10 Greatest Villains From Otherwise Disappointing Movies

Every movie needs a villain, even the bad ones. After all, without their masterful evil plans, what would the hero be fighting to prevent? Without the bounds of boring moral codes and often just doing as they please in the most showy and hardcore way possible, the villains are usually the best bit of the film anyway.

Whether these baddies are trying to get revenge on the hero, or simply make some money, their efforts typically require a good deal of behind-the-scenes manipulation. As such, the lack of their direct presence insulates them from things like bad dialogue and poor plotting. 

Take The Phantom Menace for example. In what's supposed to be a climax, cinema's most maligned character Jar Jar Binks is leading a ground assault while a nine-year old child takes to space to destroy a control ship. At this point, we were still in disbelief that this was how the movie was going to end, and then the doors opened and Darth Maul pulled down his hood. And for a few brief minutes of lightsaber fighting goodness, we forgot just how disappointing rest of the film was.

Be they original creations or adaptations of comic book characters, villains are meant to stand out in every way possible. So on the strength a memorable performance, a unique appearance, or a relatable personality, these are the best villains from awful movies.

The Disappointing Movie: Failing to build on the years-long success of the comics, Constantine just couldn’t seem to get all of its elements to click into anything more than a generic action film.

The Great Villain: While Tilda Swinton’s Gabriel was a very cool character in its own right, it’s the supporting villain, Lucifer who really made his mark. Spoken of throughout the film but not seen until the climax, Peter Stormare’s Lucifer absolutely steals the show.

In one of the most amazing villain entrances ever, Lucifer stops time and drops in wearing an all-white suit. He’s even happy to help stop Gabriel before he brings Constantine to Hell. But when Constantine tricks him and heads for Heaven instead, Lucifer is not having it. Angry that he would lose Constantine’s soul, he literally pulls the black, oozing cancer from his lungs and spares him, just so that he might sin again.

His screen time was limited but his importance to the plot cannot be overstated as both the conflict and its resolution come from him, indirectly and directly. Peter Stormare deliciously chews the scenery and the odd humour about the character really made him stand out.