Movies often make us fall in love with their characters. We grow attached to their stories and personalities, even when those characters turn out to be horrible people. They're killers and monsters, they're liars and master manipulators. And yet, we look past their faults and embrace them for the a**holes they really are. Their charisma and appeal helps us forget their twisted intentions, and their bad deeds often get overshadowed by their compelling scenes.
It's only after the movie ends that we realize we've grown fond of its most wicked characters. Does that say something about us? Or are these bad characters just too good to resist? Let's see if we can find the answer. Here are seven characters that we absolutely love, even though they're really, really bad people.
7 Jack Sparrow - Pirates of the Caribbean
Jack Sparrow is the lovable anti-hero from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. He appears in every film and has some of the best lines in the series. Johnny Depp was made to play this role. The actor's good looks and Sparrow's quirky personality were a match made in Heaven. The first time we see Jack Sparrow, sailing toward us on a sinking boat, is one of the most iconic moments in the series. The character can be goofy, especially in later films when Disney leaned on this a little too much. But don't let Jack's quirky personality or handsome mug fool you: the guy is a pirate.
He's spent his whole life stealing from others and spends most of the franchise lying, betraying, and being dishonest. You can't trust a word that comes out of Jack's mouth. Among his crimes when he's sentenced to death is smuggling, arson, kidnapping, looting, and depravity. If you ever see Jack sailing in your direction, it's probably best to go the other way.
6 Jules Winnfield - Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction is arguably Quentin Tarantino's greatest movie. Unfolded in classic Tarantino nonlinear format, itweaves together different storylines and characters. But one of the film's best pieces is Samuel L. Jackson's riveting performance as Jules Winnfield, a role that should've earned him an Oscar. Jules is an electric character -- cool, funny, and bad*ss -- stealing the show whenever he steps on screen. He also has the best lines in the movie, like his legendary Biblical monlogue. It's hard to tell if Jules is joking or serious, which only makes his character more intriguing.
But our love for this iconic character doesn't change the fact that he's a terrible human being. Jules is a hitman, working for crime boss Marsellus Wallace. He mercilessly kills people, which we see him do a few times in the movie. Sure, he reforms his ways and finds God after supposedly experiencing divine intervention. But it's way too late for Jules to become the shepherd he wants to be.
5 Beatrix Kiddo - Kill Bill, Vol. 1 and 2
Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill series introduced audiences to The Bride (Uma Thurman), later identified in Vol. 2 as Beatrix Kiddo. Right away, we're set up to sympathize with Beatrix. On her wedding day, the poor woman was shot and put into a 4-year coma by her former lover Bill (David Carradine), and her husband-to-be and wedding guests were slaughtered by a gang of Bill's assassins. Worst of all, she believes that the baby in her stomach at the time of Bill's massacre didn't make it.
What follows is a bloody revenge story, as Beatrix spends two whole movies killing the assassins who wronged her, eventually making her way up to Bill. We root for Beatrix without hesitation, cheering whenever she disembowels someone with her sword. But let's not forget: Beatrix was a part of Bill's group of assassins, the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, and was the deadliest of the bunch. We never find out how many people Beatrix kills while working for Bill, but it's probably a lot. Despite her merciless bloodlust, fans are hoping that Tarantino brings Beatrix back if he ever makes Kill Bill, Vol. 3.
4 Tyler Durden - Fight Club
![Fight Club [1999] Brad Pitt](https://static1.moviewebimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fight-club-1999-brad-pitt.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Fight Club is a cult classic and one of director David Fincher's best movies. The film had a lot of positives: a hard-hitting premise (literally), unique cinematography and editing, and one of cinema's greatest twists. But the best part about it? Its cool, bad*ss antagonist, Tyler Durden. This character is Brad Pitt's most iconic role. The two of them were perfect for each other: you had Tyler's nihilistic views and devil-may-care attitude, and then you had peak Brad Pitt with his handsome face, toned body, and funky fashion sense. The shot of a shirtless Tyler Durden, bloody and smoking a cigarette while rising to his feet, has been ingrained in the minds of movie-goers. Women wanted him, and men wanted to be him.
Tyler's pretty face and charisma almost make us forget that he's really an awful person. He brainwashes legions of men across the country, convincing them to forgo their lives, destroy public property, and beat each other to a pulp. A nation of terrorists is what's formed in Fight Club -- and Tyler Durden is their leader.
3 Hannibal Lecter - The Silence of the Lambs
Psychiatrist turned psychopath, Hannibal Lecter is the one of the most famous characters in cinema. He's appeared in numerous films over the years. But his 16 minutes of screen time in The Silence of the Lambs is what audiences remember most. As soon as Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) is mentioned in the movie, we find ourselves hopelessly intrigued by his character. Our interest only grows as we follow Clarice through a hospital for the criminally insane, passing by the cells of some disturbing individuals.
Hannibal Lecter, however, is nothing like his counterparts. He's polite, witty, and fiercely intelligent. He develops an endearing friendship with Clarice and helps her take down the film's antagonist, Buffalo Bill. Clarice and the audience are so focused on Bill that we overlook how wicked Hannibal is himself. He's a mass murdering cannibal, who once ate a census taker's liver "with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." Hannibal is imprisoned for most of the film, but he eventually breaks out, killing innocent people on his way to freedom.
2 Vito Corleone - The Godfather, Parts I and II
Few movie characters are as legendary as Vito Corleone. His presence is built up in the opening scene ofThe Godfather when we see only the back of his head, as he listens quietly to his friend's plea. When we finally meet Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), he seems like a harmless, old man. He's dressed in a nice tux, he's lovingly stroking his cat, and he talks like he's got cotton balls in his mouth. He's the grandfather that you'd love to have at your dinner table. Throughout this cinematic masterpiece, and also in its sequel The Godfather Part II, Vito portrays himself as a soft-spoken and polite family man. And we almost believe him.
Beneath this docile exterior is a calculating criminal mastermind and murderer. A mob boss who corrupts everything he touches, from politicians to cops, pulling the strings from the shadows and tugging them in his favor. In The Godfather Part II, we see a young Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) carry out his first murder. And he doesn't flinch, doesn't cry, doesn't even break a sweat. Afterward, he goes home to his family and hugs and kisses his children, unfazed by the blood on his hands. Sure, he'll help you out if you ask him for a favor, but in return, you'll find yourself in Vito Corleone's debt. And that is a very frightening place to be.
1 Darth Vader - Star Wars
There's no bad guy in the galaxy who's more loved than Darth Vader. Audiences have been hooked on the iconic Star Wars villain ever since he was introduced in A New Hope. His seemingly unlimited power, his tragic backstory, James Earl Jones' commanding voice, that sleek, all-black costume with its mask and cape -- all of it came together to make a character that captivated our attention.For decades, Darth Vader played the role of the Emperor's right-hand man, a ruthless and unforgiving leader. Every time he stepped on screen, you knew somebody was about to die, usually one of his own men.
Luke and Padmé were convinced there was still good in him. But let's be real: this dude cut off his son's hand in The Empire Strikes Back, tried killing his wife and butchered younglings in Revenge of the Sith, and brought immeasurable pain and suffering to the galaxy that he helped rule. Darth Vader is a bad guy. Yet to this day, we can't get enough of him. Audiences foamed at the mouth when Darth Vader returned for Rogue One and Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi. And if a Darth Vader standalone series is ever announced, you can bet that audiences would turn out in droves to watch it.
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