10 Best Horror Movie Villains With Absolutely No Motive

When it comes to movie villains, you don’t get any more iconic or creepy than Norman Bates from Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.

Portrayed by Anthony Perkins, Bates is the unassuming owner of the out-of-way Bates Motel that runaway Marion (Janet Leigh) stumbles upon while on the lam. When we’re first introduced to him, he’s charming in an awkward sort of way. He doesn’t give the impression of being a villain, but there’s something a little off about him. In fact, it’s the domineering but unseen mother who we’re led to believe is the villain and Marion’s murderer.

However, as an investigation gets underway and more bodies start to pile up, it’s revealed in a shocking twist that the perpetrator was Norman all along. Specifically, that he was suffering from a personality disorder where he’d be taken over by the persona of his abusive mother.

Bates had no rational motivation or control over his wicked actions; he was simply a deeply troubled individual who didn’t get the help they desperately needed. But as he sits in police custody with a haunting smirk on his face and his mother’s voice ringing in his head, we can’t help but wonder how much of a monster Bates is.