In most movies,it’s the heroof the film that drives us to watch them. We are meant to root for them and rejoice when they overcome seemingly impossible obstacles to save the day or themselves. They’re the ones that we dress up for as Halloween and buy the t-shirts for. However, every so often, a movie comes along with a villain so memorable that we forget all about the hero.
There’s been a rise in interest in villains and anti-heroes, and that’s because some of them are so expertly written. They have empathetic backstories that stick with us or such a twisted presence that we can’t push it out of our minds. There’s just something so satisfying about a villain that hits all the right notes and leaves us chilled to the bone. Sometimes, the hero of the movie just can’t compete with a strong, unforgettable villain.
Here are some of the top movies where the villain is more memorable than the hero.
6101 Dalmatians
When we think about101 Dalmatians(1961), our first thought is of the movie’s iconic dog-hating fashionista, Cruella De Vil. While the crazy number of adorable puppies trying to escape her wrath are lovable, it’s Cruella that steals the show. True to her name, Cruella is one of the most cruel and memorable villains in the original Disney films. Her goal of skinning puppies to make a coat out of is surprisingly dark,her outfits are outrageous, and her appearance is slightly terrifying for someone who is technically supposed to be a human.
Cruella also makes an appearance in101 Dalmations(1996), 102Dalmations(2000), and her own origin story movie,Cruella(2021).
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There’s no denying that Kevin and his 23 other personalities were the focus ofSplit. Anya Taylor-Joy plays an amazing heroine in Casey, but she is overshadowed by James McAvoy’s portrayal of Kevin’s multiple, distinct personalities.
While some of them, like Kevin and Barry, aren’t necessarily antagonists, there are others, like Dennis, Patricia, and the elusive Beast, that definitely are. Each personality brings a unique eeriness to the screen, culminating in the absolute terror that is the Beast, who can be seen eating the organs of one of Casey’s companions while she’s still alive.
Pennywise inItwas nearly solely responsible for the switch between clowns being lovable and funny to being a common fear of children and adults alike. Made famous by Steven King’s novelIt, the original movie by the same name released in 1990, and the remake and successorIt(2017) andIt Chapter Two(2019),Pennywiseis the poster child for a horror villain that is synonymous with the franchise it belongs to.
While the relationships and growth of the children who fight Pennywise add interest to the movies, they are secondary to the terror that Pennywise is able to evoke. As an entity that can present itself in various forms and cause hallucinations of the victim’s greatest fear, Pennywise has solidified its place in the horror genre as an icon.
3The Dark Knight
There have been so many portrayals of the Joker, but none so unforgettable asHeath Ledger’s performanceinThe Dark Knight.Ledger’s Joker is chaotic, unhinged, and unpredictable. What stands out the most about him over other villains is that he doesn’t have a real motivation. He creates chaos for the sake of creating chaos, and not needing to follow any rules or being pinned down by material needs leaves him open to do whatever it takes to get his point across.
The point being that everything is chaos, and that when it comes down to it, there is darkness in everyone if he pushes them far enough. While Christian Bale’s Batman explores new and interesting aspects of his character, it is ultimately the Joker that brings him to his breaking point and forces him to do this, making him the star of this movie.
Related:The Best TV Villain Performances of All Time
2Silence of the Lambs
While Hannibal Lecter isn’t actually the main antagonist ofSilence of the Lambs, he is the villain that no one is able to forget. Hannibal is surprisingly cordial and fiercely intelligent for a cannibalistic serial killer; however, the fact that he is seriously dangerous is never far from our minds. It’s in his intense eyes, the way he carries himself, and his severely perceptive observations.
It’s his back and forth with Agent Stirling that peaks the most interest, from the personal confessions he drags out of her to his insights on the serial killer she is hunting. He is always one step ahead of Stirling and the rest of the FBI and eventually is able to manipulate his way into an escape. We don’t actually see the worst of Hannibal’s crimes in this movie, and that is why it’s so telling that he is still able to be so deeply unsettling and memorable.
1Star Wars
All it took was nineminutes of screen timeinA New Hopeto solidify Darth Vader’s place as one of the most famous villains in cinematic history. Throughout the trilogy, the focus is on Luke, Han Solo, and Leia, but it isDarth Vader’s scenes that are the most striking.
The combination of his low, powerful voice and the now iconic theme music played during his entrances creates a larger than life presence in Darth Vader. Expertly wielding his stunning red lightsaber and the ability to force choke anyone who displeases him makes him not only incredibly dangerous, but also extremely intimidating. This terrifying persona made it all the more satisfying when he finally gave up the dark side for his children.
