Love them or hate them, every movie needs a good villain. Whether they’re comical, charismatic, psychotic or just pure evil; they’re the ones we love to hate.  Sure, everyone hopes that the square-jawed Johnny Bravo looking hero gets to save the day at the end but where would he be without a villain?  Every protagonist needs an antagonist.  The man in black vs the cowboy with the white hat.  The battle between good and evil.

Sometimes we want the villain to live long enough just so that we can hear them deliver another cool line with only the swagger that a villain possesses…and sometimes we hope they get drowned in a pool of hobo urine.  Whatever it is, they deserve as much credit as any hero because they offer what Agent Smith so eloquently told Neo, “Purpose”. They are essential and deserve to be celebrated for being deliciously creepy and sinister.

 

 

 

 

5.

Kathryn Merteuil – Cruel Intentions

 

And you thought Buffy The Vampire Slayer couldn’t be more boneable? Kathryn is unlike any other female villain you’ve seen before (except maybe for Nurse Ratchet from Cuckoo’s Nest but Kathryn is hotter).  She’s a strong female, methodical, evil, remorseless and a bitch in every way you imagined a girl out of your league would be.  She was feared by men and women alike and in her spare time corrupted innocent young virgins. How can you not love this girl? 

 

 

 

 

4.

Raoul Silva – Skyfall

 

Javier Bardem plays, what I think, is the best Bond villain yet.  He steals every scene he’s in.  Raoul Silva is intelligent, witty and flirtatious.  Seriously, even James Bond gets caught a little off guard when Skyfall’s Bond villain seductively strokes Bond’s chest instead of a white cat like previous villains were known to do.  His presence is not so much menacing as it is confusing.  He is a 6 foot hulking Javier Bardem with bleached blonde hair, a white suit and a tendency to make playful homo-erotic innuendos when threatening James Bond.  I suppose it’s about time that horny old James got a taste of his own sexually harassing medicine.

 

 

 

 

3.

Dr. Evil – Austin Powers

 

Yes, Dr.Evil. How can you not love Dr.Evil? He built a freakin’ “Laser” to destroy the world!  He didn’t rob a bank. He didn’t attempt to assassinate the president. He didn’t kidnap Liam Neeson’s daughter. No, Dr.Evil threatened to blow up the world if he didn’t get “One Million Dollars”. The world!  He is Evil.  He’s so evil that his name is Evil. He’s so evil that he has a mini clone that is evil.  He doesn’t stroke furry cats like old Bond villains, his cat doesn’t even have hair.  Mr.Bigglesworth is a hairless cat.  Only the most evil of evil villains own hairless cats.  But beside all of that he is the most loveable villain of all time.  A father who just wants a relationship with his son, Scotty, and to prove to Scotty that he truly can be the most evil villain there ever was.

 

 

 

 

 

2.

Dr. Hannibal Lector – The Silence Of The Lambs

 

“Do you still hear the lambs Clarice?”

Hannibal Lecter was the villain who was the inspiration for future films to create more intelligent villains.  Played to perfection by Anthony Hopkins, he sent chills down your spine with every word that crossed his lips.  Most of the fear he placed in you, was from inside a prison cell…and then he escaped.  The scariest thing they could do was make you believe that the most evil, sadistic, cannibal, criminal mastermind was behind bars and then show you how he escapes to be free to roam your neighbourhood.  And this after the creepiest line in the film was burned into your memory,

 “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti. Sslslslslslsssss”

 

 

 

 

 

1.   

 

Kaizer Soze – The Usual Suspects

 

Kaizer Soze is the ultimate villain because he doesn’t really exist.  He’s a mythical figure that is characterized only through criminal folklore, hearsay and exaggerated rumours.  A spook story.  The boogey man.

Kaizer Soze is the devil.  He makes you believe only what he wants you to believe.  You do only what he wants you to do and even criminals who got shot more times than 50Cent fear this man. Probably the most famous line in the film that describes the power of Kaizer Soze is when Verbal Kint says, “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he didn’t exist”.

This villain makes you want to be a villain.  You know it’s wrong but you can’t help but want to be him.  To have that power.  He doesn’t need the physical presence to strike fear into another human being.  He can go toe to toe with men badder than Mr.T and mind fuck them better than Christoph Waltz’ Jew Hunter character ever could.

 “Keaton always said, ‘I don’t believe in God but I’m afraid of him’.  Well, I believe in God and the only thing that scares me is, Kaizer Soze.”

 

THAT IS ALL.

 

I can hear the outcries, “What about the Joker?!! The Terminator?!! Agent Smith?!!”.  Let me know in the comments who your favourites are. – Ramz