Whether they’re outright villains or frustratingly passive, some movie characters are memorable for all the wrong reasons. They get under your skin, boil your blood, and leave you seething with rage. Here’s a look at 25 despised characters in film history and why they evoke such strong reactions.
Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Nurse Ratched’s manipulative and authoritarian nature made her one of the most memorable villains in cinema. Her cold, calculating demeanor and oppressive control over her patients made audiences despise her deeply.
Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter
Dolores Umbridge’s sickly sweet voice and sinister smile hide a deeply cruel personality, which is apparent by the end of the series. With sadistic punishments and a brief authoritarian rule at Hogwarts, she became one of the series’ most hated characters.
Commodus from Gladiator
Commodus’s power-hungry and ruthless behavior, coupled with his betrayal of Maximus and his own father, made him a character that audiences loved to loathe.
Amon Goeth from Schindler’s List
As the cruel Nazi officer, Amon Goeth’s heartless actions and chilling lack of remorse left viewers with a lasting impression of loathing and horror.
Jar Jar Binks from Star Wars
Jar Jar Binks was introduced as comic relief but became one of the Star Wars universe’s most annoying and disliked characters. His clumsiness and irritating mannerisms have made fans cringe for decades.
Bella Swan from Twilight
Bella’s indecisiveness and lack of strong character development led to widespread disdain among viewers. Key faults include her passive nature and dependency on her male counterparts, a combination which frustrated many fans and has been the subject of internet memes since the noughties.
Norman Bates from Psycho
Norman Bates’s unsettling behavior and dark secrets make him a chilling and despised character. His twisted relationship with his mother and sinister actions leave a lasting impression for all the wrong reasons.
Scar from The Lion King
Scar’s betrayal and murder of his brother Mufasa make him one of Disney’s most reviled villains, with his cunning and ruthless ambition to seize the throne leaving audiences with hatred.
Regina George from Mean Girls
Expertly portrayed by Rachel McAdams, Regina George’s manipulative and mean-spirited nature made her a character viewers love to hate. Her actions towards her classmates and her desire to control everyone around her made her the quintessential mean girl.
Hans Gruber from Die Hard
Hans Gruber’s ruthless persona as a terrorist leader made him a deeply hated character, presenting a cold, calculating nature and willingness to kill for profit, leaving audiences rooting for his downfall.
The Joker from The Dark Knight
The Joker’s chaotic and violent nature makes him one of the most infamous villains in film history, presenting a complete disregard for human life that has labeled him a terrifying and despised character.
Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street
Freddy Krueger’s terrifying and sadistic nature makes him a character that viewers fear and loathe. His ability to invade dreams and kill his victims in their sleep creates an enduring sense of horror and hatred.
Michael Myers from Halloween
Michael Myers’s silent and relentless pursuit of his victims makes him one of the most feared and hated characters in horror. Lasting impressions of terror are created by Myers’s emotionless mask and brutal killings.
Alex DeLarge from A Clockwork Orange
Alex DeLarge’s violent and immoral behavior makes him a deeply disturbing character, and his enjoyment of violence creates a sense of revulsion and horror in most viewers.
Annie Wilkes from Misery
Annie Wilkes’s obsessive and psychotic behavior toward her favorite author makes her a character to be feared and despised. Played expertly by Kathy Bates, Wilkes’s ability to switch from caring to terrifying instantly keeps audiences on edge.
Kylo Ren from Star Wars
Kylo Ren’s complex character, torn between good and evil, earns mixed feelings but a lot of disdain from fans. His betrayal of his family and his struggle with his dark side create a character that viewers love to hate.
Voldemort from Harry Potter
Voldemort is universally feared and hated as the embodiment of evil in the Harry Potter series. Partaking in a ruthless quest for power, this personification of terror is one of literature’s most renowned villains.
Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men
Anton Chigurh’s cold and remorseless nature makes him a chilling and despised character. With nothing in the way of redeeming qualities, his methodical killings and lack of humanity create a sense of dread and loathing every time he enters a scene.
Hans Landa from Inglourious Basterds
Hans Landa’s charming yet ruthless persona as a Nazi officer makes him a character viewers love to hate. Considering his manipulative nature and role in the atrocities of the Holocaust, Landa was always destined to become a deeply hated character.
Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians
Cruella de Vil’s obsession with fur coats and her willingness to kill puppies make her one of Disney’s most hated villains. Her flamboyant cruelty and lack of empathy make her a character viewers love to despise.
Patrick Bateman from American Psycho
Patrick Bateman’s narcissistic and psychopathic behavior makes him a character that is both fascinating and loathsome. The brutal killings and shallow persona create a sense of horror and disgust, which Christian Bale unsettlingly conveys.
Tony Montana from Scarface
While some admire Tony Montana for his ambition, his ruthless and violent ways make him a widely despised character. His descent into madness and his lack of moral boundaries create a character that viewers love to hate.
Gollum from The Lord of the Rings
While a pitiful character at times, Gollum’s split personality and treacherous nature make him a character that viewers both pity and despise. His obsession with the One Ring and his willingness to betray his friends make him a complex and hated character.
J.R. Ewing from Dallas
As a ruthless oil tycoon, J.R. Ewing’s manipulative and greedy nature made him one of the most hated characters on television. His unscrupulous business dealings and willingness to betray his family left viewers with a deep sense of loathing.
