When we watch films we are cheering on the good guy but sometimes we love to hate the villain, so Empire decided to ask fans to vote for the 'Greatest Film Villain of All Time'. Despite competition from the mischievous Loki and menacing Joker, the winner was the original and ultimate Star Wars villain - Darth Vader!
The legendary masked Star Wars baddie has topped a poll by Empire magazine’s website www.empireonline.com.
On the Dark Lord, Empire’s Chris Hewitt writes: “Everything about Vader is designed for maximum malevolence. The mask, the voice, the rasping rattle, guaranteed to keep kids awake at night.
That feeling that he’s in complete control of every situation. That feeling that if you even so much as look at him funny, it’s brown britches time. This is what pure evil looks and sounds like."
In second place is Heath Ledger’s unforgettable portrayal of The Joker in Christopher Nolan’s Batman: The Dark Knight and in third is Tom Hiddlestone’s Marvel God of Mischief, Loki who is the villain in Thor.
In fourth is master robber Hans Gruber portrayed in** Die Hard** by the much-loved and missed Alan Rickman and rounding off the top five is Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs and the sequel, Hannibal.
Maybe many still dare not say his name as Harry Potter’s nemesis Voldemort only made it to number nine in the vote. It also seems that the man who haunted dreams, horror icon Freddy Krueger from the Nightmare on Elm Street series, only made it to number eighteen.
Commenting on the results, Empire’s editor-in-chief, Terri White said: “Bad guys are a huge part of what makes movies so damn good. But who’s the baddest? Empire readers voted in their droves and named Darth Vader their number one villain of all time. The pull of the dark side is still strong it would seem…”
Here's the full list of the Top 20 Greatest Villains of All Time and the films you can find them in!
This month’s Empire magazine, featuring the Greatest Villains Ever, is on sale now!