V is for Villain

Every hero needs a nemesis, and these villains . . . well, they're pretty terrifying. Depicting a the darkest side of human nature, these characters are the most evil, the most terrifying, the most, well, villainous in all of film and literature. 

V is for Villain 

The Joker (The Dark Knight) – I think we can all agree, both Marvel and DC fans alike, that Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight was arguably the most incredible performance as a comic book supervillain ever filmed.  A sociopathic killer teetering on the edge of insanity, he manages to stay just sane enough to be absolutely terrifying. And of course to drive the heroes of Gotham to exile or madness themselves. 

Iago (Othello) – Iago is first and foremost a schemer, a manipulator of the highest order. He exploits, deceives and entices, never directly acting out, hiding his true poisonous nature behind a charismatic veil. He's one of the most sinister characters of classic literature because of his ability to mislead others, never suspecting his dark motives. In my personal opinion, he is the most evil of all Shakespearean characters. 

Professor Umbridge (Harry Potter series) – I'm sure when most people think about the villains of the Harry Potter series, the first logical choice that comes to mind is Lord Voldemort. However, I think there's someone much more sinister than the snake-faced Dark Lord . . . Professor Dolores Jane Umbridge. Pens that use human blood for ink, Inquisitorial Squad, and worst of all, lurid pink cardigans and kitten paraphernalia  She is simply evil, right down to her core. But I think it's important to note that Umbridge marks one of the few truly malevolent characters in the series  that is not a Death Eater. She proves that there is not simply a line between good people and Voldemort's followers; rather there are shades of grey that we cannot ignore. 

Mrs. Danvers (Rebecca) – With the ghostly presence of Rebecca lurking around, it's the very real presence of Mrs. Danvers that threatens the (otherwise unnamed) current Mrs. de Winter. The Manderley housekeeper who remains devoted to Rebecca long after her death, Mrs. Danvers does everything in her power to make Mrs. de Winter's life miserable, from convincing her to wear a costume she knows will upset Maxim de Winter to attempting to influence her to jump from a window several stories up. And may I say that personally, she's one of the creepiest villains I've ever come across. 

Hans Gruber (Die Hard) – I simply cannot complete this list of my favorite villains without the addition of one of the all-time greatest action hero nemeses – Hans Gruber. The criminal mastermind behind the Nakatomi Plaza building take-over, he's clearly a villain of incredible skill and intelligence. Too bad for him John McClane is an even more extraordinary action hero. 

And there you have it, my Top 5 favorite Villains. What are some of your favorites?

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This post is part of the Blogging A through Z Challenge 2013. My theme (in case you didn't already guess) is character types and tropes. Stay tuned for the rest of the alphabet, and if you’d like to check in on the other participants, simply click here.