The Worst Movie Villains In Film History

I’m super serious: I hate these villains so much that it felt like torture creating this article. Thanks to these fools, we don’t want to watch the movies again, talk about them, reminisce about them, daydream…nothing.

Below are 45 movie villains so awful, they ruined the movie for people forever.

Denzel Washington played the hell out of the role. In his award-winning performance as the crooked, heartless cop Alzono Harris, everybody thought twice about the beloved actor in his first actual role as a villain. Fortunately, Alonzo was defunded in the end and got what was coming to him.

I could barely keep it together when the old lady abandoned Tod in the forest in The Fox and the Hound (1981), so imagine the trauma caused by watching Bambi and his mother run for their lives from the ominous hunter. Most characters in Disney movies are raised by a single parent but this was the first time we watched how it all went down. Until this day, Bambi is one of the most recognizable Disney films ever made, but no one will forget the devastation of witnessing that freaking hunter’s senseless murder.

I don’t care how flawless that conditioned mane appears; Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons) broke our hearts when he dropped his brother from a mountain. The sultry-voiced lion was fighting for the center stage since day one and when he put on his best Hamlet performance, it was over for everybody.

Tim Curry established one of the most iconic evil clown portrayals in the ’90s TV miniseries. Still, Bill Skarsgård’s wonky eyes and devilish grin are burned into our poor little souls forever. Until this day, grown-ups everywhere wonder if their greatest childhood fears will return to haunt them and it’s all this bozo’s fault.

Honestly, the shark is doing what it’s supposed to do. The fisherman, the surfers, and the horny teenagers had no business invading its living room. Shark attacks are 100% real, and this movie put fear into the minds of anyone who thought about sticking their feet in the dark water.

Sadistic killers are constantly snacking on something, right? You probably didn’t even know who this deep-voiced Don Juan was until he stumbled onto the scene in this movie. The Academy Award was well deserved because I can bet money if you see a briefcase of cash sitting on the sidewalk, you’ll second-guess taking it home and being hunted by the psychopath Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem).

It takes a different type of cruel person to hold a position of power intended to help others and use those powers for evil. We thought Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher) met her match for a second there, but the infamous nurse sought to demolish all her unstable adversaries. Don’t be fooled by her gentle demeanor. She’s the angel of death.

Not all terrifying villains are supernatural monsters. In this film based on the true life of Joan Crawford, audiences had to sit through the painful abuse of a deranged mother. Watching the horrors of this demented woman’s relationship with her children was a one-time deal for most. Whatever you do, don’t put wire hangers in your closet.

Now we know what’s in the box; we can’t go back. John Doe (Kevin Spacey) doesn’t arrive until the final act of the film but it’s those few moments with this stone-cold freak that remind us of all the horrendous torture we witnessed throughout the movie. With a stacked cast of all Academy Award–winning actors, it’s hard to shake the fact that what I saw is a movie and not a real true-life crime story on Netflix.

With Swiss artist H.R. Giger responsible for the creatures’ designs, it was apparent the fear of the aliens would remain in our hearts forever. The first time one of the scorpion-like facehuggers leaped from an egg, we knew it was downhill from there for the space crew. We had no idea this was only the beginning and the aliens were just getting started.

Hollywood and literature’s portrait of mental health established a stigma that is hard to erase. In this adaptation, we are forced to follow the horror of Alex DeLarge’s (Malcolm McDowell) deranged rampage about town ripping and tearing through the streets with no regard for others. It hits a little too close for home and it’s painful to acknowledge.

In the role that made him perfect to portray the sinister dark wizard Voldemort, Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes) unwantedly reminded us of the horrors of World War II and the persecution of Jewish people. It doesn’t need to be said what atrocities this character based on a real person committed. They’re inhumane and disgusting.

It’s easy to forget who this film’s main villain is because of Anthony Hopkins’ chilling performance as Hannibal Lecter. Yet when we finally arrive at the moth-filled house of human skin fashionista Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), we realize “it doesn’t need to watch this creepy movie ever again, or it will get nightmares.”

Truth be told, Helena Bonham Carter’s characters always rubbed me the wrong way in most of her movies because of her incomparable talent to embody the most maniacal characters. This one hits differently and even though we love the Harry Potter films, it’s hard to sit through this particular entry knowing she’s about to kill her cousin.

If you need some help getting over Sirius Black’s murder at the hands of Bellatrix, check out Gary Oldman as the crookedly evil cop Norman Stansfield. In the first 10 minutes of the movie, he made a statement as one of the most heartless villains in cinematic history by executing an entire family, children included.

He’s gross, from the pages of the graphic novel to the silver screen. The sadistic son of the foulest family in the universe, Ethan Roark Jr. (Nick Stahl) is a monster inside and out. He’s based on the realistic fear of child-endangering criminals and it’s uncomfortable to watch. His demise didn’t come fast enough to stomach finishing the movie. 

That’s a face only a mother could love. It’s easy to understand why the Predator wears a mask most of the time. The cheap extensions, the ridiculous underbite, and the sunken eyes are the stuff of nightmares. In the sequel, he abandoned the rainforest for the concrete jungle and proved that nowhere is safe from his predatory behavior.

He’s one of the horror genre’s original gangsters, reigniting real fear in movie audiences everywhere. The sadistic hipster with his creepy custom-made glove and crusty fedora was a grade A villain preying on the dreams and souls of innocent children and teenagers. He clearly has stock in Starbucks.

Getting in trouble with your dad can be a little scary but imagine being chased through a haunted hotel with an ax? Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) lost every bit of his mind and tried to murder his family. The Shining is considered one of the scariest horror films ever made, and even the stories behind its creation are enough to upset your stomach.

I didn’t even know that scary ghost had a name but apparently, the apparition is named Tobi and he’s somehow connected to every Paranormal Activity throughout the years. Found footage is already an appalling concept so tossing in an evil spirit you can’t fight is not fair.

It was the horror movie that changed everything. First, the gruesome depiction of a possessed child was reasonably new. The idea of someone you love being overcome with a sexually deviant demon that only a priest can remove is an easy way to get people out of the movie theater and back in the church.

What did I say about Hollywood hotties transformed into slave owners? Quentin Tarantino managed to place our favorite smirking playboy into the role of a ruthless racist who takes pride in treating his slaves like expendable animals. Gratuitous violence and unnecessary use of derogatory language? Hard pass on a second viewing.

Staring into a toothpaste-stained bathroom mirror with the lights off is an absolute no-no. It only takes saying Candyman’s (Tony Todd) name five times before this monster with a tragic history appears and starts ripping you apart for no reason other than he can’t get over his ex-girlfriend. He doesn’t even let his own descendants off the hook.

Yes, I understand that Billy the Puppet is creeper than Jigsaw. Lucky for his victims, Jigsaw likes to work behind the scenes, giving his creepy, little puppet on a tricycle the spotlight. This dynamic duo have mastered torture, leaving their victims with the slightest opportunity of survival. Once you know the outcome, there’s no reason to sit through it again. Cut this film franchise off immediately.

Of course, she had one of the greatest reveals in cinematic history, snapping depowered electrical wires one by one and targeting crooked lawyers before everyone else. The sheer size and the surround sound roar will never leave our souls. Think about how often you notice your glass of water shaking and get a little nervous.

Exposed ankles everywhere are not safe. When this scary doll with a suntan was possessed with the voice of Brad Dourif and the killer instinct of a mass murderer, it gave every parent another reason not to buy their kids toys for Christmas. Sure, the subsequent films became a farce of the genre but there are those of us out there who still have enough childhood trauma to never watch these movies ever again.

In her own opinion, Annie Wilkes was just a concerned fan. Before Reddit forums and Twitter existed, the stans had to get creative when their celebrated authors ruined their favorite franchises. This poor thing could’ve found a different way to express her obsession. Get a LiveJournal like the rest of us or create your own stories on Wattpad, girl. Goodness.

This is what happens when your high-definition TV is doing too much. Based on a Japanese horror film (which portrays the most unfair ghost situations), the evil spirit of the afflicted Samara Morgan (Daveigh Chase) crawls out of the TV and murders her victims with a single look. Everyone could get it in this movie and there was no stopping her. Whatever you do, don’t watch the tape. Again.

I thought the freaks only come out at night. Whatever you do in this fictional remote Swedish village where it’s constantly daytime, you must never drink the Kool-Aid. The Hårga are overly polite, incestuous murderers who wait until their elders fall from grace before they treat them with respect.

Call me crazy, but I feel like the extreme hate for Jar Jar Binks is giving 1960s racism vibes, but go off, Star Wars fandom. I will agree the character is one of the most annoying heroes (not villains) in the entire Star Wars universe but many theories question his intentions. Thanks to the offensively Caribbean Steve Urkel alien, the prequel trilogy didn’t stand a chance against other Star Wars entries. So today, you’re a villain, Jar Jar.

He’s a Nazi. Do I really need to elaborate? Christoph Waltz disappeared into the soul of militaristic monster Hans Landa and carried out the orders of Hitler’s deadly regime with harrowing ease. He used long-winded charisma to mask his true nature — a scourge of mankind. You had to be evil incarnate to chug a full glass of milk like it’s a Gatorade.

Don’t let the harmless, all-white Jehovah’s Witness look fool you. A house call from Paul (Michael Pitt) and his other privileged teen partner marked the start of absolute carnage riddled with eloquent limericks and deadly gimmicks. Watch this movie if you wonder why people have security systems and gated communities. Once.

I’ll admit the Cenobites have some freaky, sleek Clive Barker fashion but they take slaying the runway literally and get off by snatching weaves and all the skin off the bone. If they show up unwanted to your house party, just know it’s about to go down…to hell.

If Mad Men and Game of Thrones had a baby, it would be this movie. Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) is the poster child of unchecked, extreme white male privilege. The Wall Street metrosexual (?) is clearly a repressed and confused mess, going around town slaughtering whoever rubs him the wrong way. Maybe it’s the gratuitous blood or the gratuitous entitlement that makes us want to never see this movie again.

The beautiful comedy legend Mo’Nique acted her ass off right into an acceptance speech for her Academy Award. Every time the character Mary appeared on the screen, we knew she was going to give Joan Crawford from Mommie Dearest a run for her money as the world’s worst mother. It’s a painful truth for unfortunate youths and a reality that is hard to swallow.

Nobody could foresee her success when she made her first appearance in The Conjuring. Now, the creepiest doll in the world is the face of one of the most successful horror film franchises. At least Chucky was a witty, wise guy who could hold a conversation. Annabelle just stared with empty eyes, relying on camera tricks and jump scares without getting her hands dirty. Her movies combine all the tropes we hate about horror films so if you can get through this movie, kudos to you.

Sam Rockwell’s Will Bill was barely onscreen in this adaptation of the Stephen King novel but every second was too much to bear. He is a vile creature that found humor in the pain of others. When it’s revealed that he was at the center of everything wrong in the movie, it’s heartbreaking because he never truly had to answer for his crimes.

It’s the film that marked the end of the career of one of the most talented Latin American women in the world and sparked the rise of another. The true story of a famous singer, Selena became a heartbreaking tragedy at the hands of Yolanda (Lupe Ontiveros). If you find yourself revisiting this movie, I won’t blame you if you turn it off before it reaches a conclusion.

When my dad thinks I’m out to get him, it’s probably because he just finished rewatching this movie. Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) is a conniving, senseless, and spoiled brat who murdered his father and tossed his daddy’s best general into slavery after murdering his family. He got dealt with in the end. But the amount of torment in every act of this movie was too painful to watch.

There are villains in films that are redeemable characters when we try to understand their backstories or how they came to be evil. Unfortunately for Kevin Khatchadourian, I feel he was a hell-spawn as a sperm. From start to finish, Ezra Miller delivers a cringey-evil performance before the final act that depicts a genuine horror of American society.