Top 30 Times Movie Villains Could Have Won

“Iron Man 2” (2010)


In “Iron Man 2,” Ivan Vanko seeks revenge against Tony Stark on behalf of his father. Vanko’s genius talents could be used to take Stark down, but his plans don’t necessarily add up. With his secret identity public knowledge, Vanko could’ve done research to figure out his enemy’s weaknesses and built a better weapon against him. Instead the racing scene with electric whips seemed like a theatrical and inefficient way to combat the target. Not to mention it also relied on lots of luck to even pull off in the first place. It’s yet another case of a villain not utilizing public information and intellectual prowess to gain the upper hand.

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996)


It’s easy to call Judge Claude Frollo one of the more sinister villains in Disney history. As the arch nemesis in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” the Minister confronts Quasimodo at the top of the titular cathedral. Frollo comes armed with a sword, but his cape and footwork get the best of him. He manages to swing onto a nearby gargoyle, but takes too much time savoring his supposed triumph - leading to the gargoyle breaking. This poor choice costs him his life, proving once again that being overconfident can be a deadly mistake.

“X-Men: Apocalypse” (2016)


After being re-awakened into modern times, En Sabah Nur launches a diabolical plot against the world. Part of the plot involves sending the world’s entire nuclear arsenal into space where it can harm no one. But if he was able to arrange that, why didn’t he simply use those missiles to get what he wanted? He also gains control of Charles Xavier and, in the grand tradition of villain monologuing, uses him to send a message to the world. Unfortunately, Xavier also uses it to send a message to other mutants to come fight the villain. This of course triggers a climactic battle to stop the antagonist. He doesn’t seem to know very much about being subtle or following through on a halfway-decent scheme.

“Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom Menace” (1999)


In maybe the finest scene of the film, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn face off against Darth Maul. The Jedi Master dies while the apprentice is disarmed. Maul kicks Kenobi’s lightsaber into a shaft, but makes the mistake of ignoring Jinn’s weapon. The hero then uses his force abilities to wield his mentor’s saber against the Sith warrior. Despite the bad guy’s skills, he doesn’t take into account that he might be outsmarted. Rather than being cocky, he should have made sure there were no weapons for his enemy to possibly utilize.

“Spider-Man” (2002)


Near the end of Sam Raimi’s first “Spider-Man,” Green Goblin confronts the superhero and reveals his true identity as Norman Osborn. It’s part of Osborn’s plan to manipulate and distract Spider-Man so that he can skewer the hero with his goblin glider. Of course, Spider-Man dodges the weapon with his nimble reflexes, leading to the antagonist impaling himself. You’d think that an evil genius would have better control of his own equipment. Or at the very least, could have ducked or moved out of the way once he launched the glider after his foe. This looks like somebody failing supervillain 101, showing just how incompetent the Goblin is compared to his rival.

“Wall-E” (2008)


Following the discovery of a living plant, WALL-E, EVE, and Captain McCrea want to get the Axiom back to Earth. Their only problem is the AI pilot AUTO is programmed to stop them. This leads the heroes to concoct a scheme to distract the robotic skipper. While it might be an all-powerful computer, the villain seems to be no match for the crafty McCrea. But how believable is it that this AI wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the image of a plant and the real thing? His intelligence should have smelled the trick and thus avoided ending up in a fight. A simple defensive maneuver or even a second glance definitely would’ve changed the outcome of this film.

“Heat” (1995)


Neil McCauley is a professional thief that lives by a code, but things get complicated when he falls for a woman named Eady. He’s all set to leave town with her until he spots a chance to get revenge, dooming him in the process. McCauley stops off at a hotel to kill former associate Waingro. This puts him in the sights of Lieutenant Vincent Hanna, with the robber having to dump his travel partner in the process. His hubris ends up sending him off course and pre-empting a final duel. His ticket to paradise is right in front of him, but the villain can’t keep from getting back at Waingro. With a little more control, he could have had a new start on a new life.

“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003)


After several hours of adventures, the whole trilogy builds up to the thrilling climax on Mount Doom. Frodo, Sam, and Gollum arrive there to decide the fate of the ring. All that being said, you’d think that a powerful villain like Sauron could’ve done a better job guarding the hot zone. There could’ve been even a few orcs around to prevent the characters from destroying the most important object in the story. Somebody obviously forgot to tell the antagonist that the best offense is a good defense. While it would take away a dramatic ending, a revised plan from the “Lord of the Rings” nemesis could’ve secured a win for the opposing team.

“Léon: The Professional” (1994)


With so many many men coming after the protagonist, the audience wonders how he’ll escape. The authorities conduct a raid on Léon’s apartment building, with the hero holding his own and even making a miraculous exit. The amazing turn of events is then cut short by a bullet from his enemy Stansfield. With the main character in his sights, the villain could have easily taken down his target by aiming for the head. The antagonist makes the mistake of leaving the assassin alive long enough for a surprise. In the end, both men end up dead because the heavy got a little too cocky.

“Black Panther” (2018)


In this acclaimed superhero film, Erik “Killmonger” Stevens has a claim to the Wakanda throne. This prompts a ritual battle between the villain and T’Challa. Killmonger gains the upper hand, deciding to toss his opponent off a waterfall instead of properly finishing him. Considering the odds of a hero surviving any murder attempt, you should never be too sure of anything. The lead defies death and returns later to take back his position. Needless to say, the antagonist should’ve ended the hero when he had the chance. There’s a lesson to be learned here that many main characters can safely fall from any height. While he had the win in his sights, the evil guy decided to get too fancy with his final move.

“The Dark Knight Rises” (2012)


Breaking Batman’s back with his bare hands, Bane achieves the unthinkable. Although all the pieces are in place for the League of Shadows to take over Gotham, Bane refuses to simply finish the job. Instead, Bruce Wayne is sent to an unguarded underground prison. Even after trapping the authorities and blocking off all city exits, Bane doesn’t immediately use the nuclear bomb at his disposal. Bane explains that despair is rooted in hope. By giving Gotham hope, however, Bane allows Bruce enough time to stage a comeback. Granted, Bane probably wasn’t expecting Bruce to “cure” his back with a rope. And we’re not entirely sure how Bruce got back to Gotham. Still, Bane should’ve either killed Bruce or organized better security for that prison.

“Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise (2003-)


Davy Jones has many supernatural powers, but teleportation is one ability that definitely he could’ve made better use of. At one point in “Dead Man’s Chest,” Jones and his crew teleport onto the Black Pearl to collect a debt from Captain Jack Sparrow. Jack manages to buy himself three extra days, but why doesn’t Jones use this ability all the time? In “At World’s End,” Jones teleports onto the Black Pearl’s brig to confront Calypso. Instead of reconnecting with an old flame, Jones should’ve used this power to ambush our heroes. This power would’ve been especially beneficial during his final duel against Jack. Jones could’ve used teleportation to sneak up on Jack and reclaim his heart, but he once again ignores his greatest advantage.

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)


To secure her title as the fairest in the land, the Queen orders her huntsman to put Snow White six feet under. When the huntsman can’t bring himself to harm the princess, however, the Queen decides to do the deed herself. But wait? Wouldn’t it have been easier if she just sent another henchman? Was the huntsman her only henchman? Come to think of it, the only other minion we see the Queen interact with is her Magic Mirror. She doesn’t seem to have many servants either, as Snow White was handling the cleaning. This has got to be the most understaffed monarchy in history. It’s almost as if “Snow White” is a fairytale that wasn’t meant to be overanalyzed on the internet… oh wait.

“Hocus Pocus” (1993)


“Hocus Pocus” opens with three elderly witches sucking the life out of a little girl to make themselves younger. That’s pretty metal for a Disney movie! Winnie Sanderson points out that the sisters could still afford to shed off a few years. When they discover Thackery Binx, the Sandersons consider absorbing his youth as well, which would’ve been the smartest course of action. Instead, they turn him into an immortal black cat, making him live with the failure of not being able to save his sister. It’s a cruel punishment, but this leaves the door open for Thackery to one day lift his curse. If they sucked out Thackery’s life, the witches would’ve had a much easier time dealing with our heroes 300 years later.

“Jaws the Revenge” (1987)


In case you didn’t know, the shark from “Jaws” was nicknamed Bruce. Bruce apparently had a mate named Brucette, who wreaked havoc in “Jaws 2.” In “Jaws 3-D,” SeaWorld is terrorized by Brucetta, Bruce’s granddaughter, and Baby Shark, Bruce’s great-grandson. The shark in “Jaws: The Revenge” is Bruce’s son, Vengeance! As his nickname suggests, Vengeance seeks to devour the Brodys for continually blowing up his family. We didn’t realize that sharks had the mental capacity to plot revenge. We just assumed that they were mindless eating machines. That said, Vengeance should’ve stayed at Amity Island; there are plenty of humans in the sea after all. Instead, he swims to the Bahamas to finish off the Brodys, doomed to share the fate of his shark relatives.

“The Aristocats” (1970)


With no living relatives, Madame Adelaide decides to leave her vast fortune to her cats. After Duchess and her kittens pass, Adelaide’s butler Edgar will inherit everything. To make himself the sole beneficiary, Edgar tries to get rid of the pesky felines. Here’s the thing, though. Cats can’t communicate with humans or spend money. Even if the cats inherited Adelaide’s estate, they would still need Edgard to handle their finances. Edgard could’ve just bought a lifetime supply of cat food and then spent the rest on himself. Given the size of Adelaide’s mansion, it’s not like he’d have to share a room with the cats or anything. Adelaide was gift-wrapping Edgar the comfiest cat-sitting job in the world, but his greediness leaves him penniless.

“It” franchise (2017-19)


When Pennywise encounters little Georgie, he doesn’t spend weeks terrorizing him. He simply lures him towards a storm drain and takes a big bite. This seems to be Its strategy for most of the kids in Derry - and even some adults. When it comes to our main characters, however, It always lets the Losers’ Club escape after scaring the daylights out of them. We know that fear is the secret ingredient that makes children taste so scrumptious, but if It just ate the Losers already, there would’ve been nobody left in Derry to stop It from preying on frightened children. We guess the Losers have a guardian angel looking out for them… or maybe a guardian turtle.

“X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006)


In the third “X-Men” movie, a “cure” is developed that can suppress the X-gene, taking away mutant abilities. Magneto sees this as a threat to wipe out all mutants and thus declares war on humanity. There was another way that Magneto could’ve resolved this, though. Remember that Mutant Conversion Machine from the first movie? Why not just build another to reverse the effects of the “cure?” Sure, the machine wasn’t entirely stable and the Brotherhood may need to kidnap Rogue again. Working out the machine’s kinks still sounds better than risking countless mutant lives in an all-out battle, however. Yet, revisiting his old plan never even occurs to Magneto. Ah well, it’s not like there are any other continuity errors in the “X-Men” franchise...

“Dracula” (1931)


Few horror movie monsters are more revered than “Dracula” and Bela Lugosi arguably delivered the character’s definitive portrayal. Being so iconic, you’d expect Dracula to go out on a high note. In the end, though, Van Helsing merely stakes Dracula offscreen while he’s slumbering in his coffin. For a film that’s otherwise a classic, Dracula’s demise is pretty anti-climatic. What’s more, it could’ve been easily prevented. Shortly before retreating to his coffin, Dracula kills Renfield, assuming that he led Helsing and Harker to him. Wouldn’t it have made more sense if Dracula kept Renfield alive and made him guard his coffin? Come to think of it, why didn’t Dracula hypnotize several people to protect him whenever the sun rises? Carfax Abbey could use better security.

“Aladdin” (1992)


After Aladdin retrieves the coveted lamp, Jafar prepares to give the street rat his eternal reward. This makes sense, as Jafar wants to tie up all loose ends and the Cave of Wonders is an ideal place to dispose of a body. Unfortunately, Jafar didn’t count on Aladdin having a monkey up his sleeve or a magic carpet to catch him. The irony is that if Jafar didn’t doublecross Aladdin, he might have won. Had Jafar helped him out of the cave instead, Abu wouldn’t have stolen the lamp and Aladdin wouldn’t have unleashed the Genie. Most importantly, Aladdin wouldn’t have learned the price of being an all-powerful genie, which he uses to trick Jafar in the climax.

“The Matrix Revolutions” (2003)


Neo may be the One, but Agent Smith levels the playing field in the third “Matrix” by absorbing the Oracle’s powers. Having gained precognition, Smith decides that he can handle Neo on his own. Making his clones stand there and watch seems like such a waste, though. Neo can barely hold his own against the main Smith, so imagine how much quicker the fight would’ve been if every clone joined in. Now, if the battle still led to Smith assimilating Neo, the end result would’ve been the same regardless. Neo would become linked to the Source, allowing him to delete the agents. If Smith and all of his clones ganged up on Neo, however, they could’ve destroyed him inside the Matrix rather than assimilate him.

“The Terminator” (1984)

In an apocalyptic future overrun with machines, humanity’s only hope is Resistance leader John Connor. To prevent John from being born, Skynet sends a T-800 back to 1984 to take out his mother, Sarah. Although Sarah doesn’t have any combat experience at this point, she can still run and hide. She can also fall in love with John’s father, who turns out to be Kyle Reese, a Resistance soldier sent back in time to protect her. Skynet should’ve sent the T-800 back to the 1960s to pursue Sarah as an infant. Yeah, going after a defenseless baby is unspeakable, but Skynet is a soulless entity. In the “Terminator Genisys” timeline, a T-1000 does pursue a nine-year-old Sarah, but a baby would’ve been an easier target nonetheless.

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)

In one of cinema’s bleakest cliffhangers, “Avengers: Infinity War” concludes with Thanos snapping half of all life in the universe from existence. Many heroes turn to dust in the process, although about half remain alive to fight another day. If Thanos wanted to guarantee his triumph, he should’ve made sure all of the Avengers perished. We guess the universe wouldn’t be “balanced” without any heroes, but then nobody could’ve reversed the snap. Thanos did promise to spare Tony Stark in exchange for the Time Stone, but Iron Man would’ve died in space anyway if Captain Marvel got snapped. At the very least, Thanos should’ve snapped the rat that brought Ant-Man out of the quantum realm. Now there’s an unsung hero.

“The Lion King” (1994)


After hurling Mufasa to his death, Scar convinces Simba that he’s responsible. Scar tells Simba to run away, but then he immediately sends his minions after the lion cub. So, why didn’t Scar finish off Simba himself and cut out the middle man… or the middle hyena in this case? We’d say that Scar didn’t want to get his own paws dirty, but he literally threw his brother off a cliff a few minutes earlier. It’s not like he’s above doing the same to his nephew. Scar could’ve sunk his claws into Simba and then let the hyenas “clean up” the mess. Be that as it may, getting to hear Jeremy Irons say, “Kill him,” totally makes up for this plot hole.

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016)

For an evil genius, Lex Luthor doesn’t surround himself with the most reliable allies. In the original “Superman,” Lex should’ve kept a close eye on Eve Teschmacher when she pointed out that her mother lived in the city he was about to destroy. It’s Jesse Eisenberg’s Luthor who really defies all logic, however. In an overly complicated plot, Lex manipulates Batman and Superman into fighting each other. Lex trusts that Batman’s hatred for Superman will prevail, but wouldn’t it have been less convoluted if he hired Deathstroke or Deadshot to take out Supes? He could’ve given them kryptonite bullets and built a mech suit like Batman’s. Maybe Lex didn’t want any illegal activity traced back to him, but creating Doomsday was kind of a giveaway.

“Home Alone” (1990)


Harry and Marv would’ve been better off skipping the McCallister residence, as all of the other houses in the neighborhood still have plenty of valuables to steal. We mean, what did the McCallister’s even own that made their house so special? Some mannequins and a Michael Jordan cutout? If robbing this one house was that important, they could’ve at least brought more than a couple of crowbars. We don’t think Kevin’s paint cans and tarantula would’ve fared well against a firearm. Seemingly having learned his lesson, Harry doesn’t underestimate Kevin in the sequel and arms himself with a gun. Even then, however, he waits until the climax to pull it on Kevin. We feel like he could’ve taken his shot several other times that night.

“Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi” (1983)


“Rogue One” finally cleared up why the Death Star had an exhaust vent leading to the reactor core, allowing the Rebels to destroy the space station in one shot. Nevertheless, it doesn’t explain why the Empire makes a similar mistake in “Return of the Jedi.” To be fair, the Empire does fix the exhaust vent issue, meaning the Rebels can only attack while the second Death Star is under construction. The Empire even builds a shield projector on Endor to keep the Rebels at bay. Since the reactor was the Death Star’s Achilles’ heel last time, though, the Empire should’ve prioritized blocking off any possible entries. Instead, they add a giant pathway to the reactor, which arguably makes it an even easier shot than before.

“Harry Potter” franchise (2001-11)

Voldemort takes numerous precautions to ensure his victory, even splitting his soul into several Horcruxes. For someone who’s always thinking ahead, stealing a time-turner apparently never crossed Voldemort's mind. Time-turners may be well guarded by the Ministry of Magic, but we’re sure the Death Eaters could’ve found a way to swipe one. Lucius Malfoy even got a job at the Ministry later down the line. If the Death Eaters had a time-turner on hand back in 1981, they could’ve traveled back a couple of hours and prevented Voldemort’s fateful encounter with baby Harry. Actually, there are a lot of instances where the villains, as well as our heroes, could’ve benefited from time-turners. Too bad most of them got messed up in 1996.

“The Wizard of Oz” (1939)

Backing Dorothy and her friends into a corner, the Wicked Witch prepares to set the Scarecrow ablaze. Dorothy puts out the flame with water and the Witch gets caught in the crossfire. In a total deus ex machina, it turns out that H2O melts the Witch. So why did she have a bucket of water lying around the castle? We suppose that the Flying Monkeys and Winkie Guards needed something to keep themselves hydrated, but this is the equivalent of Superman keeping kryptonite lying around at home. The Witch would’ve had a clear road to victory if she didn’t stock her one weakness. Let’s just go by the “Wicked” mythology and assume that this was all part of Elphaba’s plan to fake her death.

Various


This is such a common villain trope that we couldn’t limit it to one movie. Tell us if this sounds familiar. A villain traps the hero with no clear escape route in sight. Rather than kill the hero while they’re vulnerable, the baddie delivers a long-winded speech detailing their plan and/or backstory. After they’re done monologuing and gloating, the villain still doesn’t kill the hero, wanting to torture them. In the event that the villain does try to kill the hero, they don’t confirm that they’re dead. This gives the hero more than enough time to break free and thwart the villain’s plan. So many villains would have won if only they learned how to shut up, particularly the ones in James Bond movies.




Did we forget another movie villain who screwed up their winning plan? Let us know in the comments below.