Whether they have a tragic backstory or a promising shot at redemption, sophisticated villains make for some of the most compelling characters in cinema today. Some villains are portrayed as sympathetic and somewhat relatable, or as foils and tragic reflections of the movie’s celebrated heroes. Other supposed bad guys secretly have good points that audiences would have a hard time casting aside.
However, some movie antagonists absolutely relish being bad. Maybe they were offered redemption and simply said, “no, thank you.” Some of cinema’s most compelling characters are in it only for themselves and don’t care what audiences and any supposed heroes have to say.
Scar from The Lion King (1994)
Scar serves as the main antagonist of The Lion King, one of Disney’s most beloved animated films. He is the uncle of the protagonist Simba in addition to being the usurper of his own brother Mufasa’s throne. Power-hungry beyond measure, Scar was initially voiced by Jeremy Irons, then Chiwetel Ejiofor in 2019.
Scar being a reinterpretation of Claudius, the main antagonist of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, should tell you everything you need to know about him. Having been inspired by one of literature’s most loathsome characters, it’s fitting that the cunning Scar is one of the most reviled of Disney’s villains.
Commodus from Gladiator (2000)
In Gladiator, Joaquin Phoenix plays Commodus, the son and murderer of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) who, after becoming Emperor, betrays protagonist Maximus (Russell Crowe) into slavery, forcing him to become a gladiator.
Sure, you could argue that Commodus’ ambition and possessiveness are a byproduct of his neglect, but the incestuous, patricidal brat that rises to power in Ridley Scott’s historical action drama wipes out any sympathy the audience might have had for him with the purity of his malice.
Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians (1961)
With a name like Cruella de Vil, this fashion magnate’s ruthlessness shouldn’t really come as a surprise. Cruella made her feature film debut in Disney’s 101 Dalmatians, where she was voiced by Susanne Blakeslee.
Cruella became the unapologetic face of vanity and greed when she began kidnapping dalmatian puppies for their fur. Though unflinching in her stomach-turning quest, the glamorous designer continues to compel movie-goers today, with many subsequent appearances in more recent remakes and spin-off films. She has been portrayed in live-action by Glenn Close and Emma Stone.
Elijah Price from the Eastrail 177 trilogy (2000-2019)
Obsessed with comic book heroes, Elijah Price turned the diagnosis of his rare bone disorder into the unceasing hope that superheroes could exist. Price figured that if his condition rendered him physically feeble to the point of total fragility, there was someone in the world whose condition made them unbreakable.
Played by Samuel L. Jackson, Price’s hopes take a turn for the sinister when he begins orchestrating attacks and engineering accidents in order to find people with extraordinary abilities. Convinced of the importance of his horrifically violent actions, Price (a.k.a. Mr Glass) serves as the primary antagonist of M. Night Shyamalan’s Eastrail 177 trilogy, consisting of 2000’s underrated and innovative superhero film Unbreakable, 2016’s Split and 2019’s Glass.
Dolores Umbridge from the Harry Potter series (2001-2011)
Dolores Umbridge might just be the character that everyone loves to hate. She made quite the splash when she was introduced in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the 2007 adaptation of the novel of the same name. Despite the fantasy series’ extensive list of dark lords and bloodthirsty creatures, Umbridge still manages to hold her own among the franchise’s most irredeemable villains.
Actress Imelda Staunton was a little too good in her performance as the wizarding world’s worst teacher; it’s not every day that a villain is so terrifying that they make the combination of cats, tea and the color pink a chilling thought.
Amon Goeth from Schindler’s List (1993)
Amon Goeth is evil at its most unapologetic and in control. Based on the real-life war criminal and Commander of the Nazi Schutzstaffel, Junior Lieutenant Goeth is the main antagonist of Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List.
Ralph Fiennes is known for his outstanding performances and for bringing some of cinema’s scariest villains to life, like Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter films and Francis Dolarhyde in Red Dragon, yet his portrayal of this Nazi commander stands out. Goeth relishes in the abuse that he doles out, making him a fitting, though unforgivable, villain for Spielberg’s dark historical drama.
Fernand Mondego from The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
Played by Guy Pearce in 2002’s The Count of Monte Cristo, Fernand Mondego is quite the heartless monster. Conspiring to have his friend, protagonist Edmond Dantés (Jim Caviezel), falsely imprisoned for treason to satisfy his jealousy and spite, Mondego unwittingly sets up the events of the film, which follows Dantés’ journey as he escapes from prison seeking revenge.
Director Kevin Reynolds adapted Dantés’ story from the novel of the same name, written in 1844 by Alexander Dumas. Mondego is as barbaric in the book as he is in the film and, no matter what medium he appears in, his downfall is well deserved.
Emperor Palpatine from the Star Wars series (1977-2019)
Palpatine is the evilest entity in the Star Wars series, and perhaps all of sci-fi cinema. Played by Ian McDiarmid, He remained the sole villain for each of the franchise’s major films, though whether this was the plan all along remains a matter of debate.
Regardless, in all of his appearances, Palpatine wields power like he lacks remorse. Motivated only by his desire for domination and control, Palpatine is corrupting-villainy incarnate, drawing pleasure from turning heroes to his cause.
The Tannens from the Back to the Future trilogy (1985-1990)
There’s no way one can reasonably perceive an entire family line to be the worst, yet here come the Tannen family to surpass any and all expectations. From Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen, to Biff and his grandson Griff, it seems like being terrible is just in their blood.
Members of the Tannen clan are the recurring antagonists of Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future films. Whether they're murderous or simply pathetic, not a single generation of Tannen is willing to give Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and Emmett “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd) a break. The Tannens are some of the most recognizable villains that audiences love to hate, and each one is lovingly portrayed by the fantastic Thomas F. Wilson.
Thanos from Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
One would think that to stand against the mightiest heroes of the MCU, one would need to have some reasonable points. That being said, Thanos, the overarching antagonist of Marvel Studios’ long-running cinematic universe and the primary antagonist of Avengers: Infinity War, is convinced that wiping out half the universe will solve its problems.
That is, of course, a gross oversimplification of his philosophy, but aside from his affection for his surrogate daughter Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Thanos is as bad as they come. He returned as the villain of Avengers: Endgame, played once again by Josh Brolin.