20 Greatest Movie Villains Of The 2000s

6. Bill The Butcher - Gangs Of New York

From one Martin Scorsese flick to another, coming four years earlier and just a short hop from Boston to New York. Gangs of New York marked the first of many collaborations between the legendary director and Leonardo DiCaprio, but the major standout of the film is the big bad, Bill 'The Butcher' Cutting.

Bill was many things. He was ruthless in defending his territory from anyone he felt he needed to, he was incredibly skilled with any manner of blade, he had a certain respect where it was earned, and was even quite the showman, never one to back away from an audience or a joke.

Above all of this, however, he was a leader, influencing through fear and violence almost to the point of being seen as some kind of deity. He could do as he pleased without worry of comeuppance or consequence, whether social, lawful, or vengeful, with the one great exception that came 15 years later.

Of course, it goes without saying that Daniel Day-Lewis elevated the character into the realms of an icon, and it wouldn't be unfair to say that without his portrayal of Bill the Butcher, even with DiCaprio's performance, Gangs of New York would have been a largely forgettable entry in Scorsese's typically stellar portfolio.