More than 40 years ago, film critic Roger Ebert claimed that "Each film is only as good as its villain." He might not have been the very first person to make this observation, but in any event, Ebert certainly knew what he was talking about when it came to film, and his statement here is a difficult one to dispute. Both before Ebert said this, and in the years since, plenty of films have become iconic largely because of their villains.

The lead antagonist gives the protagonist/heroes something to fight against, and will often be the primary source of a story's conflict. Conflict is always interesting, and so oftentimes, the better - or more compelling - the villain, the more emotional engagement a viewer will feel. This makes a great villain something that's always worth celebrating, with the villains below all being some of the best in film history, thanks to how evil, clever, persistent, or sometimes even understandable/tragic they are.

30 Max Cady

'Cape Fear' (1991)

Just one year after Goodfellas, Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro teamed up yet again to make Cape Fear, which stands as one of the best thrillers found within Scorsese’s filmography. Of those in front of the camera, De Niro steals the show as the terrifying Max Cady, a man released from prison who torments the family of the lawyer he blames for his sentence.

Robert De Niro certainly chews scenery while playing the fearsome antagonist of Cape Fear, but never in a way that makes him comical or jeopardizes his potential to be intimidating. It’s the kind of performance very few could pull off, but thanks to De Niro’s skill as an actor – as well as Scorsese’s talents in revitalizing this film, which is the rare horror/thriller remake that’s superior to the original – the central villain here works wonders.

29 Amon Göth

'Schindler's List' (1993)

Though Steven Spielberg directed Jurassic Park in 1993, and that film contained numerous terrifying dinosaurs, the most cold-blooded villain found in a Spielberg movie that year was Amon Göth from Schindler’s List. Portrayed on screen in a callous and unflinching fashion by Ralph Fiennes, Göth represents the evils of Nazi Germany and its pursuit of the Final Solution, systematically murdering millions in concentration camps.

Schindler’s List shows this in vivid and harrowing detail, with Göth showing himself capable of both overseeing great evil and enacting it physically, being the commandant of the Płaszów concentration camp in Kraków. Fiennes and the character he plays are contributing factors to making Schindler’s List such an emotionally intense and hard-to-forget World War II film; one that understandably won Best Picture at the Oscars the year it came out.

28 Frank Booth

'Blue Velvet' (1986)

As far as villains from David Lynch movies go, few hold a candle to Frank Booth, portrayed by Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet. This 1986 movie is a disturbing blend of mystery, thriller, and neo-noir genres, following the disquieting journey a young man goes on after he finds a severed ear in his otherwise quiet small town and decides to investigate who it belonged to and how it got severed.

He eventually runs into Booth, and anyone in the audience will likely feel just as terrified as he does whenever Hopper’s character appears. To call him menacing would be a huge understatement, and though Hopper goes quite over the top while playing Frank Booth, it’s still an effective performance and an overall disturbing villain. Dennis Hopper stealing scenes is just one of many reasons why Blue Velvet can be considered one of the greatest films of its decade.

27 Michael Corleone

'The Godfather: Part II' (1974)

Appearing in two Best Picture-winning crime movies, Michael Corleone is a key supporting character in the first Godfather who effectively graduates to protagonist status by the film’s final act, and then is the main character during 1974’s The Godfather: Part II. He’s a key example of how someone being a protagonist doesn’t make them a hero, however, given how the second part of The Godfather saga is largely dedicated to showing his moral downfall.

Michael – as played by Al Pacino – is remarkably cold and detached, and seems willing to betray just about anyone if it gets him what he wants (even though he’ll argue the contrary). He’s a far cry from his father, Vito, who might still have been a gangster, but he had some kind of class and likability that gets emphasized further during flashbacks in The Godfather: Part II that serve to demonstrate how he built the Corleone empire from the ground up.

26 Scar

'The Lion King' (1994)

While Scar may appear in a family-friendly animated movie, this in no way disqualifies him from being recognized as a ruthless and exceedingly effective cinematic villain. The jealous uncle of the ruler of the kingdom, Mufasa, Scar orchestrates his brother’s murder just so he can be king, and then ruins the life of Mufasa’s only son by convincing him that he’s to blame for his dad’s death… and then he tries to have the young lion killed.

Once he takes over, Scar makes no attempts to better himself or atone by any means, and basically ruins what initially seemed to be an area that ran smoothly and flourished. His comeuppance is expected, given it’s a Disney movie, but it’s still immensely satisfying when it does eventually happen. Though there’s much more to The Lion King than just a great villain, Scar – as well as the awesome voice work by Jeremy Irons – proves to be a highlight, and helps make the film one of the best of the 1990s.

25 Michael Myers

The 'Halloween' Series (1978 - 2022)

Like many horror movie villains, Michael Myers made a remarkably strong first impression before revealing an apparent inability to stay dead. He first terrorized the population of Haddonfield, Illinois in 1978's Halloween after escaping from a mental hospital and going on a violent killing spree.

The plain uncanniness of his mask and the way he never speaks makes him a particularly eerie slasher movie villain, and then the fact he keeps coming back makes him all the more scary. He appears in most of the Halloween sequels, and was featured in one as recently as 2022, making him feel like an almost eternal horror movie boogeyman.

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24 Alonzo Harris

'Training Day' (2001)

Training Day is an iconic crime/thriller movie starring Denzel Washington as a rogue detective named Alonzo Harris who takes a rookie cop (Ethan Hawke) under his wing for his first day on the job. Harris doesn't appear entirely villainous at first, but soon reveals some troubling behavior that makes him seem incredibly intimidating and dangerous.

It's one of Washington's most acclaimed performances, and he won his second of two Oscars for the role. Harris is a complex character who has a certain amount of charm while also being able to turn on a dime and become frightening in an instant, eventually revealing himself to be an iconic antagonist in the film, which he ultimately comes to dominate.

23 The Shark

'Jaws' (1975)

The shark from Jaws has unofficially been named Bruce, though the creature goes unnamed in the film itself. Whatever you want to call the shark, it's undeniably the most famous one of its species in film history, terrorizing a small town in Jaws to the point where three men go on a dangerous mission at sea to kill it before it can kill again.

Due to the explosive ending of the 1975 film, the sharks in subsequent sequels (none of which are particularly good) are all different. But Bruce/"the shark" who appeared in the first movie was the most intimidating, and got to appear in the film that made sharks the scariest, making him by default the best Jaws villain.

22 Freddy Krueger

The 'Nightmare on Elm Street' Series (1984 - 2010)

It turns out the only thing scarier than a slasher movie villain who'll stop at nothing to kill you is a slasher movie villain who'll stop at nothing to kill you while you sleep. Freddy Krueger of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies does just that, tormenting his victims in their dreams and making them fearful of sleep, for that's the only time when they're truly vulnerable to his violent tendencies.

Depending on the movie, Freddy Krueger can be either terrifying or hilarious, and sometimes he's somewhere in the middle. He takes glee in what he does and has some amazing one-liners, making him constantly ride a line between despicable and ridiculously entertaining, with his presence - and unique method of stalking/killing - making him stand out from many other slasher movie villains.

21 The T-800 Terminator

'The Terminator' (1984)

Though it's the smallest and most modestly budgeted of all the Terminator movies, the original from 1984 is arguably the most ambitious of the lot. It's a science-fiction/action movie, sure, but it also has a strong romantic story at its core, and its lead antagonist is intimidating and powerful enough to also make The Terminator feel like a horror movie.

The T-800 is the type of Terminator that's sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor in the first movie, and he instantly became iconic. He's memorably portrayed by an unemotional and physically imposing Arnold Schwarzenegger, and his nigh-invulnerability makes him terrifying. Terminators that appeared in the sequels may have been more powerful and/or versatile, but the brute force of the villainous original is what makes the T-800 so great.

20 Annie Wilkes

'Misery' (1990)

Misery has a wonderfully simple premise, and a setting that's largely confined to a single house. It follows what happens after an author is "rescued" by an adoring fan who then takes him captive and forces him to change the ending of one of his stories, simply because she didn't like what happened.

The fan's name is Annie Wilkes, and she's expertly played by Kathy Bates in a terrifying performance that deservedly won Bates an Oscar. Stephen King's written some great love-to-hate villains over the years, but few are quite as monstrous - and somehow believable - as Wilkes, making her an all-time great literary and film villain.

19 Lord Voldemort

The 'Harry Potter' Series (2001 - 2011)

Lord Voldemort might not appear physically in every single one of the Harry Potter movies, but he serves as an overarching villain for all eight films. His presence is always felt, even if he's not always seen, though he comes to have more screen time and more of an impact on the overall plot as the series goes on, and as the films get progressively darker.

Ralph Fiennes is largely responsible for making Voldemort such a memorable villain, portraying the character with scenery-devouring devotion from 2005's The Goblet of Fire onwards. He's also got one of the most evil-sounding names in the history of fiction, and in-universe, he's often literally referred to as "He Who Must Not Be Named."

18 The Queen

'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' (1937)

1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is groundbreaking for being the first feature-length Disney movie and the first fully animated feature film. Its story might not be original or surprising, but it's still a solidly told fairytale, with the technical qualities - and what the film did overall for the medium of animation - making it an iconic one.

Of the story/character elements, the film's villain - the Queen - is one of the most memorable. She pursues Snow White, jealous of her beauty, and is intimidating enough in her pursuit to be genuinely unsettling for any of the younger viewers who might be watching. The Queen doesn't pull punches, and ultimately brings about her own downfall, making her the first in a long line of iconic - and sometimes tragic - great Disney movie villains.

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17 Thanos

'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)

Even the best superhero movies tend to be very upfront about showcasing battles between good and evil. The heroes might not be perfect, and the villains might have understandable motives, but it's usually pretty clear who's the antagonist and who's the protagonist. Thanos - showcased most in Avengers: Infinity War - makes for a unique example of a superhero villain, because his motives are explored in-depth, seeing as he's more or less the central character in Infinity War.

Thanos has more screen time than any other character does in this 2018 movie, and though he was featured briefly in MCU movies before Infinity War, his quest to kill untold people to prevent overpopulation is explored most within this single film. Viewers can see where he's coming from, though his questionable methods are also a cause for concern. Thanos' quest is nonetheless compelling, and he also proves himself to be hugely powerful (even beating the Hulk in one-on-one combat before he obtains all the Infinity Stones), making him one of the best movie villains in recent memory.

16 Jack Torrance

'The Shining' (1980)

The Shining isn't just one of 1980's best movies; it's also one of the greatest horror movies of all time. It's about a man named Jack Torrance who's struggling with writer's block, leading him to look after a hotel in the off-season, hoping the isolation and break from everyday life will give him the time and space to resume writing.

Jack takes his family along with him, but they eventually become victims when the hotel drives Jack mad, and he becomes increasingly abusive and eventually even violent. Jack Nicholson successfully makes what could've felt like an over-the-top and silly character genuinely menacing, with it being one of Nicholson's very best performances in a career filled with absolutely great ones.

15 Gollum

'The Lord of the Rings' Series (2001 - 2003)

The central villain in the Lord of the Rings trilogy is ultimately Sauron, who the heroes need to prevent from regaining his power, given that if he were to rise again, all would be lost. This does mean he's ultimately a background character throughout the trilogy, and only really glimpsed in his physical form during the first movie's prologue.

As such, it's the secondary villains that inevitably make more of an impact. And though he has some competition from the likes of Saruman and the Witch-king, Gollum would have to be the best of these secondary villains. He's a tragic, pitiful, and loathsome character, likely to inspire sympathy and frustration in equal measure, with the character expertly brought to life through a combination of cutting-edge technology and the skills of performer/actor Andy Serkis.