10 Great Sci-Fi Villains Trapped In Terrible Movies

Two Star Wars villains in one list is a bit cheeky, but, when considering the prequels, there could have been two more: the aristocratic tactician Count Dooku, or the over-arching villain of the entire franchise Sheev Palpatine. But when considering cool villains trapped in terrible movies, no Sith was more suffocated than Darth Maul.

The Phantom Menace is, arguably, the most shambolic Star Wars film of all time. Vapid characters, a boring plot, *** *** Binks, you’ve heard it all before. But accepting all of these blatant shortcomings, it’s important to remember that this film was cursed by insurmountable expectations

A decade and a half since the franchise's last instalment, the hype was real for Episode I. So much so, the film’s opening night cost the US economy $293 million on account of workers phoning in “sick” to see the premiere. And one element which fuelled this hysteria, was the antagonist teased in the trailers. His striking image and unique saberstaff captivated fans, and he quickly became the hottest action figure to have.

They were understandably disappointed, then, when Darth Maul turned out to only say 31 words in the entire film. His mysterious presence in the film, however, moulded him into an enigma, and he swiftly became the Boba Fett of the prequels. This cult interest prompted Maul's returns in The Clone Wars and Solo: A Star Wars Story, and he has gone on to become one of the most beloved and intriguing villains in the franchise.

If it’s one thing you can count on, it’s that a a spiky-headed Sith dude with a double-edged lightsaber will always be rad.