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From cackling witches to cold-blooded schemers, cinema has gifted us some truly terrifying women. Join us as we count down our picks for the greatest female villains in movie history! Our countdown includes the Wicked Witch of the West, Annie Wilkes, Dolores Umbridge, Nurse Ratched, Maleficent, and more! Which of these iconic antagonists is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00That's right, don't hurt them right away. We'll let them think about it a little first.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the biggest and baddest women in film history.
00:12Beware the spoilers ahead, as we'll be diving deep into everything that makes these characters iconic and so well-written.
00:18You just better start showing me a little more appreciation around here, Mr. Man.
00:23Number 20. Aunt Gladys. Weapons.
00:26Why get your hands dirty when others can do the work for you?
00:28The villain of this Zack Kreger film proved to be an unsettling presence.
00:32I'm Alex's aunt, and his mom is my baby sister.
00:36Okay, so you're not his legal guardian?
00:39Well, no, that would be his parents, of course.
00:42She exploits the kindness of others and possesses them through magic.
00:46With those traits, she abducts children and offs suspicious townsfolk without hesitation.
00:50She poses a big threat to a small town, but what makes her unforgettable is Amy Madigan.
00:56The Oscar winner delivers an eerily calm performance that makes every line feel ominous.
01:00I told you she's just fine.
01:02Don't worry.
01:06Alex, now don't be rude.
01:09Why don't you sit down at the table because I'm making dinner?
01:12What's even more effective is how she fits into the film's odd tonal balance.
01:16One minute, she's jump-scaring us with her ghostly appearance.
01:19The next, she's making us laugh with her over-the-top lies.
01:22And eventual defeat.
01:24Number 19, Ursula, The Little Mermaid.
01:27Signature wit and Shakespearean theatrics have made the sea witch an icon.
01:31Yes, hurry home, princess.
01:35We wouldn't want to miss old daddy's celebration, though, would we?
01:40Ha!
01:42Celebration indeed.
01:44Oh, bah!
01:45What separates her from other Disney villains is that she doesn't just scheme.
01:49She performs.
01:51Nearly all of her scenes are vibrant one-woman shows.
01:54And Poor Unfortunate Souls is her best performance.
01:57Beneath the glamour, she is a master manipulator,
02:00preying on Ariel's sadness with a deal designed to fail.
02:03What I want from you is...
02:04Your voice.
02:07My voice?
02:09You've got it, sweetcakes.
02:11No more talking, singing, zip.
02:14Her ability to weaponize language and loopholes makes her more than just a sad, would-be despot.
02:19Equal parts campy and menacing,
02:21Ursula proves that sometimes,
02:23the most fun villains are also the most ruthless.
02:26Number 18, Mrs. Carmody, The Mist.
02:29Panic brings out the worst in people.
02:31And no one embodies that dissent quite like a self-proclaimed prophet.
02:35No, don't go out there.
02:37It's death out there.
02:39It's the end of days.
02:40As the survivors of The Mist take shelter in a supermarket,
02:44Mrs. Carmody slowly seizes control and gains a cult following.
02:47Her sermons start as background noise, but slowly start to twist fear into fanaticism.
02:52Her villainy reaches new heights when she sacrifices people to the creatures of The Mist,
02:57which she justifies as divine will.
02:59Don't you know by now, don't you know the truth?
03:03We are being punished.
03:05For what?
03:06For going against the will of God.
03:09For going against his forbidden rule.
03:12Like any good horror disaster,
03:14the threat proves to be more than just the monsters on the other side of the door.
03:18Number 17, Asami Yamazaki.
03:21Audition.
03:21At first glance, Asami seems to present herself as the perfect partner.
03:26Polite, graceful, almost too perfect.
03:39That facade unravels as her past and true nature rise to the surface,
03:43revealing a deeply troubled woman shaped by childhood trauma.
03:47What follows is an alarming shift,
03:49resulting in a torture sequence that's really hard to watch.
03:52We still can't get her use of a wire saw and needles out of our heads.
03:56By the end, she is an embodiment of pure terror.
03:59But even then, we still have a hint of sympathy for her.
04:02What she does is unforgivable,
04:04but given what her family put her through,
04:06did she ever have a chance at a healthy life?
04:16Living on a quiet farm and dreaming of stardom,
04:18Pearl's ambition quickly curdles into obsession.
04:21Don't forget to live your life, too.
04:23I wouldn't mind seeing you up on that screen one day, Mrs.
04:28Pearl.
04:28Mia Goth delivers a performance that walks the line between madness and sad vulnerability.
04:33Every one of her emotional outbursts feels raw and volatile
04:36as Pearl's expectations collide with reality.
04:39Her need for recognition and escape eventually explodes into violence,
04:43turning her into both a slasher villain and protagonist.
04:46We understand how frustrating life can be,
04:49but how she reacts to disappointment is pretty monstrous.
04:52Au revoir, poor Johnny!
04:56By the time her psyche fully unravels,
04:59the tragedy of who she could have been is just as haunting as what she becomes.
05:03Number 15. Agatha Trunchbull, Matilda.
05:06Authority figures are often portrayed as antagonists.
05:09In Trunchbull's case, she is the epitome of the archetype.
05:13Ah! Fresh meat!
05:16With her mighty stature, she towers over the Crunchum Hall students
05:20and rules with an iron fist.
05:22Her punishments include forcing children to eat entire cakes
05:25and launching them across playgrounds.
05:27The acts are cartoony, but strangely grounded in childhood fears.
05:31The joy she derives from such cruelty is often disturbing.
05:35Just look at the hammer throw scene.
05:37No supernatural powers are required here.
05:39Just intimidation, brute strength,
05:42and a complete disregard for student safety.
05:44One day, Jen, you'll see that everything I do is for your own good.
05:49And the good of those putrescent little children!
05:53Number 14. Jobu Topaki.
05:55Everything, everywhere, all at once.
05:57Across all realities is a being of absolute chaos.
06:01Jobu Topaki isn't just powerful.
06:03She experiences every universe simultaneously
06:05and can jump between them at will.
06:08You with the cat!
06:12See, I don't think you understand the meaning of that word.
06:15This resulted in her mind fracturing into nihilism.
06:18Convinced that nothing truly matters,
06:21she created an everything bagel to end her existence and be at peace.
06:25Yet beneath her absurd antics is something painfully human,
06:28a daughter overwhelmed by life.
06:30Stephanie Hsu balances humor and despair perfectly,
06:33making her seem as tragic as she is destructive.
06:36I'm here to save you some time.
06:41Eventually,
06:46that all just goes away.
06:48Rather than being a traditional villain,
06:50she represents emotional burnout taken to cosmic extremes,
06:53turning personal pain into a multiversal disaster.
06:57Number 13. Margaret White.
06:59Carrie. Religious devotion becomes sinister
07:01when it's used as a weapon.
07:03I'm here on the Lord's work, Mrs. Snell.
07:06Spread the gospel of God's salvation through Christ's blood.
07:10Yes, of course.
07:12Carrie's mother demonstrates just that
07:13when she tries to control her daughter through fear,
07:16guilt, and relentless torment.
07:18Framing every aspect of Carrie's life as sinful,
07:20she believes that there is no room for motherly compassion.
07:23She isolates and breaks Carrie instead of protecting her,
07:26pushing her closer to the edge with every cruel lesson.
07:32That's Satan's power.
07:34There's nothing to do with Satan, mama.
07:37It's me.
07:38Me.
07:40If I concentrate hard enough, I can move things.
07:43Satan is clever.
07:44Even as supernatural events occur,
07:47she still thinks her righteousness is just.
07:49That unwavering belief is what makes her so disturbing.
07:52In the end, her fanaticism is arguably at the core of every destructive act
07:57that happens to her and her daughter.
07:59Number 12.
08:00Oren Ishii.
08:01Kill Bill Volume 1.
08:03Rising from a violent childhood,
08:05the deadly viper assassin channels her trauma into becoming a crime lord.
08:08When the final sword was sheathed,
08:11it was Oren Ishii and her powerful posse,
08:14the crazy 88 that proved the victor.
08:18Her ascent to the Yakuza ranks was precise and ruthless,
08:22famously marked by the moment when she decapitates an insolent crime boss.
08:25She carries herself with a quiet dignity,
08:28commanding respect without ever raising her voice.
08:30If you want a perfect showcase of her style,
08:33just watch her iconic final duel against the bride.
08:35Silly Caucasian girl likes to play with samurai swords.
08:42You may not be able to fight like a samurai,
08:48but you can at least die like a samurai.
08:51Among a roster of killers,
08:53she stands out as being the most composed and formidable,
08:56though Elle Driver does come close.
08:58Number 11.
08:59Mystique.
09:00The X-Men franchise.
09:01Although shapeshifting may not seem like a dangerous power,
09:04Mystique proves that identity can be a weapon in the right hands.
09:08But I've had Mystique here keep you company.
09:11She takes so many shapes.
09:12Whether infiltrating government facilities
09:14or taking down superheroes with swift combat,
09:17she operates with an efficiency that makes her nearly unstoppable.
09:20Her loyalty to the mutant cause has put her at the center of many conflicts,
09:24acting as both a spy and enforcer.
09:27That makes her an unpredictable agent,
09:29whose motivations and loyalties shift depending on the film.
09:32What's the matter, baby?
09:34You don't think I look pretty like this?
09:36Sometimes she'll team up with the X-Men,
09:37and other times she tries to wipe out humanity.
09:40Beneath her conflicting identities, however,
09:42is a survivor who wants to find belonging,
09:45making her one of Marvel's most complex and enduring villains.
09:48Number 10.
09:49Cruella de Vil.
09:50The 101 Dalmatians franchise.
09:53There aren't many villains with motives this outright vile.
09:56Isn't that a new fur coat?
09:59My only true love, darling, I live for furs.
10:03I worship furs.
10:05The classic Disney rogue isn't after revenge or power.
10:08She just wants a coat made from the fur of Dalmatian puppies.
10:11As simple as she may seem,
10:12she makes up for it by being entirely defined by her obsession.
10:16From her skeletal frame to her chaotic rants,
10:19she flashes her wickedness like a badge of honor.
10:21Her theatrical flair and high-fashion madness
10:24allow her to dominate every scene she's in,
10:26whether it's animated or in live action.
10:28Stylish, loud, and completely unhinged,
10:31she owns her vanity like it's a kind of monster.
10:34And how many villains can claim
10:36they have a theme song as catchy as this?
10:38To see her is to take a sudden chill.
10:45Cruella, Cruella.
10:46Number 9.
10:47Regina George.
10:48Mean Girls.
10:49High school politics may not be as cutthroat as we think,
10:52but Regina George makes it feel like a war zone.
10:55Jason, you do not come to a party at my house with Gretchen
10:59and then scam on some poor innocent girl
11:01right in front of us three days later.
11:02She's not interested.
11:04Do you want to have sex with him?
11:06No, thank you.
11:08Good.
11:08So it's settled.
11:09So you can go shave your back now.
11:11Bye, Jason.
11:12The Queen Bee of North Shore High
11:14rules with manipulation, sabotage, and popularity.
11:18Her main weapon, however, is information.
11:20Whether it's spreading rumors, orchestrating betrayals,
11:23or unleashing gossip from the infamous Burn book,
11:26she has a knack for destroying reputations overnight.
11:29She's the kind of person who smiles to your face
11:31while plotting your downfall.
11:32I love your skirt.
11:33Where did you get it?
11:35Uh, it was my mom's in the 80s.
11:37Vintage!
11:38So adorable.
11:40Thanks.
11:42That is the ugliest effing skirt I've ever seen.
11:44Almost everyone knew someone like that in high school.
11:47And that is just what makes Regina feel so real and effective.
11:51Number 8.
11:52Alex Forrest, Fatal Attraction
11:54A brief affair spirals into something more dangerous
11:57than we expected in this thriller.
11:58You know how it's funny being a lawyer?
12:00You know, it's like being a doctor.
12:02Everybody's telling me their innermost secrets.
12:06You just have to be discreet.
12:08Oh, God, yeah.
12:10Are you?
12:11We first meet Alex Forrest as a confident and alluring editor,
12:14but rejection soon pushes her into obsessive territory.
12:17Her fixation eventually becomes life-threatening
12:20and truly disturbing.
12:21She makes phone calls that turn into stalking,
12:24and her emotional manipulation turns violent.
12:26Perhaps her most upsetting act is when she boils a poor animal alive.
12:30Glenn Close's performance is so good
12:32that sometimes she makes you wonder if Alex is worthy of sympathy.
12:35I can't.
12:42Why are you?
12:44By the end, however,
12:45it's clear that she wants control more than actual love.
12:48Number 7.
12:49Amy Dunn
12:50Gone Girl
12:51Nick Dunn's wife doesn't just disappear.
12:53She engineers a nationwide spectacle,
12:56carefully planting evidence that paints her husband as a murderer.
13:00This is insane.
13:02So, my question becomes...
13:04I don't want to talk to you again, ever, without a lawyer.
13:08What makes her so fascinating is her airtight plan,
13:10from the staged crime scene to feeding the media a sympathetic persona.
13:14When the truth finally surfaces,
13:16she is already several steps ahead,
13:19rewriting her image to suit her needs.
13:20Rosamund Pike's acting not only makes the character memorable,
13:24but iconic.
13:25Her calculated line delivery reveals a restraint and resentment within Amy
13:28that some may find relatable.
13:30I'm gonna need those three things to feel safe.
13:34You have to own this, Nick.
13:37Don't worry.
13:38I know exactly what to say.
13:40While we don't condone what the character did,
13:42her commentary on society's expectations of women is spot on.
13:46Number 6.
13:47Miranda Priestly
13:48The Devil Wears Prada
13:50There's a particular kind of fear instilled by Runway's chief editor.
13:54Before today, you had never heard of me.
13:58No.
13:59And you have no style or sense of fashion.
14:04Well, um...
14:05I think that depends on what you're...
14:08No, no.
14:09That wasn't a question.
14:11Miranda Priestly runs the fashion world with a whisper,
14:14crushing careers and confidence with slight pauses and dismissive glances.
14:17She puts all of her subordinates on edge as she demands perfection that is impossible to attain.
14:23On the surface, she could have been a caricature of a cruel boss.
14:27But Meryl Streep and the writing bring a lot of intrigue to the character.
14:31Priestly mistreats those around her,
14:32but her cruelty alone wouldn't be enough to command a room.
14:35She'd have to understand the fashion industry like no one else.
14:38In fact, she has climbed the fashion ladder so high that she essentially is the industry.
14:43What's that?
14:44Oh, I don't want that.
14:46I'm having lunch with her.
14:47I'll be back at 3.
14:48I'd like my Starbucks waiting.
14:51Oh, and if you don't have that Harry Potter book by then,
14:56don't even bother coming back.
14:58That, along with her uncompromising attitude, make her a compelling villain.
15:02Number 5, Maleficent, Sleeping Beauty, Grandeur, Menace, and Elegance all blend seamlessly in this fairy tale icon.
15:10From the moment she crashes Aurora's christening, she ensures she'll never be forgotten.
15:14Well, quite a glittering assemblage, King Steppen.
15:20Royalty, nobility, the gentry, and...
15:25Oh, how quaint.
15:29Even the rabble.
15:31I really felt quite distressed at not receiving an invitation.
15:35Her curse haunts a kingdom for years, and she looms over the realm like a bomb waiting to go off.
15:41She seems just as untouchable as her iconic visage.
15:44Even when she's angry, she maintains her regality and enacts her plans from the shadows.
15:49When she does finally unleash her full power, she is a spectacle that few villains are able to match.
15:55Her transformation into a massive dragon delivers one of the best final battles in the fantasy genre.
16:01Now shall you deal with me, oh prince, and all the powers of hell!
16:08Maleficent is just about everything you could want from a villain who does it all.
16:12Number 4. Mildred Ratchett.
16:15One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
16:16Within a psychiatric ward, Nurse Ratchett proves that a maddening routine can be just as bad as any physical pain.
16:22Do you think it might be possible to turn that music down so maybe a couple of the boys could
16:27talk?
16:29That music is for everyone, Mr. McMurphy.
16:32Yeah, I know, but you think we might ease it down a little bit so maybe the boys didn't have
16:37to shout?
16:39She maintains control over her patients through structure and so-called therapy sessions, all designed to mask her desire for
16:45power.
16:46Every one of her interactions gets her closer to stripping individuality away from the patients, including the rebellious McMurphy.
16:53Although her humiliation tactics and mental pressure eventually fail, she leaves a lasting impression on viewers.
16:59I heard your question, Mr. Cheswick, and I will answer your question as soon as you've calmed down.
17:06Okay.
17:10Are you calm, Mr. Cheswick?
17:12I'm calm.
17:13Good.
17:14She turned a place of healing into an inescapable nightmare without a shred of guilt.
17:19Now that's unsettling.
17:20Number three, Dolores Umbridge, the Harry Potter franchise.
17:25Voldemort may be the ultimate big bad, but the polite and pink headmistress has her own unique brand of villainy.
17:31Enough!
17:32Enough.
17:34See me later.
17:36Mr. Potter?
17:37My office.
17:38Umbridge is initially introduced with soft-spoken authority and pastel cardigans.
17:42Then, her politeness comes down to make way for torturous methods of discipline.
17:46She wastes no time inflicting cruel punishments, such as forcing students to carve words into their own skin.
17:53It's clear that she sees Hogwarts more as a suffocating regime than a school.
17:58Unlike Bellatrix Lestrange and the Death Eaters, Umbridge's evil isn't so overt.
18:02She doesn't have the luxury of dressing in black and throwing around killing curses.
18:06Instead, she operates within the system and uses bureaucracy to her advantage.
18:11You give me no choice, Potter. As this is an issue of ministry security, you leave me with no alternative.
18:22The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue.
18:25Who needs spells when you have rules and authority?
18:28Number two, Annie Wilkes, Misery.
18:30When we first meet this bibliophile, she claims to be Paul Sheldon's number one fan.
18:35She rescues the novelist from a car crash and nurses him back to health.
18:38I asked God about you, and God said, I delivered him unto you so that you may show him the
18:44way.
18:45Show me the way?
18:47Yes.
18:48Her scary obsession begins to show, and later goes off the rails when she learns that he killed off her
18:53favorite book character.
18:54She imprisons Paul, and her demeanor starts to swing back and forth between awkward kindness and possessive violence.
19:01Any conversation with her could end in disaster, and that makes her one terrifying captor.
19:06Anyone who's watched her break Sheldon's ankles knows what we mean.
19:10Annie, whatever you think I'm not doing, please don't do it.
19:15We can see why Kathy Bates won an Oscar for the role.
19:18The duality she gives Annie makes it impossible to know what she's going to do next.
19:23Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.
19:26The Evil Queen, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
19:29Disney's first villain makes beauty a lethal contest.
19:32To make doubly sure you do not fail, bring back her heart in this.
19:43Catherine Trammell, Basic Instinct.
19:45Ice-cold intellect meets irresistible charm.
19:48Did you kill Mr. Bos, Miss Trammell?
19:50I'd have to be pretty stupid to write a book about killing and then kill somebody the way I described
19:54it in my book.
19:55I'd be announcing myself as the killer.
19:58I'm not stupid.
19:59Mary Lee Johnston, Precious, Parental Abuse Cuts Deeper Than Any Monster.
20:04You eat it.
20:06You come eat the s**t.
20:07I'm not hungry though.
20:08Yes, you is.
20:10Precious, if you don't get this goddamn plate.
20:12The Other Mother, Coraline.
20:14Sometimes our dreams are just stitched together nightmares.
20:18Apologize at once, Coraline.
20:22No.
20:24I'll give you to the count of three.
20:29One.
20:31Two.
20:35Three!
20:37Mrs. Danvers.
20:38Rebecca.
20:39The cold housekeeper haunts every corner of the Manderley estate.
20:42Do you think the dead come back and watch the living?
20:45I know.
20:46I don't believe it.
20:48Sometimes.
20:50I wonder if she doesn't come back here to Manderley.
20:54Watch you and Mr. De Winter together.
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21:04Classical music reimagined as rock, hard rock, and metal.
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21:11Gold buys silence, guilt buys prayer.
21:15I am the echo, you can't outrun the jokes on you.
21:21The blade's begun.
21:25Number 1.
21:26The Wicked Witch of the West.
21:28The Wizard of Oz.
21:29History has given us plenty of unforgettable movie villains.
21:32Very few are as iconic as the broomstick-wielding, green-skinned witch herself.
21:37I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too.
21:41For generations, the Wicked Witch of the West set the standard for how fun and scary a villain should be.
21:46She commands an army of flying monkeys, shoots fireballs, and soars over our plucky heroes with an unmistakable cackle.
21:53She's not very complicated, but who needs complexity when your presence alone creates tension?
21:58You've been more in trouble to me than you're worth, one way or another, but it'll soon be over now!
22:03Decades later, and her image is still known to all, proving that pure, unmistakable evil is all you need to
22:10be a legendary character.
22:11Which of these villains would make a decent friend?
22:13Let us know in the comments who you think would be the best of the worst.
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