10 Movie Villains You Didn't Realise Actually Won

Think the heroes of these films got the last laugh? Think again.

By Johno Patterson /

Warner Bros.

Sometimes movies are so focused on ensuring that the hero comes out on top that they forget about the plot itself. Sure, most of the time good triumphs over evil, but occasionally - if you look closer - it's actually the villain who has emerged victorious.

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This can come down to a number of factors, but - generally speaking - if they succeeded in their plan before getting their comeuppance, isn't that classed as winning? This happens in a variety of genres when the story starts falling around itself at the convenience of the protagonist, but I've selected some examples where - although it appears that the hero has come out on top - this really isn't the case.

I won't be mentioning horror films in this article, as that's the one genre where villains persistently succeed in wiping out the rest of the cast without so much as breaking a sweat. Some of these choices could be seen as ideological victories, whereas others require you to think beyond the end credits of the feature in question.

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With that in mind, let's twirl our moustaches, cackle maniacally and celebrate the villains that you didn't realise actually won in 10 movies... As I'm discussing key plot points here there's a SPOILER warning in effect.