This week, we’re ranking the top movie villains of all time. And while there are so many greats to choose from, we’ve narrowed it down to just four. Let’s take a look.
Robb Stark (Game of Thrones)
Robb Stark is one of the most controversial characters in all of fiction. He’s not only the star of one of the greatest shows on TV, but he’s also the protagonist in the bestselling book series A Game of Thrones. Critics loved him, and fans hated him. But no matter what, Robb Stark will always be known as the honorable man who stood against the corrupt king and took control of his own destiny. Even if he did it for the sake of his love for Talisa (played by Maisie Williams in the series).
As for which is the better figure, Batman or Robb Stark? It’s complicated. One is a superhero, the other is the King in the North, but their roles in the crime-fighting world are vastly different. While Batman is respected for his unique way of fighting crime and cleaning up the city, Robb Stark is despised for starting the War of the Five Kingdoms and nearly bankrupting the entire country. So, on one hand, you have a superhero that the whole world respects, and on the other, you have a war criminal who nearly ruined a country (and he still haunts us today). It would be easy to say that one is good and one is evil, but that would be a mistake. They are two very different characters with their own distinct personalities.
Baldwin (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Baldwin is a horrifying character from The Handmaid’s Tale, the Hulu series based on Margaret Atwood’s classic novel. He’s the white supremacist leader who takes revenge on the free-thinking women of Gilead by forcing them into sexual servitude. If you think that male dominance is an issue in our society today, then you’ll love playing cards with this guy. He’s the complete opposite of Talisa’s husband Ramsay (played by Jonny Lee Miller), who is actually a pretty nice guy. But that’s what makes him so dangerous. Beneath that veneer of civility, he’s a real piece of work.
Baldwin isn’t just a one-man army, either. He has a small band of men who help him carry out his dastardly plans. They’re the type of people you don’t want to cross. While in the show, he wears a ridiculous disguise and almost undetectable makeup, in-game, he is a horribly burnt face covered in bandages.
Aaron Swartz (Transference)
Aaron Swartz is one of the greatest computer programmers of our time, perhaps even of all time. He co-founded The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which defends civil liberties in the digital age. He also developed Demand Progress, a lobbying group that aims to end corporate censorship and campaign finance reform. If you’ve never heard of him, it’s probably time you should have. Aaron Swartz inspired many people through his work, including our very own Rachael Carson.
But enough about him. Let’s move on to the villainy. Aaron Swartz is the bad guy in the movie Transference. David (played by Jesse Eisenberg) is a well-meaning documentary filmmaker who gets entangled in a web of intrigue when he decides to investigate a rumor that the FBI is investigating political activist and blogger Jeff Carlson. The only problem is that David has a type-A personality and is far too wrapped up in his work to truly care about what happens to Jeff.
It turns out that Jeff is being framed for stealing and distributing sensitive government documents. He has government agents and a team of lawyers working hard to get him off, but time is running out. Aaron Swartz shows up and tries to warn David about the situation until Jeff is captured. At that point, David decides to take matters into his own hands and goes on the run. But he’s not fast enough. Aaron Swartz catches up with him and, in a terrifying moment, tackles him to the ground, causing severe brain trauma. It turns out that Aaron Swartz is actually a really nice guy under that hard exterior. He feels guilty for what he did and decides to take a one-way trip to the neighborhood where he lives, but by that time, it’s too late. Jeff is already dead.
It’s hard to put into words how much damage Aaron Swartz did in his lifetime. He fought for many worthy causes, but none were more important to him than EFF and ending censorship. He felt that both the government and corporate interests were trying to stop the spread of information. While Aaron Swartz may not be the most recognizable or popular figure we’ve talked about on this list, he is certainly the most influential. He changed the world with his creations, and he’ll always be remembered for that. No one deserves to have their life cut short the way Aaron Swartz did, but that was his fate. And hopefully, his sacrifice will lead to a better world for all of us.
Lex Luthor (Batman & Superman)
In our society, the villain often gets a free pass. We admire the bad guy for standing up to the hero, and we feel sorry for the villain who gets punished for his crimes. But that doesn’t mean that the villains of DC Comics don’t deserve to be here. Lex Luthor is hands down the greatest villain in comics history. He’s arrogant, ambitious, and a complete maniac who’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants. He’s also the father of the modern-day superman, Kal-El (played by Ben Affleck in the movie).
But let’s get back to the subject at hand. While Lex Luthor is a phenomenal character, and many consider him to be the greatest supervillain of all time, there is a case to be made that Batman is greater. Lex Luthor will always be remembered for many things: breaking into the Daily Bugle, stealing the Superman formula, and, of course, his family. But there is so much more to Lex Luthor than meets the eye. In the comics, he is the mastermind behind some of the most iconic heists and capers in history. If you include his family tree, you’ll be shocked at how many famous people there are in his line of descent.
If you ask us, Lex Luthor is a fantastic example of a villain who didn’t get his just due. He’s been around for more than 70 years, and a lot of that time, he’s been the butt of our jokes. We want to see this guy get his due recognition now more than ever.
Mephisto (Deadpool)
The Kingpin didn’t invent the concept of a criminal mastermind. After all, we’ve had supervillains since early comic books. But he is the perfect example of a mastermind who uses his considerable wiles to dominate the underworld. He’s also a religious figure who believes that good deeds outweigh bad, and that’s a message we can all take away from this character.
Deadpool is a comic-book character who first appeared in a limited series way back in 1996. Since then, he’s become one of the most well-known and well-liked Marvel Comics villains. It’s not necessarily that he’s a badass who can beat up the bad guys (although he can). It’s that he sees the world in shades of gray, and he believes that justice is something you dole out equally regardless of whether it’s an innocent person or a guilty one. That’s something we can all relate to.
And now it’s your turn. Who is the best movie villain of all time? Did we leave anyone off the list? Who is your favorite supervillain? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check out our other lists including the top five video game villains of all time and the top five animated villains of all time.