10 Most Iconic Villains In Movie History

2. Darth Vader - Star Wars

In a franchise made up almost entirely of iconic moments and characters, Darth Vader tops them all easily. With some film villains you don’t quite know what you’re going to get - from the moment audiences first laid eyes on Vader, it was abundantly clear that we were witnessing a game changing bad guy, and an all time great.

Vader’s success is a team effort. Bodybuilder David Prowse fills out the suit, giving him the imposing size and confident stride. The voice is provided by the inimitable James Earl Jones, whose stern tones make it all too clear that he is not to be messed with.

And then there’s the costume, all black everything with the bug-like helmet. You know you’ve made it as a bad guy when you get your own theme tune, and Vader’s is one of the all time best.

What’s more, he is a villain with depth, a backstory, a shot at redemption. Not all of the prequel material worked, but when you’ve got the lineage of Darth Vader - not to mention a part in an all time great movie twist - a few false steps can be forgiven.