Top 10 Movie Villains Who Killed The Heroes' Parents

“Scream” (1996)
A pair of deranged, masked serial killers obsessed with scary movies, Billy Loomis and Stu Macher are responsible for much of the carnage in this meta-horror. Though we don’t learn it until much later, they began by killing the mother of the film’s heroine Sidney Prescott. Billy and Stu frame one of Maureen’s lovers for the deed and then going on with their killing - while also terrorizing Sidney (who also happens to be Billy’s girlfriend). Ultimately, Sidney and her friends are able to turn the tables. Although while Prescott did avenge her mother’s death, the horror didn’t stop there ...

“Star Trek” (2009)
The embittered captain of a Romulan mining ship, Eric Bana’s Nero leads his crew back in time to exact revenge on Spock for failing to save his planet. Nero does so by destroying Spock’s homeworld, Vulcan, so that the elderly ambassador can experience the same feeling of loss. This also results in Spock’s younger self losing his human mother. Furthermore, Nero is also indirectly responsible for the death of James Kirk’s father - who sacrifices himself when Nero’s ship first arrives in the past. He’s an impressive villain - but one who inspires more vengeful heroes than he can handle.

“Léon: The Professional” (1994)
A corrupt DEA agent who deals (and takes) drugs on the side, Norman Stansfield is a brutal and eccentric villain, whose flamboyant, hammy personality makes him as entertaining as he is threatening. When Norman discovers that one of his men has been cutting some of the cocaine he’s asked him to stash, he kills the man’s entire family…or so he thinks. The man’s daughter Mathilda manages to elude capture, taking refuge with the titular assassin Leon. The result . . . isn’t good for Stansfield. By killing Mathilda’s family, he inadvertently created a killer-in-training with one seriously protective adoptive father.

“Conan the Barbarian” (1982)
With a name like that, it’s a sure bet that this villain has killed plenty of people’s parents. A hypnotically charismatic cult leader and powerful wizard, Thulsa Doom is responsible for the death of not one, but both of the barbarian hero Conan’s parents. While his forces kill Conan’s father, Doom decapitates his mother personally; with his father’s sword, no less. With one fell swing, Doom makes a lifelong enemy of Conan, who vows vengeance and goes on to kill the wizard with the same sword that took his mother’s life. Isn’t it nice when things come full circle?

Count Rugen is the six-fingered right hand man of the vile Prince Humperdink; handling the torture of his enemies in cruel and unusual ways. However, his most infamous deed occurred many years ago, when he killed the father of master swordsman to-be Inigo Montoya over a sword he’d commissioned. Rugen earned Inigo’s eternal enmity that day, and Inigo dedicated his life to becoming the best swordsman he could so that he could defeat Rugen. It’s a deed he finally accomplishes in this truly legendary duel, punctuated by his immortal words, [“Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya! You killed my father: prepare to die!”]

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” (2017)
At first, Peter Quill’s father Ego seems like the ultimate dad! He’s warm, welcoming, incredibly cool, and also an immortal Celestial that’s taken on the form of a living planet. However, as it turns out, he lives up to his name in that he only values himself - planning to expand and control the entire galaxy. Peter is willing to go along with it, while under Ego’s influence…that is, until Ego reveals that he gave Peter’s mother cancer. The revelation leads to a climactic showdown between father and son that sees Peter getting revenge on one father figure, why sadly losing another.

“True Grit” (1969/2010)
In both versions of “True Grit,” Tom Chaney is the principal villain and catalyst for the films’ plot, murdering Mattie Ross’ father before joining up with a gang of outlaws. With the help of Marshall Rooster Cogburn and Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, Mattie pursues Chaney, eventually catching up with him and shooting him. In the original, it takes a little extra to send him into the afterlife, whereas in the remake, Mattie’s shot is much more . . . definitive. Though not the sharpest knife in the drawer, Chaney is a grimy underhanded criminal; making him a great counterpoint to Mattie’s intelligence and staunchly moral character.

“Captain America: Civil War” (2016)
The third “Captain America” film focuses on Captain Steve Rogers’ conflict with Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, over superhero registration, and the deeds of Cap’s old friend Bucky Barnes. Although they and the other Avengers come to blows over their disagreements, Tony eventually decides to team up with Cap and Bucky for the greater good – that is, until he discovers that Bucky killed his parents. While Bucky may not be a villain in the strictest sense in “Civil War,” his villainous actions in the past qualified him in our books, and this reveal resulted in one of the most powerful moments of emotionally-charged conflict in the MCU.

“Batman” (1989)
In this big screen adaptation, the clown prince of crime terrorizes the city of Gotham with characteristic flair. Turns out, in a departure from the comics, before becoming the Joker, Jack Napier was actually the one who gunned down Bruce Wayne’s parents - inadvertently giving rise to his future foe. Usually, it’s a character called Joe Chill that’s responsible for their deaths. Director Tim Burton’s decision to merge the character with the Joker gave Batman an even more personal conflict. It pays off too, as their final confrontation sees Batman allowing the man who made him who he is fall to his death.

“Harry Potter” Franchise (2001-11)
The most powerful dark wizard of all time, Voldemort murdered Harry Potter’s parents when our hero was just a baby. The incident led to Harry’s lightning scar, and set in motion a sequence of events that would ultimately lead to Voldemort’s downfall. After temporarily losing his body, Voldemort returns during Harry’s school years to hound the young wizard and threaten the wizarding world again. Sinister and deformed by his dark magic, Voldemort makes for a thoroughly evil villain and, while Harry doesn’t set out to avenge his parents, destiny and many trials lead him to confront and defeat the dark lord once and for all.