Legendary Movie Villains Who Outshined the Heroes

Movies are typically comprised of a protagonist – the hero – and an antagonist – the villain – after all, the forces of good and evil are always at work at not everyone can be the good guy. The hero in a movie often gets all the accolades – the adoration of the public, respect, and of course the love of his life – and while everything the hero stands for is always admirable and perhaps something we'd all like to attain, it's not the role that audiences are always cheering for.

Villains often get a bad rap, and they should for the most part as they are trying to take over or destroy the world. Yet, there is something about a bad guy that often captivates audiences. We often go into a film intending to root for the good guy, but ultimately cheer on the scoundrel, especially if he's played to perfection. (We don't always cheer on evil, especially when villains aren't so cut and dry, as is the case in the new film, "Smile 2" where the stars are haunted by an evil demon.)

A charismatic, complex villain can be far more compelling than the story's protagonist. With so many iconic villains in cinema history, it's difficult to narrow down the ones that truly outshone their heroic counterparts. But certain villains left such an indelible mark that they eclipsed the memory of the movie's nominal hero. (For TV villains that captivated audiences, check out the most unforgettable criminal characters.)

To compile this list of movie villains who stole the spotlight, 24/7 Tempo reviewed thousands of movies on IMDb and reviewed Reddit threads. This list explores some of the most prominent examples of villains who won over audiences' hearts in contrast to the heroes they opposed.

• Portrayed by: Heath Ledger
• IMDb score: 9.0/10
• Tomatometer: 94%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 94%

• Portrayed by: Robert Englund
• IMDb score: 7.4/10
• Tomatometer: 95%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 84%

• Portrayed by: Glenn Close
• IMDb score: 5.7/10
• Tomatometer: 39%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 40%

• Portrayed by: David Bowie
• IMDb score: 7.3/10
• Tomatometer: 77%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 86%

• Portrayed by: Anthony Hopkins
• IMDb score: 8.6/10
• Tomatometer: 95%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 95%

• Portrayed by: David Prowse / James Earl Jones
• IMDb score: 8.6/10
• Tomatometer: 93%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 96%

• Portrayed by: Tom Hiddleston
• IMDb score: 7.0/10
• Tomatometer: 77%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 76%

• Portrayed by: Javier Bardem
• IMDb score: 7.0/10
• Tomatometer: 93%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 86%

• Portrayed by: Derek Mears
• IMDb score: 6.4/10
• Tomatometer: 66%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 60%

• Portrayed by: Anthony Perkins
• IMDb score: 8.5/10
• Tomatometer: 97%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 95%

• Portrayed by: Michael B. Jordan
• IMDb score: 7.3/10
• Tomatometer: 96%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 79%

• Portrayed by: Jim Carrey
• IMDb score: 6.5/10
• Tomatometer: 64%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 93%

• Voiced by: Jack Black
• IMDb score: 7.0/10
• Tomatometer: 59%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 95%

• Portrayed by: James McAvoy
• IMDb score: 7.3/10
• Tomatometer: 78%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 79%

• Portrayed by: Bill Skarsgård
• IMDb score: 7.3/10
• Tomatometer: 85%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 84%