Top 10 Memorable Movie Characters of the 2000s

An obnoxious, self-centered, overwhelmingly extroverted TV news anchorman - what’s not to like, and what’s not to remember about Ron Burgundy?? The Will Ferrell character broke comedy ground in 2004, as he ushered in a new wave of ultra-stupid slapstick funniness that cannon-balled throughout the decade! Transforming how we think of phone booths forever, we simply can’t ’act like we’re not impressed’, this guy really is ‘kind of a big deal’!

In terms of foreign language film characters, there can surely be none more memorable than Amelie Poulain?! Played by Audrey Tautou, Amelie is in many waysthe exact opposite of our opening entry! A shy waitress with an exceptionally curious nature, a good heart, and an excellent fashion sense(!), she decides to help other people find happiness, and takes us on a tour of Paris by doing so! The connection created between character and audience is so intimate, that by the film’s end, Amelie feels more like a friend!

An incredibly important character in terms of the twenty-first century animation race, after the massive commercial and critical success of his first film, Shrek is probably still the most famous face at DreamWorks! A disgruntled ogre looking to reclaim his swamp following the unwanted arrival of almost every fairy tale creature imaginable, Shrek tries to play the bad guy, but there isn’t a bad bone in his big, green body! Throw your ‘happily ever after’ archetypes away for this guy, because he’s one of a kind!

Killers do not come more remorseless or more systematic than our seventh placer, as Javier Bardem wins a Best Supporting Actor Oscar playing Anton Chigurh in “No Country For Old Men”. Chigurh is put forward as a ‘hand of fate’ character, prepared to kill almost everyone he ever speaks to. Armed with his signature weapon, a captive bolt pistol ordinarily used to stun livestock, and seemingly impervious to most injuries himself, he’s one step ahead of his opponents, who in turn are one wrong coin toss away from their deaths!

Superheroes have never swung too far away from the cinematic big leagues, but the action movie sub-genre enjoyed a particular boom around about the beginning of this millennium! “X-Men” helped establish a new generation, with Wolverine winning over a fierce fan-base in particular! Played by Hugh Jackman, Logan had been spending his life effortlessly winning bar fights and isolating himself from society... But when he reluctantly steps into a snazzy new get-up under the watchful gaze of Professor Charles Xavier, he becomes the most righteous, most ruggedly handsome of heroes!

Beatrix Kiddo, formerly codenamed ‘Black Mamba’ and primarily known as ‘The Bride’ is all about revenge, and exacting it in the most efficient, if gory, manner possible! This is a woman who on her wedding day was not just left at the altar, but left to die there! Brutally betrayed by the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, she sets out to realise Quentin Tarantino’s title, by ‘killing Bill’ and assassinating most of his associates as well! Clad in blood-stained yellow leathers with Hattori Hanzo sword in hand, she’s an all-out icon!

Well known for playing especially quirky characters, Johnny Depp’s most famous commercial role came as the brilliantly bumbling buccaneer, Captain Jack Sparrow! A pirate who never seems entirely in control of any situation, he has a remarkably wily ability to almost always emerge on top! In his first voyage of the franchise, Jack is the one-time captain of the cursed Black Pearl, hell bent on regaining the wheel! His morals, his tactics, his Jolly Roger fashion trends are all questionable(!); his place in our top five is not!

An epic of the ages, the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy gave us all manner of unforgettable characters! Sir Ian McKellen’s Gandalf proved a wizard especially well loved, but Middle-earth’s most memorable inhabitant has to be Gollum! Almost unrecognisable from the happy Hobbit he once was, Gollum is the story’s strongest example of how all-consuming the One Ring can be! A scaly, skinny something with but the merest scrap of dignity left in him, Gollum is terrifying at times, tragic at others, but totally awesome throughout!

An all-but inescapable character of the 2000s, Harry Potter was the hero for a generation of filmgoers and book readers! Orphaned as a baby and ruthlessly raised by his aunt and uncle, Harry spends his childhood acting as house servant to number four Privet Drive... However, within a secret world of witchcraft and wizardry (unknown to Harry until his eleventh birthday), he’s a hero and a savior! From his first trip to Diagon Alley to his last look at Hogwarts Castle, millions of muggles have been captivated by Harry Potter’s every magical move!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- The Jigsaw Killer
“Saw” (2004)
- Miranda Priestly
“The Devil Wears Prada” (2006)
- Juno MacGuff
“Juno” (2007)
- Borat Sagdiyev
“Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” (2006)
- Tony Stark / Iron Man
“Iron Man” (2008)

One of the most iconic super-villains ever, even before Christopher Nolan and Heath Ledger’s rethink of the role in 2008, “The Dark Knight”s Joker takes today’s top spot! A sociopathic mass murderer with apparently zero empathy for his victims, this is a bad guy who goes above and beyond his calling! Heath Ledger reportedly prepared for the part by living alone in a hotel room for a month, perfecting the Joker’s posture, habits, nervous ticks and speech... One of the greatest examples of method acting ever achieved, the finished product puts all other villains in its shadow!

Do you agree with our list? Which noughties character do you remember most of all? For more twenty-first century top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.