Hans Gruber Die HardIn The Mind Of A Villain: Hans Gruber from Die Hard, In The Mind of A Villain

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#23: Jigsaw

Saw (2004)

Best known for: Messed-up moral “games.”

Turning torture into life lessons? Bold move. He’s the kind of villain who makes you question your own survival instincts.

JigsawJigsaw (2017) - Free Yourself to Free Them Scene (3/10) | Movieclips, Movieclips

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#22: Annie Wilkes

Misery (1990)

Best known for: Sledgehammer therapy.

Kathy Bates made obsessive fandom scarier than any ghost. She’s proof that the scariest monsters can look totally normal.

A visually captivating still taken from a pivotal moment in the film Misery (1990)Columbia, Misery (1990)

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#21: Patrick Bateman

American Psycho (2000)

Best known for: Business cards and morning skincare.

A yuppie serial killer who dances to Huey Lewis? Disturbing and iconic. You’ll never trust a guy who loves his skincare routine too much again.

Christian Bale, American PsychoThe Beginning & End of American Psycho (2000) | Christian Bale by The Dollar Theater

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#20: Freddy Krueger

The Nightmare On Elm Street

Best known for: Haunting teenagers in their dreams.

Freddy's unique dream-based power and his sadistic personality makes him the ultimate bad dream.  “One, two, Freddy’s coming for you... Three, four, better lock your door...”

man in brown cowboy hatEnrique Guzmán Egas, Unsplash

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#19: Norman Bates

Psycho (1960)

Best known for: Shower scene terror.

He set the standard for the “mama’s boy turned psycho” trope. You’ll never look at a roadside motel the same way again.

Screenshot from the movie Psycho (1960)Paramount, Psycho (1960)

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#18: Kylo Ren

Star Wars sequel trilogy

Best known for: Rage fits and rad lightsaber moves.

He’s like an angsty Tumblr teen with a lightsaber, but he’s got layers — and great hair. We kinda get why Rey was curious.

Kylo Ren – Star Wars Sequel TrilogyStar Wars | Kylo Ren, Ilia TS

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#17: Calvin Candie

Django Unchained (2012)

Best known for: Sipping fancy drinks while being pure evil.

Leo’s unhinged energy here is magnetic and horrifying. You can’t help but watch him burn every social rule to the ground.

Screenshot of the movie Django UnchainedColumbia, Django Unchained (2012)

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#16: Michael Myers

Halloween series

Best known for: Slow, unstoppable knife strolls.

The shape of pure evil — no talking, no emotions, just vibes (terrifying ones). Every babysitter's worst nightmare, and for good reason.

Actor Tony Moran, as masked kiler Michael Myers, wields a knife in a still from the horror film, 'Halloween,' directed by John Carpenter, 1978.Fotos International, Getty Images

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#15: Gollum

The Lord of the Rings

Best known for: Obsessing over a ring harder than we do over pizza.

Pitiful, scary, and deeply tragic. He’s the ultimate reminder that addiction can destroy even the purest hearts.

Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King factsThe Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the King (2003), New Line Cinema

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#14: Loki

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Best known for: Glorious purpose and betrayal.

He’s a trickster with daddy issues and unmatched charm. He’s so lovable that Marvel had to give him his own show.

LokiLoki Escapes With The Tesseract Scene - Avengers: Endgame Movie CLIP 4K by AlphaClips

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#13: Scar

The Lion King (1994)

Best known for: Killing Mufasa (never forgiven).

That Shakespearean sass, the villain song, and Jeremy Irons’ voice? Chef’s kiss. He’s basically Hamlet’s evil uncle turned Disney icon.

Lion King factsThe Lion King, Walt Disney Pictures

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#12: Anton Chigurh

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Best known for: Silent, unstoppable violence.

Javier Bardem’s cold, coin-flipping killer feels less human and more like a force of nature. The worst haircut ever somehow made him scarier.

Screenshot from the Movie No Country for Old Men (2007)Paramount, No Country for Old Men (2007)

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#11: Agent Smith

The Matrix series

Best known for: Hating humans and saying “Mr. Anderson.”

Hugo Weaving turned a program into a legendary menace. He made resisting the system feel way cooler (and creepier).

Agent Smith The MatrixBest Agent Smith Moments [MASHUP] | The Matrix | TNT by TNT

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#10: Pennywise

It (2017)

Best known for: Ruining clowns forever.

Bill Skarsgård made us scared of red balloons and storm drains. You’ll never walk past a sewer grate without side-eyeing it again.

Screenshot from It (2017)New Line Cinema, It (2017)

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#9: Hans Landa

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Best known for: Milk, charm, and pure terror.

Christoph Waltz made a Nazi detective charismatic and horrifying. He turns small talk into a masterclass in tension.

Hans Landa – Inglourious BasterdsHans Landa & Shosanna Restaurant Scene | INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009) Movie CLIP HD, JoBlo Movie Clips

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#8: Emperor Palpatine

The Star Wars Saga (1983-2005)

Best known for: Strategic brilliance and manipulative nature.

Not only did Palpatine orchestrate a galaxy-wide war, he was a skilled manipulator who preyed on Anakin's fears and insecurities, successfully turning him to the dark side.  

The Joker’s Makeup In The Dark KnightJoker's Pencil Trick Scene - The Dark Knight (2008) Movie CLIP HD by TopMovieClips

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#7: T-800

The Terminator (1984)

Best known for: “I’ll be back.”

An emotionless killing machine turned pop culture icon. You almost want to cheer for him as he wreaks havoc.

Screenshot of Arnold Schwarzenegger - from The Terminator (1984)Cinema '84, The Terminator (1984)

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#6: Hannibal Lecter

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Best known for: Chianti pairings and mind games.

Anthony Hopkins gave us a villain who’s refined, terrifying, and strangely likable. He makes fine dining forever suspicious.

Screenshot from the movie The Silence of the Lambs (1991)Orion, The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

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#5: Darth Vader

Star Wars original trilogy

Best known for: Heavy breathing and daddy drama.

The ultimate redemption arc and an unmatched presence. No villain entrance will ever top that hallway scene.

Darth VaderDarth Vader / Ending Scene in Star Wars Rogue One (Red Lightsaber) by Garth H. Vader

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#4: Nurse Ratched

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

Best known for: Ice-cold control tactics.

Louise Fletcher turned a nurse into the ultimate authoritarian nightmare. Proof that psychological control can be scarier than violence.

Screenshot of the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestFantasy Films, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

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#3: Thanos

Avengers: Infinity War & Endgame

Best known for: Snapping away half the universe.

He genuinely believes he’s saving the world. He almost makes mass extinction look like a logical spreadsheet decision.

ThanosAVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Clip - Thanos vs Everybody (2018) Marvel, JoBlo Superheroes

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#2: Voldemort

Harry Potter series

Best known for: Avada Kedavra and splitting his soul like pizza slices.

Fearsome, tragic, and obsessed. Every wizard kid had nightmares just hearing his name whispered.

Screenshot of Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort) from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - 201Warner Bros., Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

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#1: The Joker

The Dark Knight (2008)

Best known for: Wanting to watch the world burn.

Chaotic, smart, hilarious, and terrifying. He’s the ultimate villain blueprint — we’ll be quoting him (and painting our faces) forever.

Heath LedgerJoker's Pencil Trick Scene - The Dark Knight (2008) Movie CLIP HD by TopMovieClips

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You May Also Like:

Villains Who Became More Popular Than The Heroes
Disney Villains We Forgot About
Everyone Hated These Sitcom Villains—Do You Remember Them All?

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4


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