Who or what are your favorite fictional villains?

[VespertineIconoclast]

Whether it’s the characters that creep you out, that you love to hate or that merely intrigue you, who or what are your favorite fictional villains?

Mine in no particular order:

Kevin – Sin City


John Doe – Se7en


Sweet Tooth – Twisted Metal Series


Alien – Alien Series


Kakihara – Ichi the Killer


Pyramid head or The Red Pyramid – Silent Hill franchise


...I tend to prefer the really twisted ones.... :yoiks:

[Catchawave]

1. Darth Maul

[VespertineIconoclast]

4. Even though he didn't really say anything in TPM...

he was one of the reasons I liked the movie....

[Catchawave]

160. I'm a middle-aged woman who

thought he was just HOT :loveya: <---and the depth of my sci-fi villain-ery knowledge. I would have picked Darth Vader, but after the prequels, the guy just needed anger management! Sith was more mysterious.

Then again, I am married to a Marine :loveya:

[VespertineIconoclast]

162. ...

I liked him because I thought he looked cool. :D So, we're on the same page. :)

[Rabrrrrrr]

78. Darth Maul is one of the biggest cliche pieces of shit.

He's the Jar Jar Binks of Sith.

He (Darth Maul) pissed me off the very first time I saw a pic of him before the movie came out.

:puke:

Jesus, George, at least show some creativity and stop falling back on stupid cliches.

[Catchawave]

159. Maybe it was the music......:)

I liked Jar Jar too :hi:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. This guy.

[VespertineIconoclast]

5. Is he by any chance related to this one?

;)

[Crap_in_a_Hat]

171. Or this'un, mayhaps?

[ThomCat]

246. That would be an interesting battle

New god versus old god. :P

[VespertineIconoclast]

253. Who do you think would win?

My money's on the more humanoid of the two. :P

[ThomCat]

257. I don't know...

The Flying Spagetti Monster did succeed in creating the entire universe.

On the other hand, it's easier to destroy than to create.

I think this one would go to the judges. :P

[jeff30997]

3. That one:

Oops!You said fictional.Ok, then I'll go for the Alien.Less slimy but

almost as scary as Dicky.

[VespertineIconoclast]

6. That's the reason...

why I put "fictional." ;) Anybody from the * administration, cronies, and friends would ALWAYS beat out ANY fictional character ever created!

[KamaAina]

8. How do we know he's not fictional?

He's always in some "undisclosed location", or at least, that's what they keep telling us... :tinfoilhat:

[VespertineIconoclast]

18. Ha ha ha!

Too true. :D

[InternalDialogue]

7. Whatever character Alan Rickman is playing.

[VespertineIconoclast]

13. He's great!

I especially like his Severus Snape.

[momophile]

68. this is exactly what I thought. he's amazing! nt

[DesEtoiles]

113. I loved him in Dogma (not a villian, but he was great in that)

[XemaSab]

198. He made me hot for Snape

:D

(but JK Rowling initially suggested him for the part, so it's really her fault... both for suggesting Rickman and for creating such a hot character :D )

[TheBaldyMan]

235. He was a classic Obadiah Slope in BBC's Barchester Chronicles

it was a period drama taken from Antony Trollope's novels.

He was memorable even then as a young actor, you could tell how talented he was.

[Mojambo]

9. Herr Starr

[VespertineIconoclast]

14. He looks interesting....

...but, I can't say I know much about him though....

[Mojambo]

17. Here you go

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herr_Starr

Great character, from an equally great comic book called Preacher.

[VespertineIconoclast]

20. Thanks for the info.

I like his evolution into madness.... I'll have to check out the comic book.

[ghostsofgiants]

10. Good choices!

Especially Kevin, John Doe and Pyramid Head.

I'm not entirely sure if villain is the right word, but I'm gonna say The Mystery Man from Lost Highway.



And then of course there's Frank Booth.

[VespertineIconoclast]

16. So are yours.

David Lynch love or hate his films he knows how to create memorable characters and story lines. :thumbsup:

[ghostsofgiants]

30. I worship Lynch, basically, haha.

Watching Mulholland Drive as we speak.

[VespertineIconoclast]

43. Lynch is the king of the surreal....

I haven't seen all his works, but the ones I have seen I liked.

Admittedly, I lean towards anything a little strange, dark, and/or twisted....

[ghostsofgiants]

46. I've seen the majority of his work, and I adore it all.

I'm dying to see Inland Empire. I also am rather fond of the strange/dark/twisted.

[VespertineIconoclast]

58. Has Inland Empire been released in the US yet?

I can't find too much info about it on the web....

Have you seen Lynch's Rabbits?

1st episode is here if you want to see it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fhl4H08gGU

[ghostsofgiants]

66. Yeah, I'm quite famliar with Rabbits...

It has had screenings in the US, but I don't think there's going to be a wide release until next year.

Info here: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061115/law102.html?.v=60

[VespertineIconoclast]

80. Thanks for the info.

It'd be a shame if they don't give the film a wider release. The Northeast and the West coasts are the places to be if you want to see or do anything even a little out of the mainstream....

[ghostsofgiants]

88. Here's another good article...

http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1564529_1_0_,00.html

[VespertineIconoclast]

100. His eccentricity is refreshing.

He has a sort of stream-of-consciousness, abstract feel about him that I like. ...there's no need for labels -- he just is. I hope he's successful in his new endeavors because it would be a sad to see his special voice snuffed out because a lack of financial backing....

Thanks for the article.

[BreweryYardRat]

11. Hmm...

Gregor Clegane and Tywin Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire.





And Ba'al from Stargate SG-1.



Points for liking Pyramid Head, by the way.

[VespertineIconoclast]

23. Ba'al is definitely one of the best Goa'ulds.

...cold-blooded and clever. I'm not familiar with the other two from the book you listed though....

Pyramid head will always be one of my top favorites. ;)

[BreweryYardRat]

26. Tywin reminds me a lot of Ba'al, let's put it like that.

And Song isn't just a book, it's a whole series of novels by George R.R. Martin. Start with A Game of Thrones and go from there.

[ThomCat]

247. That's not at all how I would have pictured Tywin

based on his descriptions in the books. And while he definitely comes across as someone willing to do whatever he has to do, he definitely doesn't come across as evil. In fact he's the only one in the entire damned family who's not.

I'm trying to remember if Gregore is the one they called "The Hound." If so, then he's an awesome villian, but also not entirely evil. Though in his case it's more a matter of being less evil than the Lannisters.

[AlienGirl]

12. The guy with the tie in this picture:

I like 'em uptight, compulsive, anal, and bureaucratic.

Don't ask, it's a long story. :yoiks:

Tucker

[everythingsxen]

19. Mmmmm buereaucracy...

What was that quote I was going to use for my sig line?

NM I found it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CksHB8Ao_nc

[AlienGirl]

21. Here ya go:

http://www.gotfuturama.com/Multimedia/MP3Sounds/hermessong.mp3

[VespertineIconoclast]

24. ...

would Severus Snape from the Harry Potter books fit your criteria...? ...is he even considered a villain after the 6th book? :shrug:

[AlienGirl]

27. Haven't read the books, but in the movies he sure does!

[VespertineIconoclast]

34. Alan Rickman brought the Snape character to life in the movies.

But through no fault of his own, Rickman made Severus more "handsome" than he is portrayed in the books....

[AlienGirl]

44. In the process of looking up Snape, I discovered something interesting

Apparently Snape/Harry pairings are very, very popular in the land of slashfic.

Almost as good as ZADR, to my twisted mind...

Tucker

[VespertineIconoclast]

48. Anytime you put Harry Potter into a search engine...

slash abound! :D It's VERY popular right now -- especially the pairing you have listed.... ;)

[Taverner]

15. Windham Earle from Twin Peaks

LEEEEEOOOOO THE LIIIIION!!!!

[VespertineIconoclast]

25. Good choice. n/t

[ghostsofgiants]

104. Nice!

Bob is a good one too.

[cobalt1999]

22. Iago from Shakespeare's Othello has always been one my favorites

Shakespeare made Iago a great villain, not because he is just evil, but because he's totally and completely amoral. He displays so many negative attributes, he is consumed by envy, but he's also smart enough to plot. And plot he does...he deceives, ruins lives & reputations, steals, and kills to get what he wants without any conscience or regrets. He uses Othello's trust to great harm, just to get Cassios position.

You have to love a villain that doesn't just lack a conscience, but has such evil and out of control desires to go with it. Toss in the intelligence to scheme and ability to act & deceive others....well, you can't ask more of villain than that.

IAGO
Thus do I ever make my fool my purse:
For I mine own gain'd knowledge should profane,
If I would time expend with such a snipe.
But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor:
And it is thought abroad, that 'twixt my sheets
He has done my office: I know not if't be true;
But I, for mere suspicion in that kind,
Will do as if for surety. He holds me well;
The better shall my purpose work on him.
Cassio's a proper man: let me see now:
To get his place and to plume up my will
In double knavery--How, how? Let's see:--
After some time, to abuse Othello's ear
That he is too familiar with his wife.
He hath a person and a smooth dispose
To be suspected, framed to make women false.
The Moor is of a free and open nature,
That thinks men honest that but seem to be so,
And will as tenderly be led by the nose
As asses are.
I have't. It is engender'd. Hell and night
Must bring this monstrous birth to the world's light.

[VespertineIconoclast]

29. Shakespeare was a master at creating the perfect villain....

Iago is a wonderful choice and I'm glad you mention him because it reminded me of another Shakespearean villain -- Aaron from Titus Andronicus. He was wonderfully twisted as well.

LUCIUS
Art thou not sorry for these heinous deeds?

AARON
Ay, that I had not done a thousand more.
Even now I curse the day--and yet, I think,
Few come within the compass of my curse,--
Wherein I did not some notorious ill,
As kill a man, or else devise his death,
Ravish a maid, or plot the way to do it,
Accuse some innocent and forswear myself,
Set deadly enmity between two friends,
Make poor men's cattle break their necks;
Set fire on barns and hay-stacks in the night,
And bid the owners quench them with their tears.
Oft have I digg'd up dead men from their graves,
And set them upright at their dear friends' doors,
Even when their sorrows almost were forgot;
And on their skins, as on the bark of trees,
Have with my knife carved in Roman letters,
'Let not your sorrow die, though I am dead.'
Tut, I have done a thousand dreadful things
As willingly as one would kill a fly,
And nothing grieves me heartily indeed
But that I cannot do ten thousand more.


Thank you for the wonderful quote you posted! :thumbsup:

[Blue-Jay]

28. Hannibal Lecter.

The perfect likable insane psychopath.

[VespertineIconoclast]

31. Great close-up!

Anthony Hopkins was born to play that character....

...did you know the Silence of the Lamb killers were based on a real-life serial murderer...? :yoiks:

[Blue-Jay]

32. Loosely based on Ed Gein, IIRC.

That was one sick motherfucker.

[VespertineIconoclast]

35. Glad you know...

and yes -- Gein was sick in every possible way you could mean it! :puke:

[cobalt1999]

36. wasn't he also the base for the psycho movie?

[VespertineIconoclast]

38. Yes, he was.

You could stretch his crimes across several films and still not encompass the heinousness of his crimes....

[bertha katzenengel]

186. And what did you do, Clarice? What did you do?

:scared:

[Deja Q]

33. Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!

There is no other.

[VespertineIconoclast]

I was wondering when you were going to get in here.

:hi:



Just for you. ;)

[Deja Q]

39. Why thank you!

:hi:

[VespertineIconoclast]

40. You're welcome!

:hi:

[Anarcho-Socialist]

179. Agreed!

From hell's heart I stab at thee!

[Ms_Dem_Meanor]

37. This is mine...

[VespertineIconoclast]

41. Hellraiser...

Pinhead -- a great choice! :thumbsup:

[Ms_Dem_Meanor]

42. Yeah!!!

Him and his minions do a better job at being evil villians than this asshole:

[VespertineIconoclast]

45. Funny pic!

:rofl:

Welcome to DU, Ms_Dem_Meanor! :hi:

Clever name. ;)

[Az]

47. The all time greatest movie villain bar none

Bijomaru from the movie Azumi.



The movie itself is pretty fun. But once Bijomaru shows up mid way through it becomes an entirely new movie. He owns the screen when he is on it.

[VespertineIconoclast]

52. I like to keep my eyes open for a good Japanese film...

would you recommend watching Azumi?

[Az]

57. Oh definately

As I said though its uneven. Its a fairly good movie in the first part. But when Bijamaru shows up... he just starts eating up the screen.

For a great Japanese movie though consider Survive Style 5+. It even has a slight Xmas tangent to it. You will not have seen many movies like this one.

[VespertineIconoclast]

60. Thanks for the recs. n/t

[GirlinContempt]

49. Hoooooooolycrap way too many

Skeletor is probably #1


The Misfits


Gargamel


Zarkon


Megatron


Thundercracker


KRANG

[ghostsofgiants]

50. Oooh, nice...

Especially good calls on Thundercracker (highly underrated Decepticon in my books) and Krang.

[GirlinContempt]

62. Thundercracker was so flippin' sweet in the comics

[VespertineIconoclast]

53. Taking it back to the old school...

Krang was a favorite of mine years ago too. :thumbsup:

[GirlinContempt]

55. Oh, and

Mumm-Ra


Hordak


Dr Claw

[Az]

59. Just for Skeletor

http://www.malevole.com/mv/misc/tribute/

[GirlinContempt]

61. I found that when it was first put up

LOVE it
and the Skeletor show.
And the stop-motion skeletor fight scene that I can't find anymore

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

243. For shame - you forgot Mon-Star!!!!

[GirlinContempt]

248. OMG too true

what would I do without you?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

262. Whatever you've been doing for the last month or two

:(

[GirlinContempt]

263. Crying?

[Az]

51. Orochimaru

Evil and insideous. Oh and full of snakes.

[VespertineIconoclast]

54. Yes!

How could I forget about Orochimaru? Willing to take over the bodies of others to live forever -- definitely a great villain.

[sakabatou]

56. More anime:

Vicious


Legato Bluesummers:


Saito Hajime:

[VespertineIconoclast]

64. The Wolf of Mibu...

Saitou Hajime was a formidable character! The fight scene between he and Kenshin was fantastic. :thumbsup: And the bitterness between Vicious and Spike can't be overlooked either....

[keroro gunsou]

138. saitoh...

wasn't really a bad guy... he just had to be one to get kenshin to fight...

oh well.

[TimeChaser]

204. Warning: BLEACH spoiler

Aizen

[sakabatou]

208. He is definatley a villian

However I have a question: which chapter does Orihime leave before the Hueco Mundo arc?

[TimeChaser]

210. Looking it up now...

237 has her saying her goodbyes and visiting Ichigo as he sleeps.

:-/ I don't like Ichigo/Orihime very much. I'd rather pair him with Rukia.

[sakabatou]

215. And Orihime with Ishida

[TimeChaser]

241. ... Not quite

... I like Tatsuki/Orihime


And don't get me started on Shinigami pairings <_<

[sakabatou]

242. Such as Hitsuyuga and Matsumoto?

Just throwing one out.

[TimeChaser]

244. Nah

Gin/Matsumoto... but Gin/Izuru and Aizen/Gin and also acceptable

And Byakuya/Renji, Yoruichi/Soifon... I can go on and on

[sakabatou]

249. Ah... slash pairings

[VespertineIconoclast]

252. Very interesting subthread y'all have going on here...

From villains to Bleach to slash....

[TimeChaser]

202. Oh hells yes.

:loveya:

[Bum Whisperer]

63. "Deak Deakins"

There was nothing more gratifying than seeing Chrisian Slater get the crap kicked out of him multiple times in Broken Arrow. Vincent Vega also kicked some a$$ before Bruce Willis snuffed him in Pulp Fiction.

[VespertineIconoclast]

70. LOL!

:rofl:

Slater did take several beatings in Broken Arrow. :D One of my favorite scenes in Pulp Fiction was the accidental shooting of Marvin in the face. Vega had a number of good scenes in the film.

Welcome to DU, Bum Whisperer! :hi:

[Bum Whisperer]

99. Thanks bro!

:headbang:

[baldguy]

65. .

[VespertineIconoclast]

72. I know the marshmallow man from Ghostbusters...

I know Rumsfeld, but for the life of me I can't remember whose hands those are stroking the cat....

[baldguy]

82. Ernst Stavro Blofeld

[VespertineIconoclast]

90. Thanks!

[Az]

67. Kelads!

Or as they later came to be known Daleks!

[VespertineIconoclast]

73. I like the cg-image of the Dr. Who race.

:thumbsup:

[bullwinkle428]

69. Can we go with a comedic candidate?

The details of my life are quite inconsequential... very well, where do I begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a fifteen year old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. My childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds- pretty standard really. At the age of twelve I received my first scribe. At the age of fourteen a Zoroastrian named Vilma ritualistically shaved my testicles. There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum... it's breathtaking- I highly suggest you try it.

[VespertineIconoclast]

74. But of course.

Might as well include Mini-Me too. ;)

[Generic Brad]

71. Burgermeister Meisterburger

He's one of the villian's in "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". You've got to love the name if anything.

[VespertineIconoclast]

76. That is a good name isn't it. n/t

[u4ic]

75. "There could be only one man behind this..."

And Monks from Oliver Twist (though I wouldn't really call him a villain per se).

[VespertineIconoclast]

86. ...

...? For all that I know, I don't know who that is in the pic.... :(

[Az]

87. The Napolean of crime

Moriarty!

[VespertineIconoclast]

101. Thank you. n/t

[BlueStorm]

77. The German guy an his ilk in "Hostel"

and the psychopathic doctor in "Fear dot com."

That was one freaky ass movie. I was actually scared to use the Internet for about a month after that.

Blue

[VespertineIconoclast]

89. Both of those films were pretty dark.

Hostel got to me more than Fear dot com did though and the emotion it evoked was more sadness than fear. ...people will do ANYTHING for money and/or if they have the means....

[BlueStorm]

107. Actually "Hostel" pissed me off.

I was yelling at Paxton to kill the guy at the end. Torture him like he did all those victims and then kill him. I was pretty mad when all he did was cut off the dude's fingers.

Personally I would have done more.

I heard 'Saw' was another movie that would make you mad.

Blue

[VespertineIconoclast]

111. Paxton should have drawn out...

that guy's death.... But, no matter what Paxton did he really couldn't have been cruel enough to that guy.

Which Saw I, II, III, or some combination is supposed to be angering?

[BlueStorm]

114. Paxton had a soul, whereas the people that did the torture as a sport

had no soul at all, I don't think.

Do you think that there could actually be places like that though. With the way the world is I wouldn't doubt.

I believe it is Saw I, my mother saw it and she said the ending or something will piss you off. I haven't seen it yet so I wouldn't know exactly what it is.

Blue

[VespertineIconoclast]

121. You're right about Paxton....

"Do you think that there could actually be places like that though." This is the reason the movie saddens me -- it's possible.... You hope people wouldn't sink to such a level, but there are so many underground and secret subcultures within our society and the world. How else could you explain some the horrible things that sometimes come to light -- like that German cannibal from years ago who wrote to a forum looking for volunteers that would allow him to kill them. Not only did the victim willingly agree, but the murderer had several other offers from people who wanted to be victims and others who wanted to attend the event. Some more info here: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,714339,00.html

I had the displeasure of seeing Saw I, not the others, and I have to agree with your mother the movie will piss you off. The actions of some the characters were baffling... I don't want to give away any spoilers if you do plan on seeing it, but the suspensions of disbelief in that movie were amazing....

[opiate69]

79. Argh...

[Az]

81. Arrrgbbbllooop

[opiate69]

84. Touche!

:P

[VespertineIconoclast]

91. ...

[AngryAmish]

83. Detective Sargent Dudley Smith

my favorite line ' Ah, A Prod, Christianity's second string.

<>

[VespertineIconoclast]

92. I haven't read the trio...

but, I really liked L.A. Confidential.

[bertha katzenengel]

188. Dudley Smith? (If you have never seen "L.A. Confidential," THIS IS A SPOILER! )

The guy in the left of this photo is Captain Dudley Smith, the main bad guy in "L.A. Confidential." You know he's a bad cop, but you don't know how bad until he murders Sergeant Jack Vincennes.



(The actor is James Cromwell.)

(I have no idea what the caption on that photo might mean.)

[Starbucks Anarchist]

217. The movie that got me into movies as art.

:thumbsup:

[SPKrazy]

219. Great Movie!

really good movie

haven't seen it in a while

may have to

:hi:

[bertha katzenengel]

222. Hell, yes, it is a great movie. The cops' and DA's crimes differed

from the book, but that was okay, because those crimes were really, really ugly and creepy.

But what a helluva cast. I don't know about you, but when Vincennes was murdered, I was shocked, absolutely stunned. And BUMMED! Kevin Spacey? :cry:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

228. I read the book afterwards.

There's no way in hell all that stuff would fit into even a 3-hour movie.

But still, the movie stood very well on its own. And Vincennes getting shot shocked me, too. Have you read any of Ellroy's other stuff? I loved American Tabloid and will start reading The Cold Six Thousand (the sequel) as soon as I can devote an insane amount of time to it.

:D

[bertha katzenengel]

256. Ellroy disturbed me w/ the crimes in "L.A. Confidential." OTOH,

he writes about 50s L.A. That I'm intensely interested in, so I'll probably give him another try.

And my new job is just two blocks away from a huge branch of the DC library. I know what I'm doing every lunch hour for the next eight years . . . :thumbsup:

[mitchum]

212. Good call on Dudley Smith

[Az]

85. Sauron

[VespertineIconoclast]

93. Can't forget about his disembodied form.

;)

[begin_within]

94. I nominate these two:

[Az]

95. Faster Bailey Forclose Forclose

:rofl:

[bertha katzenengel]

187. LOL

:rofl:

[VespertineIconoclast]

102. Thanks! This list needs more...

female villains.

[Az]

96. Number Six

[VespertineIconoclast]

103. ...from Battlestar Galactica...

the ultimate femme fatale.

[Broken_Hero]

97. A few...

1. Darkseid

2. Thanos

3. Galactus

4. Artemis Entreri(not such a bad guy nowadays though)

5. Darth Vader

6. Voldemort

7. Hans Gruber

To name a few....

[VespertineIconoclast]

106. You picked some very powerful characters!

They are good picks.

[Broken_Hero]

118. Yeah...

they were the first ones that came to mind...I think Thanos is probably the most interesting one of the bunch though...his inner dialogue is, well written(99.9% of the time)...

[Mythsaje]

98. Hades, my Infinity: Earth villain...

He animates the dead for fun, created goblins out of abducted kids, destroyed the genetic line of the Sidhe while promising to restore it, and is known for the mystical tattoos covering 80% of his body.

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of him yet.

[VespertineIconoclast]

108. Sounds cold-blooded.

Is he from a new comic book series?

[Mythsaje]

110. My novels...

And, yeah, he's known for being cold-blooded.

[VespertineIconoclast]

112. That's wonderful that you write your own novels.

Your Hades sounds like a great villain.

[Mythsaje]

115. He's a villain in my first series...

Has a bit of a change of heart and reappears in my third series as one of the protagonists. His search for redemption damn near kills him.

[VespertineIconoclast]

122. Is there a specific catalyst...

that initiates Hades change of heart? I think the seeking of redemption for past misdeeds makes for great conflict both external and internal to said character. :thumbsup:

[Mythsaje]

141. Having his whole network destroyed

and being literally stabbed in the back by someone he'd betrayed yet believed still loyal, losing almost everything and fleeing to Europe in a stolen wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down for some twenty-plus years.

He'd never seen himself as vulnerable, or even seriously examined his motivations for doing what he did. He lusted for power, and was smacked down for it, then, once he escaped his prison, he showed his old enemies that he hadn't changed a bit. Imprisonment didn't teach him anything. He still had his lackeys and simply nursed his bitterness through the centuries.

When he escaped he thought he'd be able to climb back on top of the pile, but discovered, much to his surprise, that humans weren't the primitive savages he remembered. They were more like his own kind than he ever imagined.

In his last defeat he lost everything, and had to crawl away alone and broken. And it gave him a lot of time to reflect on his mistakes. He lost most of his powers and had to depend on humans to help him out of kindness, not fear.

By the time the big war came, he had recovered somewhat, and felt he owed something to the humans that had given him aid in comfort. He found himself on the side of the good guys and discovered he liked that feeling even more than being the master of all he surveyed.

But he'd done some really screwed up things and knew that just that wouldn't begin to make up for it. So he went on a search for redemption.

I loved him as a villain, but I really enjoyed turning him into a hero in the end. Especially considering he has to walk on eggshells around certain people, who'd soon kill him as look at him. And even as hard as he would be to kill, at least one of those people would be quite capable of it.

[VespertineIconoclast]

144. Wow! He has an incredible background story...

A complex character who had to learn the hard way that sometimes change is a necessary thing to survive....

[Mythsaje]

183. Not all of it is actually written, though it's hinted at...

There's about two hundred and fifty years between his last appearance in my Infinity: Earth books and his reappearance in my upcoming Infinity: Empire novel. A lot happened to him in that intervening span, of course, but I haven't gotten too much into detail on it yet. He's one of many characters that make the whole universe what it is.

The hero in my very first novel becomes more of a villain in my 4th, which was an interesting twist. She's not really so much of a villain as a powerful figure who decides the ends justify the means and ends up pissing off a VERY dangerous woman in the bargain.

I've really tried to make my characters as human as possible, even though they're all superhuman to one degree or another. It makes for some amazing plot twists that surprise even me from time to time.

[FVZA_Colonel]

105. Magneto.

Perhaps I haven't read enough of the comics, but I've always found him to be one of the most sympathetic villains in comic books.

[VespertineIconoclast]

109. Yeah, I have to agree. n/t

[melliyna]

116. My Top Three

The Witch King of Angmar (the chief of the Nazgul in Lord of the Rings). He terrified the living daylights out of me as a child (still does) but I always found him fascinating because, in a strange way he became as much a victim of Sauron as anyone else through the Nine Rings.

Glory from Buffy rocked my world, as did Spike. I love how Joss Wheddon screws with your brain regarding villians, and expectations of what villians are like and I think Spike scared me more because I found him weirdly likeable.

Finally it would have to be Melisande from the Kushiels Legacy books. Because by god evil never looked quite so hot, stylish and wonderful.

[VespertineIconoclast]

119. Nice choices.

The Nazgul were definitely creatures to be feared. I think that Peter Jackson did a masterful job of portraying them in the LOTR films -- especially the sounds they make.

Welcome to DU, melliyna! :hi:

[Oeditpus Rex]

117. I've narrowed it down to six

1.





2.





3.





4.





5 & 6.

[VespertineIconoclast]

120. This list needed more...

comedic villains. :D

[Orsino]

123. A few from movies, TV and books...

The Operative from Serenity:



Sébastien and Marquise Isabelle from Dangerous Liaisons:



Javert from Les Miserables:



Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer:



Saruman and Wormtongue from The Lord of the Rings:



Special shout-out to Ian McKellen for his Richard III:

[VespertineIconoclast]

126. You have a number of good ones.

The Operative from Serenity was wonderfully intelligent with a cold precision to his manipulations and killings. Saruman and Wormtongue great villains because they were once trusted, but betrayed that trust.... Your others are good too. :thumbsup:

[BarenakedLady]

124. I can't believe I'm even posting this....

:scared:

I'm going to have nightmares for weeks now

[VespertineIconoclast]

127. IT!

There is something about the clown villains that is really creepy isn't there? They're supposed to bring laughter, but instead they evoke fear....

[BarenakedLady]

128. I LOATHE clowns

I always have. They freak me out. :scared:

[VespertineIconoclast]

130. For good reason...

After John Wayne Gacy was discovered, I never looked at clowns the same way again....

[Deep13]

132. Nice pic of Cheney.

[nytemare]

164. Hard to believe these are all the same guy.

On edit: not the sig pic. :D

[philosophie_en_rose]

125. Charles Montgomery Burns

and Dr. Evil.

[VespertineIconoclast]

129. ...

[Deep13]

131. Vader, of course.

The John Malcovich character in that making-of Nosferatu film

Vampire LeStat

Henry V (Shakespeare casted him as the hero, but his actions disproved that.)

Sherif of Nottingham

[VespertineIconoclast]

133. Vader was the ultimate...

betrayer as far as I'm concerned. Turning to the Dark side to forestall a future that he himself thus created.

Lestat de Lioncourt was a dynamic character seeming to be both merciful and cruel as the fancy struck him.

[Zero Division]

134. Lady Eboshi from Princess Mononoke

A sophisticated villain whose evil acts are at least somewhat driven by good motives.

And...


The God Emperor, Leto Atreides II, who becomes human history's most powerful tyrant in order to ensure humanity's survival and re-teach humanity the value of freedom through repression, all the while mourning the loss of his own humanity as a result of this.

[VespertineIconoclast]

135. The path to hell...

is often paved with good intentions. I agree with your Lady Eboshi Gazen interpretation, but I haven't read the Frank Herbert book. Leto Atreides II sounds like a formidable and compelling character. I may have to take a look at the book....

[Zero Division]

136. "God Emperor" is probably the most challenging of the Dune series.

Most people would probably find it tedious and lacking in narrative pull, but I found the basic story of the consequences of Leto's ethically vexing decision (it really pushes the question of the whether the ends justifies the means to limits far enough that even the most idealistic person struggles with this question) very compelling. Of course, it's also much more compelling in the context of the rest of the series, as well.

[VespertineIconoclast]

137. I appreciate your assessment of the books.

The struggle that you mentioned --the ends justifying the means -- is definitely relevant for all and that makes it that much more enjoyable to read about how others deal with the conflict.

[NYCGirl]

139. Reverend Harry Powell

[VespertineIconoclast]

140. It's all about the LOVE and HATE knuckles!

A wonderfully manipulative and ruthless villain. :thumbsup:

[cemaphonic]

245. Ah, little lad, you're staring at my fingers.

Would you like me to tell you the little story of right-hand/left-hand? The story of good and
evil?

[terrya]

142. Raymond Shaw's mother in "The Manchurian Candidate"

As played by Angela Lansbury.

I don't know...using your brainwashed son as an assassin to gain ultimate power is an exceptional kind of evil.

[VespertineIconoclast]

143. Couldn't agree more with the sentiment.

Mother and child bonds are supposed to be the most positive and supportive bonds that exist. Mothers that abuse that bond are sinister indeed....

[ariesgem]

145. I love the villains on THE WIRE. Here's some of my favorites

Omar - The openly gay stick-up man who robs drug dealers blind. "Well you know a man gotta have a code." In the last episode he robs an entire shipment of drugs from a crew of drug lords and sells it back to them for .20 on the dollar.



Marlo- The evil-eyed drug lord who speaks softly but carries a big stick. He's always one step ahead of the police.


Snoop & Chris- Marlo's hit team
They "disappear" Marlo's enemies in the vacant apartments.


Snoop (this girl actually did time for shooting a woman)


Chris

This is one of the best shows on TV.

[VespertineIconoclast]

146. The Wire has some hard ass characters!

I remember watching it when it first came on and thinking it had some well-thought out characters with some powerful background stories. I've gotten behind in the story, but I'm planning on catching up on it.

[ariesgem]

201. You gotta catch up...I'm not gonna spoil it for you but it's getting good!

HBO plans to run only one more season.;(

[VespertineIconoclast]

203. What?!!

No! Why do they always do this?!? HBO creates these great shows, get you hooked, and then cut you off!!

[Ava]

147. surprised this hasn't been posted yet

:P

[VespertineIconoclast]

149. All work and no play makes...

Johnny a dull boy. :P


And my favorite Simpsons Halloween Segment was the parody of The Shining. Found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C6ZcD734e4

[Ava]

148. the creepy bunny from donny darko

[VespertineIconoclast]

150. The apocalyptic bunny...

was pretty creepy. Donnie Darko was very surreal film.

[FredStembottom]

151. Charles Augustus Milverton

n/t

[VespertineIconoclast]

153. He was a true...

bastard from Sherlock Holmes.

[FredStembottom]

167. Really unusually awful for Sherlock and his...........

"petty problems of the police courts" as Mycroft derided them.:)

[BarenakedLady]

152. I refuse to look at this thread anymore

Because I posted a picture of Pennywise and he is going to come and take me down into the sewers. I know it. :scared:

[VespertineIconoclast]

154. It'll be okay...

-- me and my friends will protect you.







Even though they're from different movies and time frames, you need fictional characters to defeat fictional characters right? ;)

[BarenakedLady]

155. Thank you

I may not be so frightened anymore....but I see balloons....:scared:

[VespertineIconoclast]

157. I got something for those balloons right here...

[Ivan Sputnik]

156. Goldfinger, but

too bad this one isn't fictional:

[VespertineIconoclast]

158. Good pic...

To be serious for a moment, Cheney has a sinisterness that is truly difficult to describe. He so deliberate in what he does and has a cold, unfeeling way in which he handles everything.... I sometimes wonder what type of person could marry and produce offspring with such a man. :scared:

[YankeyMCC]

161. The Mule

From Asimov's Foundation stories - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule_%28Foundation%29

Sauron and the Witch King from LotR

Phaeton:

Siegfried: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried_%28Get_Smart%29

The Movie Magneto played by Ian McKellen (I specify the movie version because that's the one I'm familiar with)

[VespertineIconoclast]

163. Thanks...

for including the sites with info about the characters. The Mule's story seems interesting. Ian McKellen as Magneto was a perfect match. :thumbsup:

[nytemare]

165. In addition to some mentioned..

like the Queen of Diamonds, Hannibal, and Pennywise





But, the ultimate evil, springing from the guise of affable politician...

[VespertineIconoclast]

166. Darth Sidious...

often overlooked by others for Vader. Good choices. :thumbsup: I also liked Mr. Smith and Jack Nickolson's Joker.

[nytemare]

223. Sidious was the shizsithnit.

The puppetmaster of all time.

[VespertineIconoclast]

224. Damn straight.

The ultimate manipulator.

[Mad_Dem_X]

168. Three words:

Keyser-Fucking-Soze!

[VespertineIconoclast]

178. One of the greatest...

movie moments ever.

[DemoTex]

169. The Snopes family.

Wm. Faulkner.

[VespertineIconoclast]

180. I haven't read Faulkner's Snope trilogy...

but the ruthlessness of the that family is infamous.

[Crap_in_a_Hat]

170. You ready?

Keyser Soze, "The Usual Suspects"

Professor Moriarty, "The Final Problem"

Mr. Blonde, "Reservoir Dogs"

Cap'n Barbossa, "Pirates of the Caribbean"

Rev. Harry Powell, "Night of the Hunter"

[VespertineIconoclast]

181. Always ready for a good list.

;) Nice choices. Mr. Blond was completely brutal and lacking of remorse....

[Starbucks Anarchist]

172. Mine:

Noah Cross (John Huston) from Chinatown:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Noah-cross.jpg

Warden Norton (Bob Gunton) from The Shawshank Redemption



Stansfield (Gary Oldman) in The Professional

[Crap_in_a_Hat]

173. We could start a subthread for Oldman alone

Dracula, Drexl Spivey from "True Romance", etc.

[VespertineIconoclast]

175. Please do.

:thumbsup:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

176. JFK and Air Force One.

Great bad guy in AF1, and in JFK, I think he was scarier than the actual Lee Harvey Oswald.

[Rabrrrrrr]

199. Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg

[VespertineIconoclast]

200. I'm completely shocked...

Zorg has not been added before you! The Fifth Element was a fun sci-fi film with very interesting characters.

[VespertineIconoclast]

182. 2 characters from favorite...

movies of mine. I loathed Warden Norton so much in Shawshank. And Stansfield was beautifully insane and out-of-control. Great picks! :thumbsup:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

184. Ironically, I heard Oldman was very nice in person.

Which makes his acting even scarier. :scared:

[Telly Savalas]

174. The Riddler from the old Adam West Batman TV series.

[VespertineIconoclast]

189. The Batman TV series...

was a fun series, wasn't it? :)

[Vanje]

177. the Master Cylinder

[VespertineIconoclast]

190. Nice switchup...

I did like Felix the Cat when I was younger, but I don't recall the Master Cylinder....

[bertha katzenengel]

185. Hannibal Lecter and Cruella de Ville n/t

[VespertineIconoclast]

191. No list would be complete without...

Cruella. ;)

Just a little tribute to her: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FpyTP9PyMw

[SmileyBoy]

192. Someone probably said Snidely Whiplash...

But I vote for Snidely Whiplash.

[VespertineIconoclast]

195. Can't have enough Rocky & Bullwinkle villains. n/t

[133724]

193. Boris, Natasha & Fearless Leader (Rocky & Bullwinkle)

[VespertineIconoclast]

196. I find it amusing...

that two Rocky & Bullwinkle villain fans post minutes after each other. :)


On a sidenote, you have a pretty cat in your sig.

[133724]

206. Tom Cat Sends his approval of your post...

[crim son]

194. Spike.

Although he became a hero by the end of the series.

[VespertineIconoclast]

197. Spike in his evil days...

was beautifully impulsive and cruel. :thumbsup:

[TimeChaser]

205. Why is Sephiroth not on this list?

:cry:

[VespertineIconoclast]

207. Good question.

I'm completely astounded by the lack of video game villains!

[mduffy31]

209. Here is my definitive list

#1 on my list Darth Vader


Cobra Commander


Destro


Ganondorf (From The Legend of Zelda)


Jabba the Hutt


Khan Noonien Singh


The Borg Queen


The Female Changeling (From Star Trek Deep Space Nine)


Commander Kruge


Lex Luthor


The Joker


Megatron and his alter ego Galvatron





Can't think of anymore right now....but I will

[VespertineIconoclast]

211. Glad you added yours...

I also thought the Borg Queen was a scary villain -- that whole resistance is futile thing ...assimilating everything so that there is only the will of the queen and no individuality.... And definitely Lex Luthor deserves to be on the top villains list in all his different forms -- a brilliant man who uses his intelligence for his own personal gain. Good choices. :thumbsup:

[mitchum]

213. Pap Finn

[VespertineIconoclast]

214. Good call.

A complete @$$hole of a father to his son Huck Finn.

[ElboRuum]

216. The Kurgan from the first Highlander movie. n/t

[VespertineIconoclast]

220. That guy was a hulk of an immortal.

Purposely cruel and blood-thirsty.

[mondo joe]

218. Ian McKellen's Magneto; Aliens from the Alien series; Rickman's Snape; Debbie Harry in Hairspray.

They were (almost) all mentioned above -- but they are my faves!

[VespertineIconoclast]

221. They're worth...

mentioning again. ;) I never saw Hairspray, but John Waters's films are usually good for a laugh. He's the king of camp.

[sakabatou]

225. The Silver Hair Trio

[VespertineIconoclast]

226. Final Fantasy VII...

is one of my favorite Final Fantasy stories from the games. I have been meaning to see the Final Fantasy VII Advent Children movie -- it looks gorgeous. I know these 3 have to be associated with Sephiroth somehow in the movie.

[sakabatou]

227. They are the remnants of Sephy.

Or so they say.

[VespertineIconoclast]

229. Remnants in what way...?

Does each represent a different part of Seph or do they just call themselves that?

[sakabatou]

230. Well... it hard to explain without spoiling the movie

[VespertineIconoclast]

232. Oh okay... thanks for not spoiling it though. n/t

[swag]

231. Jehovah. Then maybe Frank Booth from "Blue Velvet"

and Tom Ripley from the Patricia Highsmith novels.

[VespertineIconoclast]

233. Intriguing people you chose...

Ripley is a worthy villain -- so devious, he got everyone to believe his lies.

[opiate69]

234. Just remembered another one...

[VespertineIconoclast]

237. ...?

Who is that?

[opiate69]

250. Satan, The Devil, Beelzebub..

Hehe.. sorry just a fairly lame sort of atheist joke.

[VespertineIconoclast]

251. You know...

I originally thought Satan is who you were insinuating, but I told myself I was wrong. Lesson learned: Always go with your first instinct.

[opiate69]

254. Yeah..like I said.. lame joke.. sorry if I offended anyone.

[VespertineIconoclast]

255. Hey, no need to apologize.

No offense taken by me at least. :hi:

[TheBaldyMan]

236. Catalina from the GTA series.

Mad, mexican and murderous. She made an impression on all the games that she appeared in.

[VespertineIconoclast]

238. Kudos to you.

Not only a female villain, but a female video game villain. :thumbsup:

[dysfunctional press]

239. mmmm...could it be.....SATAN!

[VespertineIconoclast]

240. Ha ha ha!

South Park's Satan is the best.

[philosophie_en_rose]

258. INVADER ZIM & GIR !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dILW8rU3VOU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE3i5HWJonk&mode=related&search=

[VespertineIconoclast]

260. Great cartoon...

Thanks for the video clips too!

[TangoCharlie]

259. Jaws (not the fish)

I can't remember the name of the James Bond movie, but Richard Kiel's "Jaws" character nad some great dental work.

Regards.

[VespertineIconoclast]

261. Do you mean...

The Spy Who Loved Me? Yeah, I wouldn't wanna face that guy in a dark alley....

Welcome to DU, TangoCharlie! :hi: