Of course everyone loves their heroes. But deep down, in the dingy dirty recesses of our souls, we love our villains even more. Their status as outsiders confuses us, their charm or psychosis intrigues us, and their existence simply scares us. The following list looks at the 25 most horrid reflections of humanity. That’s right, humanity. Unfortunately, T-800s, aliens, dream killers, postmortem zombie slashers, psychotic AIs or man-eating sharks were not invited to the party. The following individuals test the limits of how deeply deranged man can become.
10. Michael Myers, Halloween (1974)
Described as a being of pure evil, Michael Myers carves destruction upon unsuspecting suburbanites. Already a master of slaughter at a young age, decades at a mental institution yielded no results as the monster in human clothing was released upon the townsfolk. Myers lack of brains might seem like a downfall, but his insatiable bloodlust and brute strength make a deadly combination.
9. Bill the Butcher, Gangs of New York (2002)
Every villain deserves a grand entrance. Not many get better than Bill the Butcher’s. Within the opening scene, we are treated with a bloody brawl, which results in the demise of Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson). From there, the character’s disturbed psychosis only spreads until its reaches one of the greatest climaxes in Martin Scorsese’s career. Oh, also Daniel Day Lewis. Did we mention that?
8. Jack Torrence, The Shining (1980)
Where to begin with this guy. The king of creepy? The sultan of Satanistic? Many might argue that Jack Torrence was a pawn of the haunted Overlook Hotel, but Nicholson’s memorable performance convinces the audiences otherwise, and suggests that maybe the anger and violence was there all the time.
7. Annie Wilkes, Misery (1990)
I don’t know what’s scarier, the deranged character Annie Wilkes or the fact she’s played by Kathy Bates—the only aggressive role in the usually sunny actress’s career. Wilkes is a subconscious reason why people lock their doors at night, and why mother’s tell their children, “don’t talk to strangers,” just by the off-chance you become the welcomed guest/victim of Annie Wilkes.
