20 Awesome Villains We Can’t Help Rooting For

No matter what we’re told, no matter what the characters want us to think, there are some films in which only the bad guy will do the trick. Gone are the days of rooting for the characters who do the most good; if a person on screen isn’t interesting, we don’t want to hear about it. Whilst they get a bad rep within the film world, outside of it, baddies are the most complex and captivating characters. Playing by the rules is all well and good but if you want people to like you, you have to draw a little outside of the lines.

Aladdin – Jafar and Iago

The sickly Aladdin/Jasmine relationship gets a little trying at times and there is no sweeter relief that a little plotting with Jafar and Iago. Whilst the parrot more than steals the show, there’s something about Jafar’s chin which seems to captivate audiences everywhere. Here’s to their next world domination plan and the hopes that it finally works out.

The Usual Suspects – Keyser Soze

In The Usual Suspects, we bank on the fact that the ever-elusive Keyser Soze will get away with it and fool the cops. Played out in the stifling police office, the game of cat and mouse is remarkably one sided and when the cops finally realize what has happened, it’s far too late. Raise your glasses to Keyser Soze, the true villain.

American Psycho – Patrick Bateman

Whether you believe that Patrick Bateman’s murderous rampages were real or not, there’s no denying the fact that he’s a villain you can really get behind. Despite the graphic murder scenes and meaningless dialogue, it is impossible not to fall in love with Patrick Bateman’s killer charm.

The Dark Knight – The Joker

Admittedly, Batman is a pretty good superhero but when he’s up against the Joker himself, there’s really no competition. If innocent people didn’t have to die, I’m sure we’d all be joining the ranks of the Joker, helping him with his next project. Sadly, we just have to enjoy his madness from the other side of the screen.

The Silence Of The Lambs – Hannibal Lecter

It’s easy to forget the fact that Hannibal Lecter is a cannibal and murderer in The Silence of the Lambs. I mean, he’s just so helpful to Clarice. Whilst he has to play out his life from behind protective barriers, we can still root for the fact that he is an awesome baddie.

Scarface – Tony Montana

Tony Montana is a cheat, an addict and an all-round bad guy. That doesn’t stop us from rooting for him in the final moments of Scarface, though. Maybe there’s something about Al Pacino, maybe there’s something in the water but it’s pretty clear that we will never stop loving Tony Montana.

Dexter – Dexter

Despite that Dexter is a full on sociopath, we like to overlook it and convince ourselves that he is taking the high road. And really, he is. He just has to kill lots of people and has trouble retaining a real relationship. But then again, I’m sure that we’ve all been there.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas – The Grinch

Hands up if you find the townsfolk of Whoville judgmental and insufferable? I’m pretty sure that anyone who has ever watched The Grinch is rooting for the big green monster to steal Christmas away from the self-righteous Whos, even if it means upsetting a few children along the way.

Drive – The Driver

The nameless driver in Drive is clearly a little off-beat. A man of few words, he literally smashes someone’s face in and walks away without a care in the world. Of course, we know that there is much more going on beneath the surface and if the driver had a chance to explain, we would definitely be on his side.

Fight Club -Tyler Durden

Tyler Durden is the man that you love to hate. Played by Brad Pitt in Fight Club, he is cocky, aggressive and won’t take no for an answer. Still, it’s pretty hard not to fall for him and it isn’t long before we’ve all fallen under his spell. He only need click his fingers and the rest would be done.

Jurassic Park – The Dinosaurs

In the scheme of things, the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park have a pretty bad time. Brought back by scheming scientists, they are then blamed for following their natural instincts and ostracised by the world. In reality, the dinosaurs are the victims and all we should want to do is a give them a big hug.

The Sopranos – Tony Soprano

Tony Soprano is the ultimate character that we love to hate. Despite his questionable activity and his position within the mob, there’s no denying the fact that we all secretly hope he will come out of any situation unscathed. He is the man who can do no wrong, even when he is wrong.

Beetlejuice – Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice is the malevolent spirit that just won’t take no for an answer. Recruited to haunt away an insufferable couple, he then finds himself outcast for doing what others asked of him. Can’t a ghost win? Still, audiences everywhere love Beetlejuice and in our eyes, at least, he will always be a hero.

Collateral – Vincent

Vincent in Collateral is the ultimate sleazy hitman and when he takes over Max Durocher’s taxicab, it looks like things are going to take a turn for the worse. Despite his overwhelming personality and preference for danger, we love everything that Vincent does and even when things get dark, we can’t help but continue to watch.

Godzilla – Godzilla

Godzilla joins the ranks of animals turned bad by their human counterparts. The wrath that Godzilla releases onto the streets of Tokyo is through no fault of his own and if the scientists who created him would have only stopped before they got too cocky, things would have been a little different. It’s their own fault, really.

Jaws – Jaws

Poor old Jaws. A shark following its stomach, it is punished by the stupid human population who can’t resist dangling their legs in the water. It’s no surprise that things go a little downhill and it’s clear that if people avoided the sea in the first place, everything would have been okay.

Fargo – Carl Showater and Gaear Grimsrud

Carl Showater and Gaear Grimsrud in Fargo are some of the most likeable thugs in all of cinema. Tasked with kidnapping a local man’s wife, they find themselves buried in the deep end and when things start to go wrong, they have no idea what they’re doing.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – Davy Jones

In the scheme of things, Davy Jones is probably the most sympathetic character in the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Condemned to live on the seas for eternity, his tale is genuinely tragic and when the other characters turn on him, it’s more than a little irritating.

Peter Pan – Captain Hook

Peter Pan gets the prize for most annoying “hero” ever. On the other side of things, Captain Hook gets it really bad and Peter’s endless taunting and teasing just doesn’t seem fair. One day, we hope that Hook will get his own back and turn the tables on Peter.

M – Hans Beckert

Despite being a child murderer and social outcast, we find ourselves rooting for Hans Beckert to get away with things. When an angry mob takes matters into their own hands, we hope desperately that things won’t catch up with Hans. He just looks so scared.