TheAmerican Film Instituteis a prestigious organization that honors America’s motion picture arts, frequently releasing their picks for various cinema-related accolades and achievements. In 2003, AFI presented their exciting ranking of greatest villains of all time, with some of Hollywood’s most iconic characters topping the list.A jury of 1,500directors, critics, actors and more were polled to create the elaborate ranking, resulting in a colorful and expansive lineup.
From devious Disney antagonists to iconic wicked witches,notorious serial killersand seductive femme fatales, AFI’s ranking covers a wide array of silver screen classics and legendary characters that remain beloved fan favorites. Let’s dive into the organization’s choices for the best movie villains of all time.
10The Queen (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
Being so consumed by jealousy and vanity that you want to cut your step-daughter’s heart out is most certainly grounds for landing on a list of iconic movie villains, and The Queen fromSnow White and the Seven Dwarfsis undoubtedly a legendary bad guy in cinema. The menacing character torments Snow White and drives her into a forest to seek shelter, where she stumbles upon the kind and quirky seven dwarfs in hopes of hiding out from the evil woman.
The Queen transforms herself into an old hag in order to finish the job, but like most Disney flicks justice is ultimately served by the end ofthe animated classic.Snow White and the Seven Dwarfsis widely considered one of the greatest animated films of all time, withRolling Stonecalling it the picture “that changed the future of animation.”
9Regan MacNeil (The Exorcist)
Audiences across the world were terrified to the bone by Linda Blair’s chilling portrayal of the demonically-possessed Regan MacNeil in the 1973 supernatural horror juggernautThe Exorcist, providing fuel for nightmares as she speaks in tongues, has her head freakishly spin around and projectile vomits in her demented state.
Related:The Exorcist: Is the Original Still One of the Scariest Horror Movies?
The pop culture phenomenon caused quite the uproar upon its release, with many moviegoers reportedly fainting, becoming nauseous and running out of theaters in fear during the screenings;ambulances were even on stand-byin case viewers became distraught during Regan’s disturbing possession scenes. For her sensationally frightening role, Linda Blair earned an Academy Award nomination and won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.
8Phyllis Dietrichson (Double Indemnity)
Barbara Stanwyck is the ultimate femme fatale in Billy Wilder’s lauded 1944 crime film noirDouble Indemnity, an adaptation of the James M. Cain novel that follows a savvy claims adjuster who becomes embroiled in a dangerous murder plot involving an alluring married woman determined to kill her husband and cashing out on his insurance policy.
Stanwyck was initially hesitant to take on the part of the devious Phyllis, who attempts to lure the poor salesman into murdering her spouse, but eventually gave in and later stated it was one of her favorite roles. The celebrated actress' performancewas described asthe “insolent, self-possessed wife is one of the screen’s definitive studies of villainy – and should (it is widely thought) have won the Oscar for Best Actress.”
7Alex Forrest (Fatal Attraction)
Acting chameleon Glenn Closeembraced her inner villainous when she starred as a disturbed book editor obsessed with a married New York City lawyer (Michael Douglas) in the 1987 psychological thrillerFatal Attraction, which follows the unhinged Alex Forrest as she becomes more and more fixated on the family man she had a fling with.
Alex will stop at nothing to make Douglas' Dan Gallagher her own, progressively becoming more erratic as the film progresses, boiling his family’s rabbit and pouring acid on his car in retaliation for his rejections. Despite initial hesitations to cast Close as the crazed vixen, producers commented thatduring her audition, “an extraordinary erotic transformation took place. She was this tragic, bewildering mix of sexuality and rage—I watched Alex come to life.”
6Mr. Potter (It’s a Wonderful Life)
A beloved but dark Christmas classicand Hollywood staple,It’s a Wonderful Lifestars James Stewart as the severely depressed George Bailey as he contemplates suicide on Christmas Eve and is visited by his faithful guardian angel and shown what the world would have been like without him.
Lionel Barrymore appears as the greedy and miserable robber baron Mr. Potter, who owns most of the businesses in Bedford Falls and sets his sights on George’s family business Building and Loan and eliminating it. The character was described byTime Magazineas “… Scrooge, the Grinch and Simon Legree in one craggy, crabby package,” and he remains a prominent and extremely notable cinema antagonist.
5Nurse Ratched (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest)
The sadistic, cold and calculating tyrant Nurse Ratched shocked, outraged and devastated fans in both the Ken Kesey’s novel and the 1975 adaptationOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, with Louise Fletcher knocking it out of the park as the heartless head administrative nurse at the Salem State Hospital.
Related:These Are Some of the Most Evil and Awful Characters in Movies
Nurse Ratched constantly abuses her power and torments those under her care in the riveting psychological dramedy, going to-to-toe with the defiant Randle McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) in a showdown with tragic results. To embody the deplorable character, Fletcher based her performance on the condescending way she witnessedwhite people treat Black peoplein her home state of Alabama; the actress won an Academy Award for her unforgettable portrayal.
4The Wicked Witch of the West (The Wizard of Oz)
Few movie villains have had the lasting impact and iconic legacy like Margaret Hamilton’s terrifying The Wicked Witch of the West, who along with her flying monkeys, spine-tingling cackle and startling green appearance scared the audiences ofThe Wizard of Ozwith her wicked performance.
Hamilton was extremely dedicated to the role and even suffered a second-degree burn on her face when a trap door scene was delayed, and she was burned by the prop fireworks during her fiery entrance. This resulted in the actress having to recuperate forsix weeks during the film’s production.Hamilton’s only reservation regarding the character was that she didn’t want children to fear her because of her portrayal, so she went onMister Rodger’s Neighborhoodin 1975to explain what a costume and character was to alleviate their fears.
3Darth Vader (The Empire Strikes Back)
Pop culture juggernaut and legendarymovie villain Darth Vaderis instantly recognizable with his famous masked face, black cape and his unmistakable deep voice, courtesy of the revered cinema star James Earl Jones.
The George Lucas character was physically portrayed by bodybuilder David Prowse in the originalStar Warstrilogy, withthe director commentingthat the six-foot-six actor “brought a physicality to Darth Vader that was essential for the character … with an imposing stature and movement performance to match the intensity and undercurrent of Vader’s presence.” Darth Vader is undoubtedly one of the most distinguished and greatest fictional characters of all time and has left an immeasurable impact and influence on pop culture.
2Norman Bates (Psycho)
Anthony Perkins delivered a tour de force performance as the disturbed motel proprietor Norman Bates inAlfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film, the lauded horror masterpiecePsycho.Bates appeared alongside Janet Leigh as the murderous young man suffering from dissociative identity disorder.
Based on the Robert Bloch novel of the same name, the lauded classic was loosely inspired by the crimes of grave robber and killer Ed Gein and skyrocketed Perkins to new levels of fame he had yet to experience; the role proved to be a blessing and a curse for the actor as his career was given a boost, but he was subsequently typecast.Psychois considered one of the first slasher films and is heavily regarded as one of the finest films ever created.
1Dr. Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs)
Landing in the top spot of the American Film Institute’s best movie villain of all time is the brilliant-yet-ghastly cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter from the 1991 Oscar-winning pictureThe Silence of the Lambs, superbly portrayed by the great Anthony Hopkins. The unnerving Lecter plays acat-and-mouse gamewith FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) as she goes to the infamous murderer for help tracking down another demented serial killer; both characters have landed on numerous critic’s lists as the best heroines and villains in cinema.
Hopkins explained toEntertainment Weeklyhow he portrayed the notable character — “ultra sane, very still … He has such terrifying physical power, and he doesn’t waste an ounce of energy. He’s so contained. He’s all brain.“The Silence of the Lambswon the major five categories at the Academy Awards and is the only horror film to win Best Picture.
