Top 20 Most Loved Tim Burton Characters
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most compelling, iconic, and memorable characters either created by Tim Burton or that feature prominently in his movies.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the most compelling, iconic
00:08and memorable characters either created by Tim Burton or that feature prominently in
00:13his movies.
00:14And we'll be sticking strictly to Burton's work on the big screen.
00:18Sorry, Wednesday fans.
00:35Plenty of people get nervous on their wedding day, but not everyone's nerves lead to such
00:39grave misunderstandings.
00:40Yet, despite leaving one bride at the rehearsal and accidentally marrying another from beyond
00:44the grave, Victor Van Dort is one of Tim Burton's most well-meaning creations.
00:55The son of aspiring socialites, the reluctant newlywed is much kinder than his status of
00:59flakiness might indicate.
01:01After all, wouldn't you feel out of place if you were suddenly whisked off on an underworldly
01:05honeymoon?
01:12In any case, despite his clumsiness and indecisiveness, Victor maintains his idealism and a strong
01:17dedication to those who care about him.
01:19He firmly believes in doing the right thing rather than the easy thing, and that's something
01:23we can definitely get behind.
01:30It's hard to do justice to one of the most famous ghost stories ever told, but Burton
01:39finds a way, even if the plot is altered significantly.
01:42The same can be said of the infamous spirit at the heart of Sleepy Hollow.
01:45Reimagined as the prime suspect of a murder mystery, the headless horseman transcends
01:50his paranormal origins and is now a cold-blooded killer out for vengeance.
01:59A sharp-toothed soldier who thrived on violence and life, his role in the events following
02:03his death make him all the more terrifying.
02:05He's arguably the closest any Burton character has come to embodying pure evil.
02:10But, as is usually the case, what we think we know about the undead monster is eventually
02:14turned on its head.
02:19We're still not sure what business Tim Burton had directing this misguided remake.
02:32Given the insurmountable precedence set by the 1968 original, it's fair to say this
02:37Planet of the Apes was destined to blow up.
02:39But one thing we can't scoff at is the excellent antagonist we got for our troubles.
02:43Even without much of a show to steal, Tim Roth completely throws himself into the role.
02:52General Thade is a malevolent chimp determined to persecute those he believes are beneath
02:57him.
02:58While undeniably wicked, his eccentric behaviour also represents just how much fun this Planet
03:02of the Apes could have been.
03:10The corrupt ape fits in surprisingly well in the thematic line of Burton villains who
03:14reject outsiders.
03:20We're not entirely sure where Burton's fascination with deceased dogs came from,
03:36but we're happy it's given us a character as lovable as Sparky.
03:39This harmless but energetic bull terrier is one of Burton's earliest characters, as
03:43he was the subject of a 1984 short film before being revived in stop-motion form in 2012.
03:55Brought back to life after his untimely departure by a young Victor Frankenstein, Sparky may
04:00lose his tail from time to time, but his unconditional love for his boy remains fairly intact.
04:05Unfortunately, their renewed bond isn't without consequence, as chaos ensues once
04:09word of Victor's experimentation spreads around town.
04:13But their second chance at friendship undoubtedly speaks to anyone with love for a pet.
04:34We've got to show some love to the baddest cat in Gotham.
04:37Played by Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns, Selina Kyle's quest for revenge against
04:41the man who tried to kill her is a far cry from the cat burglar many know her to be.
04:46Her noticeably stitched-together catsuit is not only a seductive statement of individuality,
04:50but also a tragic reflection of her warped state of mind.
04:59Garnering intrigue from the city's other rogues, she's at her strongest when doing
05:03things her own way.
05:05Even as the prospect of a happy ending with the Bat becomes more alluring, it's that
05:09commitment to herself that has influenced subsequent portrayals of Catwoman in the years
05:13since.
05:32In our heart of hearts, Gene Wilder's take on the reclusive chocolatier is still the
05:36most iconic.
05:37But that's not to say Johnny Depp's version of Willy Wonka is without its memorable qualities.
05:42Rather than try to one-up his predecessor, Depp instead reinvents the Candyman with an
05:46added depth beneath his delicious confections.
05:59His Wonka is easily the darkest iteration of the character, as he wears his disdain
06:03for others right on his finely tailored sleeves.
06:06But it's also the most sympathetic, as we're treated to a surprising backstory that informs
06:10his one-of-a-kind ideas.
06:12One thing's for sure though, no-one can find the humour in a messed-up situation quite
06:16like Willy.
06:29The creative liberties Burton and company took when adapting the legend of Sleepy Hollow
06:33extended to the main character.
06:35But Johnny Depp's performance as Ichabod Crane does a lot to elevate the film's eerie
06:39vibe.
06:40A haughty schoolteacher in the original tale, Crane evolves into a timid detective sent
06:44to investigate a series of grisly murders.
06:52His socially awkward disposition, along with his predilection towards science and logic,
06:56provide the perfect counter to Sleepy Hollow's supernatural occurrences.
07:00Crane is definitely in over his head, but Depp knows exactly when to maintain his composure
07:05and when to dial things up.
07:12As the Constable's beliefs begin to change with each body that piles up, ours do as well.
07:31Somebody has to be the nicest and gentlest monster in a town chock-full of them.
07:35A creation of Halloweentown's resident mad scientist, Ragdoll Sally longs for freedom
07:39and dreams of a life with Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington.
07:42But she's also unafraid to stand up for what's right, unwilling to let her love
07:46for Jack cloud her judgement.
07:58Voiced with a touching dose of childlike innocence by Catherine O'Hara, Sally's curiosity
08:03about the world and her friendly demeanour prove to be her greatest assets.
08:07She's truly selfless, and even if Halloween and Christmas have a hard time co-existing,
08:11her intelligence and warmth ultimately brings out the best in both holidays.
08:28Even if it's no longer the definitive take on the Clown Prince of Crime, Jack Nicholson's
08:37demented performance as the Joker was surely the mark to beat for many years.
08:41Dropped into a vat of chemicals after being sold out by his boss, deranged mobster Jack
08:46Napier emerges with chalk white skin, green hair and one of the most terrifying grins
08:51in movie history.
09:02Nicholson lets his freak flag fly high, as the Joker stakes his claim on Gotham City's
09:07underworld.
09:08He comes awfully close to stealing the movie from Batman himself.
09:10He fully embraces the spirit of the character with his cruel pranks and ingenious one-liners.
09:15This is one devil we will gladly dance with any chance we get.
09:31This just might be the most optimistic film in Burton's entire catalogue, and it's
09:35fittingly headlined by one of his most positive characters.
09:38As a gifted storyteller, it's hard to know whether or not the tales Edward Bloom spins
09:42for his family are true or not.
09:44But the gleeful exuberance with which he recounts them is such that it really doesn't matter.
09:57Whether he's befriending giants and werewolves or wooing the love of his life with daffodils,
10:01his adventures are an epic of the humblest order.
10:04No matter how far he travels, he always knows exactly where home is.
10:07Charming and daring, he's a character that audiences can both envy and be inspired by.
10:27Having created the template for one of cinema's greatest characters, Bela Lugosi is a legend
10:31of the silver screen.
10:33Quite many years after he faded from the Dracula limelight, Edward captures Lugosi as a washed-up
10:38loner desperate to cling to the fame he knows he'll likely never regain.
10:50Played by Martin Landau in an Oscar-winning performance, Lugosi's friendship with the
10:54titular filmmaker forms the crux of this off-kilter biopic.
10:58Finding renewed purpose through Wood's notoriously terrible movies, Landau invites viewers to
11:03see Lugosi for the larger-than-life star he once was.
11:15The results are both funny and profoundly sad.
11:18Lugosi may be synonymous with a legendary villain, but Landau brilliantly taps into
11:22the heroism required to try again.
11:41Winona Ryder has lent her talents to Tim Burton's projects on numerous occasions.
11:46While her gentler turn as Kim Boggs helped give Edward Scissorhands its heart, her role
11:50as Lydia Dietz is easily their most memorable collaboration.
11:53Unimpressed with her father and stepmother's approach to life, Lydia's scepticism and
11:57gloomy outlook is matched by her signature aesthetic.
12:04But, as with many Burton characters, an encounter with the dead is more than enough to bring
12:11her back to life.
12:13Finding a couple of kindred spirits in the ghosts haunting her new home, she strikes
12:16a great balance between controlling her fate and letting others in.
12:20The strange and unusual of the world are proud to call her one of their own.
12:39There's a hole in the world like a great black pit, and out of it crawled one of Burton's
12:43most vicious characters ever.
12:45But the brilliance of this musical adaptation is how much you can come to care for the title
12:49character, even when he chooses violence.
12:55Returning to London after being wrongfully exiled, Sweeney Todd seeks revenge.
13:00With the equally sinister Mrs Lovett by his side, his plan involves a few sharpened razors,
13:04some questionable meat pies, and a host of Sondheim's most oddly infectious musical
13:09numbers.
13:14Johnny Depp's transformation into the tragic anti-hero is startling to say the least, but
13:19he convinces us that even the cruelest world has something worth avenging.
13:36Tim Burton is no stranger to providing a new spin on well-known characters, but Danny DeVito's
13:41twisted performance as the Penguin is one of the ultimate examples of how the director
13:45is able to put his stamp on something for the better.
13:48From his rotund build to his flippers and startling disfigurements, Oswald Cobblepot
13:52is a creature straight out of gothic horror.
14:03Having been abandoned by his wealthy parents as an infant due to his differences, he's
14:06a frightening and at times sad reflection of who Bruce Wayne could have become.
14:11Oswald walks a very thin line between man and beast, and sometimes we don't know if
14:15we should be running from him or offering him a hug.
14:32Burton rarely does biopics, but when he does, he knows precisely how to look for the authentic,
14:37eccentricities of his subjects.
14:39Luckily, his predilection towards oddballs found a perfect match in someone he had long
14:43been a fan of.
14:49Recreating someone as singular as Ed Wood could have easily lent itself to parody, but
14:53Johnny Depp's sincere portrayal of the director is instead a tribute to the dreamer in all
14:58of us.
14:59Wood's refusal to compromise his artistic vision is at once noble and bittersweet.
15:09Humorously over-the-top even when he's being deadly serious, Wood may not have won much
15:14respect in his lifetime, but he undoubtedly wins ours by the time the credits roll.
15:25You can't get more macabre than awakening someone from the dead, but Emily is a textbook
15:35case of how to find humanity where you least expect it.
15:38Possibly the nicest and most beautiful zombie in movie history, Emily was dealt a cruel
15:42hand in life, but loses none of her admirable qualities in the face of death.
15:52Brought fully into existence through the tender voice of Helena Bonham Carter, she
15:55seeks to reclaim her worth by marrying the hapless Victor.
15:59Emily may be a bit too naive for her own good, but she's still worthy of love nonetheless.
16:04More importantly, she learns that true love means nothing without sacrifice, and she's
16:08willing to give up her happiness for the sake of others.
16:28Who would have guessed that one of Burton's most haunting and complex characters to date
16:32would be a man dressed up as a bat?
16:34With the actor and character both generally associated with comedy at the time, few were
16:38prepared for Michael Keaton's portrayal of the Caped Crusader to be as layered and
16:42mature as it turned out to be.
16:43Bruce Wayne is a tortured soul running from his past, and Keaton masterfully conveys his
16:48quest for justice as a mask for his anger and loneliness.
16:53Incredibly, he's able to do all of this while barely saying a word, as his facial
17:03expressions and disciplined fighting style do most of the talking.
17:06He's simultaneously the coolest and calmest guy in Gotham.
17:10Well, most of the time he's calm, other times he's nuts.
17:28Halloween Town has plenty of other unique citizens who could have easily made this list,
17:32but while Oogie Boogie always has our attention, our hearts still belong to the Pumpkin King
17:36himself.
17:37Arguably Burton's most instantly recognisable character, Jack Skellington may also be his
17:42most relatable as well.
17:53Feeling unfulfilled as the spooky season passes each year, he determines that the best way
17:58to spice things up is to oversee Christmas instead.
18:01Defined equally by his unique interpretation of the holidays and his pinstripe suit, Jack
18:06has the best intentions in mind, even if his actions inevitably lead to bedlam.
18:10Nevertheless, anyone can relate to the lessons he learns about staying true to himself while
18:15discovering something new in life.
18:29Burton has called this film his favourite, and given the everlasting appeal of the title
18:32character, it's easy to see why.
18:35With blades for fingers and a heart he nobly wears on his sleeve, Edward Scissorhands is
18:39to direct his imagination, operating at the peak of its powers.
18:47Brought into society for the first time, Edward's brief brushes with friendship, love and the
18:51possibility of a home lend themselves to a slew of wholesome moments and tragic realisations.
19:02Far too good for a world that can't see past his foreboding exterior, he comes closer
19:06than any of Burton's characters to mirroring the man himself.
19:09There's just something indescribably magnetic about a character we can't get too close
19:14to.
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19:33He's the ghost with the most, and has the most reasons to top this list.
19:48For an undead spirit, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more lively and entertaining character
19:53across Burton's filmography.
19:54Hired by the recently deceased Maitlands to spook the annoying new tenant out of their
19:59house, Beetlejuice isn't searching for unfinished business and he's really not that evil.
20:03Nope, he haunts the living for the best reason there is, because it's fun.
20:09Rude, profane and a nuisance to pretty much everyone he encounters, Michael Keaton plays
20:16the role of the maniacal poltergeist to absolute perfection.
20:19He's one of the most unique characters in movie history, and undoubtedly, the one that
20:24Tim Burton owes much of his career to.
20:32So which Tim Burton character do you identify with the most?
20:35Let us know in the comments.