Where would movies be without action? It’s practically written into the DNA of the medium. And wherever you find action, you’ll almost always find villains doing their dastardly deeds. And while villains may not get the love that heroes get, they’re every bit as important. Sometimes more so. A weak or forgettable villain can deep-six a perfectly good movie.
But what makes a memorable villain? Is it the mustache twirling? The costume? Choice of weapon? Or the actor who brings him to life? Who can say? But one thing is certain: we all know a great villain when we see one. They make their marks on the pop culture and stick with us for decades after their first appearances.
But that’s enough talk. Let’s get to the action.
These are the 50 Greatest Action Movie Villains of All Time.
10. The Xenomorph Queen | Aliens (1986)
The Queen is a terrifying force of nature. We’ve already seen what the xenomorphs can do in the first Alien film, and the Queen is the strongest representation of this nearly unkillable lifeform. Almost fifteen feet tall, she towers above Ripley and Newt when they find her in the airlock. She is a horror, from her practical design to her high-pitched otherworldly screams. Though she is not in much of Aliens, her scenes are the ones we remember, and her force is felt throughout the entire film. Aliens isn’t the only movie to feature a xenomorph queen, but it’s by far the best one. Even though the film ends with her death, we know deep down the threat remains and the Xenomorph will always return.
–Valerie Morreale
9. Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) | Speed (1994)
“Poor people are crazy, Jack. I’m eccentric.” Dennis Hopper, man. He had a varied and accomplished career, and yet it’s his villains I remember the most. From Frank Booth in Blue Velvet to Kaufman in Land of the Dead. In the 1990’s we got Deacon, the mad ruler of the Smokers in Waterworld and the mad, bad, former bomb-squad detective Howard Payne in Speed. Payne is smart, vindictive and a psychopath – he’s willing to kill and maim just to get the money he thinks he’s owed. When his original plan to hold people in an elevator hostage is foiled by detectives Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) and Harry Temple (Jeff Daniels) he quickly switches gears to include a little revenge in his terrorism.
If he was just crazy, Payne wouldn’t be that memorable a villain, but Dennis Hopper manages to infuse a charismatic mania and mean-spirited sense of humor into things. He’s always one step ahead of the good guys – until he isn’t. “I’m smarter than you, Jack!” he exclaims at one point, and he really is. Smarter, more vicious and more dedicated. He could have gotten away with it, if only he could have kept his ego in check. But what kind of fun would that have been? “Pop quiz hotshot. You can only pick one Dennis Hopper bad guy for the list. What do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO?”
–Bob Cram
8. T-1000 (Robert Patrick) | Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
The T-1000 had several things going for him that make him an epic villain. First, his ability to turn into liquid metal was fully badass. It wasn’t just a cool idea, it was a masterfully executed special effect. It blows my mind that this was done in 1991. His ability to shapeshift and mimic voices just added to how terrifying he was. Second, Robert Patrick plays a stone cold killing machine from the future like an absolute boss. The level of intensity he was able to convey through facial expressions and body movements is mind-boggling. The character, the effects, and the acting all perfectly align to make the T-1000 something magical (in a creepy, fear-inducing way).
–R.J. Mathews
7. Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe) | Goldfinger (1964)
“No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die.” Goldfinger is one of the best Bond films, and a template for the films that would follow. The character of Goldfinger is, as well, the wellspring for a certain erudite and wealthy psychopath that turns up in Bond (and other films). Nobody quite manages it as well as Gert Fröbe, however, who comes across as calm, jovial, ruthless and sadistic without even knowing how to speak english! (He was dubbed by Michael Collins.) His love of gold informs most of his actions, including a plan to irradiate the US gold supply to increase the value of his own holdings, and the murder of Jill Masters by gold paint suffocation. He’s also somewhat vain, and willing to murder associates if they ridicule him or otherwise refuse to go along with his plans. A charismatic and entertaining villain, I was always a little disappointed Goldfinger was killed off. He’d have made a fantastic returning villain.
–Bob Cram
6. Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) | Blade Runner (1982)
Is Roy Batty really a villain, or just a victim of circumstance? A replicant made specifically for military conflict, he was thrust into a life of violence that he had no say in. Even once he went rogue, he was still stuck with the 4-year replicant lifespan, having no time with his newfound freedom. I’m not saying this makes his terrorism and murders okay, but every time I watch Blade Runner I feel a profound sadness and empathy for Roy, and I think that’s intentional. Not only does he save Deckard’s life, he does this moments before his own death, making his final act mercy rather than destruction. His story is ultimately tragic. In another story, he may have been the hero, but Roy Batty remains a compelling and sympathetic anti-villain.
–Valerie Morreale
5. Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) | The Matrix (Franchise)
Agent Smith is a lot of things. Technically an AI but arguably a Borg-style hive mind, we remember him as the smooth-talking, smarmy sunglasses-wearing Hugo Weaving. Despite all the memes we have about him and how fun it is to quote “Mr. Anderson” in that voice (I know you’re doing it right now), he is honestly a genuinely terrifying force in the Matrix. In the second and third entries in particular, he gains the ability to rewrite and absorb simulated humans into himself, effectively killing them. Unlike the Matrix at large, he actively hates humanity and has the desire to see all humans destroyed. Though his end is devastating (and deserved), he is arguably one of the most memorable and interesting action villains of the 2000s.
–Valerie Morreale
4. The Predator (Various) | Predator (Franchise)
It’s rare that any action movie character, hero or villain, combines the qualities of being cunning, utterly terrifying, and spectacularly unique. The original Predator ticks all of these boxes with ease.
What can I say that hasn’t already been gushed about this marvel of modern cinema? Stan Winston’s design has become iconic, and rightly-so. We hadn’t seen anything like it before, and haven’t much since. Creative, intimidating, off-putting and yet completely believable, it sticks with you. Toss in the sound design and amazing performance by Kevin Peter Hall, and it comes off as so life-like that for years I couldn’t hear a woodpecker without the impulse to scan the trees for that schlieren effect!
Beyond the quality of the work that went into it on a technical level, the Predator is just a great antagonist as well. While seemingly a (literally) faceless monster at first, we learn a bit about its motivations as we go. Sure, they’re morbid as hell, but motivations we understand nonetheless. By the time it takes that faceplate off and goes toe-to-toe with Dutch, we know that it wants trophies from a challenging hunt, and we’re pretty-sure it’ll cap off this particular outing with a sweep. It’s got all kinds of cool equipment – science fiction gahoozits with a savage flair, a plasma cannon, some sweet Wolverine blades. It’s smart and it’s determined.
Even without it’s toys, the Predator is powerful enough to manhandle someone with Arnold’s physique just for the sport, and we buy every minute of it. I’ve mentioned it before, but a good villain benchmark is if you’d like to see it as the protagonist in its own movie. Well, considering all the Predator media since, I’d say that mark has been exceeded.
–Jeff Cram
3. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Various) | James Bond (Franchise)
James Bond is a man of many things. Throughout the series, he’s used many gadgets, bedded many ladies, drank many a martini, and collected an impressive list of villains. Arguments could be made regarding which gadget was the coolest or which Bond girl was the hottest, but at the top of Bond’s rogues’ gallery sits only one name: Blofeld.
The first and only recurring villain throughout the series, Blofeld was pulling the strings from the very beginning. Starting the series as an unseen head of the criminal organization SPECTRE, Blofeld would finally be revealed in all his scarred face, bald-headed beauty in the fourth entry. Though a few would step into the role after You Only Live Twice‘s release, none could hold a candle to Donald Pleasence, although they certainly tried. Charles Gray and Max von Sydow do the best with what they’re given, but the only other actors who are on the same level as Pleasence are Telly Savalas and Christoph Waltz. The former made the villain cooler (while still maintaining his dangerous aura), while the latter didn’t reinvent as much as pay homage to what worked in the past. Each actor brought their unique brand of villainy to the role and made it their own. He’s a villain with such an enormous shadow that the series immediately started to go downhill once Blofeld left the picture.
–Sailor Monsoon
2. T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) | The Terminator (1984)
“Listen and understand! That Terminator is out there. It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear! And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead!” With those words, Kyle Reese gives us all we need to know about our titular bad guy.
While not Arnold’s breakout film debut, the Terminator is arguably the role he’s most famous for. Right from the get-go, we can see why. Physically imposing, casually murderous, and completely intractable, the Terminator is the stuff of nightmares. It’s stronger than you, nearly invulnerable, doesn’t sleep or eat or breathe, and has zero fucks to give about you or anyone else. It’s a walking, talking physical embodiment of the inevitability of death. Talk about hitting you in your lizard brain!
The film gives us some amazing world-building, and even back then we were being warned about getting a handle on this AI crap! Seriously, though, the setting delivered in the movie is grim but interesting, stuff that I feel like subsequent filmmakers have struggled to build upon. We get progressively more-elaborate monster machines, but none come quite close to the simple horror of the original model, in my opinion.
–Jeff Cram
1. Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) | Die Hard (1988)
I haven’t agreed with all of the rankings on this list, but I absolutely can’t argue with Hans Gruber being the greatest action villain of all time. Some of that is just Alan Rickman, who seemed to effortlessly achieve the smooth, cool, calculating demeanor that made Gruber so memorable. Some of it was the writing. Hans isn’t your average, bumbling bad guy. He’s intelligent, meticulous and ruthless — a stark contrast to the perpetually in-over-his-head John McClane (who is also great, but this is a list about villains). Gruber handily thwarts McClane at every turn throughout the movie, and he’s so damn charming while he does it that you can’t help but like him even though you know you shouldn’t.
–R.J. Mathews
20-11 | Underrated Action Heroes & Villains
Were you surprised by who came in at #1? Any action villains you think were worthy of being dubbed one of the GOATs? Tell us all about it down in the comments!