The Neverending Top Ten Thread

TOP 10 SUPERHERO MOVIE VILLAINS

Consider this a counter-list to whatever John is doing. ALSO, to avoid repetition, I'm gonna use one version of a character. We don't need The Joker to be half the list.


#10 - OROKU SAKI / THE SHREDDER
FROM TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (1990)



The Shredder's evil scheme in his live-action debut is very silly. He ordered a group of teenagers to be petty thieves and then probably sold that merchandise to Asia. In the world of supervillains, he's a very ordinary criminal. But it's his presence that makes him standout. His costume. His voice. The way he's shot and lid. It's pure theatrics and I love every minute of it.


#9 - NORMAN OSBORN / THE GREEN GOBLIN
FROM SPIDER-MAN (2002)



Of all the villains that appeared in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, Doc Ock is the favorite. But I always preferred The Green Goblin. Yeah, he's cheesy and over-the-top, but that's what I love about the character. He's a great counter to Peter Parker and Spider-Man who tend to be sappy. A lot of the entertainment value from the first Spider-Man movie comes from Willem Dafoe's borderline comical performance.


#8 - ANDREW DETMER
FROM CHRONICLE (2012)



Chronicle is a superhero movie that's produced within the found footage genre. We follow a trio of high school students who get superpowers and then get involved in a bunch of shenanigans. But one of the characters comes from a broken home and we see him slowly turns into a supervillain. It's a very dark and emotional movie and Dane DeHaan delivers a phenomenal performance.


#7 - DAVID BANNER / THE ABSORBING MAN
FROM HULK (2003)



I understand the criticism for Ang Lee's Hulk. The Hulk looks like Shrek on steroids and his weakness is Jennifer Connelly's vagina. But that whole spousal abuse and child abuse backstory is very interesting. The villain in this movie is the hero's mentally unstable and physically abusive father. That's some deep shit for a summer blockbuster aimed at children.


#6 - BUDDY PINE / SYNDROME
FROM THE INCREDIBLES (2004)



Speaking of villains too deep for children to fully understand, there's Syndrome from The Incredibles. There's two ways to look at his character. On one hand, he has a brilliant mind that he used for evil. On the other hand, he's angry and resentful towards people with special abilities. He's a psychologically complex character and a great counter to the traditional superheroes that inhabit this world.


#5 - ROBERT G. DURANT
FROM DARKMAN (1990)



In a movie where the main villain stands on top of a construction site and shouts, "I BUILT IT! I BUILT IT ALL", Robert G. Durant is a very laid back criminal by comparison. He's technically a henchman, but since he's the main baddie in the sequel, I'm gonna count him for this list. Played brilliantly by Larry Drake (of L.A. Law fame), Robert G. Durant is a cold-hearted gangster who'll murder people without blinking and keep their fingers as a trophy. He's on top of the line between traditional and eccentric and I can't think of another bad guy in the genre who comes close to him in uniqueness. He's also the only villain in a superhero movie that resembles Peter Lorre and Edward G. Robinson and those type of bad guys from early cinema. He stands out. There's no doubt about it.


#4 - SELINA KYLE / CATWOMAN
FROM BATMAN RETURNS (1992)



There's one thing that unites lovers and haters of Batman Returns: Catwoman. She is an emotionally and psychologically tormented person who is literally murdered by her boss. And when she's brought back to life, she is so broke inside that she rather commit suicide than embrace the genuine love of the hero. That's some deep shit for a summer blockbuster aimed at children.


#3 - GENERAL ZOD
FROM SUPERMAN II (1980)



There isn't a supervillain more insanely quotable than General Zod in Superman II. He's so ridiculous, and yet so serious, that it's hilarious. Terence Stamp should have gotten like five Oscars for this performance.


#2 - ERIK LEHNSHERR / MAGNETO
FROM X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (2011) AND X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (2014)



I enjoy Ian McKellen's portrayal of Magneto, but despite all his preaching, he always came across as a regular villain to me. Michael Fassbender is the one who added complexity to the role. We know he's the bad guy, and yet, we root for him. He always makes a strong argument and all his actions are perfectly understandable. When the U.S. and the Soviet's joined forces to blow him up in Cuba, were you upset that he stopped those missiles and threw it back at them? Of course not! In his position, you would have done the same. Magneto blurs the line between villain and hero.


#1 - THE JOKER
FROM THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)



Was there any doubt that The Joker would be #1? I literally gave it away at the beginning.