7 Great Mysterious Strangers in Movies

6. "The Operative" from Serenity (2005)

Stoic, calculating, and rank-less, Joss Whedon introduced the Operative in his swan song to Firefly under the guise of actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who electrifies the screen as the dutiful, secret government assassin. A villain who is not deterred by the horror of killing children, and one whose actions *spoiler* take Shepard Book away from the rag-tag team of space pirates *end spoiler*, the Operative hides behind a mask of anonymity, never allowing anything to stand in the way of his goals to bring River Tam back to the Alliance at all costs. In fact, it could be said that the Operative best personifies the Alliance itself; cold, unfeeling, and dedicated to the cause at hand.

"I'm a monster. What I do is evil. I have no illusions about it, but it must be done."