Top Villains of All Time: A Look at My Favorite Movie Villains

After I shared my favorite movie characters last month, I thought it would be fun to do favorite movie villains this month. You can't usually have a good movie without a good villain and the villains on this list are ones that I love to hate. This isn't a list of the best villains in movies just my personal favorites.

1. Darth Vader (The Star Wars franchise)

You can't have a villain list with Darth Vader. He is not only one of my favorites but is one of the most famous villains ever. Even if someone hasn't seen Star Wars, they most likely still know who Darth Vader is. From his iconic voice to his memorable breathing, everything about Darth Vader is just top-notch. He has such a formidable presence whenever he is on screen and is the star of so many epic Star Wars moments. His big scene in Rogue One shows how powerful of a villain he truly is. He is also the source of one of the most memorable (and misquoted) lines in cinema "No, I am your father". He also has one of the best "theme songs" ever.

2. The Joker (The Batman franchise)

The Joker is easily my favorite comic book villain. While Heath Ledger is my favorite Joker, I enjoy pretty much every iteration of the character that has been brought to the big screen. He is the ultimate foil to Batman and is usually the standout in whatever Batman movie he is in. The Joker is such a crazy just really fun character that always pushes Batman to his limits. He is the most mysterious of all of Batman's villains with no clear origin story. He is also unique from most other villains as he has no clear goal and is there to just cause chaos.

3. Hans Gruber (Die Hard)

Hans Gruber is my favorite pure-action movie villain. He is nothing more than a glorified thief but he acts with such confidence and prestige that he earns a spot as one of the greats. I thought Alan Rickman's portrayal of the character was just perfect. Hans Gruber is incredibly intelligent as he can outsmart both the cops and the FBI. The only reason he is defeated is because of the unexpected variable that was John McClain. No other action movie villain has come close as most are just generic drug dealers. Even movies that mimic Die Hard fail to bring a villain as strong as Hans Gruber.

4. Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs)

Hannibal Lecter is a great villain who can do the most with minimal screen time. While he may be more of an asset to the protagonists in Silence of the Lambs, he is still very much a villain as he is a literal cannibal. He steals the scene with his excellent screen presence. Anthony Hopkins brings a creepy yet elegant style to the character. His escape is so well thought out yet horrifying at the same time. Hannibal Lector is so diabolical that he Clarice at her graduation just to rub in that he has escaped and is going to eat his next victim. Hannibal Lecter is such a memorable character that he is spoofed time and time again in popular culture.

5. Voldemort (The Harry Potter franchise)

Voldemort is my favorite fantasy villain. Voldemort is a villain whose presence is felt across all 8 movies even when he is not physically alive until movie number 4. He is such a strong leader that can bring so many witches and wizards onto his side even though he is basically a wizard Hitler. He is such a powerful wizard that only Dumbledore can truly go toe to toe with him. In the books, he fights Kingsley, McGonagall, and Slughorn simultaneously and still comes out on time. His sheer determination to destroy Harry and take over the wizarding world is what makes him such a captivating villain.

6. Thanos (The Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Thanos is the best villain in the MCU. Sometimes, the best villains are those that think they are the hero of their story and that is exactly the case with Thanos. All Thanos is trying to do is create a balanced universe where everyone is satisfied. However, he thinks he needs to wipe out half of all life to do it. He feels that his viewpoint is the only way to achieve his goals even if it means sacrificing his daughter. You can tell he still feels remorse after seeing his face when he has to trade Gamora for the soul stone. He even has respect for the heroes fighting him even though they are getting in his way. Thanos is so powerful that he can take down The Hulk without breaking a sweat.

7. Hans Landa (Inglorious Basterds)

Hans Landa is just a seemly normal guy who does incredibly evil things. On the surface, he is just another Nazi whose sole goal is to eliminate the Jews. His seemingly casual nature is what makes him such a terrifying villain. The monologue he gives at the beginning of the film is just so terrifying that it keeps you on the edge of your seat. He gives these types of speeches multiple times with sinister undertones which is what earned Christoph Waltz his Oscar. What makes him so evil is not that he agrees with the Nazi ideals, it is that he is indifferent to them and is just out for himself. He will be responsible for aiding the Nazis in killing Jews and then turning on them all because he just does not care.

8. Michael Myers (The Halloween franchise)

A lot of great villains have some tragic backstory that makes you somewhat understand their current state, however, that is not the case with Michael Myers. Michael Myers is simply evil incarnate and that is what makes him so great. He has no tragic backstory, no plan, and no conscience. He is just a simple being who only wants to kill. He is almost animalistic in nature in that he always returns to the same location. He lays the framework for all other slasher villains to come. The entire Halloween franchise is framed around him as a villain and does nothing to humanize or explore him. He is just there and is just pure evil.

9. Gollum (The Lord of the Rings franchise)

Gollum is another of my favorite fantasy villains and while he is not the main antagonist, he still plays a villainous role in The Lord of the Rings. He has the tragic backstory that makes you feel bad for him but what makes him so villainous is his constant longing and desire for the One Ring. He is willing to kill anyone and do anything to get it. He lies to Frodo and Sam, turns them against each other, and leads Frodo to his death in a spider cave all to get The Ring. He is even willing to fall to his death and burn alive before being willing to give up The Ring.

10. Freddy Kreuger (The Nightmare on Elm Street franchise)

Freddy Kreuger is another other of my favorite slasher villains. Freddy Kreuger has a bit more of a personality than Michael Myers but he is no less frightening or sinister. The best thing about Freddy Kreuger is that in your dreams, the one place you are supposed to be safe is the place where he is most powerful. He grows more and more of a personality as the movies go on and delivers so many unique kills that just embrace the gimmick of invading people's dreams. Freddy Kreuger is another character, like the Joker, that just likes to incite chaos and cause fear.