Villains we love

Jafar. A slight bit bumbling, but mostly petty, cruel, and evil. And you can't help but want him to win just a little.

The Alien Queen. I have not, nor will I ever see this film. I wouldn't be able to handle it. But even I know that she is one of those all-time villains that everyone loves to watch.

What can I say that the internet hasn't already said about Loki? It's easy to forget that he's only out for his own gain when he gives that smirk. Who can help but admire him?

This movie actually gets two, because neither has ever been in another film, and both are excellent villains, and wonderfully portrayed in this version.

Johnathan Crane aka the Scarecrow. Freaky and cold-blooded. It took me a while to get past this portrayal to actually like Cillian Murphy. But that is only a testament to how well he portrayed him.

Ras al Guhl. There's a spoiler here that I won't give away, but this character has been an interesting one since the 80's, and the way they plotted out his character in this film is absolutely perfect. I only hope if they ever bring him back, that Talia comes with him. :D

I won't name which, but the true villain in this piece is truly a masterwork, and who else could have pulled it off but this actor?

Top Dollar. Truly chilling and cold, and excellently played by Michael Wincott.

The Joker. Seen. And the best Joker ever. Heath is as brilliant as I knew he was going to be. I wish so hard that would could have seen more from him.

And a second here, as well. This one is a spoiler though, so all I can say is that he owns this movie.

Hans Gruber. Come on, admit it. There were some scenes where you were rooting for him, and not for Bruce.

Bartleby and Loki. Granted, they're not evil, just want to get back home, but they're still the bad guys of this piece.

Dracula. Even when he was evil, there was just something about Vlad that you had to appreciate in this version of the classic story. And Gary's acting was incredible.

Castor Troy. Possibly the only villain to be played by two actors in the same film. I went to this movie thinking it would be nothing I would find great, but found myself rather shocked by how much plot is actually in this film. And both Cage and Travolta are fantastic in it.

Sam Gerard. Granted, he's not the true villain of the piece, but he is a serious hassle for our hero as he tries to determine what really happened. I think without Ford or Jones, this movie wouldn't have been near as much worth watching.

Godzilla. Yeah, it's a monster, but really? We do seem to love this giant lizard quite a lot, don't we?

Spike. You just can't help but root for this little guy. He's got at least as much personality as Gizmo, after all.

Severus Snape. Villain or not, Snape has what is possibly the biggest fannish following in the Harry Potter community. And as many icons in lj and on boards all over the net will attest.

Lucius Malfoy. A truly Epic villain. Too bad he had to play second (third?) fiddle to the true villain of this series. Could have been far more fascinating if we'd had to deal with Lucius's Machiavellian machinations throughout the series instead. And Jason is truly the only actor who could have done him justice.

Lord Voldemort. Really a very creepy villain. And the casting here is excellent, too. Ralph Fiennes is truly creepy and skin-crawling to watch.

Bellatrix Lestrange. One of the few women in the series with power, and excellently cast in this film. Helena Bonham Carter's portrayal is perfect.

Prince Nuada's reasons for what he does are understandable. Too bad the course of action he chose would lead to the destruction of humanity.

The Kurgan. Creepy, wild and ultra fun. How many villains go punk when their head is half cut off?

Lestat. Love Tom or hate him, he did an amazing job in this film portraying a truly self-centered vampire more concerned with his own pleasures than what the others around him might need.

Jareth. Voice, hair, attitude, and don't forget those pants!

Another spoiler here, so I won't give it away, but the League's traitor is wonderfully played here, and his final scenes are truly amazing.

Darkness. Truly chilling and wonderfully acted, especially through all that makeup. Who would guess that was Tim Curry under all that?

Scar. Come on. You know you love to watch him. Just wicked and evil and delicious.

Jadis, aka The White Witch. A wonderfully wicked and powerful woman. Managed to keep it winter for a century. Now that's power. I think we all could use a bit of that one these days...

Audrey II. "Feed me Seymour." Tell me the words don't give you chills.

Gollum. Unlike most of the other villains in Tolkien's masterwork, Gollum actually allows for a bit of sympathy. And without him, the end of the story would be far different.

David. After seeing this movie, Kiefer Sutherland scared the pants off me for years. I got over it, though.

Dr Smith. Snarky and bitter and evil--not to mention sexy cause he's played by Gary Oldman. Too bad the movie sucked.

Agent Smith. Nothing is more chilling than when an actor convincingly pulls off someone so totally unfeeling and mechanical. Every word from Hugo Weaving's mouth enforced the fact that he just wasn't human.

Imhotep. Granted, he seemed to start off being a bit sympathetic, so there was reason to not utterly hate him, but his plans were definitely a bit creepy. And Vosloo was perfect.

Colonel Tavington. Cold, hard, and cruel. But you just can't look away. And you just know if he'd been properly loved, he could be healed...or something.

Captain Hook. Not just in this movie, though Jason Isaacs plays him masterfully, but in most versions, there's just that slightest romantic slant to him.

The Phantom. There is something lonely and sad about the Phantom, and you just can't help but want to help him. Too bad he's also homicidal... And just a bit insane.

The Caller. Brilliant here, with the antagonist harassing someone most of us would cheer to see harassed. And yet, somehow, through it all, you feel for Colin's character. And hope desperately that he will learn the lesson that the Caller is trying to teach him.

Another twofer.

Captain Jack Sparrow. Okay, not exactly the villain of this piece, but definitely only out for his own gain, as he proved time and time again throught the series.

Captain Barbossa. Wicked and cold and so witty. It wouldn't have been nearly as great without him in the movies.

The Sheriff of Nottingham. This version in particular, so Rickman definitely had something to do with it. Possibly one of his best-ever roles.

Frank N Furter. That sweet, singing Transvestite from Transylvania had us captivated.

Lestat de Lioncourt. Whether or not you like him, it's hard to deny that he has a very dark side, and at best, is only out for himself.

Akasha's not bad either.

Maelificent is truly the wickedest of the evil women in Disney's cohort of villains. Quite possibly the most powerful, too. Certainly of the classic three fairy tales.

Ra is another of those villains you just can't look away from. Smooth, suave, and deadly dangerous.

What Trek fan hasn't screamed Khan's name the way Kirk did? But even before Wrath of Khan, he was one of the most fascinating people that the crew met in their original adventures.

While not a huge fan of the prequels, we all can't help but be horrified by Ani's inevitable descent from Jedi to Sith, eventually becoming the Darth Vader we all know and fear.

Lex Luther will always be one of the best of the DC villains, and Gene Hackman does an excellent job of him in this and the sequel, showing all the aspects of Luther's insanity.

Sweeney Todd may not be the true villain of this piece, but he is truly and distinctly mad, even if we do empathize with his reasons why he does what he does.

While the T-800 was pretty terrifying, he was also spellbinding to watch, especially when he wasn't threatening Sarah.

Who out there doesn't love Magneto just a little? After all, he's not always the bad guy, unlike DC villains who always end up proving their wickedness more often than not, Magneto's reasons for doing what he does aren't so wrong. Too bad he'd rather subjugate the rest of humanity to raise all Mutants.