The Most Despised Characters in Film History

Film characters – and the films themselves – are incredibly subjective and although they often aim to please everyone, each role or movie generally appeals to a certain number of people, while others are often left disappointed. What one audience may like, another may find lacking in moral standards.

It is customary for the viewing public to root for the protagonists. This featured role is typically one of the "good guys," and often asks the audience to follow along in their exploits as they attempt to overcome whatever obstacles may be in their way. A perfect example is Christina Applegate in her role as Veronica Corningstone in the hit 2004 comedy, "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," where she had to triumph in a male-dominated industry.

But then there are those who enjoy the "bad guys," the antagonists who often make life more difficult for the other characters. These characters are usually so unlikeable to the majority of us but for some reason, some people delight in their despicable behavior. Whichever character you may openly praise, or secretly encourage, certain characters can only inspire contempt.If you've sat in a theater stunned at a film's outcome, remaining in your seat even as the closing credits scroll on the screen, you know just how much a talented actor can evoke a whole spectrum of feelings within you.

As much as we want the good guys to always come out on top, even in a fictional world, good does not always prevail in Hollywood films. For those times when evil is victorious, you are left questioning how or why and may find it hard to separate the fictional world from the real one. It can be all the more crushing when a film is based on real events, like the part of Moody Mahmoody who demonstrated how a person can flip from a devoted partner to a villainous abuser in the based-on-a-true-story film "Not Without My Daughter."

Hated movie characters illustrate just how well an actor has done their job. They've turned a role into one so memorable, a role that often leaves a mark and succinctly defines the contrast between good and evil. Whether you root for the protagonist or the antagonist, there is no denying that the characters listed here have earned their spot on the list of the most despised characters in film history. (click here to read about the 25 most annoying characters in TV history.)

• Movie: "The Green Mile" (1999)
• Played by: Doug Hutchison

There was more than one hated character in the Stephen King novel brought to the big screen by Frank Darabont. But the worst of all was Percy Wetmore. There's nothing quite like a coward with authority and Wetmore is exactly that. Due to his connections, he walks through the prison like he owns the place, earning the hatred of both prisoners and fellow guards. Though terrified when confronted, he delights in sadistic actions, which makes the blood of viewers boil.

• Movie: "Rosemary's Baby" (1968)
• Played by: John Cassavetes

In the early part of the film, Woodhouse doesn't start as a villain but rather garners the audience's sympathy as he struggles following his wife's miscarriage. But his character soon turns detestable when he trades the well-being of his wife for his career in a deal he carries out with a witch's coven, then turning his attention to fooling his wife into spawning the son of Satan.

• Movie: "Inglorious Basterds" (2009)
• Played by: Christopher Waltz

Landa is a Nazi who finds Jews in hiding and then ends their lives. He isn't necessarily fueled by hatred, but he is an expert at his job and has no remorse for his executioner duties. He's a cynical, self-centered opportunist, focused only on what benefits him. The worst aspect of his character is that he's brilliant with his undertakings, leaving the distraction of emotions by the wayside.

• Movie: "Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope" (1977)
• Played by: David Prowse
• Voiced by: James Earl Jones

This fictional character is a high-ranking military commander whose interests are limited to domination, no matter who he has to hurt in the process. His past is complex but it's hard to find any sympathy when he's so stoic, revealing only his sadistic and heartless character traits.

• Movie: "Django Unchained" (2012)
• Played by: Leonardo DiCaprio

Candie proclaims himself a Southern gentleman but there's a reason why he's the only one to refer to himself as such. He's a rich and racist plantation owner with no redeeming qualities who gets off on hosting "mandingo fights," which are brutal to-the-death fights he subjects his slaves to for his sadistic entertainment.

• Movie: "The Lion King" (1994)
• Voiced by: Jeremy Irons

Scar is the evil brother of King Mufasa whose attitude is rooted in resentment and he spends his life plotting against his stronger brother. He executes a malicious plan by using King Mufasa's son, Simba, as a pawn. Though he's weak in character and physical strength, Scar is intelligent and effective with his conniving ways.

• Movie: "101 Dalmatians" (1996)
• Played by: Glenn Close

The character of Cruella de Vil is a chain-smoking, fur-loving, high-end fashion line owner who is hyper-focused on obtaining puppies for their soft, spotted fur. Known as one of Disney's most evil characters, de Vil is a cruel, ruthless, selfish person who's materialistic and willing to take what isn't hers via any means necessary.

• Movie: "Cape Fear" (1991)
• Played by: Robert De Niro

Max Cady is not just a convicted rapist; he's also a psychopath who spends his time in prison devouring books but not for any other reason than to carry out his plan of homicidal revenge, which he executes ruthlessly, leaving a trail of focused, intentional destruction in his path.

• Movie: "A Clockwork Orange" (1971)
• Played by: Malcolm McDowell

Alex DeLarge has a certain charm that you can't ignore but despite having some redeeming moments when his depth intrigues you, he's ultimately a sadist who relishes participation in a host of heinous crimes.

• Movie: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975)
• Played by: Louise Fletcher

Nurse Ratched is an absolute authoritarian who holds the reins of her ward tightly, no matter if it's to the detriment of others. Instead of using violence, she resorts to fear and punishment by dehumanizing and demoralizing those around her – whether using emotional tactics, electroshock therapy, or mental control – she is unbearably cruel.

• Movie: "No Country for Old Men"
• Played by: Javier Bardem

Chigurh has made murder his profession and he is adept at it, taking the lives of those he's assigned to kill without a second thought. He is a mystery throughout the film, and the only thing you learn about him is he's well-reasoned with his chilling actions.

• Movie: "Scarface" (1983)
• Played by: Al Pacino

Tony Montana is one of the most well-known and rightfully hated characters of all time, a perfect example of someone who lives hard only to die fast. He is a single-minded mob boss and drug dealer who wants to acquire money, power, and women, and even as bodies drop around him, he never gets deterred. He isn't entirely heartless but the carnage he causes makes him impossible to like.

• Movie: "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991)
• Played by: Anthony Hopkins

Lecter is a sociopath who can often appear charming and appealing, which is the hallmark of a serial killer. but he doesn't just murder his victims, he eats them, too. As a psychiatrist, Lecter is proving his mental prowess but now lives in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally insane. He is determined in his wickedness, seeing most as beneath him. Until he meets Clarice, that is.

• Movie: "Fatal Attraction" (1987)
• Played by: Glenn Close

Alex Forrest is a delusional and scorned woman seeking love. As if this combination isn't enough, she is also frantic, obsessive, desperate, and angry. Unable to accept the reality of rejection, she turns to violence instead.

• Movie: "The Karate Kid" (1984)
• Played by: Martin Kove

Antagonist Kreese is a martial arts instructor who encourages ruthlessness when dealing with opponents. He takes an at-all-costs approach to life and shows his students that winning, no matter how you get there, is the only place to be. Kreese takes a cruel, merciless position at a tournament meant to settle matters and behaves unethically, encouraging a no-holds-barred approach.

• Movie: "American History X" (1998)
• Played by: Stacy Keach

Alexander is a white supremacist who doesn't keep his ideas to himself and instead uses propaganda to infiltrate the minds of young, impressionable men. He manages to replicate his vicious ideas in the minds of those who follow him.

• Movie: "Not Without My Daughter" (1991)
• Played by: Alfred Molina

Iranian native Mahmoody begins the film, based on a true story, as an adoring husband and loving father, but things change drastically after he and his family arrive in Iran. His character is ultra-infuriating because his actions don't stray far from the truth of what occurred. Mahmoody plans to move to his home country under the guise of a two-week visit. When his wife, played by Sally Field, uncovers the truth, he begins to beat her ruthlessly, forcing her to flee the country on a dangerous quest with her daughter in tow.

• Movie: "Schindler's List" (1993)
• Played by: Ralph Fiennes

Amon Goeth, also spelled Göth, is a character who is all the more evil knowing that he's based on a real person. His job is to oversee the development of the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp and he does so from atop his villa, rifle in hand, ready to shoot Jews at whim, considering them sub-humans. He is enthusiastic with his cruelty, delighting in his sadistic actions.

• Movie: "Matilda" (1996)
• Played by: Pam Ferris

The wretched Miss Agatha Trunchbull is an intimidating figure, a woman who wears her hair in a tight bun and behaves like a drill sergeant with the children she oversees as head teacher at Crunchem Hall Primary School. She is violent and cruel, throwing children in "The Chokey," a confined space filled with spikes, and throwing them into the air as if she were competing in the shot put.

• Movie: "The Parent Trap" (1998)
• Played by: Elain Hendrix

The role of Meredith Blake was perfected by Hendrix, a character who is the type of person you reject at first glance. She's a gold-digger who views the daughters of her love interest as a nuisance she'd rather not have to deal with. Snobby and manipulative, she tries to take on the role of puppeteer, using everyone around her to her advantage.