4. Commodus (Gladiator)
Why is he never on any lists? The conniving, weeping, dastardly fella is a dying breed of villain; sniveling in the shadow of everyone around him and believing he is at the top. In fact, isn't Commodus the real-life villain we're all secretly afraid of working for? He's the indelible and unworthy heir to a throne that rules over a vast body of people and ultimately controls all the power. I think often we forget about the villains like this because we're so entranced by the mysterious, philosophical or physically threatening ones, and we allow that disillusion to warp how we perceive the bad guys that could very well exist (in smaller doses) within our own lives. But Joaquin Phoenix's tragic, Oscar-nominated portrayal still presents one of the greatest cinematic villains of all time, and one that seemingly goes against the grain of types like Darth Vader, Hannibal Lector, and Norman Bates. Sometimes, having all the power doesn't mean you're strong-willed or strong-natured; sometimes it just means you were next in line.
"You wrote to me once, listing the four chief virtues: Wisdom, justice, fortitude and temperance. As I read the list, I knew I had none of them. But I have other virtues, father. Ambition. That can be a virtue when it drives us to excel. Resourcefulness, courage, perhaps not on the battlefield, but... there are many forms of courage. Devotion, to my family and to you. But none of my virtues were on your list. Even then it was as if you didn't want me for your son. "