The villain of the piece
HAVING unleashed a much-debated list of heroes out into the world (December 16/23), we come to the really juicy competition: the 50 greatest film villains of all time. The same rules apply—animated characters and super-villains can quibble over who’s more successful elsewhere—and, with so much delicious evil to choose from, the selection and consequent ranking feels equally daunting.
This final list emerged by relying on the general guideline that the best villains are those who stay with you long after the end credits roll, their sinister presence lingering forever in the dark corners of your mind thanks to a combination of superior acting, writing and directing. Whether you agree or disagree with the result, one thing is clear —the most memorable and brilliant of film villains often come with a British accent. Make of that what you will.
50 O-Ren Ishii (played by Lucy Liu)
Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
Anyone who dares insult or question this elegant, light-footed leader of a vicious organised-crime group quite literally loses their head.
49 Terence Fletcher (J. K. Simmons)
Whiplash (2014)
Desperate to impress him, the student musicians of Fletcher put up with his relentless harassment, disgusting insults and chairs hurling through the air
