Seemingly every story has its protagonist and antagonist. Most movies often have the hero battling against the evils that are seen within the villain. Whether it’s the latest villain from a Marvel Studios’ film or the threat of the Empire in Star Wars, there are some truly iconic villains in movies deserving of more screen time than they were given.
There’s often nothing wrong with enjoying the screen presence of a movie’s villain. Sometimes, the installation of fear creates excitement. They’re fictional characters for a reason, and wanting more screentime for such a villainous character is no sin.
8 Sauron, The Lord Of The Rings
The central threat to The Lord of the Rings is Sauron. He’s the most villainous character in the series, and his presence is felt everywhere on Middle-Earth. As the forger of the One Ring, Sauron is central to the plot of the film, as the heroic and brave characters must embark to destroy it, and Sauron for good.
Sauron isn’t seen much throughout the three films, but his presence is felt and terrifying. Through the armies of Mordor, the whispers of the One Ring, and the Eye of Sauron. His corruption throughout Middle-Earth makes him dangerous, even if he isn’t entirely resurrected. More flashbacks of Sauron laying waste to elves and mankind would have been a lot more awesome than the already awesome three films audiences witnessed.
7 Faora-Ul, Man Of Steel
The first film in DC’s Extended Universe, Man of Steel was an origin story for Superman. Clark Kent spends the majority of the film searching for who he is, and what kind of man he will become. Clark is soon met with conflict, as the last survivors of his home planet, Krypton, invade Earth.
One of these Kryptonians is Faora-Ul, a masterful fighter in hand-to-hand combat. Faora defeats many military forces with speed and precision and shows Superman the strength of a warrior. Her speeches are riveting and intimidating, and her lack of screentime is a sure shame, considering how great she was as a villain.
6 Colonel Kurtz, Apocalypse Now
As the main antagonist for Apocalypse Now, Colonel Kurtz was a dangerous philosopher of war. His time in the Vietnam War had left him insane, and he went rogue following his dismissal. Kurtz started a revenge scheme against the U.S military with his followers of the people of the Montagnards.
Portrayed by one of the most famous actors to ever be put on screen, Marlon Brando provided audiences with a truly damaged man with Kurtz. The character has minimal screen time, but the time the character is onscreen, many just want more and more.
5 The Green Goblin, The Amazing Spider-Man 2
There are many iconic rivalries in film, especially in comic book movies. Spider-Man and the Green Goblin have a rich and destructive history. With the rebooted franchise, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 skipped Norman Osborne and went straight for the son, Harry. Harry and Peter have a great friendship, and this movie presents them as distant, and their friendship hangs on a tether.
As Harry develops the illness that killed his father, he soon discovers that Spider-Man’s blood may be the cure. Peter, unable to compromise his identity as the Web Head, or the dangers of his blood, is unwilling to give Harry what he wants. It doesn’t take long until Harry is corrupted, and becomes the Green Goblin. Goblin has a notable lack of screentime and is mainly used as a plot device to kill Gwen Stacey, and his full potential as a nemesis was never seen.
4 Count Dooku, Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones
Star Wars has some great villains throughout the franchise. Whether it be opposing military forces, or something darker. The Sith, are the ultimate antagonists of Star Wars, and Count Dooku may be the wisest and most perfectionist duelist of them all. As a Sith, Dooku was never corrupted, hence the lack of yellow eyes. He has mastered lightsaber combat and dark side powers.
Dooku is played by the legendary Christopher Lee, who brings sophistication to the role in Attack of the Clones. However, other than a brief conversation with Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a duel against Yoda, Dooku isn’t seen much in the film, nor in the sequel Revenge of the Sith.
3 The Joker, The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker is one of the most iconic villains in all fiction. Each iteration of The Joker attempts to one-up the masterful work of Ledger. The late actor brought anarchism and a terrifying, yet captivating presence to the role. For a film that runs over 2 and a half hours, Joker only shares about 30 minutes of screen time.
The film is a constant battle between The Joker and Batman. Joker, who remains a few steps ahead at every turn, tries to prove to Batman that even the best men can be broken and reduced to the agent of chaos he is. Joker is entirely sinister and magnificent to watch in this performance from The Dark Knight.
2 Hannibal Lecter, The Silence Of The Lambs
Sharing under twenty minutes of screen time, Anthony Hopkins won an Academy Award for his role as Hannibal Lecter. Hannibal was a serial killer who was known for eating his victims. His presence in this film is truly horrifying. The way he stands and stares at the victims is unsettling, even when he is locked away in his cell. His ability to get into the mind of Clarice Starling shows his high intellect and ever-present danger.
One of the most famous sequences in the film features Hannibal’s escape from prison, and it’s executed terrifically. Hannibal is a great villain, and as much as audiences wouldn’t want to watch him eat another human being, they cannot deny the mystifying presence of the character on screen.
1 Darth Vader, Star Wars (1977)
There is perhaps no villain as iconic as the dark lord of the Sith, Darth Vader. This character captivated audiences in 1977’s Star Wars. Not much was known about the character. Whether he was an alien, or something darker. With a great physical performance by David Prowse and an iconic voice that demands fear and attention by James Earl Jones, Darth Vader paved the way for villainy.
However, despite the fame of Darth Vader, the character has very limited screen time in the original Star Wars. Although his role was later expanded for the rest of the Original Trilogy, everyone would love more Darth Vader content, in any form that it comes.