Often, the best movie villains are the ones who reflect key traits of the heroes. By acting as a foil, villains can highlight the flaws of the protagonist, or they can act as a cautionary tale about what could happen to heroes if they stray too far from the light. The most interesting movie villains are usually the ones that share a deep connection with the heroes, as if they are two sides of the same coin.
Great movie villains should feel just as nuanced and realistic as the protagonists, or else the entire conflict can fall flat. While pure evil villains have their place, it’s usually more thought-provoking when the villain is just one step removed from the hero. By showing the hero and villain competing for the same goal, movies can drill down deeper into each character, highlighting the subtle differences that define them.
10Rey & Kylo Ren
The Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
A lot of the main story elements in theStar Warssequel trilogy echo details from the original trilogy. Rey and Kylo’s intense relationship isn’t the first time the franchise has had a hero and villain with a deep personal connection. Their dynamic evokes that of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in some ways, as they were also trying to pull each other to their side of the force, rather than simply trying to destroy each other.
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Rey doesn’t know who she is when her story begins. She clings on to the vague promise that her parents are going to return to her one day, but she doesn’t allow herself to truly examine her origins and her potential until she feels a connection to Kylo Ren.Like Rey, Kylo is trying to forge a new life for himself after feeling betrayed by his parents. The key difference between the two is that Rey responds with hope, while Kylo is bitter and resentful.
9Neo & Agent Smith
The Matrix (1999)
The Oracle tells Neo that Agent Smith is his opposite and his negative. He is the great evil that Neo has to overcome if he ever wants to be truly free from the matrix. Their differences manifest in many ways, from their appearance to their fighting styles. While Neo is commonly referred to as “the One,” Agent Smith gains power from being able to multiply into endless copies of himself.
Just like Neo, Smith is a force that exists outside the programed parameters of the matrix.
Neo and Smith’s battle continues throughout theMatrixfranchise, as Smith isn’t deleted by Neo at the end ofThe Matrix.Since Smith’s code is linked to Neo, he can avoid deletion and become a rogue virus. Just like Neo, Smith is a force that exists outside the programed parameters of the matrix. As one gains in strength, so does the other, and they are linked by fate as well as programming.
8Batman & The Joker
The Dark Knight (2008)
Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker is a huge reason whyThe Dark Knightis generally considered to be the best entry inChristopher Nolan’sBatmantrilogy. The Joker appears unhinged and irrational, but his devotion to chaos is all part of an intelligent philosophy. His idea is to highlight the darkness within all people, and pierce through the thin veneer of polite society that smothers man’s true nature.
As the Joker says to Batman in their final confrontation, he believes they are fighting for the soul of Gotham.
As the Joker says to Batman in their final confrontation, he believes they are fighting for the soul of Gotham. On a more personal level,the Joker also wants to defeat Batman by proving that he isn’t such a noble guardian of the city. This is highlighted by the moment when the Joker stands in the middle of the street and urges Batman to strike him down with the Batpod and kill him.
7Johnny Utah & Bodhi
Point Break (1991)
Bodhi is the leader of a gang of bank robbers, and Johnny Utah is the rookie FBI agent tasked with bringing him to justice, but the two end up having a lot in common. After Johnny infiltrates Bodhi’s inner circle, he starts to sympathize with Bodhi’s free-minded philosophy. Johnny has a chance to shoot Bodhi and stop his crimes once and for all, but he can’t bring himself to pull the trigger.
After Johnny infiltrates Bodhi’s inner circle, he starts to sympathize with Bodhi’s free-minded philosophy.
Johnny is a former college football star, but a catastrophic injury ruined his chances of going pro. He settles for a job with the FBI, but it becomes clear that this isn’t what inspires him.Bodhi represents what Johnny’s life could look like if he were to pursue the same excitement and freedom that he had during his college days. Johnny quits the FBI when Bodhi goes off to certain death in a storm. For both men, they have made the decision to reject the hand they’ve been dealt.
6James Bond & Scaramanga
The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
Skyfall’s Raoul Silva is often cited as one of thebestJames Bondvillains, partly because he mirrors Bond in a few key ways. He’s a former MI6 agent who served his country until he was betrayed and left for dead, and he suggests Bond should be as uncomfortable and outraged as he is. This isn’t the first time theBondfranchise has created a villain who reflects its hero, sinceThe Man With the Golden Gungot there 38 years earlier.
Scaramanga sees Bond as a fellow professional, and he thinks that the only difference between them is their employer.
Christopher Lee’s Scaramanga is a high-class assassin who charges $1 million per hit. As he explains to Bond, both men are experienced killers who enjoy their work, whether Bond wants to admit it or not. Scaramanga sees Bond as a fellow professional, and he thinks that the only difference between them is their employer. This intriguing relationship between the hero and the villain is one reason whyThe Man With the Golden Gunis a grossly underrated Bond movie.
5Mr. Incredible & Syndrome
The Incredibles (2004)
Syndrome’s path toward evil begins when he’s just a child, and he’s snubbed by his hero, Mr. Incredible. From then on, Syndrome vows to become strong enough to rid the world of superheroes for good. If he can’t be a hero, then he doesn’t want anyone to be able to enjoy the adulation of the public. In some ways, he’s just like Mr. Incredible, orhe’s a vision of how Mr. Incredible might be without his powers.
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Syndrome values strength, and he gets a lot of pleasure from playing the part of a superhero when he lets his omnidroid loose on the city. Mr. Incredible rejects his methods, but he also enjoys the rush of being a hero, and feeling love from a big crowd. If Mr. Incredible didn’t have his powers, he would be just as bitter as Syndrome, just as he is when he has to conceal his powers and work a boring desk job. Syndrome remains one ofPixar’s best villains, partly because he’s so perfectly suited to the hero.
4Indiana Jones & Belloq
Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
Belloq puts it best when he tells Indy"Archaology is our religion, yet we have both fallen from the pure faith.“Belloq may be working with the Nazis, but he sees that Indy also has his own agenda that goes against what most archaeologists would want. Like Belloq, Indy is fascinated by his own search for the truth. The similarities between the characters are clear from the beginning, when the two men are hunting for the same golden idol.
Belloq is probably the bestIndiana Jonesvillain, based on how he challenges Indy and reflects the darkest parts of his soul.
Indy proves that his morality isn’t as firm as he believes it is when he has the chance to destroy the Ark of the Covenant. Belloq calls his bluff and urges him to fire his RPG at it, but Indy would rather see what’s inside, even if that means that the Ark falls into enemy hands. Belloq is probably the bestIndiana Jonesvillain, based on how he challenges Indy and reflects the darkest parts of his soul.
3Vincent Hanna & Neil McCauley
Heat (1995)
Michael Mann’sHeatis a breathtaking action thriller, but it maintains a precise focus on its two main characters. Vincent Hanna and Neil McCauley are two dedicated, troubled men on opposite sides of the law. They form a strange respect for one another as their game of cat-and-mouse continues, and ultimately it’s hard to see either one as a villain. McCauley may be a criminal, but he has a lot in common with Hanna.
Ultimately, it’s hard to see either one as a villain. McCauley may be a criminal, but he has a lot in common with Hanna.
Hanna and McCauley come face-to-face inHeat’s famous diner scene. Both men outline their similar philosophies on life and work, and they reveal their human vulnerabilities to one another, despite the fact that they are locked in a battle that can only end in death.Hanna shows a tinge of sadness when he eventually guns down his rival, knowing that it was pure luck that differentiated the two. Mann will have to get his casting right for theupcomingHeat 2,which will serve as both a prequel and a sequel.
2Caesar & Koba
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (2014)
Caesar rejects Koba’s anti-human stance, but he has more in common with his rival than he might like to think.Both Caesar and Koba want to protect and lead the apes. They both want safety from human aggression. The only real difference is the way that the two apes attempt to handle this problem. Caesar repeatedly believes that apes can peacefully co-exist with humans. Ultimately, the humans keep breaking his trust, proving that Koba may be right after all.
Even after Koba is defeated, his shadow hangs over Caesar.
Even after Koba is defeated, his shadow hangs over Caesar, showing that he represents the darkness lurking within Caesar. InWar for the Planet of the Apes,Caesar sees humans enslaving and abusing apes, and he starts to come round to the idea that violent revolution might be the only answer. In the end, he takes pity on the Colonel when he sees him in a moment of weakness, and he understands once more that human aggression is always a response to fear.
1Harry Potter & Voldemort
The Harry Potter Franchise
From the moment he is born, Harry is linked to Voldemort. Their destinies are intertwined each time Voldemort resurfaces during Harry’s time at Hogwarts, whether they are battling over the sorcerer’s stone, or meeting after the Triwizard Tournament when Voldemort is resurrected using Harry’s blood. Harry eventually discovers that he is one of Voldemort’s horcruxes, meaning that Voldemort can’t die while he’s still alive.
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Although Harry and Voldemort are mortal enemies, they share some key similarities.Both have extreme innate magical powers, and they both show a lot of promise at Hogwarts. Voldemort merely represents what might happen to Harry if he were to seek retribution against the muggle society that has mistreated him his whole life. Instead of choosing darkness, Harry finds solace in his new community at Hogwarts, and this is what helps him defeat Voldemort.
