There's no redemption in sight for these fictional foes. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most depraved and treacherous characters in film. For this list, we’ll be looking at live action only.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most depraved and treacherous
00:12characters in film.
00:21For this list, we'll be looking at live action only.
00:23Major spoilers to come.
00:25Number 10.
00:26Emperor Sheev Palpatine, Star Wars Franchise
00:29This insidious Darsidious is renowned for being one of the most odious villains in all
00:33of Star Wars.
00:35As the Emperor of the Galactic Empire, he was responsible for the destruction of the
00:38Republic.
00:55He was also the one to corrupt Anakin Skywalker, preying on his fears and turning him to the
00:59dark side.
01:00After Anakin suffers burns and becomes Darth Vader, Palpatine keeps tight control over
01:04his apprentice.
01:08Palpatine's evil even lives on beyond his death by Vader, as he uses Snoke to lead the
01:22First Order against the New Republic.
01:25He even, somehow, returns from the grave himself, revealing to be nothing less than Rey's
01:29own grandfather.
01:30And that cuts deep.
01:44This villain is definitely beyond the pale.
01:47Number 9.
01:48Ego, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
01:51Speaking of dark fathers, this Ego is not super.
01:54In this power-packed sequel, Peter Quill meets his father, Ego, after the latter saves
01:58him and the other Guardians from the Sovereign's drones.
02:14It turns out Ego is a celestial with god-like powers in manipulating matter, and he even
02:19teaches Peter how to control his own celestial power.
02:21Alas, it's all too good to be true.
02:24Much like a god, Ego has impregnated countless women and killed their offspring when they
02:28did not inherit his celestial power.
02:31He even admits to giving Peter's mother the brain tumor that killed her.
02:43To top it all off, he then drains Peter's energy.
02:46Seeing this egotistical leech has never been so satisfying.
03:03Number 8.
03:04Warden Samuel Norton, The Shawshank Redemption
03:07The evils of the prison system being the breeding ground for twisted personalities is nothing
03:11new.
03:13guard Percy Wetmore and his abuse in the Green Mile, but without a doubt, the most
03:22corrupt of all prison wardens is Samuel Norton.
03:25Norton lent his prisoners as laborers for public works, receiving bribes, and used Andy
03:30to launder the money.
03:37But most egregiously of all, when Andy comes to him with evidence of his innocence, Norton
03:41responds by putting him in solitary confinement for months and rescinding all of Andy's
03:46privileges.
03:47Norton proves his sadism and lack of empathy.
03:49It's supremely satisfying to see Andy best him by escaping the hellhole that is prison
03:53life under Norton.
04:04Number 7.
04:05Noah Cross, Chinatown
04:07Corporate lords are truly the worst.
04:10P.I. Jake Giddes crosses paths with industrialist Noah Cross, whose daughter, Evelyn, is married
04:15to his ex-partner, Hollis.
04:29What follows is a complex scheme by the water department to dry the land and sell it cheaply.
04:34When Hollis finds out, Cross kills him.
04:37But that is not all to Cross's depravity.
04:39Evelyn confesses to Giddes that Cross impregnated her when she was a teen, and she gave birth
04:44to her sister-daughter, Catherine.
04:56One of the most bone-chilling moments is when Evelyn tries to protect Catherine from Cross,
05:01only to end up dead with Cross dragging Catherine away.
05:07Now this is the true heart of darkness.
05:10Number 6.
05:11Cypher, The Matrix
05:13Choosing fantasy over real life has never been so morally compromised.
05:17Morpheus and his crew fight against the supercomputers that keep mankind enslaved and sedated in
05:21the Matrix, but one of the crew members, Cypher, meets with Agent Smith and desires to be plugged
05:36into the Matrix and return to his false but comfortable life there.
05:53And Cypher is not only content with betraying his friends.
05:56Once he exits the Matrix, he kills the rest of his crew members as they lie unconscious.
06:00Fortunately, Tank kills him just before he could do away with Neo and Trinity.
06:14Number 5.
06:15Peter Pettigrew, Harry Potter Franchise
06:17Speaking of rats, here is one of the most treacherous of all.
06:20When thinking about irredeemable Harry Potter characters, Dolores Umbridge certainly comes
06:24to mind.
06:33But without Peter Pettigrew's treachery, this whole series would have never happened.
06:37When the Potters are targeted by Voldemort, Sirius persuades them to make their close
06:40friend Peter the secret keeper instead of him.
06:43The obvious choice.
06:53Little did they know that Peter was a spy working for Voldemort and he ratted the Potter's
06:57secret location.
06:58Most outrageous of all, he escapes capture and returns to Voldemort, helping resurrect
07:02him into greater power.
07:18Number 4.
07:19Mary Lee Johnston, Precious
07:22One thing arguably worse than a friend's betrayal is a family's betrayal.
07:26Precious is a young Harlem teen struggling not just with poverty.
07:41Her mother, Mary Lee, not only allowed her husband to impregnate Precious, but also abused
07:46her herself.
07:47Why does she hate Precious so much?
07:49She was jealous of what she considered Precious's seduction of her husband and held her responsible
07:54for his eventual abandonment.
08:02Precious finally gets the courage to stand up to her abuser, sever ties, and leave with
08:06her two children.
08:07Mary's monstrosity going unpunished, however, makes Precious's victory bittersweet.
08:27Number 3.
08:28Captain Vidal, Pan's Labyrinth
08:30Just seeing this villain shave makes our skin crawl.
08:42Fascists are heinous and despicable, but one thing that makes this Franco-era fascist truly
08:47monstrous is his ruthlessness both in his job and his personal life.
08:51Vidal not only hunts down, tortures, and kills anti-fascist rebels, but also those who betray
08:56even the slightest bit of sympathy for them.
09:02Vidal also neglects his pregnant wife Carmen's growing illness, caring only that she lives
09:06long enough to bear him a son.
09:08Carmen dies in childbirth, and when her daughter, Ophelia, tries to flee with her newborn brother,
09:14Vidal shoots her dead.
09:21Luckily, the rebels get Vidal and kill him, rescuing his son, a very fit ending for this
09:28horrible monster.
09:30Number 2.
09:31Nurse Ratched, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
09:33We have seen people in positions of power abuse that power dishonorably, but a prison
09:38warden is one thing, a nurse is another.
09:46Nurse Ratched is head nurse of a mental health hospital, a tyrant over her patients.
09:51When free-spirited Randall McMurphy threatens her control over the patients, Ratched takes
09:55away the patient's cigarettes and their card-playing privileges.
09:58Ratched sent the rebels to the disturbed ward.
10:07When Ratched catches Billy with a girlfriend, she confronts him and psychologically manipulates
10:11him by bringing up his mother.
10:13The McMurphy-Ratched war gets to a head when McMurphy tries to strangle Ratched, only to
10:18end up lobotomized.
10:19Ratched wins, and it is terrifying.
10:27Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:30Briony Tallis, Atonement
10:32Because this 13-year-old's lies destroyed her entire family.
10:40Immortan Joe, Mad Max franchise, for being a slave master and unconscionable tyrant.
10:56Denethor, Lord of the Rings The Return of the King, for his greed, selfishness, and
11:00corruption as Gondor's steward.
11:13Captain Dudley Smith, LA Confidential
11:16Because this cop murders his way to the top.
11:32Guy Woodhouse, Rosemary's Baby Because your husband being a Satanist is the
11:36worst of red flags.
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12:06Commodus, Gladiator
12:08You know a villain is truly unforgivable when he murders his own father just so that he
12:12can be Emperor of Rome.
12:14The ne'er-do-well son of the renowned Marcus Aurelius, Commodus kills his way to the top
12:19and threatens to do away with anyone who opposes him.
12:24He exiles Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, executing his wife and children.
12:30When Maximus returns as a gladiator, intent on vengeance, Commodus tries to sabotage him
12:34by pitting him against the undefeated Tigris and sticking tigers on him.
12:38Commodus also threatens his sister and insists she give him an heir.
12:43Commodus is finally killed by Maximus, which is more than a relief.
12:55It's a celebration.
12:56It's a shame Maximus had to lose his life though.
12:59Which other villainous characters will you never forgive and never forget?
13:03Let us know in the comments down below!