Top 10 Movie Villain Clichés
There are several reasons why the good guys always win. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 movie villain clichés. For this list, we're taking a look at the tropes that bad guys are forced to abide by in movies, which often lead to both their creation and downfall.
Special thanks to our user natec2013 and aldqbigsquare for submitting the idea using our interactive suggestion tool at http://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest
Top 10 Movie Villain Cliches
Top 20 Epic Movie Villain Songs
There are several reasons why the good guys always win. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 movie villain clichés. For this list, we’re taking a look at the tropes that bad guys are forced to abide by in movies, which often lead to both their creation and their downfall.
#10: Villain Must Have Link to the Hero
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While heroes and villains are occasionally brought together by random chance, usually they share a deeper link. Sometimes the hero creates the villain and other times the villain creates the hero. These two seemingly opposite forces could’ve previously shared a powerful friendship. They could even be bonded by blood. This only makes their confrontation more heated and emotionally compelling, especially when they face off in a final fight. Such a battle can either result in the hero and villain mending their bond or forever shattering the connection they once had.
#9: Villain Is a Kidnapper
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A villain can never resist kidnapping those closest to their nemesis, which is why heroes are typically lone martyrs that avoid having any meaningful relationships. In most cases, the dastardly villain will snatch up the hero’s girlfriend. Of course it doesn’t always have to be the love interest. If the hero has a family member, then they become the villain’s prime target. The villain does this to both draw the hero out and to attack his heart. This is when things become really personal, ultimately motivating our hero to do whatever it takes to save their loved one.
#8: Villain Insists on Personally Killing the Hero
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A word of advice to villains everywhere: if you have a legion of followers at your beck and call, let them handle your archenemy for you. They’re already killing countless innocent souls in your name anyway; who cares if they take the hero out too? Alas, the villain always calls dibs on facing the hero alone. Seeing as how foot soldiers and Stormtroopers aren’t always the best shots, it kind of makes sense that the top dog would want to personally get the job done. Still, would it really kill the villain to bring backup to the big showdown?
#7: Villain Must Have Deformities
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We’re constantly taught to never judge a book by its cover. Then why is it that so many movies enforce the notion that all evil people have deformities? Villains are frequently singled out from the good guys through their physical trademarks, such as scars, false teeth, or an all-around ugly appearance. Sometimes these disfigurements play a role in explaining the villain’s backstory. A lot of the time, however, their primary purpose is to make the villain look more threatening. Well, perhaps it’s fitting that their hideous faces match who they are on the inside.
#6: Villain Must Have Foreign Accent
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Where some villains are distinguished by their physical appearances, others are distinguished by their voices. In real life, having a foreign accent obviously doesn’t make somebody automatically evil. In Hollywood movies, though, an accent is the first tipoff that a person is hatching a devious plan. Maybe this is because the United States has faced so many foreign enemies over the years and thus Hollywood filmmakers draw inspiration from history. The more likely reason, however, is because there are so many British, Russian, and German actors that do a sinfully delicious job at sounding diabolical.
#5: Villain Must Have Evil Laugh
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The evil laugh never gets old no matter how many times we hear it. This wicked cackle habitually occurs when the villain is plotting their evil scheme, executing their evil scheme, or has seemingly succeeded in their evil scheme. This maniacal laugh demonstrates that the villain doesn’t have to be stiff and humorless; they have a ton of fun in their evildoing and want show off their joy to the world. Even when falling to their demise, a villain can go out on a laugh.
#4: Villain Won’t Just Kill Him Already
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This is the tragic flaw of virtually every master criminal, particularly the ones in James Bond movies. At one point, the hero is bound to fall into the bad guy’s clutches. So does the villain finish his nemesis off immediately? Of course not! Instead, the hero is usually placed in an apparent deathtrap and easily escapes. The villain could have a gun pointed to the hero’s head and still not take the damn shot. They need to drag things out as long as possible, giving the hero more than enough time to get the upper hand. There’s being theatrical and then there’s just being stupid.
#3: Villain Comes Back from the Dead
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To be fair, not every villain lives to fight another day. Specifically in the horror genre, however, the bad guy never stays dead permanently. Even if the film is advertised as “The Final Nightmare” or “The Final Friday,” you’d better believe that there’s more carnage on the horizon. Normally, the villain’s survival will be revealed in the movie’s final scene. This once provided a high note to close out on, getting the audience pumped for the sequel. After seeing so many villains get resurrected, though, filmmakers are starting to beat a dead horse – or villain.
#2: Villain Loves Him Some Monologues
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You really gotta wonder if villains rehearse their monologues in advance or if they make them up on the spot. The evil monologue can be utilized to provide insight into the villain’s mindset. The villain will also use this time to explain their master plan to the hero in great detail. Again, why doesn’t the villain take this opportunity to finish the hero off? Because then the bad guy might actually win and we wouldn’t get a happy ending. Monologues may be unnecessary, but they do make for some captivating – if clichéd – screenwriting. Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - Villain Is Killed by Own Device - Villain Has Minions - Villain Has Tragic Backstory - Villain Dances to Music - Villain Says “We’re Not So Different You and I”
#1: Villain Is Trying to Take Over the World
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Of course! Some villains only seek to dominate a continent, a country, or a tri-state area. The most ambitious baddies, though, will go all out and try to take over the world. If they’ve got a death ray at their disposal, then why not enslave the human race? If having the whole world bow to them isn’t enough, a villain may also consider destroying the world. Every once in awhile, the bad guy may even pull off their plot for world conquest. Their victory is always short-lived, however, as the hero always returns to dethrone them once and for all. Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite villain cliché? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
