10 Movie Villains Who Turned Heroes Evil

The dichotomy of good vs evil is the basis for most storytelling. In a happy film, good triumphs. In a sad film, the bad guys get their way in the end.

Between the start and the finish, however, there's a bit of wiggle room. Really good storytelling might include a revelation that the good guy has been bad this whole time, or perhaps there's been a mole in the baddie's hideout passing along helpful info - and it's the person who you least expect.

Very occasionally, and quite excitingly, we might see someone we know and love do an about-turn, and end up on the wrong side of what we'd expect. Whether its blackmail, hypnosis, or just plain old psychosis - sometimes our heroes end up being a bit of a villain.

It's time to explore those dastardly miscreants managed to push some of our favourite protagonists into some decidedly antagonistic situations - and just maybe a couple of them don't find their way back to the light.

Anakin Skywalker’s fate was predetermined from the very beginning. By the time we first meet him in A New Hope, he’s already the powerful fallen Jedi serving a totalitarian Empire.

Anakin's transformation from miracle baby born into servitude to one of the galaxy’s most powerful Sith Lords is down to Emperor Palpatine. The initially unnamed Emperor is Darth Vader’s master from the outset, but his full role in the downfall of Anakin is uncovered in the prequels.

Senator Palpatine at first appears as a well-meaning, charismatic politician with only the best of intentions, helping the galaxy-wide Republic to prosper. He is ultimately revealed to be Sith lord Darth Sidious, with anything but good intentions.

Under the guise of diplomacy, Palpatine steadily manipulates the council over the course of the prequels, ultimately taking complete control over the Republic and turning it into the Empire we knew from the originals.

Part of his plan involved wiping out the Jedi, and as such targeting a Jedi believed to bring balance to the force to become his Sith apprentice would be a solid move.

Anakin's turn to the darkside is at least initially motivated by love; he truly believes Palpatine is the only one who can save his wife Padme, who he foresaw would die in childbirth. This simple inroad leads to Palpetine's manipulation of from the good-natured, intelligent, loving young boy into a Sith lord driven by fear and hate.