Top 10 Stephen King Movie Villains

The Warden of the titular Shawshank prison to which Andy Dufresne is sent when wrongfully convicted of killing his wife and her lover, Sam Norton is corrupt, greedy, and cruel. Frequently abusing his authority, he imposes draconian measures against the inmates, and uses his position to rake-in extra cash by using his prisoners as essentially free (read: slave) labor as a way to undercut all competition. Constantly skimming off the top, he enlists Andy to cook the books for him. As though his shady business dealings and human rights offenses weren’t bad enough, to keep his crooked cottage industry running he actively stands in the way of justice, and has a young inmate murder in cold blood.

How quickly can man’s best friend become his worst nightmare? The villain of perhaps one of King’s most grounded stories isn’t evil, just a rabid beast on a rampage. At the beginning of the film, Cujo is a good-natured dog, content to do what country dogs do best: chasing small animals and getting mucky. But after being bitten by a rabid bat, all that changes. While single-minded in his ferociousness, it’s not hard to imagine this happening in real life, which is what makes it so frightening.

One of the many survivors to get trapped in the Food House supermarket in Bridgton, Maine, when the ominous mist rolls into town, she is first only dismissed as the religious fanatic that she is. However, as time drags on and fears escalate, and her portentous muttering seems to some like prophecy, she quickly positions herself as a sort of leader, drawing a cult-like following. Manipulative, pragmatic, and utterly zealous in her conviction, it’s not long before she has most of the terrified, trapped citizens eating out of her outstretched and sanctimonious hand, bending them to her will and wishes – which includes human sacrifice.

The domineering mother of Carrie, Mrs. Margaret White has spent her entire life intimidating, controlling, and abusing her daughter, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Though she considers herself holier-than-thou, any true Christian would tell you that she is way out of line. Having seemingly come up with her own doctrines and text, she has toxic and insane beliefs, and it’s her hurtful and destabilizing words Carrie hears ringing in her head when the troubled girl finally loses it at prom. To top it all off, not only does she undermine and try to psychologically destroy her daughter, at the first signs of independence she attempts to murder her.

While Isaac Chroner , child prophet and preacher, might be the ring leader who brought the murderous children together, he is just the mouthpiece for an even greater force, He Who Walks Behind The Rows. Although there is some implication within the greater Stephen King canon that the entity is just one of the many forms of another antagonist known for “Walking,” within the film it is an ancient, wrathful harvest god who requires frequent penance and blood sacrifice. Once the adults were all gone, Isaac promised his flock they would find the truth, but instead all they got was one pissed off demon.

This murderous young man earned the moniker “Wild.” From the moment he arrives on the green mile, he has one thing in mind: Trouble. But, of course, not only is he a grade-A ass, wreaking havoc and causing problems for everyone unfortunate to come in contact with him, he is also a multiple-murderer and rapist. It’s not until later that it is discovered that he is responsible for the brutal assault and murder of the two little girls gentle giant John Coffey is accused of killing. Obnoxious, remorseless, and totally heartless, he makes the petty and cruel Percy Wetmore look like a scared rabbit.