Top 10 Movie Villains We Couldn't Help But Root For
Whether it's their motivations, their methods, or their persona, these villains stole the show and had us rooting for the bad guy! WatchMojo presents the Top 10 Villains That We Couldn't Help But Root For! But who will take the top spot on our list? Will it be Hans Gruber from Die Hard, The Joker from The Dark Knight, or Loki from The Avengers? Watch to find out!
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It feels good to be bad. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Movie Villains We Couldn't Help But Root For.
For this list, we will only be looking at clear-cut villains, so anti-heroes, such as Tony Montana, won’t be considered. Since we’ll be talking about the fate of these villains, a spoiler alert is in order.
#10: Khan Noonien Singh
“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” (1982)
While Khan’s first on-screen appearance was in the 22nd episode of “Star Trek: The Original Series,” he wouldn’t truly gain iconic evildoer status until after the release of “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” where he pushed the USS Enterprise crew to their limits. And, like, who can blame Khan for going after Kirk and crew? The starship captain did exile him to a random planet and is arguably responsible for his wife’s death. Wouldn’t you go after the guy who did that? That, plus his imposing physical stature and immense intellect, make him one hell of an opponent – such a worthy adversary, in fact, that Khan returned yet again in the 2013 film, “Star Trek Into Darkness.”
#9: Vincent
“Collateral” (2004)
It’s a shame Tom Cruise doesn’t take on more roles like this one. In “Collateral,” Cruise plays Vincent, a contract killer who forces a Los Angeles cab driver to ferry him around town as he eliminates people with ties to an ongoing trial. Vincent is the kind of bad guy you’d want to have a beer with, assuming you aren’t on his hit list. Cruise gives one of his best performances, bringing to life a character that is equal parts charming fare and deadly killer. As the film hurtles to its thrilling conclusion, it’s easy to forget that Vincent isn’t the one you’re supposed to be rooting for.
#8: Brigadier General Francis X. ‘Frank’ Hummel
“The Rock” (1996)
The best villains are the ones with nothing to lose. After a rogue general takes over Alcatraz and threatens to drop nerve gas on the city of San Francisco, it’s up to an FBI chemist and a former British spy with a unique knowledge of the island to stop him. What makes us really understand Hummel is the fact that he’s doing a bad thing for all the right reasons: all he wants is for the government to compensate the families of the soldiers who died under his command. He is smart, capable, and fiercely loyal to his men. Sure, he’s a little crazy, but who isn’t?
#7: O-Ren Ishii
“Kill Bill: Volume 1” (2003)
As head of the Tokyo yakuza, O-Ren rules with an iron fist, lopping off the heads of anyone who dares question her authority. She has a badass army of bodyguards known as the Crazy 88 at her beck and call, though she’s plenty capable of taking care of would-be killers herself. But what really makes her sympathetic is her tragic backstory: she witnessed her parents murders at the hands of a vicious yakuza boss, and spent the rest of her life seeking vengeance. Unfortunately, O-Ren was one of the people who betrayed The Bride at the beginning of “Kill Bill,” so her death was inevitable, but that doesn’t mean we can’t wish she were still out there decapitating loudmouthed subordinates.
#6: Magneto
“X-Men” (2000)
Talk about perfect casting! Ian McKellen is at the top of his game in this film, inhabiting the role of Magneto in a way few actors would have been capable of. “X-Men” was the first installment in what is now one of the most critically and commercially successful franchises ever. The film pitted Magneto against the X-Men, though one can be forgiven for hoping that the former would emerge victorious. Having lost his parents to the horrors of the holocaust, Magneto is easily one of the most sympathetic villains on our list. Armed with a badass cape and the ability to control metal, this is one baddie we’d like to have on our side!
#5: Roy Batty
“Blade Runner” (1982)
“Blade Runner” is a visual delight, dripping in so much style that it practically seeps through holes in the screen. The cherry on top of the film’s proverbial cake is its supposed villain, Roy Batty. Batty is an android close to death, who’s searching for a way to extend his lifespan. We consider Batty a bad guy because he’s contrasted at every turn by the film’s protagonist, played by Harrison Ford. However, all Batty wants is to live, which ultimately makes his death the film’s most heartbreaking moment.
#4: Darth Vader
“Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi” (1983)
As his final scene poignantly revealed, Darth Vader was in the end, a man. After nearly three full films as the baddest guy in the galaxy, Darth Vader ultimately redeems himself when he tosses the Emperor down a reactor chute, saving Luke in the process. And, let’s be honest, after it was revealed to audiences that Darth Vader was Luke’s dad, it became a little harder to root against him. So when the final film in the original trilogy was released, it became clear that Vader was no longer the epitome of evil we thought he was. As he lies dying in Luke’s arms, it’s hard not to get a little choked up.
#3: The Joker
“The Dark Knight” (2008)
As if you didn’t know this was coming. Heath Ledger’s iconic portrayal of the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s seminal Batman film will live on forever as one of the greatest performances in cinematic history. The Joker is the villain the world deserves; he’s ruthless, cunning, full of awesome anecdotes, and wicked good with a pencil. Whereas Batman is the personification of good, refusing to break his moral code no matter what, the Joker is, as his name implies, a total wildcard. The Joker is a sociopath and a killer, but he’s also a realist, and that makes him endlessly fun to watch, as you never know what he’ll do next. Hey, sometimes you just want to watch the world burn.
#2: Loki
Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-)
How can you not root for the “God of Lies and Mischief?” Or a guy who just wants to prove to his adoptive dad that he’s as worthy as his God of Thunder of a brother? While it isn’t exactly rare for a villain to overshadow a film’s protagonist, it is rather impressive when they prove to be more alluring than Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor combined. “The Avengers” is truly Loki’s time to shine and he doesn’t disappoint, using his skills as a master manipulator to wreak havoc on earth. And he would have gotten away with it to, if it weren’t for that gang of meddling superheroes. You’ll get em’ next time, bud.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Captain Hook
“Hook” (1991)
- Beetlejuice
“Beetlejuice” (1988)
- Alonzo Harris
“Training Day” (2001)
#1: Hans Gruber
“Die Hard” (1988)
Played to perfection by Alan Rickman, Gruber is as suave as they come. From his tailored suit to his perfectly groomed facial hair, Gruber looks like he would be right at home running a Fortune 500 company. Instead, he’s opted for a life of crime; and were it not for some annoying cop from New York, he’d be sitting on a beach somewhere counting his bearer bonds. What makes Gruber a truly iconic villain worthy of our affection is his cold, calculated demeanor in the face of adversity. You’d be hard-pressed to find a villain with more swag than Hans Gruber – and that’s why we couldn’t help but root for him.
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