10 Horror Movie Villains Who Became Smarter In The Sequel

Herbert West was already arguably on par with Victor Frankenstein in terms of intelligence after the events of cult classic Re-Animator. The 1985 comedy-horror saw West - you guessed it - re-animate cadavers and cats alike in his maniacal first entry in the "greatest cinematic mad scientist" sweepstakes.

Despite being dragged away by his own nightmarish creations towards the end of that original outing, West returns with an absolute vengeance in the sequel. While saner human beings may have been discouraged from their appalling experimentation by the horrific results that followed in swift order the first time around, West begins Bride of Re-Animator working in the midst of a bloody civil war - providing him with the perfect proving ground for his hellish re-animation reagent.

West is even more ambitious in this follow-up outing, contriving to create a living being made entirely out of separate re-animated parts, after his discovery that the serum works on body parts that are unattached from others. He also tricks the hapless Dan Cain into believing that his interest lies in reviving his dead fiancée Megan, when West is really only after her heart.

No matter the depraved moral depths he sinks to, West only responds with a terrifyingly unhinged uptake in his already formidable intelligence. Truly one of cinema's finest mad scientists.