There are plenty of movies where the villain is forgettable or has weak motivations that make you wish they weren’t even there.
On the other side of the spectrum, you have iconic villains that ascend the medium and become iconic in pop culture all around the globe. People will endlessly quote or talk about the unforgettable performances of these villains, no matter how old the movie is.
Here are some of the most iconic villains in cinema history.
Godzilla (Giant Lizard)
Godzilla is a friend or a foe, depending on his depiction. This kaiju is a legend on the screen and has been around since 1954.
Godzilla is larger than life in more ways than one. He is a destroyer and king of the monsters. The last two Japanese movies showcased how terrifying the king of monsters can be. Shin Godzilla and Godzilla Minus One take different angles on this iconic giant lizard, but both are terrifying. Seeing the atomic breath scenes in both of the movies mentioned will take your breath away.
King Kong ain’t got nothin’ on him after being nominated for an Oscar.
Darth Vader (James Earl Jones)
Even people who have never watched or cared about Star Wars know the iconic scene of Darth Vader telling our hero, Luke Skywalker, that he was his father.
Darth Vader looks menacing and has no mercy for people he deems failures. Just thinking about how ruthless he was has me rubbing my neck. You can count on two hands how many times he has force choked someone. With Darth Vader’s appearances in new Star Wars media, we have gotten a peak to see how menacing he was in his prime. Just watch the end of Rogue One if you need to see what Vader is about.
Darth Vader’s look and endless bone-chilling lines made him one of the top, if not the top, iconic movie villains to ever grace film.
The Joker (Mark Hamill)
You were thinking Heath Ledger, weren’t you? The actor behind Luke Skywalker is The Clown Prince of Crime.
The 90s animated series is one of the most well-written comic book shows ever. When they decided to make an animated film, it really kick-started what a few actors before had shown that The Joker is and will always be iconic. Mark Hamill could make the Joker’s laugh show any emotion. Look up the last twenty years of the projects he lent his voice for. Hamill could make your blood turn could with his delivery of lines. Almost every live-action Joker has the perfect blueprint from which to learn.
If you think of Batman, you think of The Joker. It is like yin and yang. You can’t have one without the other.
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Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe)
Willem Dafoe not only gave a legendary performance in the Spider-Man movies but also showed the struggle Norman has in trying to fight off the evil possession of the Green Goblin.
Norman Osborn was like Peter Parker’s father figure, which makes watching his transformation into a terrifying villain heartbreaking. He meets his end trying to kill Peter during their devastating battle. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, he returns to a worse state than ever. He ruins a different Peter Parker’s life by killing his Aunt May and shows what holding back against villains can cause.
His iconic look and his ties to Spider-Man make him iconic. Green Goblin tells Peter, “She is dead because of you.” Trying to break Spider-Man one last time, he shows how evil and cold his mind is.
Jaws (Bruce)
Jaws is a movie responsible for creating many people’s fear of swimming in water. No shark is as iconic or cold as a killing machine as Jaws.
Hearing Quint’s tale of the USS Indianapolis was chilling. Hearing him say, “Y’know the thing about a shark, he’s got… lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll’s eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn’t seem to be livin’… until he bites ya.” didn’t even prepare us for a shark that seemed to have a singular mind bent on killing everything in its path.
Kids and adults from the 70s to the 90s knew the shark Jaws and knew to stay away from the water because there may be sharks in these waters.
Dr. Evil (Mike Meyers)
Dr. Evil may be a comedic villain, but he is an icon of the 2000s, and his plans were evil. However, they’re usually underwhelming or just very idiotically cliché.
Mike Meyers had everyone holding their pinky finger on the side of their mouth, saying, “One million dollars.” Not to mention hearing the word “frickin,” especially when talking about sharks having laser beams on their heads. There are many scenes of him shushing people and how he is a stereotypical villain to a fault.
With his pinky finger, Mini-Me, and quotable scenes in every scene he takes part in, Dr. Evil cemented his status as an iconic villain.
Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins)
What is more terrifying than a murderer? How about a genius serial killer who eats people?
Anthony Hopkins’s portrayal of Hannibal Lecter is so ingrained in pop culture that even people who have never seen the movies know his lines and have seen the image of him being wheeled out on a dolly with a mask on. The calm, cold delivery of the lines is what makes the performance stick with you.
It is rare to find a horror icon with an Oscar-winning performance, but Anthony Hopkins’s Hannibal Lecter is timeless and undoubtedly iconic.
T-1000 (Robert Patrick)
The Terminator is terrifying, but he becomes a protector in the sequel. The villain that even scared the T-800 has to be iconic. The malleable T-1000 was an unstoppable killing machine with no remorse.
Arnold’s Terminator is one of the most quoted characters in history, but isn’t the only iconic villain. Robert Patrick’s chilling performance creates an unstoppable, emotionless force that is unforgettable. The advanced CGI of the liquid metal design helped to make the shape-shifting, regeneration, and mimicry of anyone feel believable.
Technological innovation and an amazing performance from Robert Patrick really galvanized the T-1000, being iconic among movie villains.
Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving)
The Matrix is full of iconic moments, but somehow, it made a man dressed like a Secret Service agent into a predator hunting for prey that was relentless as well as iconic.
Agent Smith could take over any NPC in the Matrix, making the villain everywhere and nowhere all at once. Anyone who has seen the Matrix movies has said, “Mister Anderson.” in that cold, robotic manner. Much like the T-1000, Agent Smith was relentless. There was no pleading or ways to talk it out. Your only option was to fight for your life if the Agents found you.
Agent Smith made the simple black suit, tie, and sunglasses iconic, as well as being a cold, robotic, uncompromising villain.
Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes)
Right off the bat, you get a sense of how terrible and terrifying a villain is when no one in the wizarding world will even utter his name.
The title He-Who-Must-Not-be-Named certainly helped add to the aura of Lord Voldemort. His snake-like appearance and purely evil nature really make him a villain that no one can forget. His presence demanded and got your attention. He doesn’t have some tragedy or good point to make. You are either with him or against him. If you are against him, prepare to be dispatched like you never mattered.
Batman has The Joker, He-Man has Skeletor, and Harry Potter has Lord Voldemort. It is impossible to think about the franchise without thinking of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his iconic treachery.
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