10 Movie Villains So Awesome They Ruined Their Franchise
8. The Joker - The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight Rises certainly has its fans, but it's hard for anyone to argue that the film ever managed to reach the heights of its predecessor, 2008's The Dark Knight. There are many reasons that Nolan's second Batman film is widely regarded as a modern classic, but by far the strongest argument is that of Heath Ledger's Joker.
More so than any other, this Joker is a work of nature; terrifying, unpredictable and truly unsettling. Through Ledger's masterful performance, audiences were treated to a Joker for the ages, leaving many wondering how anyone could ever top such an act.
Following his tragic, untimely passing, this left the film's sequel minus one of its villains (who would reportedly played a big part in TDKR). Bless him, Tom Hardy's Bane tried, but the Joker's shadow loomed heavily over the whole film - which had a great number of flaws, even without its sizeable villain problem.