- 6 hours ago
From deadly cat-and-mouse games to epic battles spanning galaxies, the best hero-villain dynamics define pop culture itself. Join us as we count down the most iconic rivalries that have captivated audiences for generations! Our list features legendary nemeses from comics, films, TV shows, and literature who perfectly exemplify the eternal struggle between good and evil.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules, and tonight you're going to break your one rule.
00:05I'm considering it.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the fictional characters who best exemplify the struggle between good and evil.
00:16From small screen spats to big screen battles, these duels show us that heroism and villainy come in a variety of entertaining forms.
00:24Will I hear from you?
00:25I have your numbers.
00:33Number 20. Superman and Lex Luthor. Superman franchise.
00:37Superman, we finally meet. Would you like a coffee?
00:39Where's the dog?
00:41Dog?
00:42The dog, Luthor! You took the dog!
00:43That's righty. You get all of this.
00:48It's one of the oldest rivalries in all of comics, and one of the absolute best.
00:53One is a morally gracious superhero who uses his incomparable power to help the entire world.
00:58The other is a wicked, smart billionaire who uses his superior intelligence and scientific acumen to stay one step ahead of his competition.
01:06Don't touch that.
01:14I told you.
01:15One embodies the selflessness of a humble upbringing, while the other is greed and lifelong privilege incarnate.
01:22Physical limitations be damned, Lex Luthor is the most consistent thorn in Superman's impenetrable side,
01:28with his philanthropic image concealing his evil better than a mass ever could.
01:33But none of this matters, you patronizing clown.
01:36The government gave me the authority to kill you.
01:40If not today, then...
01:42They're likely destined to hate each other forever.
01:52But given how many terrific stories have been spun from their rivalry, that's fine by us.
01:57And even if you found him, there'd still be that kryptonite to worry about.
02:02I don't think I'm the one who should be worrying.
02:07Number 19.
02:08Dexter Morgan and Arthur Mitchell, aka the Trinity Killer, Dexter.
02:13I was following my path.
02:18So was I.
02:19God led you to me.
02:20Dexter Morgan is by no means a saint, but it takes an especially scary killer to send a chill down the Bay Harbor Butcher's spine.
02:28Upon meeting him in this crime drama's fourth season,
02:31Dexter's obsession with learning more about Arthur Mitchell's seemingly normal life
02:35makes the seasoned serial killer an even greater threat.
02:38I want you to disappear from my life.
02:42Like a ghost.
02:43A really annoying ghost.
02:46And you'll disappear from my life?
02:48I couldn't care less about your life.
02:50Not only does Mitchell's ability to conceal his identity as the Trinity Killer
02:54allow him to reach an abhorrent kill count,
02:56but it also gives viewers genuine concern over Dexter's safety.
03:00Thankfully, the latter comes to his senses,
03:02but not before Trinity extracts a heavy toll.
03:05If I were you, I'd give up vigilantism.
03:07You're not very good at it.
03:12Goodbye, Dexter Morgan.
03:16Both men have a lot to account for, even in death,
03:19making this a most unsettling meditation
03:21on why you should never meet your heroes.
03:25This is God's plan.
03:27I accept that now.
03:30You have to do the same.
03:33Number 18, Katniss Everdeen and President Coriolanus Snow,
03:37The Hunger Games Franchise.
03:38You fought very hard in the games, Miss Everdeen.
03:42But they were games.
03:45Would you like to be in a real war?
03:47No.
03:48Good.
03:50Neither would I.
03:51This is certainly an understandable rivalry.
03:54After all, if we were sent to fight for our lives
03:56while an entire nation watched,
03:58we'd be hard-pressed to actually like the guy responsible
04:01for sending us there.
04:02But that's what makes Katniss Everdeen's stand
04:04against President Snow so head-turning.
04:07The Panem ruler's facade as a well-polished
04:09and approachable man isn't as powerful as he thinks it is.
04:12And it's not until Katniss's victory
04:14in The Hunger Games that he realizes it.
04:17Katniss, get away from that tree!
04:18As the rebellion grows and public opinion shifts
04:38towards the girl on fire,
04:40Snow remains committed to fear-mongering
04:42and oppressing the impoverished.
04:43It may result in his ultimate undoing,
04:45but the actions of everyone involved
04:47give this dystopian universe
04:49an authentic sense of real-world gravity.
05:08Number 17.
05:09Roadrunner and Wally Coyote
05:11Looney Tunes Franchise
05:13The world of cartoons has many hilarious
05:25cat-and-mouse figures
05:26such as Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd
05:28and, of course, Tom and Jerry.
05:30But few of these eternal chases
05:32are as extreme as those of a beeping bird
05:34and the hungry coyote on its tail.
05:36Far from instinctual.
06:01Wally Coyote has remained a compelling villain
06:03simply because we know his absurd, complex efforts to catch the Roadrunner are destined to fail.
06:08But every injury reignites his desire to try again,
06:11and his determination makes him an oddly relatable character.
06:14You could argue Wally should have bigger beef with the Acme Corporation
06:18and their many malfunctioning products,
06:20but as long as he stays focused on the Roadrunner, we'll keep finding reasons to watch.
06:33Number 16. Billy Butcher in Homelander, The Boys.
06:44You know I had a great breakfast with your wife this morning?
06:48Pancakes.
06:51Delilicious.
06:52The line between hero and villain is heavily blurred in The Boys,
06:55which envisions a world where superheroes are secretly society's most corrupt figures.
06:59None are as dangerously unpredictable as Homelander,
07:02who possesses as much strength as the Man of Steel with none of the humility or kindness.
07:07Fueled by his need to be loved, he frequently leaves destruction in his wake,
07:11with Billy Butcher especially paying the price for such unchecked power.
07:14Doesn't that make you angry?
07:22Yeah.
07:23But even with sympathetic motives, Butcher's no beacon for hope either.
07:27He's so blinded by his hatred of Supes that he'll cross any line if it means destroying Homelander.
07:32What have you done?
07:35Scorched earth.
07:44Both men are certifiably unhinged.
07:47And even if we know who we'd rather see win,
07:50it doesn't make their dynamic any less devastating.
07:52Dad, I want to go.
08:13Number 15, Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, Halloween Franchise.
08:17Are you fooling around again?
08:20I'll kill you if this is a joke.
08:23Annie?
08:27Annie?
08:29As far as horror icons are concerned,
08:32Michael Myers is the unstoppable force to Laurie Strode's immovable object.
08:36No matter what the Halloween series would have us believe regarding their familial connection,
08:39the two share a bond that runs much deeper than blood.
08:42Over nearly 50 years,
08:53Laurie has risen from unassuming babysitter to one of horror's greatest badasses,
08:57matching Michael's evil resilience with a grit that's entirely her own.
09:01No boogeyman can keep her from holding her own,
09:04as each encounter with Michael only reinforces her resolve in the face of danger.
09:08The most recent Halloween entry may indicate that this rivalry has finally ended,
09:12but knowing how Michael operates,
09:14we wouldn't be surprised to see these two enter the ring one more time.
09:18Look at the boogeyman.
09:19I'm scared.
09:20There's nothing to be scared of.
09:22Are you sure?
09:25How?
09:26I killed him.
09:28You can't kill the boogeyman.
09:30Number 14, Aang and Fire Lord Ozai, Avatar The Last Airbender.
09:34I'm not going to end it like this.
09:38Even with all the power in the world, you are still weak.
09:44Much like another insidious lord antagonized by magical kids,
09:48the true essence of Ozai's capabilities is initially obscured,
09:51but he comes into his own as a true monster by this Nickelodeon classic's final season.
09:57With a firebending skill set matched by his unwavering cruelty,
10:00Ozai handily exploits Aang's UFO inexperience
10:03and comes awfully close to taking down the Earth Nation in the process.
10:07The era before the Avatar.
10:11We met not the aliens,
10:14but the energy within ourselves.
10:17But the Fire Nation leader arguably spurs Aang on more than any of his allies.
10:22As the desperate state of the Hundred Year War
10:24leads the Avatar to tap into abilities he never knew he had.
10:28If heroes and villains are judged by their ability to enact change within each other,
10:32then these two are some of the best that animation has to offer.
10:35You should count yourself lucky that the Avatar spared your life.
10:39Phew.
10:40Number 13, Neo and Agent Smith, The Matrix Franchise.
10:47No.
10:48Considering how well the Matrix trilogy predicted the rise of artificial intelligence,
11:00we may need a hero like Neo now more than ever.
11:03And even if Agent Smith is just one of the many threats to Mr. Anderson's free will,
11:08his advanced programming means their conflict is much more than shootouts and innovative CGI.
11:12Appearances can be deceiving, which brings me back to the reason why we're here.
11:20We're not here because we're free.
11:23We're here because we're not free.
11:25The black-suited entity and his dozens of clones represent the entire Matrix
11:29and the subjugation it epitomizes, making him a nearly inescapable presence.
11:33Like many a chosen one, Neo is forced into the fight long before he's ready.
11:38But the ever-evolving nature of his powers allows him to break the cycle of those chosen before him,
11:43making him a force of nature that's able to change his world and our own.
11:47I really should thank you for it.
11:50After all, it was your life that taught me the purpose of all life.
11:55The purpose of life is to end.
12:00Number 12, Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin Hood Franchise.
12:04The relationship between these two folkloric figures is fairly simple,
12:17but that's precisely why their legacies have persisted.
12:20As we all know, Robin Hood is the charismatic outlaw who steals from the rich to give to the poor,
12:25while the Sheriff of Nottingham represents the elites that Robin seeks to undermine.
12:29Along with his band of merry men, the Prince of Thieves is one of the most honorable fictional characters out there,
12:35with his antics never obstructing his heart of gold.
12:38Recognize this?
12:41It belonged to your father.
12:46Appropriate, don't you think, that I now use it to send you to meet him?
12:51I shall never fear my father's sword.
12:53The opposite can be said of the treacherous Sheriff,
12:57whose unfair taxation of Nottingham Shire is just one of his many notorious deeds.
13:02Lending themselves to a variety of portrayals,
13:04the pair's ability to consistently remain at odds has kept them in the public consciousness.
13:09Number 11, Abraham Van Helsing and Count Dracula, Dracula Franchise.
13:13Gentlemen, we are dealing with the undead.
13:20Nosferatu.
13:23Yes, Nosferatu.
13:25Professor Van Helsing may not be the primary character in the Dracula mythology,
13:29but his unique qualifications in combating the infamous vampire make him one of the most important.
13:35He's a gifted figure in the world of medicine,
13:37yet remains open enough to the notion of paranormal phenomena
13:40that monster hunting comes just as easily.
13:43That progressive blend of science of faith is critical in confronting a foe like Count Dracula,
14:03whose immortality exacerbates his self-indulgence and brazen lack of accountability.
14:08In many ways, Dracula's undead status means he has nothing to lose,
14:12making him all the more dangerous in the eyes of someone like Van Helsing.
14:16With a sound moral character,
14:18it's the professor's fortitude that ultimately keeps Dracula ensconced in the darkness.
14:32Number 10, James Bond and Ernst Stavro Blofeld, James Bond Franchise.
14:37This organization does not tolerate failure.
14:41I know, but you see, I...
14:42Go!
14:44007 has faced a number of worthy adversaries during his tenure at MI6,
14:48but the annals of his escapades would be virtually incomplete without Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
14:53And finally, here we are.
14:59What took you so long?
15:10Cuckoo.
15:10As the shadowy leader of Spectra, the cat-owning overlord has assumed a variety of appearances,
15:16but he's posed the most sizable threat to the secret agent's success.
15:20Whether he's a diplomatic businessman or an irrational monster may vary with each appearance,
15:24but it's a testament to Blofeld's power as James Bond's arch-nemesis that he can be consistently reinvented.
15:30Well, the methods of the great pioneers have often puzzled conventional minds.
15:35Bond himself has proven worthy of the challenge,
15:37with the inevitability of their clashes and the emotional blows he's taken as a result,
15:42serving as one of the strongest focal points of his adventures.
15:44Finish it.
15:469. Optimus Prime and Megatron
15:59Transformers Franchise
16:00It's time to show them.
16:01We are more than meets the eye.
16:04Oh, no.
16:06And they're on!
16:08Some rivalries are so great that not even light years can stop them from intensifying.
16:12That's what these two shape-shifting robots have proven since their debut in 1984.
16:18Leading the benevolent Autobots and tyrannical Decepticons, respectively,
16:21Optimus Prime and Megatron's fight for survival has defied mediums.
16:25Their friendship-turned-bitter-feud has translated to animation, live-action, video games, and even comics,
16:31and one can easily understand why.
16:33Megatron
16:34Prime
16:35Their values may be simply defined,
16:45with Prime fighting with honor for the honor,
16:48and Megatron seeking to impose his will over the entire cosmos.
16:52But the lengths they're willing to go,
16:53not to mention the kick-ass gadgetry they're willing to use,
16:56in order to stand by those principles,
16:58has made this a formative standoff for multiple generations.
17:02You left me no choice, brother.
17:07Number 8. Gandalf the Grey and Saruman the White
17:11The Lord of the Rings franchise
17:12There is only one Lord of the Rings.
17:17Only one who will bend it to his will.
17:22And he does not share power.
17:26The allure of power is a recurring theme in this epic fantasy series,
17:30and these two wizards of the White Council are the living proof.
17:33Whereas Gandalf is able to resist the pull of Sauron and the One Ring,
17:37Saruman corrupts his leadership by giving in.
17:40So you have chosen death.
17:44Upon betraying his friend in the Fellowship of the Ring,
17:47Saruman inflicts his will on Middle-earth,
17:49doing the Dark Lord's bidding without ever having to leave Isengard.
17:53But, as in the case with most villains blinded by ambition,
17:56the White Wizard woefully underestimates his counterpart's abilities.
17:59So, Gandalf, you try to lead them over to Aradras.
18:03And if that fails,
18:06where then will you go?
18:09If the mountain defeats you,
18:13will you risk a more dangerous road?
18:17Gandalf's honor grants him superior capabilities
18:19after his moniker changed from grey to white,
18:22and he ultimately emerges as the embodiment
18:24of all that his former allies should have stood for.
18:27Number 7.
18:28Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort
18:29Harry Potter Franchise
18:31The boy who lived was destined to rival he who must not be named
18:47long before he realized it.
18:48But once Harry Potter finally met Lord Voldemort
18:51in his first year at Hogwarts,
18:52they made the absolute most of their animosity.
18:55The two half-bloods are linked by forces even stronger than fate,
18:58as Harry reluctantly learns when the second Wizarding War begins to take shape.
19:03I can touch you now.
19:08This resistance to his destiny makes him an even more noble hero
19:18and strengthens our own desire to see him upend Voldemort's prejudiced control over the magical world.
19:24I presume you have a reason for returning, Potter.
19:27What is it you need?
19:28Time, Professor.
19:29As much as you can get me.
19:31Harry's friendly demeanor and loyalty to his loved ones
19:34not only makes him a worthy wizard, but also a hero of many childhoods,
19:38as he alone solidifies Voldemort as a villain we love to hate.
19:41Number six, watch White and Gus Fring, Breaking Bad.
20:05Like many series on this list, Breaking Bad is often bereft of true heroes.
20:21But considering the amiable world that chemistry teacher Walter White hails from,
20:25his chaotic yet assured rise through the narcotics world
20:28makes him the perfect foil to kingpin Gus Fring.
20:30I don't think we're alike at all, Mr. White.
20:35You are not a cautious man at all.
20:39Your partner was late and he was high.
20:42Their partnership-turned-game-of-one-upmanship
20:44is defined by Walt's desperation and Gus's discipline.
20:47But Breaking Bad never leaves Gus in the driver's seat for too long,
20:51as Walt uses his dedication to his family
20:53to exploit Gus's deep-seated desire for revenge.
20:56Both men fulfill needs that the other lack,
20:58while also understanding that only one of them can stay on top.
21:02Never make the same mistake to life.
21:08That, along with their masterful knack for manipulation,
21:12makes their dynamic one of the small screens most irresistible.
21:15You and I both forget about Pinkman.
21:18We forget this ever happened.
21:19We consider this a lone hiccup
21:23in an otherwise long and fruitful business arrangement.
21:28Number 5. Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter
21:31The Silence of the Lambs
21:32Dr. Lecter, my name is Clarice Starling.
21:35May I speak with you?
21:37You're one of Jack Crawford's, aren't you?
21:39I am, yes.
21:40The best villains never take their opponent's requests lying down.
21:44And Hannibal Lecter is no different.
21:45While rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling
21:48needs his resourceful brain
21:49to help her locate fellow killer Buffalo Bill,
21:52the imprisoned cannibal is far more content
21:54to pick her apart first.
21:56That expires in one week.
21:58You're not real FBI, are you?
22:01I'm still in training at the academy.
22:03With a track record like his
22:04that comes easier to him
22:06than an inexperienced Starling is prepared for.
22:08It's little wonder why Jodie Foster
22:10and Anthony Hopkins
22:11both won Oscars for The Silence of the Lambs
22:14as the interplay between these two
22:15is far more chilling than any death or jump scare.
22:19Even when separated by steel bars or indestructible glass,
22:22Starling and Lecter's rivalry
22:23is nevertheless one of the most intimate in movie history.
22:27You know I can't make that promise.
22:29I do wish we could chat longer,
22:32but I'm having an old friend for dinner.
22:38Bye.
22:38No matter the medium they're portrayed in,
23:03Professor X and Magneto remain the ideological glue
23:06holding all X-Men stories together.
23:08Even as their opposing views toward mutant rights
23:11turn the former friends in opposite directions,
23:13both deliver highly intelligent reasons
23:15to believe in their causes.
23:17A lifelong victim of persecution,
23:19Eric Linsher constantly leaves readers and viewers
23:21questioning if he's right,
23:23all without ever admonishing
23:24Charles Xavier's more reasonable outlook.
23:26The war is still coming Charles
23:28and I intend to fight it
23:30by any means necessary
23:33and I will always be there
23:38old friend.
23:41Both mutant leaders want the same things,
23:43but it's Magneto's insistence on mutant supremacy
23:46in the wake of Professor X's quest for acceptance
23:48that keeps them apart.
23:50Despite their different visions of the future however,
23:52their mutual respect for each means
23:54they still have room for the other in their hearts.
23:57Us turning on each other.
23:59It's what they want.
24:01I tried to warn you Charles.
24:04Number 3.
24:05Obi-Wan Kenobi in Anakin Skywalker,
24:08aka Darth Vader,
24:09Star Wars franchise.
24:10You have allowed this dark lord
24:13to twist your mind until now.
24:16Until now you have become the very thing
24:18you swore to destroy.
24:19When these two first wielded their lightsabers
24:22in A New Hope,
24:23little did anyone know their duel
24:25was actually the culmination of decades
24:27of built up resentment.
24:29And once their relationship was further developed
24:31during the prequel trilogy,
24:32few expect that they're falling out
24:34to be a tragedy of galactic proportions.
24:36No!
24:41Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi
24:43finds camaraderie in his young Padawan
24:45Anakin Skywalker
24:45and their training is undergirded
24:47by a sense of brotherhood
24:49that's both playful and mature.
24:50As Anakin becomes corrupted
24:52by the dark side of the force
24:53and assumes the title of Darth Vader,
24:55it's the pain of failing his young apprentice
24:57that haunts Obi-Wan the most.
24:59But it's also what inspires him
25:00to stay close to the fight
25:01and watch over Anakin's son, Luke.
25:03What is it?
25:05Your father's lightsaber.
25:08This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight.
25:11Not as clumsy or random as a blaster.
25:13Batman and the Joker
25:16Batman franchise
25:18Why do you want to kill me?
25:21I don't want to kill you.
25:24What would I do without you?
25:26The thing about these legendary comic book foes
25:28is that either of them
25:29could take the other one out at any time
25:31if only they wanted to.
25:33But Batman's connection
25:34to the clown prince of crime
25:35isn't as cut and dry as others.
25:37Both characters are defined
25:38by deeply rooted traumas
25:40that manifest themselves in diverging ways.
25:42To them, you're just a freak.
25:45Like me.
25:46They need you right now.
25:49But when they don't,
25:52they'll cast you out.
25:54Their symbiotic relationship
25:55borders on codependency
25:56with the Joker's lust for chaos
25:58fooling Batman's never-ending purpose
26:00and maintaining order
26:01on the streets of Gotham.
26:02But the K-Crusaders' presence
26:04alone is enough to justify
26:05the disturbed supervillain's
26:07continuous cycle of anarchy.
26:08Meaning we'll never truly have
26:10one of them without the other.
26:11For good reasons,
26:12they are one of the longest-running,
26:14widely studied,
26:15and most thoroughly entertaining duels
26:17in all of fiction.
26:18Before we continue,
26:27be sure to subscribe to our channel
26:28and ring the bell
26:29to get notified about our latest videos.
26:32You have the option to be notified
26:33for occasional videos
26:35or all of them.
26:36If you're on your phone,
26:37make sure you go into your settings
26:39and switch on notifications.
26:401. Sherlock Holmes
26:43and Professor James Moriarty
26:44Sherlock Holmes
26:46You want me to shake hands
26:47with you in hell,
26:48I shall not disappoint you.
26:52Nah.
26:54You talk big.
26:57Nah.
26:59You're ordinary.
27:01You're ordinary.
27:02You're on the side of the angels.
27:04If Batman and Joker
27:05are the ultimate hero-villain pairing,
27:07it's only because these two
27:09built the template decades earlier.
27:10It's amusing that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
27:13initially created Moriarty
27:15for the sole purpose
27:16of killing Sherlock Holmes
27:17and ending his time with the character.
27:19What started as a final problem
27:21has evolved into one of pop culture's
27:23most enduring battles of wits
27:24as celebrated detective
27:26has consistently met his match
27:27in the criminal mastermind.
27:29I have loved this.
27:31This little game of ours.
27:33Playing Jim from IT.
27:36Playing gay.
27:38Did you like the little touch
27:38with the underwear?
27:39People have died.
27:40That's what people do!
27:43But what makes Holmes and Moriarty
27:45such fantastic rivals
27:46is that both live for the thrill
27:48of proving their intelligence
27:49and neither will concede victory willingly.
27:52No matter what form their stories take,
27:54whether it's historical action flicks
27:55or modern day procedurals,
27:57their mind games remain
27:58just as engrossing regardless.
28:00How would you describe this man,
28:03his character?
28:04First mistake.
28:06James Moriarty isn't a man at all.
28:09He's a spider.
28:11Spider at the center of a web.
28:13Criminal web with a thousand threads
28:15and he knows precisely how
28:16each and every single one of them dances.
28:22What's the greatest pop culture rivalry
28:24you've ever seen?
28:25Which fictional characters
28:26would you like to see fight one another?
28:28Be sure to let us know down
28:30in the comments below
28:30and don't forget to like and subscribe
28:32for more WatchMojo videos.
28:33Let's see.
28:38For more on the practise
Comments