12 Most Terrifying Action Movie Villains

When it came to editing both parts of his magnum opus Kill Bill, Quentin Tarantino made the genius move of not even showing the title antagonist in Vol One. The character is given about a dozen lines of dialogue and that's it until the second part, when we first see David Carradine's Bill attend the wedding of The Bride, shortly before giving the order for his accomplices to kill her. That decision to hold him at bay results in so much suspense around the character, he almost becomes mythical.

When we finally do meet Bill properly, it's probably not what you expected at all. It's Carradine's cool-like approach to the character that works - it almost puts the audience in a state of disbelief that this guy is supposed to be capable of serial murder and more. He constantly remains calm, but he puts us under a false illusion, like a viper biding its time, and when he finally does strike at the climax of the film - using The Bride's daughter to manipulate her - it's then you realise he's been playing the long game all along, and he really is capable of anything.