A great movie villain has the power to completely take over a movie, all while inducing fear, mistrust, and anger in audiences. They help to make for a well-rounded, compelling story by opposing our heroes at every turn. The decade from 2000-2010 provided us with some of the biggest and best baddies of all time. Any villain would love a good hierarchy, so let's rank these evildoers once and for all.
15 Green Goblin - Spider-Man (2002)
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Sam Raimi's Spider-Man helped to change the superhero movie landscape overnight, along with the X-Men films of the early 2000s. What makes Goblin such a perfect bad guy is their proximity to the alter-ego of our titular hero. When Norman Osborn learns Spider-Man's true identity, everyone he loves becomes a target. Couple this with a brilliantly mad performance by Willem Dafoe, one of the best in the entire franchise, and you get the makings of a memorable bad guy.
14 White Goodman - Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
There are occasions when audiences can dig out a redeeming quality of some sort from a movie villain. White Goodman, from Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, is not one of those examples. Ben Stiller plays the greedy, sleazy, and all-around bad person to perfection. Sometimes there is nothing more villainous than the confident idiot.
13 Sauron - The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
The Dark Lord Sauron could easily rank higher on this list if not for the lack of appearances in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. His presence is felt throughout the entire story, most notably through the eye of Sauron, but the physical manifestation of the villain is lacking in the movies and his direct interactions with our heroes are non-existent. Nevertheless, Sauronis one of the most recognizable villains in both literary and film history.
12 Bill - Kill Bill Vol.2 (2004)
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Leader of the Deadly Vipers, a group of trained assassins, Bill features as the main antagonist of Kill Bill Vol. 2. While he is mentioned and briefly seen in volume one, the sequel is truly where we see Bill in his full glory. Having ordered a murderous hit on The Bride and proceeding to raise their daughter on his own, Bill is as self-centered and dangerous as can be. In a moment of solace for the audience. Bill finally receives the vengeance that has been coming his way throughout the two movies.
11 Magneto - X-Men (2000)
It was the 2000 big-screen adaptation of X-Men that kick-started the superhero genre as we know it today. Bringing the popular mutant heroes and villains to the big screen through a story full of action and heart showed just what the genre could be. It was Ian McKellen's brilliant performance as Magneto that helped the film rise to the heights it did. Magneto is a classic villain in comic book history, and achieved that same status through the films as a top villain of the 2000s.
10 Davy Jones - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest & At World’s End (2006 & 2007)
After the overwhelming success of the original film, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, the subsequent two sequels had no choice but to up the ante when it comes to their primary villain. Enter, Davy Jones, played by the incomparable Bill Nighy. This tentacle-faced captain of the Flying Dutchman became the arch nemesis of Captain Jack Sparrow and a threat to every sea-dwelling pirate we rooted for throughout the two final entries in the original trilogy, Dead Man's Chest and At World's End. Jaded by a lost love, Davy Jones was fueled by jealousy and hatred, making him a truly dangerous and memorable foe.
9 Doctor Octopus - Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Considered by some to be the greatest blockbuster of the 21st century, it is hard to argue the success and acclaim that comes along with Spider-Man 2. This is due in part to the phenomenal job down by Alfred Molina in playing the iconic Spider-Man bad guy, Doctor Octopus. He is a villain the audience can sympathize with, which makes him all the more dangerous.
8 Anton Chigurh - No Country for Old Men (2007)
The western crime drama, No Country for Old Men, is one of the better modern-day dramas due in part to the looming presence of hit man Anton Chigurh, played by Javier Bardem. Theoretically representing the cruelty and chaos of the universe, Chigurh is a mysterious and ruthless villain for the ages.
7 Bill the Butcher - Gangs of New York (2002)
Bill the Butcher is one of two villains on this list that existed in the real world. Daniel Day-Lewis's role of Bill Cutting in Gangs of New York is based on real-life gang leader William Poole. By all accounts, the real life Bill the Butcher was every bit as bad as he was portrayed in the film. The fact that this villain once walked the streets of New York, makes him all the scarier.
6 Gollum - The Lord of the Ring Trilogy (2001-2003)
Gollum's sole motivation throughout The Lord of the Rings trilogy is to regain possession of the one ring by any means necessary. From scheming and manipulation, to eventual physical violence, his intentions when it comes to Sam and Frodo are purely based on greed and anger. Making him a dangerous and iconic villain.
5 Voldemort - Harry Potter Series
Let's address the elephant in the room. Yes, the all-powerful dark wizard Voldemort was bested in the end by a teenager, but that does not take away his top-tier villain status. Not only did he facilitate the deaths of hundreds of students and teachers throughout the Harry Potter film series, but he took the life of his own friend and fan-favorite character, Severus Snape. His ideas regarding non-wizard genocide are also questionable at best.
4 Commodus - Gladiator (2000)
What would end up being one of Joaquin Phoenix's breakout roles would also go on to become one of the greatest villains of 2000s movies, playing real-life Roman Emperor, Commodus. This opportunistic, jealous, sister-loving bad guy is hell-bent throughout the movie on besting the great Gladiator, played by Russell Crowe. With zero redeeming qualities, Commodus is as easy to root against the gladiator is to root for.
3 Delores Umbridge - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Blood begins to boil at the sheer typing of the name of perhaps the most vile villain of all time, Delores Umbridge. First appearing in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and reminiscent of every mean teacher or authority figure you will ever meet, dialed up to eleven and armed with magic, Umbridge is truly deserving of a top three spot on this list. Made all the more impressive by the acting of Imelda Staunton, who otherwise plays lovely and delightful characters outside the Wizarding World.
2 The Joker - The Dark Knight (2008)
What can be said about Heath Ledger's take on the iconic villain The Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, that has not already been said? It was truly one of the best-ever performances in a superhero movie, and even earned Ledger a posthumous Oscar win. What makes the 2008 version of The Joker so terrifying is the realism seen in him. To quote the classic Alan Moore comic run, The Killing Joke, "All it takes is one bad day". Ledger, in the best performance of his career, stripped away the more silly elements that can sometimes accompany Joker and turn him into a true and real product of his environment.
1 Hans Landa - Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Universal Pictures
Standartenführer Hans Landa is established as a truly evil and ruthless villain in the very first and highly-intense scene of Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece, Inglourious Basterds. His evil is born out of necessity and the work required to fulfill his duties in the Nazi SS. What makes Hans Landa the greatest villain of the 2000s is the sheer enjoyment he receives from doing his morbid and vile job as the all too true real-life history that his character is based on.
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