There's an old adage when discussing fiction that argues every villain is the hero of their own story. This theory suggests that from their perspective, each villain believes their actions are justified and their quest is one of merit. Whether it's differing circumstances that shaped their worldview or some traumatic event that has affected their mindset, these villains believe their goals are just and will make the world a better place.
Of course though, this just isn't true. Throughout the history of fiction, there have been several antagonists who have embodied evil without any redemptive nature. While multifaceted, relatable villains have become more popular in film and TV, there's always a place for villains who are simply evil.
Unlike what the adage says, these villains recognize that they are doing wrong, but do so anyways because they have no capacity for morality. Sometimes they are simply selfish, putting themselves before anyone else. Other times, they want to instill evil upon the world, craving the fallout of chaos and death. Either way, they are truly evil to the hero, audience, and themselves.
As such, I've gathered up ten movie villains who are inarguably evil. Their motives are irreconcilable and they're conscientious of that. They are not exactly ranked here, but rather display the varieties of evil that can exist in our world. What they all have in common though is that they display no capacity for good, never repent for their actions, and make for dastardly entertaining opposition for our heroes.
10. Hans Gruber- Die Hard
Kicking off our list is the iconic party crasher from the semi Christmas film Die Hard (1988). Ruthlessly portrayed by the impeccable Alan Rickman, Hans is cold, calculating, and focused only on executing his mission.
At first, that mission appears to be holding Nakatomi Plaza, L.A.'s finest skyscraper, hostage to send some kind of radical message. However, hero John McClane (Bruce Willis) eventually deduces that Hans only wants one thing: money. While he makes a big show and talks up his plan, Hans only desires that 640 million dollars at the top of the tower and will do whatever to get it.
In many ways, Hans embodies pure human greed. Sure, obtaining money is a relatable goal, but Hans prioritizes it over decency and morality. With money being Hans' only motivator, he has no problem with dispensing human life to get it, whether that's an innocent businessman or the family of his adversary.
Most of all, Hans recognizes that his goal isn't moral but pursues it anyway. In fact, he uses this knowledge to his advantage, instilling terror in his hostages in order to reach his goals faster. Hans Gruber might not have the most kills or horrendous acts committed, but he's thoroughly amoral, as there's simply nothing he won't do to secure his Christmas wish.
9. Cruella de Vil- Various Films
Although Disney films are known for being family friendly, they have an expansive catalogue of despicable foes, especially from their earlier films. There, Disney villains would casually curse babies, murder their enemies, and even raise the dead. But while many of these villains, like Maleficent or Scar, believed their actions were justified, the same cannot be said for Cruella de Vil.
Perhaps the most aptly named character on this list, Cruella de Vil has been portrayed three times on the big screen: by Betty Lou Gerson in the animated 101 Dalmatians (1961), by Glenn Close in the 1996 live action remake, and by Emma Stone in Cruella (2021). In each portrayal though, she maintains the same sickening goal of trying to make a coat out of skinned dalmatian puppies.
Although she acts on a much smaller scale than other Disney villains, she's arguably the most selfish and narcissistic. After failing to buy the Radcliffe family's puppies, she simply steals them, as well as dozens of other puppies. Her plan doesn't end with theft of course, as she prepares to murder every single pup just for a coat.
Throughout the entire film, Cruella does whatever she wants without a single shred of hesitation. She's not necessarily greedy like Hans, but she shares his selfish state of mind that puts her wants above everything else. Worse of all, the ending car chase shows that she's willing to harm other humans, showing there's no limitations to her cruelty.
8. Nurse Ratched- One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
Another perfectly named villain, few other film characters have garnered as much hatred as Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). The main villain in the Best Picture winning One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ratched is the head nurse of the mental institution that Randle McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) and many others reside in.
However, instead of putting the wellbeing of the patients first, she only cares about maintaining her control over them. McMurphy, who is only pretending to be mentally unwell, constantly tests this control and eventually exposes her malicious intent.
For example, when McMurphy tries to get the baseball game turned on for the inmates, Ratched refuses, even after the group votes yes. Despite supposedly being the caretaker of the inmates, Ratched won't turn on the game because she wants to remain in control of McMurphy and, by extension, everyone else.
Her need for power ends up having devastating effects though, especially towards the end of the film. When inmate Billy (Brad Dourif) sleeps with a woman McMurphy snuck in, Ratched absolutely berates him. Knowing that Billy is deathly afraid of his mother, Ratched threatens to call her.
In reaction, Billy ends up committing suicide, which leads to McMurphy attacking Ratched and ending up lobotomized. This devastating ending all derives from Ratched's domineeringly indifferent control, which ultimately ends up going unpunished throughout the movie.
Like many villains, Ratched only wants power. She maintains it by controlling helpless inmates and shelving their best interests in favor of herself. Smart enough to rig the already broken system to her advantage, Ratched is a cruel villain who neglects those she's supposed to help and puts her rule above all.
7. Alex DeLarge- A Clockwork Orange
As far as juvenile delinquents go, few have ever gone to the extreme depths of evil quite like Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell). The teenage antihero of A Clockwork Orange, Alex embodies the moral decay of a dystopian society.
Throughout the film, Alex and his gang of droogs go out at night to fight, steal, and rape women whenever they feel like it. Worse of all, the only reason they do this is to have fun, as they are just teenagers enjoying their youth at the expense of everyone else.
However, Alex ends up finding himself in prison after one of his victims dies. Here, he's given a second chance to take an experimental new procedure that will make him overtly ill whenever he has a violent urge, essentially curing him. He's released back in to society but is forced to suffer every time he feels these urges, at least until the cure wears off and he's once again free.
What makes Alex such an embodiment of evil is how he never redeems himself in any way. Throughout his journey, he never shows remorse for hurting others (including his own droogs) or ever concedes that he really did anything wrong. He only pretends to so that he can get out of prison, which he does, and then he returns to his antics as soon as he's physically able.
Coming from a time where morality is sidelined for justice, Alex DeLarge is another warped teen with no inclination to reform. While he's not the only violent fiend of his time, he certainly encapsulates an evil that puts himself first always.
6. Michael Myers- Halloween franchise
If there's any one specific genre where evil runs rampant, it must be the slasher. Growing insanely popular during the 80's, slasher films capture the carnage one killer can wreak on the world, as they hunt and kill unsuspecting victims (who are often teens). There's no shortage of villains here, many of whom are supernaturally menacing, but none quite embody evil as much as Michael Myers.
While other slasher villains have reasons for going on their killing sprees, Michael Myers never has a clear motive. His only goal is to inflict pain on the world and he's damn good at it. His inclination for terror starts at an early age, when he kills his sister on Halloween night for no discernable reason. The lifeless stare he has when his parents find him solidifies the fact that there is no human inside of him.
The following decades and thirteen films show the true extent of Michael's malice. His kill count is immeasurable and his penchant for causing destruction never ceases. At some point, he even seems to become inhuman, as no earthly method can kill him. As such, Michael truly becomes the stuff of nightmares, as he shows almost no weakness and a desire to be evil every chance he gets.
5. Anton Chigurh- No Country For Old Men
There are many psychopaths that have wreaked terror on the silver screen over the years, all of whom could make a case for being on this list. However, none quite captured the indifference of evil like the antagonist of No Country For Old Men, Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem).
Unlike other film psychopaths, Chigurh isn't showy or bombastic in his violence. Instead, every move that he makes is precisely planned to help him reach his goal. Here, that goal is recovering a large sum of money from Llewellyn Moss (Josh Brolin), a man who only happened upon it.
Along the way, Chigurh blows up a car, kills innocent people, (including a cop), and allows his wave of destruction unfurl upon anyone he crosses. He does let a few people live because of a coin toss, but that only shows how he himself is cruel like life. Whenever he needs to, he eliminates opposing threats ruthlessly until his money is secure.
In contrast to Michael Myers, Chigurh doesn't kill for fun, but only as a means of getting what he wants. He isn't greedy per say. Rather, he just values what he wants over the lives of everyone else.
Like everyone on this list, Chigurh knows he's inflicting pain on a widespread scale and doesn't care. Realizing he's pure evil, Chigurh has mastered the ability to kill and reflect any remorse so that nothing will deter him from his goal.
4. Col. Hans Landa- Inglorious Basterds
When constructing a list of the most vile antagonists ever to grace the silver screen, it's almost a requirement to include at least one Nazi. Representing the horrors of real life villains, there's an extensive history of cinematic Nazis who serve as reminders of the deeply disturbing Holocaust. While any of them embody evil to a tee, few are quite as despicable as the Oscar winning SS Col. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) from Inglorious Basterds.
Like most villains on this list, Landa is cruel, yet calculated. In the film, he channels both attributes into his job, which is to find and exterminate jews. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than the opening scene, when Landa interrogates a French farmer who is hiding a Jewish family in his basement.
At first, Landa politely converses with the farmer, exchanging pleasantries and even enjoying a glass milk. But Landa steers the conversation into sinister territory, talking about why the Nazis' genocide is justified. Lastly, he exercises his intellect by switching languages to pull an ambush on the family and kill nearly all of them.
Even more despicably, Landa has no loyalty to the Nazis or his nation, as he only serves himself. At the film's end, Landa turns on Hitler, allowing him to die so that he can negotiate an immunity deal with several incentives. Despite the terror and mayhem Landa unleashed for the Nazi ideology, he betrays them in an instant.
As it turns out, Landa has no convictions or beliefs as he just puts himself in the best position, no matter who gets hurt. He's yet another self serving villain with no distorted view or harsh upbringing. Instead, Hans Landa knows that he's fostering evil and fully enjoys it, as long as he gets what he wants.
3. Emperor Palpatine- Star Wars franchise
As we near the end of this list, we reach one of the most important facets of pure evil: power. While there are certain levels of power, such as Head Nurse at a hospital, the most power hungry villains won't stop until they control everything. Absolute power means absolute control, which is best expressed by one of cinema's most iconic foes, Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid).
The main villain of pretty much the entire Star Wars franchise, Palpatine is an all powerful Sith Lord who killed his mentor to assume power. His evil deeds don't stop there, as he also arranged several wars to gain political power, ordered assassinations of opponents, killed off hundreds of Jedi, and approved of mass genocide all to attain control of the entire galaxy.
Palpatine's moves are not only incredibly calculated, but executed almost perfectly. He's able to manipulate events from behind the shadows and even become Emperor without ever actually killing anyone himself. He has no reservations to killing though, as he's even willing to let his own apprentices, Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) and Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) die so that he can strengthen his own rule.
Overall, there's no lines that the Emperor won't cross to stay in control of his Empire. Unlike Vader, who wrestles with his own morality and convinces himself he's doing the right thing, Palpatine knows he's doing evil. His manipulative skills and nefarious actions all show how he has no moral qualms, even when he pretends to. Instead, Emperor Palpatine is the worst of the Sith, commanding great amounts of power and wielding it cruelly to the deficit of an entire galaxy.
2. The Joker- The Dark Knight
Throughout pop culture history, there's perhaps no villain as widely discussed as The Joker. The wildcard antithesis of Batman, The Joker has excelled as a despicably enticing opponent in comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. Across these various adaptations though, the Clown Prince of Crime has never been as terrifyingly realistic as in The Dark Knight (2008).
Portrayed by the late Heath Ledger, The Joker aptly describes himself as an agent of chaos. At first, he appears to be helping restore Gotham to a city of crime, aiding the remnants of the gangs who have been affected by Batman (Christian Bale). He backs this up with several horrifying acts of crime, such as a bank robbery that kills his own goons, gruesome murders of cops, and a car chase that results in several dead.
However, The Joker soon reveals that he's not some common criminal. Instead, he's just here to oppose Batman, arguing that neither can exist without the other. As Batman comes to represent justice in an unjust world, The Joker represents the evil that will always swell back up.
Of course, you can argue that The Joker sees himself as the hero fighting against Batman and the hypocritical Gotham city. However, The Joker recognizes himself as a necessary evil and enjoys playing this role. He knows that Batman has turned Gotham around and wants to plunge it back into darkness, which he nearly succeeds in doing.
The Joker is one of the purest embodiments of evil, knowing how to cause the most pain and terror and then doing so on a mass scale. Most of all, carnage and bloodshed are his life's greatest pleasure, as he thoroughly enjoys the evil he unleashes. Not wanting money, power, or vanity, The Joker just wants to be evil, which is exactly what he's best at.
1. Sauron- The Lord of the Rings trilogy
While it's difficult to top the warped humanity that is The Joker, there is one movie villain that represents evil at its base form of wanting to destroy all that's good. The opposition of all of Middle Earth, Sauron, the true Lord of the Rings, is the best encapsulation of evil in the history of cinema.
In terms of motivation, Sauron simply wants to rule over Middle Earth. Like Emperor Palpatine though, he is not motivated by bettering with his rule, but by wanting to bring ruin everywhere he goes. He wants to see Middle Earth become a distorted version of itself, sans all life and hope.
What works best about Sauron is that his otherworldly presence leaves no room for morality or reason. While villains like The Joker, Emperor Palpatine, and Hans Landa can be spoken to and traces of their humanity can be found, Sauron has nothing, not even a body.
Instead, he's more of a malicious force without any corporal form, closely resembling the unbridled spirit of evil. While he has a great impact on the plot of the trilogy, he's not a physical threat himself. It's only through coercion and corruption that Sauron is able to amass his armies of orcs and bring terror to Middle Earth.
Without his ring, Sauron has no real power and can't threaten the inhabitants before him. However, it is the fallible nature of man, elves, dwarves, and hobbits that keeps Sauron in power, as their temptation keeps Sauron alive for so long.
Of course, the end of the film shows that absolute evil isn't invulnerable, as Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) finally destroy the ring and Sauron with it. While Sauron and the nine other villains on this list reflect the evil in our world, they do more than just scare and entertain us. What these depictions of the despicable do most is remind us that the purest of evils can be confronted and defeated, even if they are powerful lord of evil.
