For as long as we can remember, Hollywood has been in the business of making blockbusters. We’re talking about films capable of earning millions or billions in the domestic and global markets.
What does it take for a film to be considered a classic? Some may say it needs to have the right storyline. Meanwhile, others argue that the characters are more critical in this regard. And as far as characters go, one can also say that the villain plays a critical role in making the lead character stand out.
Just think about it. If a villain fails to provoke the lead, the story wouldn’t really be compelling. That said, here are 20 cinematic villains who are some of the greatest of all time:
20 Mean Girls’ Regina George Was The Epitome Of High School Cruelty
Sure, there are a lot of films and TV shows out there that feature a wide assortment of high school bullies. However, nothing beats Rachel McAdams' portrayal of Regina George in Tina Fey’s “Mean Girls.” While speaking with Style magazine, McAdams also noted, “I think everyone is the victim of Reginas.”
19 Hans Gruber Proved To Be A Sophisticated Villain In Die Hard
The late Alan Rickman, who portrayed this role, once revealed that Hans was supposed to appear in different attire. However, he changed that. Rickman recalled, “I was just thinking: If I was wearing a suit and not all of this gear, then maybe there could be a scene where I put on an American accent, and he thinks I’m one of the hostages.” At first, it seemed the suggestion was dismissed. However, changes to the script were eventually made.
18 Scar Was Willing To Murder His Own Brother To Be King
Yes, even Disney villains can be cold and heartless. In the classic animated film “Lion King,” Scar purposely puts Simba in harm’s way so that his father, Mustafa, would have to attempt a rescue. And while the king succeeds in getting his son to safety, little did he know that his own brother would murder him in cold blood.
17 Star Wars’ Darth Vader Is Still Among The Most Popular Villains To Date
As you know, Jedi Anakin Skywalker went to the dark side and emerged as this ruthless leader. In the films, Darth Vader was portrayed by several actors. Among them were David Prowse who played the role on-screen and James Earl Jones who provided Darth’s voice. Moreover, the character is best remembered for his most haunting line, “I am your father.”
16 Voldemort Was A Notorious Dark Lord Who Showed No Mercy
He was portrayed by actor Ralph Fiennes who described the character as a “demonic spirit” and “satanic force,” according to Newsweek. He also added, “He's all about acquiring power and controlling and manipulating a lot of people. It can be thrilling and quite freeing to play, because all the rules disappear.”
15 Some Might Say That Joker Is The Most Interesting Character In The DC Universe
Of the role, Joaquin Phoenix who played the character, explained, “You can either say here’s somebody who, like everybody, needed to be heard and understood and to have a voice. Or you can say this is somebody that disproportionately needs a large quantity of people to be fixated on him. His satisfaction comes as he stands in amongst the madness.”
14 More Than A Decade Later, Hannibal Lecter Still Scares Everyone
Anthony Hopkins famously played this character. Of this role, Hopkins explained, “The first 20 minutes or so are built-up, describing this monster to Jodie Foster. And then, she goes to the prison, and then the governor of the prison says, ‘Oh, he’s a monster.’ So it’s all built up that I’m this monster in a cage somewhere.”
13 The Corrupted Gollum Was Greedy Until The Very End
Andy Serkis was the man behind this character and he revealed to BBC, “Gollum's pain is trapped in his throat and I wanted the "Gollum" to be something muscular, not just a noise. So movement-wise, I based it on our cats when they get a furball! It did put quite a strain on my throat.”
12 Jim Phelps’ Betrayal Led To A Significant Body Count In Mission: Impossible
As you may recall, Jon Voight’s character was a veteran agent who initially worked with Ethan Hunt and the rest of his team. But later on in the first “Mission: Impossible” film, we discover that he was the reason that several agents died in a mission during the film’s opening moments.
11 Valak Is A Demon Nun That Can Terrorize Anyone
Portrayed by Bonnie Aarons, the character scared co-star Taissa Farmiga who said, “There was a time or two when we were filming in these dark castles, and this specific scene was lit only by a candle. And Bonnie is in full demon nun garb, hair, and makeup, and I had to ask her to just step away for a moment.”
