Skip to content
Search AI Powered
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

People Break Down The All-Time Best Villains From Movies And TV

Dark black and white photo of man
man wearing button-up top
Photo by Rahul Pariharacodu on Unsplash
John Curtis
By John CurtisJan 15, 2023
John Curtis
A novelist, picture book writer and native New Yorker, John is a graduate of Syracuse University and the children's media graduate program at Centennial College. When not staring at his computer monitor, you'll most likely find John sipping tea watching British comedies, or in the kitchen, taking a stab at the technical challenge on the most recent episode of 'The Great British Baking Show'.
See Full Bio

If one were to really think about it, the villains might be the true hero of any story.

Of course, their actions remain indefensible and their behavior appalling, nor should we ever be rooting for them to succeed.

However, without the villains, where would any story go?

It's the villains who create conflict in our favorite books, films, and television series, and ultimately draw us into the story and keep our attention.

Even if we don't find ourselves sympathizing with villains portrayed by certain actors, it's hard not to find ourselves fascinated by them!

Sometimes, it's hard to even take our eyes off them.

Redditor doktaAce was curious to hear everyone's favorite villains from film and television, leading them to ask:

What Keeps Everyone "Watch"ing...

“'You don’t think I’d explain my plan if there was the slightest chance you could stop me do you? I did it 35 minutes ago'.”

"Purely based on that, Ozymandias from Watchmen."- Reddit

What keeps everyone going down the "Portal"...

"GLADOS" .

"'We both said a lot of things you're going to regret'."- nitol91509

Beware the "Chicken Man"

"Gus Fring."- ulyssesss91

Breaking Bad GIF by MauditGiphy

The Nurse No One Wants On Call...

"Nurse Ratched, just because of how implicitly she tortured the inmates."- soladi6766

You Never Know What You'll Get From Him...

"Gul dukat."

"He goes from evil Hitler type to loving father on the run from his government to crazy possessed madman in a single series."- soladi6766

His Smile Makes You Quake In Your Boots

"Christoph Waltz in 'Inglorious Bastards' is the first that came to mind."- jwps28

inglourious basterds eating GIF by The Good FilmsGiphy

Definitely Not One Of The Boys

"Homelander is definitely one of them."- PrettyMuchDeceased

Perhaps The Greatest Of All

"Hans Gruber."

"Alan Rickman portrays him so well."- rirop27057

Even If His Behavior Is Anything But Justified

"Boyd Crowder (played by Walton Goggins) in 'Justified'."

"He's not particularly strong in season 1, but by season 2, you just want him to keep getting away to have more."

"The fact that he's Raylan's frenemy, and not just a generic evil guy was such a nice touch."- dvoecks

Timothy Olyphant GIFGiphy

FOUR!

"Shooter McGavin."

"Do I need to even describe why?"- xacayeg163

Effortlessly Creepy

"V.M. Varga in Fargo Season 3."

"I think he gets forgotten a bit because most thought the third season as a whole was a step down from the first and second seasons (and everybody loves Billy Bob in Season 1), but every time Varga was on screen was incredible."

"The teeth, the bizarre yet intimidating manner of speaking, the general weirdness and obscurity of who exactly he is and his background was so well done."

"Thewlis is amazing."- TJTrapJesus

Tragic And Horrifying

"Magneto."

"There are times when you are able to sympathize with him and his actions almost seem justified."

"Most likable villain in my opinion."- rirop27057

x-men apocalypse GIF by 20th Century FoxGiphy

"Wrong LEVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Yzma from 'The Emperor’s New Groove'."- phantom_avenger

That Quill Though!

"Dolores Umbridge."- soladi6766

In His Defense, He Was Defending His Home...

'Al Swearengen from 'Deadwood' played by Ian McShane."

'It’s the story of a villain defending his village."- fallonyourswordkaren

ian mcshane deadwood GIFGiphy

Sometimes a smile can be even more terrifying than a scream or a yell.

Honestly, who's been able to get any sleep after seeing Pennywise smile through the sewer?

Latest News

Caitlyn Jenner and Donald Trump
Donald Trump

Caitlyn Jenner Seems To Confirm Which Bathroom She Uses At Mar-a-Lago—And The MAGA Hypocrisy Is Real

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshots from Pervez Taufiq's Instagram video
@ptaufiqphotography/Instagram

Woman Kicked Off United Airlines Shuttle Bus After Hurling Racist Insults At Family

Photographer Pervez Taufiq was recently traveling with his family when they were confronted with a racist woman on their flight.

During the flight, Taufiq was unaware that the woman had begun to speak to his children, asking them if they were Indian and making inappropriate comments to them.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elton John
Lester Cohen/Getty Images for City of Hope

Elton John Shares Heartbreaking Update About His Eyesight At Opening Of London Musical

This past weekend at the opening of The Devil Wears Prada musical on London's West End, Elton John shared something the audience never saw coming while he gave a curtain speech.

The stage was crowded with John's support team, the staff involved in the musical's production, and many other people who made the event happen.

Keep ReadingShow less
Meghan Trainor
Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Freshpet

Meghan Trainor Reveals She 'Cannot Smile Anymore' Due To Cosmetic Procedure

Meghan Trainor recently shared her disappointing experience with Botox during an episode of her podcast Workin’ On It, which she co-hosts with her brother, Ryan Trainor.

Speaking candidly, Trainor revealed she underwent a Botox “lip flip” procedure to enhance her upper lip, but the results left her with unexpected challenges.

Keep ReadingShow less
Disabled 'Wicked' Star Calls Out 'Gross' Ableist Jokes And Comments About Her Character
@marissa_edob/TikTok

Disabled 'Wicked' Star Calls Out 'Gross' Ableist Jokes And Comments About Her Character

Marissa Bode, who plays Nessarose in the Wicked movie, has spoken out against harmful jokes about her character’s disability.

Bode, a wheelchair user, addressed the issue in a TikTok video following the film’s Nov. 22 release, saying the comments have been “deeply uncomfortable.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Greg Abbott; Tony Pastor
Alex Wong/Getty Images, @drtonypastor/TikTok

Texas Gov. Threatens To Cut Funding For Hospitals After Doctor's Viral TikTok Tip For Immigrants

Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a stark warning to patients ignoring a controversial executive order that requires them to disclose their immigration status during appointments.

Abbott threatened to cut funding from Texas public hospitals defying an order that mandates patients to fill in their immigration status.

Keep ReadingShow less