20 Greatest 90s Movie Villains

Could it have been anyone else at the top? Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) might've been parodied to death, yet watching him is still enthralling even now. This cannibalistic serial killer is a Sadean hero, an ego-driven, transgressive murderer who defies all of society's boundaries. With his unnaturally still composure and extraordinary intellect, he's an otherworldly, almost superhuman figure, one who commits many deranged acts.  

When he fully unleashes the animal within, he's a savage and pitiless killer who's very frightening to watch. Paradoxically, he's strangely likable at the same time. He's a darkly hilarious genius who gets all the best lines, he's a charismatic rebel against any sort of natural order, and, to give credit where it's due, he does help protagonist Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) capture the aforementioned Buffalo Bill. Speaking of which, Lecter's complicated bond with Starling is the stuff of cinematic legend, and their scenes together are some of horror's best. 

Lecter is such a layered, captivating figure of evil, one who viewers will love and hate in equal measure. And of course, it'd be criminal to discuss him without mentioning Anthony Hopkins, who was fantastically brilliant in the part. Even if him winning Best Actor instead of Best Supporting Actor was technically category fraud, no-one really cares about that. In less than 20 minutes of screen time, Hopkins crafted one of the greatest movie villains of any decade.