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Cinema has offered us some classic, sinister, complex, and sometimes just down right evil villains of popular culture. Here’s a list of the ten most notorious film villains according to me.

10. The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger-The Terminator): Before he was John Conner’s protector, The Terminator was the ultimate killing machine dedicated soley to ensuring Conner never existed by targeting his mother. There’s something scary about a cold, emotionless killer who can find you no matter how far you run.

09. Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell-A Clockwork Orange): The ultimate anarchist, Alex DeLarge had an unapologetic thrill out of murder and rampage. It’s that exact joy taken from such actions combined with the legendary performance of Malcom McDowell that makes Alex one of the most sinister villains in film.

 08. Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore- It’s A Wonderful Life): While there are villains you love to hate, sometimes there are villains you just down right hate. Lionel Barrymore managed to bring to life such a detestable person whose entire way of living was built off of exploiting and enjoying the tragedies of others.   

07. Amon Göth (Ralph Fiennes-Schindler’s List): Alot of idiots believe that “Schindler’s List” instills fake emotions, given that it’d be hard not to feel anything when it comes to the Holocaust. Those imbeciles would be wrong to also assume a portrayal of a real Nazi officer would be naturally evil without trying. Truth is both “Schindler’s List” and it’s portrayal of Amon Göth are genuine. Ralph Fiennes creates a cold, yet somehow charming, and sadistic human being with great intensity.

06. The Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton-The Wizard of Oz): One of the few villains on this list who is just outright evil, The Wicked Witch of the West is quite simply an iconic character and villain. From her infamous quotes to her heartless efforts to harm a young Kansas girl and her friends, The Witch is easily one of the most malicious villains in film history.

05. Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins-Psycho): WARNING: SKIP THIS SECTION IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN “PSYCHO“-One of the great twists is cinema history involved this seemingly meek, albeit creepy, young man and his demented connection to his deceased mother. How can you not include the muderer in what may be the greatest killing scene in films history?!

04. Michael Corleone (Al Pacino-The Godfather Part II): The thing about Michael Corleone that makes him such a fascinating villian is that, if you’re on his side and someone he genuinely cares about…he’s actually a loving and good person. He initially values family and trust, but his downward spiral into evil as he seeks revenge shows the dark side. The side that causes him to lose his wife, and murder his own brother. Al Pacino is perfect in this role, and makes the murdering crime lord feel almost like the hero.

03. The Joker (Heath Ledger –The Dark Knight): Heath Ledger made history by creating one of the few performances of the last decade to become part of pop culture and cinema history. I still remember sitting in the theater being terrified by The Joker as he ruthlessly broke Gotham apart with chaos. It’s easy to say that Heath pieced his performance from other performances in film, but anyone who isn’t a complete moron can also say he took inspiration from another, more important source: The Joker. In doing so, history was made.

02. Darth Vader (David Prowse, voice of James Earl Jones-Star Wars Episode V:The Empire Strikes Back): Before the prequels, Darth Vader was quite simply one of the most badass villains to ever grace the silver screen. He shows no mercy, he showed that was a physical force to be reckoned with, and he showed he had power and intelligence greater than most could hope for. Killing his own troops for failure, hacking off his sons hand, and betraying and manipulating every person and situation he could to get his way…all that and the black armour with the creepy breathing makes for one iconic villain.

01. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins-The Silence of the Lambs): What strikes me about Lecter is that he is a complete gentleman. He is a charming and even courteous man, denouncing rude behaviour and especially extending a large amount of respect for Clarice Starling. Then the light switches and a violent and disgusting murderer emerges. A true psychopath, a true and fascinating villain.

Next Week: THE HEROES