
Every good movie has a villain, some antagonists trying to keep our heroes from achieving greatness (or just, you know, surviving). From The Silence of the Lambs to Star Wars to Psycho, movie villains can be straight out of our worst nightmares, the serial killers and monsters who only plague our minds as we're trying to go to sleep. Whether you're haunted by Michael Myers, Freddy Kreuger, Hannibal Lecter, or Darth Vader, the great villains of cinema history are the ones who stay with you long after the credits roll.
A great villain can make you love—or at least respect—them, even while actively rooting for their defeat. Think about it; if you're a horror movie fan, you've likely had to give at least one or two villains their props, even as they're terrorizing the protagonist. Of course, sometimes movie villains turn out to be real-life villains, making their performances all the more harrowing.
These are the best movie villains in film history. Don't forget to check under the bed tonight.
Pennywise

Chucky

The Wicked Witch of the West

Thanos

Norman Bates

Hannibal Lecter

The Xenomorph

Baby Jane Hudson

Alex

Amy Dunne

Agent Smith

Annie Wilkes

The Terminator

Anton Chigurh

Michael Myers

Harry Powell

Noah Cross

Freddy Krueger

Darth Vader

Colonel Hans Landa

Keyser Söze

Max Cady

Nurse Ratched

Frank Booth

T-1000

Peter and Paul

The Joker

John Doe
