00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most depraved and treacherous
00:12characters in film.
00:21For this list, we'll be looking at live action only.
00:23Major spoilers to come.
00:25Number 10.
00:26Emperor Sheev Palpatine, Star Wars Franchise
00:29This insidious Darsidious is renowned for being one of the most odious villains in all
00:33of Star Wars.
00:35As the Emperor of the Galactic Empire, he was responsible for the destruction of the
00:38Republic.
00:55He was also the one to corrupt Anakin Skywalker, preying on his fears and turning him to the
00:59dark side.
01:00After Anakin suffers burns and becomes Darth Vader, Palpatine keeps tight control over
01:04his apprentice.
01:08Palpatine's evil even lives on beyond his death by Vader, as he uses Snoke to lead the
01:22First Order against the New Republic.
01:25He even, somehow, returns from the grave himself, revealing to be nothing less than Rey's
01:29own grandfather.
01:30And that cuts deep.
01:44This villain is definitely beyond the pale.
01:47Number 9.
01:48Ego, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
01:51Speaking of dark fathers, this Ego is not super.
01:54In this power-packed sequel, Peter Quill meets his father, Ego, after the latter saves
01:58him and the other Guardians from the Sovereign's drones.
02:14It turns out Ego is a celestial with god-like powers in manipulating matter, and he even
02:19teaches Peter how to control his own celestial power.
02:21Alas, it's all too good to be true.
02:24Much like a god, Ego has impregnated countless women and killed their offspring when they
02:28did not inherit his celestial power.
02:31He even admits to giving Peter's mother the brain tumor that killed her.
02:43To top it all off, he then drains Peter's energy.
02:46Seeing this egotistical leech has never been so satisfying.
03:03Number 8.
03:04Warden Samuel Norton, The Shawshank Redemption
03:07The evils of the prison system being the breeding ground for twisted personalities is nothing
03:11new.
03:13guard Percy Wetmore and his abuse in the Green Mile, but without a doubt, the most
03:22corrupt of all prison wardens is Samuel Norton.
03:25Norton lent his prisoners as laborers for public works, receiving bribes, and used Andy
03:30to launder the money.
03:37But most egregiously of all, when Andy comes to him with evidence of his innocence, Norton
03:41responds by putting him in solitary confinement for months and rescinding all of Andy's
03:46privileges.
03:47Norton proves his sadism and lack of empathy.
03:49It's supremely satisfying to see Andy best him by escaping the hellhole that is prison
03:53life under Norton.
04:04Number 7.
04:05Noah Cross, Chinatown
04:07Corporate lords are truly the worst.
04:10P.I. Jake Giddes crosses paths with industrialist Noah Cross, whose daughter, Evelyn, is married
04:15to his ex-partner, Hollis.
04:29What follows is a complex scheme by the water department to dry the land and sell it cheaply.
04:34When Hollis finds out, Cross kills him.
04:37But that is not all to Cross's depravity.
04:39Evelyn confesses to Giddes that Cross impregnated her when she was a teen, and she gave birth
04:44to her sister-daughter, Catherine.
04:56One of the most bone-chilling moments is when Evelyn tries to protect Catherine from Cross,
05:01only to end up dead with Cross dragging Catherine away.
05:07Now this is the true heart of darkness.
05:10Number 6.
05:11Cypher, The Matrix
05:13Choosing fantasy over real life has never been so morally compromised.
05:17Morpheus and his crew fight against the supercomputers that keep mankind enslaved and sedated in
05:21the Matrix, but one of the crew members, Cypher, meets with Agent Smith and desires to be plugged
05:36into the Matrix and return to his false but comfortable life there.
05:53And Cypher is not only content with betraying his friends.
05:56Once he exits the Matrix, he kills the rest of his crew members as they lie unconscious.
06:00Fortunately, Tank kills him just before he could do away with Neo and Trinity.
06:14Number 5.
06:15Peter Pettigrew, Harry Potter Franchise
06:17Speaking of rats, here is one of the most treacherous of all.
06:20When thinking about irredeemable Harry Potter characters, Dolores Umbridge certainly comes
06:24to mind.
06:33But without Peter Pettigrew's treachery, this whole series would have never happened.
06:37When the Potters are targeted by Voldemort, Sirius persuades them to make their close
06:40friend Peter the secret keeper instead of him.
06:43The obvious choice.
06:53Little did they know that Peter was a spy working for Voldemort and he ratted the Potter's
06:57secret location.
06:58Most outrageous of all, he escapes capture and returns to Voldemort, helping resurrect
07:02him into greater power.
07:18Number 4.
07:19Mary Lee Johnston, Precious
07:22One thing arguably worse than a friend's betrayal is a family's betrayal.
07:26Precious is a young Harlem teen struggling not just with poverty.
07:41Her mother, Mary Lee, not only allowed her husband to impregnate Precious, but also abused
07:46her herself.
07:47Why does she hate Precious so much?
07:49She was jealous of what she considered Precious's seduction of her husband and held her responsible
07:54for his eventual abandonment.
08:02Precious finally gets the courage to stand up to her abuser, sever ties, and leave with
08:06her two children.
08:07Mary's monstrosity going unpunished, however, makes Precious's victory bittersweet.
08:27Number 3.
08:28Captain Vidal, Pan's Labyrinth
08:30Just seeing this villain shave makes our skin crawl.
08:42Fascists are heinous and despicable, but one thing that makes this Franco-era fascist truly
08:47monstrous is his ruthlessness both in his job and his personal life.
08:51Vidal not only hunts down, tortures, and kills anti-fascist rebels, but also those who betray
08:56even the slightest bit of sympathy for them.
09:02Vidal also neglects his pregnant wife Carmen's growing illness, caring only that she lives
09:06long enough to bear him a son.
09:08Carmen dies in childbirth, and when her daughter, Ophelia, tries to flee with her newborn brother,
09:14Vidal shoots her dead.
09:21Luckily, the rebels get Vidal and kill him, rescuing his son, a very fit ending for this
09:28horrible monster.
09:30Number 2.
09:31Nurse Ratched, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
09:33We have seen people in positions of power abuse that power dishonorably, but a prison
09:38warden is one thing, a nurse is another.
09:46Nurse Ratched is head nurse of a mental health hospital, a tyrant over her patients.
09:51When free-spirited Randall McMurphy threatens her control over the patients, Ratched takes
09:55away the patient's cigarettes and their card-playing privileges.
09:58Ratched sent the rebels to the disturbed ward.
10:07When Ratched catches Billy with a girlfriend, she confronts him and psychologically manipulates
10:11him by bringing up his mother.
10:13The McMurphy-Ratched war gets to a head when McMurphy tries to strangle Ratched, only to
10:18end up lobotomized.
10:19Ratched wins, and it is terrifying.
10:27Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:30Briony Tallis, Atonement
10:32Because this 13-year-old's lies destroyed her entire family.
10:40Immortan Joe, Mad Max franchise, for being a slave master and unconscionable tyrant.
10:56Denethor, Lord of the Rings The Return of the King, for his greed, selfishness, and
11:00corruption as Gondor's steward.
11:13Captain Dudley Smith, LA Confidential
11:16Because this cop murders his way to the top.
11:32Guy Woodhouse, Rosemary's Baby Because your husband being a Satanist is the
11:36worst of red flags.
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12:06Commodus, Gladiator
12:08You know a villain is truly unforgivable when he murders his own father just so that he
12:12can be Emperor of Rome.
12:14The ne'er-do-well son of the renowned Marcus Aurelius, Commodus kills his way to the top
12:19and threatens to do away with anyone who opposes him.
12:24He exiles Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, executing his wife and children.
12:30When Maximus returns as a gladiator, intent on vengeance, Commodus tries to sabotage him
12:34by pitting him against the undefeated Tigris and sticking tigers on him.
12:38Commodus also threatens his sister and insists she give him an heir.
12:43Commodus is finally killed by Maximus, which is more than a relief.
12:55It's a celebration.
12:56It's a shame Maximus had to lose his life though.
12:59Which other villainous characters will you never forgive and never forget?
13:03Let us know in the comments down below!
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