Good verses evil, it’s a tale as old as time itself. Cinematic villainous characters come in all shapes, sizes, ideologies, and levels of craziness. Some are based on real life people; some are complete manifestations of our own fears or desires. Some, to our own dissatisfaction, make sense of what their dastardly deeds may be to a point where we think, “Wow, they’re right.” It takes a talented actor to pull off a truly memorable villain, a villain that etches their spot in cinematic history forever. But first, some honorable mentions.

     Lucasfilm Ltd.

Three specific honorable mentions stand out as classic cinematic villains, but for various reasons did not beat out other actors for their performance as the villain. Darth Vader, Voldemort, and Thanos are three top-tier villains from the sci-fi/fantasy genre that are recognizable the world over. Whether it be Vader’s classic voice, Voldemort’s terrifying look, or the memory of Thanos dusting some of our favorite heroes, each one of these villains is memorable in cinema and pop culture and deserves mention on a list dedicated to top villain performances. Let’s begin the countdown!

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

9 Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes - Misery (1990)

     Columbia Pictures

Kathy Bates delivers an Oscar-winning performance as crazed super-fan Annie Wilkes in the 1990 adaptation of the classic Stephen King story and one of the best horror movies of the ’90s, Misery. After rescuing author Paul Sheldon from a blizzard caused car accident, Wilkes quickly turns from sweet care taker to psychotic captor as she forces Sheldon to rewrite the demise of her favorite literary character Misery. Wilkes goes as far as to hobble Sheldon by breaking both of his ankles with a sledgehammer in one of the most intense and graphic scenes in any movie. Bates’s performance as Wilkes is etched in history as one of the best and most terrifying villainous portrayals on screen.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

8 Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie - Django Unchained (2012)

     The Weinstein Company

Director Quentin Tarantino has helped produce some of the best on-screen villains of all time. One of those said villains is Calvin Candie, played by Leonardo DiCaprio in 2012’s Django Unchained. Candie is the owner of Candyland Plantation where he collects slaves to fight in brutal fights to the death against other slaves. He meets our titular hero Django and his partner Dr. King Schultz at one of these fights, and the two protagonists launch a plan to charm Candie into selling them one of his slaves and the wife of Django. What makes Candie such an effective villain is his own use of charm on the outside while internally harboring such vile hate towards the black men and women he inflicts pain upon. Leonardo DiCaprio, a typically beloved actor in his films, takes Candie to new heights in not just one of his personal best performances, but one of the best performances we have ever seen from an actor.

7 Louise Fletcher as Mildred Ratched - One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

     United Artists 

Another Oscar-winning performance on the list, it is hard to understate just how villainous Louise Fletcher’s Mildred Ratched is in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. What makes Ratched one of the most evil awful characters in all movie history is her ability to manipulate her power over the inmates of her hospital and her cold and calculated enjoyment of it. She holds absolute mental and physical control over her patients. On a whim, she can have them sent to electroshock therapy, dictate their medication and bathroom times, mentally berate them into committing suicide, or order them to be lobotomized. Ratched treats her helpless patients with as much cruelty as a dictator would over their people. As a character she is memorable for all the wrong reasons, but as a performance she is memorable for the talent displayed by Louise Fletcher.

6 Heath Ledger as Joker - The Dark Knight (2008)

     Warner Bros. Pictures

At the time that Heath Ledger was cast as Joker in Christopher Nolan’s Batman sequel, The Dark Knight, it was met with pushback from some more intense Batman fans as they could not see the heartthrob actor as the clown prince of crime. Upon its release in 2008, and with Ledger having sadly passed away months prior, all concerns over his portrayal as Joker were forgotten. Ledger truly lost himself in the character and no one saw Ledger any longer; all they saw was Joker. From small facial ticks, to altering backstories, to truly evil actions, Ledger’s performance of Joker will forever live on as one of the best villains in cinema history, even earning him a posthumously awarded Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The Dark Knight remains one of the most analyzed films even a decade after its release, and Ledger’s Joker is a major part of that.

5 Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill ‘The Butcher’ Cutting - Gangs of New York (2002)

     Touchstone Pictures

Based on William Poole, the leader of the Washington Street Gang of New York City, Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance as Bill ‘The Butcher’ Cutting in Gangs of New York is an iconic piece of movie history. Known as an actor who commits 110% to every role he plays, Day-Lewis is lost yet again in the role of The Butcher, making it one of his best movies. Bill is a ruthless and commanding leader of his gang, striking fear into every one he comes across. Bill is a villain that believes in his cause and his deeds so much that he is willing to, and does, die for them. Along with that, Day-Lewis is an actor so committed to the role of Bill that the actor completely fades away during the film leaving only Bill the Butcher.

4 Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh - No Country for Old Men (2007)

     Miramax / Paramount Vantage

Before talking about the brilliance of Javier Bardem’s performance as Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men, it is important to realize that it was his first big Hollywood role. To hit a homerun in your first appearance is an accomplishment all on its own. To do it while also creating one of the best villain performances in cinematic history is on another level. Bardem takes over the film with his performance in one of the Coen Brothers best films to date. With a strikingly deep voice and his weapon of choice, a captive bolt pistol commonly used on cattle, Chigurh makes a terrifying villain to find ones self up against.

3 Sir Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter - The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

     Orion Pictures

What puts Sir Anthony Hopkins performance as Hannibal Lecter in the three spot, as opposed to the number one spot he is usually found in, simply boils down to the amount of time on screen he has in The Silence of the Lambs. Also, the fact that Hannibal is not the true villain of the film he is introduced in; that accolade goes to Buffalo Bill. Having said that, the 16 total minutes of screen time Hopkins has in the film is powerful enough to earn him an Oscar for Best Actor in 1991.

2 Ralph Fiennes as Amon Goeth - Schindler’s List (1993)

Our top two entries focus on one of the most profoundly tragic and disturbing events to ever take place. Playing the real life SS Second Lieutenant Amon Goeth, Ralph Fiennes performance in Schindler’s List is a true encapsulation of evil. Abusing his Jewish housemaid and shooting prisoners at random from atop his balcony, Fiennes brings to life this real villain in stunning fashion, the likes of which will not be soon forgotten. Just one of many performances that helped make Schindler’s List the brilliant and troubling film it remains to be today.

1 Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa - Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Right from the beginning of 2009’s Inglourious Basterds, we are introduced to Col Hans Landa played by Christoph Waltz, and right from the beginning we learn exactly what kind of man he is and the villainous lengths he will go to. During his opening dialogue, Landa tells a story likening the Jewish people he is hunting to rats while comparing the German people to the predatory hawk. This is instantly showcased throughout the rest of the opening scene as Landa knows Jewish people are being harbored below his very feet, yet he is cunning; he plays the long game before his solders launch their attack. This opening scene demonstrates that the character of Hans Landa thoroughly loves and is proud of the evil and sadistic task he is charged with. This loyalty never waivers, even in defeat. What makes Waltz’s performance so memorable is his ability to convince us that this evil man is evil to the core and even in defeat will not disown the actions he has done or the party to which he belongs.