10 Worst Movie Villains of All Time

It’s been said, “A hero is only as good as their villain.” And it’s true. Antagonists often define the hero, at least for a single movie. Villains can come in many shapes and forms. They can be the central conflict of the story, the catalyst for the entire journey. Or they can be minions and henchmen, brief obstacles that the hero must overcome in order to push the story forward.

In some cases, the villain may end up being more memorable than the hero. But in other cases, the villain just isn’t that impressive. Even some of our favorite villains, the badguys that we absolutely love to hate, seem kind of lame when you really stop and think about it. Here are ten of the most unimpressive villains to ever grace the silver screen.

10

Lex Luthor

‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’ (2016)

Every great hero needs an archenemy, an antithesis to everything that the hero stands for. Batman and the Joker. Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty. Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort. And here, Lex Luthor and Superman. We’ve gotten a few live-action portrayals of Lex Luthor over the years, including Gene Hackman from the original Superman series and Kevin Spacey in Superman Returns. The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) gave us a different kind of Lex Luthor — and it wasn’t for the better.

Quirky and Pretentious, but Never Intimidating

Played by Jesse Eisenberg, this Lex Luthor was younger than his predecessors and his comic book counterpart, younger even than Superman. He was an oddly quirky, pretentious character who didn’t have an intimidating bone in his body. This Lex felt more like a lab nerd than the notorious criminal mastermind of the comics. He also had weird long hair for most of the movie. He only got his iconic bald head in the last few minutes of the film. The end of the DCEU means that we’ll never see this version of the character again — and we’re totally fine with that.

9

Ernst Stavro Blofeld

‘Spectre’ (2015)

Let’s continue with the disappointing archenemy trend. Blofeld is the archnemesis of MI6 secret agent 007, AKA James Bond. Blofeld is the criminal mastermind behind Spectre, a villainous organization that aspires to world domination, and one of the most enduring villains in the entire Bond franchise.

Nothing to Do With Christoph Waltz’s Ability to Play Villains

Your changes have been saved

Spectre

Release Date

October 26, 2015

Runtime

145

Fans rejoiced when it was announced that Blofeld would appear in the Daniel Craig Bond film, Spectre. And they did a double fist pump when it was announced that the character would be played by Oscar-winner Christoph Waltz, who churned out an iconic performance as the villainous Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds. But to everyone’s shock and dismay, Waltz’s Blofield, and the movie as a whole, fell short of expectations. Waltz’s Blofield felt underutilized and didn’t carry the same kind of gravitas as his predecessors.

8

Aliens

‘Signs’ (2002)

Signs focuses mostly on a widower and his family, as they grapple with strange happenings and cryptic crop circles on their farm — signs that seem to point to an imminent alien invasion. Don’t get us wrong, we love Signs. It’s one of M. Night Shyamalan’s best movies. But as villains, the aliens aren’t very impressive. First of all, we barely get a good look at them. And we get it — giving the aliens minimal screen-time creates much of the horror and suspense of the movie, similar to what Steven Spielberg did with Jaws. Even still, Shyamalan could’ve shown off his aliens a little more than he did.

Intergalactic Beings, Zero Research Skills

Your changes have been saved

Signs

Release Date

August 2, 2002

Runtime

106

But the aliens’ screen-time isn’t even their biggest problem. It’s their entire plan. Water is their weakness, their kryptonite, their Achilles’ heel. And yet, these beings that mastered interstellar travel are dumb enough to invade a planet covered in a substance that gives them acidic burns. A substance, mind you, that makes up over 70% of the planet’s surface and often falls from the sky. This isn’t just unimpressive; it’s straight-up moronic.

Related

10 Evil Movie Villains Who Were Inspired by Real People

While their on-screen representations are wicked enough to fuel nightmares, the real-life versions of these villains are just as interesting.

7

Ernest Burkhart

‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ (2023)

Leonardo DiCaprio usually plays charismatic characters. Think Jack from Titanic or even the despicable Calvin Candie from Django Unchained. But in Martin Scorsese’s crime epic, Killers of the Flower Moon, DiCaprio plays perhaps the most unimpressive character in his otherwise impressive filmography.

No Brains and No Brawn

Release Date

Rating

Runtime

200minutes

Ernest Burkhart is just another peon in the plan of his uncle and crime boss, William King Hale (Robert De Niro), to steal valuable land from Native Americans. He’s neither the brains nor muscle behind this operation. Ernest is a sniveling coward who goes along with whatever his uncle says, who murders his own Native American wife in order to inherit his land.

6

Victor Von Doom

‘Fantastic Four’ (2015)

2015’s reboot of the iconic Marvel team, Fantastic Four, was another superhero disaster by the now defunct 20th Century Fox. This film somehow fared even worse, critically and commercially, than its polarizing predecessors. And one of its most unimpressive aspects is its villain. Dr. Doom is one of the most famous villains in the Marvel universe. He’s appeared in two live-action Fantastic Four franchises now, and neither of them did the character justice.

The Worst Version of Doom to Date

Release Date

August 5, 2015

Runtime

100 minutes

In this film in particular, fans hated Dr. Doom’s character design, his melted suit, and the change in his powers and origin story. He looks more like a mannequin from a mall than the iconic criminal mastermind from the comics. Dr. Doom will be making his highly anticipated debut in the MCU. In a surprising twist, MCU veteran Robert Downey Jr. will return to play Dr. Doom, leaving everyone to wonder how that’s going to work.

5

Harry Osborn/Green Goblin

‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ (2014)

Long before Tom Holland and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Willem Dafoe played Spider-Man’s iconic archnemesis, the Green Goblin/Norman Osborn, in 2002’s Spider-Man. Dafoe’s portrayal ranks among the greatest movie villains of all time. Dane DeHaan had big shoes to fill when he was cast as the Green Goblin in 2014’s rebooted sequel, The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Willem Dafoe Casts a Huge Shadow

Your changes have been saved

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Release Date

April 16, 2014

Runtime

142

Unfortunately, he just couldn’t measure up to Dafoe. Although he’s Spider-Man’s archenemy, DeHaan’s Green Goblin had very little screen-time. He was also nowhere near as delightfully wicked as his predecessor, despite delivering one of the saddest deaths in the Spider-Man franchise. This Green Goblin’s character design, which includes rotting teeth and specs of green skin, was also inferior; we understand going a different route and giving us a unique look, but this just wasn’t it.

Related

Steven Spielberg’s Best Movie Villains

Contrary to what people may think, there’s some evil in Steven Spielberg’s films and these fine villains are the proof.

4

Commodus

‘Gladiator’ (2000)

Ridley Scott’s Gladiator isn’t just one of the greatest films of the 2000s; it’s widely considered one of the best movies ever made. It also features one of the best and most memorable antagonists in cinematic history: Commodus, played to perfection by Joaquin Phoenix. But as villainous and delightfully detestable as Commodus is, he’s a pathetic character. As the only son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), Commodus is the heir to Rome’s throne. But he’s also a sick puppy and a disappointment, a fact that’s acknowledged by his own father. Enraged, Commodus murders Marcus Aurelius and seizes Rome’s throne for himself.

Outmatched by a Weakened, Dying Enemy

Release Date

May 5, 2000

Runtime

155 minutes

Cast

Russell Crowe
, Joaquin Phoenix
, Connie Nielsen
, Oliver Reed
, Richard Harris
, Derek Jacobi
, Djimon Hounsou
, David Schofield
, John Shrapnel
, Tomas Arana
, Ralf Moeller
, Spencer Treat Clark
, David Hemmings
, Tommy Flanagan
, Sven-Ole Thorsen
, Omid Djalili
, Nicholas McGaughey
, Chris Kell
, Tony Curran
, Mark Lewis
, John Quinn
, Alun Raglan
, David Bailie
, Chick Allan
, David J. Nicholls
, Al Hunter Ashton
, Billy Dowd
, Giannina Facio
, Giorgio Cantarini

Expand

Commodus then spends the rest of the movie whimpering and whining, desperately trying to win the love of those around him. The guy’s so desperate that he even makes unwanted sexual advances on his sister. But nearly everyone — from members of the Senate, to Maximus, to his sister — reject Commodus as a respectable, authoritative figure.

In the end, Commodus decides that the best way to win Rome’s love is by killing Maximus, the people’s hero, in a one-on-one duel in the Coliseum. To ensure his victory, Commodus stabs a restrained Maximus before their fight, a total coward move. But even a weakened, dying Maximus still outmatches the sniveling emperor. After their fight, Maximus’ body is respectfully carried away, while the Emperor’s corpse remains on the floor of the Colliseum, alone and unmourned.

3

Fredo Corleone

‘The Godfather: Part II’ (1974)

Often hailed as one of the greatest films of all time, The Godfather: Part II is that rare case where the sequel is just as good as the original. After nearly getting gunned down at his home, Michael (Al Pacino) becomes convinced that somebody in his inner circle worked with his enemies to orchestrate his assassination. Little does Michael know, the traitor is much closer to him than he realizes. It’s shockingly revealed to be his older brother, Fredo (John Cazale).

An Iconic Betrayal by an Unimpressive Antagonist

Your changes have been saved

The Godfather Part II

Release Date

December 20, 1974

Runtime

202minutes

It’s a great twist that results in one of cinema’s most famous betrayals. However, as a villain, Fredo is very unimpressive. He’s an incompetent gangster with little to no street smarts and is viewed as an idiot to everyone around him. Even his father, Vito, holds him in low regard and didn’t even consider him for the role of Don.

Fredo’s not the villain of The Godfather: Part II. He’s not the criminal mastermind that Don Barzini was in the first movie. Fredo is more of a henchman, though he definitely gets the most screen time. You can even argue that Fredo had no idea what the real villains had in store for his little brother. Regardless of where you fall in that debate, there’s no denying that Fredo ends up being an antagonist to Mike — and a very unimpressive one at that.

2

The Joker

‘Suicide Squad’ (2016)

The Joker is arguably the most famous villain in fiction, thanks to his iconic rivalry with Batman. We’ve gotten some incredible live-action portrayals of the Clown Prince of Crime over the years. We had Jack Nicholson in 1989’s Batman and Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, the latter of whom won an Oscar for his performance. Jared Leto had some big shoes to fill when he took over the role in 2016’s Suicide Squad. And as a villain, the character failed to live up to expectations.

He Had Almost More Screentime in the Trailers Than in the Movie

Release Date

August 5, 2016

Runtime

123 minutes

Despite getting a lot of screen time in the trailers, Leto’s Joker had minimal screen time in the movie itself. His character design was hated by fans, with many feeling like his tattoos were too much on the nose — especially with the word “Damaged” written across his forehead. Leto’s performance also pales in comparison to other live-action interpretations, ranking his portrayal at the bottom of nearly every Joker ranking.

Related

10 Original Villains Created for Batman: The Animated Series

Batman: TAS drew much of its material from the DC comic books, though it did take its own creative liberties. Especially when it came to villains.

1

Supreme Leader Snoke

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ (2017)

Disney’s Star Wars sequel trilogy was a hot, incoherent mess. While The Force Awakens was a nostalgic, carbon copy of A New Hope, The Last Jedi tried so hard to be unique. Too hard, some might say. One of its biggest issues was how it handled its villain, Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) of the First Order. The Force Awakens presented Snoke as a mysterious villain, an enigma that we only ever glimpsed as a holograph, similar to Emperor Palpatine in The Empire Strikes Back. Who was he? How did he rise to power? But alas, these questions went unanswered.

Nothing More Than a Puppet — and a Huge Letdown

Release Date

December 15, 2017

Runtime

152 Minutes

Cast

Daisy Ridley
, Oscar Isaac
, Mark Hamill
, Carrie Fisher
, John Boyega
, Adam Driver
, Andy Serkis
, Lupita Nyong’o
, Anthony Daniels
, Gwendoline Christie
, Kelly Marie Tran
, Laura Dern

The Last Jedi tossed Snoke carelessly aside and gave him no backstory. The Rise of Skywalker crapped on him even more. The film quickly alluded to the fact that Snoke was nothing more than a puppet of Emperor Palpatine, making him one of the lamest villains in that galaxy far, far away.