Top 10 Teen Movie Villains

“Jawbreaker” (1999)



We can think of a lot of movie mean girls that would merit including on this list, but of all the evil popular girls in film, few compare to "Jawbreaker's" Courtney Shayne, a fearsome tyrant who refuses to even bother masking her sociopathic tendencies. While other villains at least recognize murder as something not to be taken lightly, Courtney seems blissfully unaware or simply uninterested in any possible consequences outside of her immediate high school setting. Rose McGowan portrays Courtney as an unabashedly savage monster and easily steals the movie.

“The Craft” (1996)



Some villains are born maniacal, while others require the interference of nurture to help them bare their fangs. Stuck in a troubled home with an awful stepfather, Nancy is quite sympathetic as a helpless teenager seeking to gain a degree of control through witchcraft. As tends to be the case, power corrupts and Nancy begins to abuse her powers in order to exact revenge on those who wronged her. Engaging in dangerous magic and a hint of murder, Nancy's transition from a troubled teenager to a practitioner of the dark arts happens swiftly and leaves behind a fair few victims along the way.

“The Karate Kid” (1984)

Be it "Just One of the Guys" or "Back to School," William Zabka spent the majority of the '80s redefining the term "teen movie villain." Out of all the actor's roles, none stand above "The Karate Kid"'s Johnny Lawrence, an arrogant bully fond of beating up unlucky and usually vulnerable students. Johnny is so unusually relentless that Daniel LaRusso goes as far as to learn karate in the hope of finally ending the abuse. "The Karate Kid"'s ending and subsequent sequels somewhat redeem Johnny, but there is no denying the character seems to revel in the role of the villain during the original movie.

“Easy A” (2010)

Blending holier-than-thou arrogance with good old fashioned group bullying, Amanda Bynes' Marianne broadcasts the news about Olive's departed virginity – which is actually a lie – to the entire student body. In the guise of preventing Olive's soul from an eternity of hellfire and brimstone, Marianne uses her lackeys to endlessly torment the protagonist, going as far as to try and force Olive to quit school. While Olive technically gets the ball rolling and ultimately leans into her "easy" reputation, Marianne's rumor causes most of the issues in the story while the villain pretends to only be trying to help.

“Pretty in Pink” (1986)

Certain actors can elevate an unspectacular role to something truly special, and James Spader happens to be one of those performers. The John Hughes-written "Pretty in Pink" is a quintessential '80s teen comedy, and it’s hard to imagine the self-absorbed and vindictive Steff McKee working so well without Spader charismatically chewing up the scenery and looking suave while doing it. For the most part, Steff is quite a shallow character and may as well have the word "bully" stamped upon his forehead, but the performance makes this villain impossible to resist.

“Back to the Future” (1985)

Is there a more iconic '80s teen villain than "Back to the Future"'s antagonist? If nothing else, director Robert Zemeckis and actor Thomas F. Wilson deserve praise for making a character who real name is Buford seem even the slightest bit intimidating. Tormenting the timid George to no end, Biff is the type of person who refuses to take no for an answer, a personality trait that produces a rather harrowing scene involving Marty’s mom Lorraine. While "Back to the Future Part II" basically turns Biff into a supervillain, the first film’s bully holds a special place in teen movie villain history.

“Edward Scissorhands” (1990)

As a counter to Edward's naivete, gentleness, and Frankensteinian appearance; Jim is deceitful, prone to violence, and an all-American jock. While the villain does not literally create Edward, Jim spreads lies that tap into people's already present fears and successfully turns the public against the sensitive hero. In some ways, Jim is responsible for creating Edward's monster reputation, which he ultimately uses to motivate a mob to hunt him down. Jim is unfortunately charismatic and popular enough to convince people to take his side, though in the end he definitely gets what was coming to him.

“Heathers” (1988)

Despite the film's name, the conniving Heather trio may as well be kindergarten bullies next to Christian Slater's gleefully psychotic outcast. Dark and mysterious, Jason Dean talks a good game and temporarily convinces Veronica - "Heathers'" protagonist – into embracing a life of revenge and crime, although JD takes things a step too far by throwing in a touch of homicide. Known for taking off on tangents about society's propensity for self-destruction, JD charms Veronica and the audience before steadily exposing his true colors. Or maybe Dean's villainous nature was always apparent but nobody seemed to care.

“Cruel Intentions” (1999)

A retelling of "Dangerous Liaisons" but in high school, "Cruel Intentions" is about as subtle as a brick to the face; however, this bluntness helps make Kathryn one of cinema's standout teen villains. Born to a wealthy family, Kathryn pretends to be an angelic student to the outside world, while privately scheming on ways to mess with people's lives alongside her step-brother. While Kathryn makes a few poignant comments relating to society's gender biases, this hardly changes the fact that she thoroughly enjoys bending innocent victims around her finger. Intelligent, cruel, and oddly fragile; Kathryn is a complex albeit unapologetic villain.





Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.



Troy Perkins

“Goonies” (1985)



Joey Donner

“10 Things I Hate About You” (1999)



Hardy Jenns

“Some Kind of Wonderful” (1987)





Lucy Wyman

“13 Going on 30” (2004)





Lana Thomas

“The Princess Diaries” (2001)

“Mean Girls” (2004)



Cinema's definitive mean girl, North Shore High School's queen bee more than lives up to her name. As the leader of the Plastics, Regina rules the school halls through sheer intimidation, even if the rich girl is way too fabulous to resort to overly obvious bullying tactics. Showing a remarkable talent for pinpointing a person's insecurities, Regina's natural beauty and inherent drive for authority help establish the antagonist as the school's icon, one adored and despised by the majority of the students. While villainous in nature, Regina's popularity is quite easy to accept.