Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most compelling, iconic, and memorable characters either created by Tim Burton or that feature prominently in his movies.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the most compelling, iconic
00:08and memorable characters either created by Tim Burton or that feature prominently in
00:13his movies.
00:14And we'll be sticking strictly to Burton's work on the big screen.
00:18Sorry, Wednesday fans.
00:35Plenty of people get nervous on their wedding day, but not everyone's nerves lead to such
00:39grave misunderstandings.
00:40Yet, despite leaving one bride at the rehearsal and accidentally marrying another from beyond
00:44the grave, Victor Van Dort is one of Tim Burton's most well-meaning creations.
00:55The son of aspiring socialites, the reluctant newlywed is much kinder than his status of
00:59flakiness might indicate.
01:01After all, wouldn't you feel out of place if you were suddenly whisked off on an underworldly
01:05honeymoon?
01:12In any case, despite his clumsiness and indecisiveness, Victor maintains his idealism and a strong
01:17dedication to those who care about him.
01:19He firmly believes in doing the right thing rather than the easy thing, and that's something
01:23we can definitely get behind.
01:30It's hard to do justice to one of the most famous ghost stories ever told, but Burton
01:39finds a way, even if the plot is altered significantly.
01:42The same can be said of the infamous spirit at the heart of Sleepy Hollow.
01:45Reimagined as the prime suspect of a murder mystery, the headless horseman transcends
01:50his paranormal origins and is now a cold-blooded killer out for vengeance.
01:59A sharp-toothed soldier who thrived on violence and life, his role in the events following
02:03his death make him all the more terrifying.
02:05He's arguably the closest any Burton character has come to embodying pure evil.
02:10But, as is usually the case, what we think we know about the undead monster is eventually
02:14turned on its head.
02:19We're still not sure what business Tim Burton had directing this misguided remake.
02:32Given the insurmountable precedence set by the 1968 original, it's fair to say this
02:37Planet of the Apes was destined to blow up.
02:39But one thing we can't scoff at is the excellent antagonist we got for our troubles.
02:43Even without much of a show to steal, Tim Roth completely throws himself into the role.
02:52General Thade is a malevolent chimp determined to persecute those he believes are beneath
02:57him.
02:58While undeniably wicked, his eccentric behaviour also represents just how much fun this Planet
03:02of the Apes could have been.
03:10The corrupt ape fits in surprisingly well in the thematic line of Burton villains who
03:14reject outsiders.
03:20We're not entirely sure where Burton's fascination with deceased dogs came from,
03:36but we're happy it's given us a character as lovable as Sparky.
03:39This harmless but energetic bull terrier is one of Burton's earliest characters, as
03:43he was the subject of a 1984 short film before being revived in stop-motion form in 2012.
03:55Brought back to life after his untimely departure by a young Victor Frankenstein, Sparky may
04:00lose his tail from time to time, but his unconditional love for his boy remains fairly intact.
04:05Unfortunately, their renewed bond isn't without consequence, as chaos ensues once
04:09word of Victor's experimentation spreads around town.
04:13But their second chance at friendship undoubtedly speaks to anyone with love for a pet.
04:34We've got to show some love to the baddest cat in Gotham.
04:37Played by Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns, Selina Kyle's quest for revenge against
04:41the man who tried to kill her is a far cry from the cat burglar many know her to be.
04:46Her noticeably stitched-together catsuit is not only a seductive statement of individuality,
04:50but also a tragic reflection of her warped state of mind.
04:59Garnering intrigue from the city's other rogues, she's at her strongest when doing
05:03things her own way.
05:05Even as the prospect of a happy ending with the Bat becomes more alluring, it's that
05:09commitment to herself that has influenced subsequent portrayals of Catwoman in the years
05:13since.
05:32In our heart of hearts, Gene Wilder's take on the reclusive chocolatier is still the
05:36most iconic.
05:37But that's not to say Johnny Depp's version of Willy Wonka is without its memorable qualities.
05:42Rather than try to one-up his predecessor, Depp instead reinvents the Candyman with an
05:46added depth beneath his delicious confections.
05:59His Wonka is easily the darkest iteration of the character, as he wears his disdain
06:03for others right on his finely tailored sleeves.
06:06But it's also the most sympathetic, as we're treated to a surprising backstory that informs
06:10his one-of-a-kind ideas.
06:12One thing's for sure though, no-one can find the humour in a messed-up situation quite
06:16like Willy.
06:29The creative liberties Burton and company took when adapting the legend of Sleepy Hollow
06:33extended to the main character.
06:35But Johnny Depp's performance as Ichabod Crane does a lot to elevate the film's eerie
06:39vibe.
06:40A haughty schoolteacher in the original tale, Crane evolves into a timid detective sent
06:44to investigate a series of grisly murders.
06:52His socially awkward disposition, along with his predilection towards science and logic,
06:56provide the perfect counter to Sleepy Hollow's supernatural occurrences.
07:00Crane is definitely in over his head, but Depp knows exactly when to maintain his composure
07:05and when to dial things up.
07:12As the Constable's beliefs begin to change with each body that piles up, ours do as well.
07:31Somebody has to be the nicest and gentlest monster in a town chock-full of them.
07:35A creation of Halloweentown's resident mad scientist, Ragdoll Sally longs for freedom
07:39and dreams of a life with Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington.
07:42But she's also unafraid to stand up for what's right, unwilling to let her love
07:46for Jack cloud her judgement.
07:58Voiced with a touching dose of childlike innocence by Catherine O'Hara, Sally's curiosity
08:03about the world and her friendly demeanour prove to be her greatest assets.
08:07She's truly selfless, and even if Halloween and Christmas have a hard time co-existing,
08:11her intelligence and warmth ultimately brings out the best in both holidays.
08:28Even if it's no longer the definitive take on the Clown Prince of Crime, Jack Nicholson's
08:37demented performance as the Joker was surely the mark to beat for many years.
08:41Dropped into a vat of chemicals after being sold out by his boss, deranged mobster Jack
08:46Napier emerges with chalk white skin, green hair and one of the most terrifying grins
08:51in movie history.
09:02Nicholson lets his freak flag fly high, as the Joker stakes his claim on Gotham City's
09:07underworld.
09:08He comes awfully close to stealing the movie from Batman himself.
09:10He fully embraces the spirit of the character with his cruel pranks and ingenious one-liners.
09:15This is one devil we will gladly dance with any chance we get.
09:31This just might be the most optimistic film in Burton's entire catalogue, and it's
09:35fittingly headlined by one of his most positive characters.
09:38As a gifted storyteller, it's hard to know whether or not the tales Edward Bloom spins
09:42for his family are true or not.
09:44But the gleeful exuberance with which he recounts them is such that it really doesn't matter.
09:57Whether he's befriending giants and werewolves or wooing the love of his life with daffodils,
10:01his adventures are an epic of the humblest order.
10:04No matter how far he travels, he always knows exactly where home is.
10:07Charming and daring, he's a character that audiences can both envy and be inspired by.
10:27Having created the template for one of cinema's greatest characters, Bela Lugosi is a legend
10:31of the silver screen.
10:33Quite many years after he faded from the Dracula limelight, Edward captures Lugosi as a washed-up
10:38loner desperate to cling to the fame he knows he'll likely never regain.
10:50Played by Martin Landau in an Oscar-winning performance, Lugosi's friendship with the
10:54titular filmmaker forms the crux of this off-kilter biopic.
10:58Finding renewed purpose through Wood's notoriously terrible movies, Landau invites viewers to
11:03see Lugosi for the larger-than-life star he once was.
11:15The results are both funny and profoundly sad.
11:18Lugosi may be synonymous with a legendary villain, but Landau brilliantly taps into
11:22the heroism required to try again.
11:41Winona Ryder has lent her talents to Tim Burton's projects on numerous occasions.
11:46While her gentler turn as Kim Boggs helped give Edward Scissorhands its heart, her role
11:50as Lydia Dietz is easily their most memorable collaboration.
11:53Unimpressed with her father and stepmother's approach to life, Lydia's scepticism and
11:57gloomy outlook is matched by her signature aesthetic.
12:04But, as with many Burton characters, an encounter with the dead is more than enough to bring
12:11her back to life.
12:13Finding a couple of kindred spirits in the ghosts haunting her new home, she strikes
12:16a great balance between controlling her fate and letting others in.
12:20The strange and unusual of the world are proud to call her one of their own.
12:39There's a hole in the world like a great black pit, and out of it crawled one of Burton's
12:43most vicious characters ever.
12:45But the brilliance of this musical adaptation is how much you can come to care for the title
12:49character, even when he chooses violence.
12:55Returning to London after being wrongfully exiled, Sweeney Todd seeks revenge.
13:00With the equally sinister Mrs Lovett by his side, his plan involves a few sharpened razors,
13:04some questionable meat pies, and a host of Sondheim's most oddly infectious musical
13:09numbers.
13:14Johnny Depp's transformation into the tragic anti-hero is startling to say the least, but
13:19he convinces us that even the cruelest world has something worth avenging.
13:36Tim Burton is no stranger to providing a new spin on well-known characters, but Danny DeVito's
13:41twisted performance as the Penguin is one of the ultimate examples of how the director
13:45is able to put his stamp on something for the better.
13:48From his rotund build to his flippers and startling disfigurements, Oswald Cobblepot
13:52is a creature straight out of gothic horror.
14:03Having been abandoned by his wealthy parents as an infant due to his differences, he's
14:06a frightening and at times sad reflection of who Bruce Wayne could have become.
14:11Oswald walks a very thin line between man and beast, and sometimes we don't know if
14:15we should be running from him or offering him a hug.
14:32Burton rarely does biopics, but when he does, he knows precisely how to look for the authentic,
14:37eccentricities of his subjects.
14:39Luckily, his predilection towards oddballs found a perfect match in someone he had long
14:43been a fan of.
14:49Recreating someone as singular as Ed Wood could have easily lent itself to parody, but
14:53Johnny Depp's sincere portrayal of the director is instead a tribute to the dreamer in all
14:58of us.
14:59Wood's refusal to compromise his artistic vision is at once noble and bittersweet.
15:09Humorously over-the-top even when he's being deadly serious, Wood may not have won much
15:14respect in his lifetime, but he undoubtedly wins ours by the time the credits roll.
15:25You can't get more macabre than awakening someone from the dead, but Emily is a textbook
15:35case of how to find humanity where you least expect it.
15:38Possibly the nicest and most beautiful zombie in movie history, Emily was dealt a cruel
15:42hand in life, but loses none of her admirable qualities in the face of death.
15:52Brought fully into existence through the tender voice of Helena Bonham Carter, she
15:55seeks to reclaim her worth by marrying the hapless Victor.
15:59Emily may be a bit too naive for her own good, but she's still worthy of love nonetheless.
16:04More importantly, she learns that true love means nothing without sacrifice, and she's
16:08willing to give up her happiness for the sake of others.
16:28Who would have guessed that one of Burton's most haunting and complex characters to date
16:32would be a man dressed up as a bat?
16:34With the actor and character both generally associated with comedy at the time, few were
16:38prepared for Michael Keaton's portrayal of the Caped Crusader to be as layered and
16:42mature as it turned out to be.
16:43Bruce Wayne is a tortured soul running from his past, and Keaton masterfully conveys his
16:48quest for justice as a mask for his anger and loneliness.
16:53Incredibly, he's able to do all of this while barely saying a word, as his facial
17:03expressions and disciplined fighting style do most of the talking.
17:06He's simultaneously the coolest and calmest guy in Gotham.
17:10Well, most of the time he's calm, other times he's nuts.
17:28Halloween Town has plenty of other unique citizens who could have easily made this list,
17:32but while Oogie Boogie always has our attention, our hearts still belong to the Pumpkin King
17:36himself.
17:37Arguably Burton's most instantly recognisable character, Jack Skellington may also be his
17:42most relatable as well.
17:53Feeling unfulfilled as the spooky season passes each year, he determines that the best way
17:58to spice things up is to oversee Christmas instead.
18:01Defined equally by his unique interpretation of the holidays and his pinstripe suit, Jack
18:06has the best intentions in mind, even if his actions inevitably lead to bedlam.
18:10Nevertheless, anyone can relate to the lessons he learns about staying true to himself while
18:15discovering something new in life.
18:29Burton has called this film his favourite, and given the everlasting appeal of the title
18:32character, it's easy to see why.
18:35With blades for fingers and a heart he nobly wears on his sleeve, Edward Scissorhands is
18:39to direct his imagination, operating at the peak of its powers.
18:47Brought into society for the first time, Edward's brief brushes with friendship, love and the
18:51possibility of a home lend themselves to a slew of wholesome moments and tragic realisations.
19:02Far too good for a world that can't see past his foreboding exterior, he comes closer
19:06than any of Burton's characters to mirroring the man himself.
19:09There's just something indescribably magnetic about a character we can't get too close
19:14to.
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19:33He's the ghost with the most, and has the most reasons to top this list.
19:48For an undead spirit, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more lively and entertaining character
19:53across Burton's filmography.
19:54Hired by the recently deceased Maitlands to spook the annoying new tenant out of their
19:59house, Beetlejuice isn't searching for unfinished business and he's really not that evil.
20:03Nope, he haunts the living for the best reason there is, because it's fun.
20:09Rude, profane and a nuisance to pretty much everyone he encounters, Michael Keaton plays
20:16the role of the maniacal poltergeist to absolute perfection.
20:19He's one of the most unique characters in movie history, and undoubtedly, the one that
20:24Tim Burton owes much of his career to.
20:32So which Tim Burton character do you identify with the most?
20:35Let us know in the comments.