10 Best Sci-Fi Movie Villains
3. HAL 9000
Easily the most physically unthreatening foe on this list - but no less terrifying and iconic - Hal 9000 is the main antagonist from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Depicted through the majority of the film as nothing more than a glaring red light, Hal is a sentient computer that is in control of the systems on the Discovery One spacecraft.
Hal's calm demeanour and tone belie the sadistic nature the computer soon begins to exhibit in the film.
It is the calmness in his actions and the reliance that the crew has on the technology that make Hal such a brilliant villain. That iconic scene in which Hal discovers the crews intentions to disconnect him, lead to the seemingly subservient computer turning against his masters.
The concept of technology like this, considering our reliance on it, not just malfunctioning but actively trying to kill its apparent 'masters' is a terrifying one - and few embody it more than the iconic and villainous Hal. The simple, sinister and sentient system is an undoubted icon of science fiction and one of the most infamous villains of all time.