Every Star Trek Movie Villain Ranked From Worst To Best
6. Shinzon
Tom Hardy's Shinzon has aged well over the years. When Star Trek: Nemesis was released in theatres in 2002, Hardy was only starting out in the business. The poor reception to the film hit the actor hard, sending him into a spiral of depression which took him a long time to recover from. One of the many injustices of this is that Shinzon is, in fairness, one of Trek's better villains.
Hardy plays his scenes opposite Patrick Stewart with a seething gusto. He manages to be at once an imitation of Picard, while being completely unique as well. He is soft spoken and calm, then wild with rage. By the time that the film reaches its climax, one truly believes that Shinzon will go to any lengths in his search for the key to his existence - even if it kills him in the process.
What let's him down slightly is the Reman soldiers surrounding him. The audience is told in the beginning that the Remans are a subjugated race who were used as slave labour, though they are some of the most vicious footsoldiers in the Romulan fleet. However, with the notable exception of Ron Perlman's Viceroy, none of them seem particularly challenging. It stands out enough to harm the film, surrounding Hardy's powerful performance with a seriously deflated force.
Nemesis may not be Trek at its best, but it is still a very good film.