10 Horror Movie Villains Motivated By Love

7. Imhotep - The Mummy

Kathy Bates Misery
Universal

Okay, so this is horror in the loosest of terms, as the beloved nostalgia fest that is 1999's The Mummy is more of a fantasy action adventure than a straight-up horror flick. Still, it's got undead monsters, death, violence and more, so it still feels fitting to slot it in here, especially as the main villain is one of the biggest examples of a baddie doing it all for love.

The story of The Mummy is shrouded in tragedy, as the main villain (Imhotep) was a high priest who was sentenced to a fate worse than death, thanks to his affair with the woman he loved, who happened to be the Pharaoh's mistress.

So, when he's freed from his coffin and able to unleash his terror upon the world, what does his goal become? Is it to blanket the world in death? Overthrow the government? Get revenge on the Pharaoh? No, it's to bring the woman he loves back to life. Well, the blanketing the world in death too, but bringing his girlfriend back is priority numero uno!

His awful deeds seem almost justified as he seeks to fulfil the promise he made to his lover. Sure, it's evil, but it gave his character a complexity that many horror villains lack - looking at you, Mummy 2017.

Contributor

Michael is my name, overanalysing comedy is my game! Anime, wrestling, TV, movies and video games all live in my head rent free!