Villains in movies and TV shows are often the characters you can’t stop thinking about—whether it’s because they’re so evil or because they’re played so convincingly by talented actors.
These actors bring these bad guys to life in a way that makes you feel intense emotions in which you can’t help but hate them, but at the same time, you can’t look away.
So, which of these villains do you love to hate?
1. Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Anthony Hopkins brought Hannibal Lecter to life as a chilling and unsettling villain. In The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal is a brilliant psychiatrist who’s also a dangerous cannibalistic serial killer.
Fans fear him because he’s unpredictable, and he embodies a mix of intelligence and darkness that feels too real. He’s done gruesome crimes, but he’s also strangely likable, which makes people uncomfortable.
2. Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal Lecter in Hannibal (2013–2015)
Mads Mikkelsen’s take on Hannibal Lecter in the TV series Hannibal shows a smoother, more sophisticated version of the character. He’s charismatic and refined, even while committing horrifying acts.
This version of Hannibal is hated because he’s almost hypnotic—he draws you in with his charm and then reveals his monstrous side. He’s fascinating to watch, yet you’ll know he’s deeply manipulative and dangerous.
3. Michael Emerson as Benjamin Linus in Lost (2004–2010)
Benjamin Linus, played by Michael Emerson, is a master manipulator and one of the most hated characters in Lost. He seems like he’s always scheming and lies to everyone around him. Fans often can’t tell if he’s trying to help or if he’s just looking out for himself.
Ben’s ability to make you question his intentions keeps you on edge, and people hate him because he’s so good at getting away with his twisted plans. His lack of clear morals and his manipulative nature make it hard to trust or like him.
4. Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
Lena Headey’s portrayal of Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones made her one of TV’s most hated villains. Cersei is ruthless and will do anything to keep power, even if it means betraying those closest to her.
Her famous “walk of atonement” scene showed a rare moment of vulnerability, but it didn’t win much sympathy—Lena Headey even shared that while she was breastfeeding her baby daughter, the nurse who helped her repeated, “Shame”! (ref)
5. Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho (2000)
Christian Bale’s Patrick Bateman is another character fans love to hate. In American Psycho, he’s a wealthy investment banker who hides his violent and psychopathic side behind his polished appearance. He embodies everything shallow and self-centered about 1980s corporate culture.
People hate on him because he’s cold and heartless, treating others as disposable. You may feel repulsed yet intrigued because his character shows a shocking side of human nature.
6. Sarah Michelle Gellar as Kathryn in Cruel Intentions (1999)
Kathryn is a character who’s manipulative and has a cold, twisted side. She uses people for her own benefit, particularly when it comes to her stepbrother and their devious games.
Kathryn comes across as heartless, and her self-centeredness and cruelty make her an easy character to hate, especially since she seems to enjoy causing trouble for others.
7. Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
One of the most despised characters in the Harry Potter series, Dolores Umbridge isn’t the main villain, but she’s terrifying in her own way.
Her fake sweetness makes it even worse—you feel like she enjoys controlling others and making them suffer. Watching her take over Hogwarts is frustrating because she’s so petty, and her obsession with rules feels like a personal attack on the freedom of the students and the world of magic itself.
8. Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan in The Walking Dead (2016–2022)
Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan is one of the most hated villains in The Walking Dead. He’s brutal, ruthless, and doesn’t hesitate to hurt others to get what he wants. Fans remember him for the shocking scene where he kills two beloved characters with his barbed-wire bat, Lucille.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan told Entertainment Weekly that the hate was so intense that once, an elderly woman even flipped him off in public, while he was out with co-star Norman Reedus, who plays Daryl. (ref)
9. Antony Starr as Homelander in The Boys (2019–present)
Homelander is another villain fans love to hate. He’s a superhero on the outside but a true villain underneath. As the face of the superhero team, he’s supposed to be a symbol of hope, but instead, he’s manipulative, selfish, and extremely dangerous.
He seems unstoppable, and his complete lack of empathy makes him terrifying. People feel sick watching him because he’s so corrupt and heartless and has power that he abuses in twisted ways.
10. Stanley Tucci as George Harvey in The Lovely Bones (2009)
Stanley Tucci’s George Harvey is one of the most disturbing characters you’ll see. He plays a predator who preys on young girls, and his actions are horrifying.
He represents pure evil—someone who hides behind a quiet, unassuming personality to commit truly vile crimes. Watching him is deeply uncomfortable because he reminds you of the worst dangers lurking beneath seemingly “normal” people.
11. Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus in Gladiator (2000)
Commodus is selfish, insecure, and willing to kill to stay in power. He’s jealous of the main hero, Maximus, and resents that he’s not respected or loved. Fans hate him because he’s whiny, ruthless, and takes shortcuts to achieve his goals.
Commodus isn’t a strong leader—he’s desperate for power and attention, and that makes him dangerous and unlikable. Seeing him manipulate and betray those around him makes fans root against him all the way.
12. Tom Wilson as Biff Tannen in Back to the Future (1985)
This character is the classic bully who’s mean, obnoxious, and takes pleasure in tormenting others, especially the main character, Marty McFly.
Biff’s loud and shameless attitude makes him memorable, and extremely unlikeable. In a 2017 interview, Tom Wilson recounted that “some guys would want to put me in a headlock, push me around, or get into a little scuffle with ‘that tough guy from Back to the Future because they thought I wasn’t so tough after all.’ And, well, I’m not that tough—I’m an actor; it’s all pretend!”(ref)
13. Ralph Fiennes in Various Roles
Ralph Fiennes has played several villains over the years, and each role makes fans feel something strong. One of his most famous villain roles is Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series (2005–2011).
Ralph also played Amon Goeth, a horrifying Nazi officer, in Schindler’s List (1993), which made audiences despise his character even more. Fiennes has a way of bringing dark, intense villains to life, and fans often struggle to separate the actor from his disturbing characters.
14. Alexander Skarsgård as Perry Walker in Big Little Lies (2017–2019)
Perry Walker is charming on the outside but secretly abusive to his wife, Celeste. Fans hate him because of his violent, controlling behavior and how he manipulates everyone around him.
The fact that he’s shown to be a loving father in some moments only makes his dark side more shocking. His actions cause a lot of pain for the other characters, and viewers can’t stand seeing how he twists everything to get his way.
15. Jesse Plemons as Todd in Breaking Bad (2008–2013)
Todd, played by Jesse Plemons, starts off as an unassuming character but as the show goes on, fans start to despise him. He’s young, naïve, and loyal to his uncle, but he’s also deeply corrupt.
He commits some of the most horrible actions on the show without any real remorse or understanding of their consequences. His lack of guilt and the way he goes along with dark plans without hesitation make him one of the most unsettling villains.
16. Billy Zane as Cal in Titanic (1997)
Billy Zane plays Cal, the rich and arrogant fiancé of Rose in Titanic. Fans love to hate Cal because he’s selfish, controlling, and does everything he can to keep Rose from being with Jack.
His wealth and privilege make him a perfect antagonist, and his obsessive behavior towards Rose makes him an easy target for fans’ anger. Despite being a villain, Zane has mentioned that he often hears contrasting fan comments about his character, such as “How could you?” or “Poor bastard.”(ref)
17. Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Tolian Soran in Star Trek: Generations (1994)
Dr. Tolian Soran is the villain in Star Trek: Generations. His selfish actions lead to the death of a beloved character, Captain Kirk. Soran’s obsession with trying to change the course of time and his disregard for the lives he destroys along the way make him a villain that fans love to despise.
Malcolm McDowell even mentioned in an interview that after his character killed Kirk, he received online threats, showing just how much fans felt angered by Soran’s role. (ref)
18. Paul Johansson as Dan Scott in One Tree Hill (2003–2012)
One Tree Hill’s Dan Scott is manipulative, selfish, and often cruel to his own family. Dan’s constant emotional abuse, betrayal, and attempts to control everything around him make him one of the most hated characters on the show.
Fans are especially angered by his actions toward his family—his toxic relationship with his son Nathan is especially painful to watch. Paul Johansson once said that a fan hit him with her purse because he was “so mean to that boy,” referring to his character’s dislike for Lucas, his fictional son, on the show. (ref)
19. Vanessa Morgan as Toni Topaz in Riverdale (2017–present)
Vanessa Morgan played Toni Topaz in Riverdale who is part of the Southside Serpents. While not a villain in the traditional sense, Toni gets hate from fans because of her relationship with Jughead and the drama that comes with it.
Fans who strongly support the “Bughead” (Jughead and Betty) ship were upset when Toni’s character became involved with Jughead, leading to some death threats against the actress. (ref)
20. Misha Collins as Paul in Karla (2006)
Misha Collins plays Paul in Karla, a film based on the real-life crimes of serial killers Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. His character is deeply unsettling because of his participation in the terrible crimes, and fans dislike him for being complicit in the brutality.
The movie’s disturbing content and Misha Collins’ role as a villain in this dark story drew strong reactions. Collins himself has said the role was one of the hardest he ever took on, but for fans, it’s hard to separate the actor from such a hateful character.
21. Willem Dafoe in Multiple Roles
Willem Dafoe is known for playing villains in various movies, such as the Green Goblin in Spider-Man (2002) and the sadistic guard in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004).
Dafoe has made a career out of playing characters who make you want to shout at the screen. His villains tend to be intense and larger-than-life, and that’s exactly what makes them so unlikable.
22. William Atherton as Walter Peck in Ghostbusters (1984)
The character, Walter Peck, is a government official who constantly gets in the way of the Ghostbusters team, and his actions cause chaos throughout the movie. He’s a stickler for rules and a know-it-all, even though he’s clearly out of his depth.
In a DVD commentary, William Atherton shared that after Ghostbusters, he would sometimes get into confrontations with people on the street who were angry with his character. (ref)
23. Tilda Swinton as the White Witch in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
Tilda Swinton plays the White Witch, also known as Jadis, in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Her coldness and desire for power make her a perfect antagonist.
She doesn’t show any mercy, and her evil deeds, like turning people to stone, make her incredibly hard to sympathize with. Swinton’s portrayal is so chilling that it’s easy to see why fans couldn’t wait to see her defeated.
24. Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Also known as the “Jew Hunter,” Christoph Waltz’s portrayal of Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino’s film Inglourious Basterds is one of the most memorable and hateable villain performances in film. Landa is calm, charming, and terrifying all at once, making him a villain you can’t look away from but also can’t stand.
His manipulation, cruelty, and lack of remorse for his actions during World War II make him easy to despise. Fans hate him because he’s just a cold-blooded Nazi who takes pleasure in hunting down innocent people. Waltz’s chilling performance earned him an Academy Award, (ref) but fans weren’t quick to forgive Landa’s evil actions.
25. John Lithgow in Multiple Roles (Especially as the Trinity Killer in Dexter, 2009–2013)
John Lithgow has played many memorable villains, but his role as the Trinity Killer in Dexter is one of the most hated. The Trinity Killer is a cold, calculating murderer who hides behind a normal life while committing horrible crimes.
Lithgow’s performance is so convincing that it leaves viewers both shocked and disgusted by his character. The fact that the Trinity Killer brings Dexter, a killer himself, to the edge makes him even more hated.
These actors have shown us that a great villain can make a story unforgettable. Whether it’s their appeal, cruelty, or ability to make you feel deeply for the characters they play, these villains stick with us long after the credits roll.
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Nancy Maffia
Nancy received a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.
