10 Movie Villains Whose Conscience Got The Better Of Them

5. Anton Ego - Ratatouille (2007)

Pixar villains are always a treat; the sadistic Sid from Toy Story, Hopper from A Bug's Life, Syndrome from The Incredibles - all of them delight in their tyrannical ways, and all of them get their just desserts by the end of the film. Anton Ego is a different story: the ultimate food critic, Ego is singlehandedly responsible for the success or demise of any restaurant he reviews. He does delight in his work (admitting "negative criticism is fun to read and to write") but his demeanour is so sullen and melancholy that perhaps "delight" is too strong a descriptor. But all of his cranky, damning, posturing insults melt away with one taste of Remy's Ratatouille. A quick flashback to his childhood days seems to take hold of the cold heart of Anton Ego, and his days spent disparaging hard-working cooks suddenly end with a single bite, even when he discovers the chef's secret. He devotes himself anew to "the defense of the new" - and becomes one of the good guys in the process.