2. Captain Louis Renault - Casablanca
No not Rick, Not Victor Laszlo, Captain Louis Renault has been chosen for one reason: every group needs somebody to loathe! Perhaps,
loathe is too strong a word,
disdain may work better here since the purpose of this character would be that of a social scape-goat rather than an enemy. Renault has tempered the balance between loathing and disdain for more than 60 years with some of the greatest unscrupulous lines in cinematic history. In a bet with Rick that Laszlo wont make it out of Casablanca, he halves the stakes because hes only a poor corrupt official. Obviously acknowledging his own corruption without remorse but he also knows which battles to choose. If he didnt Laszlo wouldnt ever had been able to leave with the beautiful Ilsa. Having somebody like Renault in the group would mean that the individuals wouldnt be turning on each other out of pettiness; theyd have a common counter-hero in the group rather than an enemy. Rather than being hell-bent on discord, Renault is self-serving and being able to manipulate such wily self-service can be a valuable resource.