Some villains are obviously evil. Others… maybe not. In this poll, we’ve collected 24 of the most iconic movie and TV villains. Your task is simple, but morally tricky: decide if each character was truly evil, or just a product of their circumstances.
Your votes will reveal how you see morality in the most complicated of characters. Are you harsh, forgiving, or somewhere in between? Scroll, think carefully, and cast your vote—these villains aren’t always what they seem.
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#1 Harry Potter (2001-2011) – Often seen as Harry Potter’s bully and rival, Draco Malfoy is cruel and arrogant, but also shaped by family pressure and expectations.
© Photo: Warner Bros.
#2 Game Of Thrones (2011-2019) – Manipulative and ruthless, Cersei Lannister will destroy anyone who threatens her power or her children.
© Photo: HBO
#3 Breaking Bad (2008-2013) – A teacher turned drug kingpin, Walter White commits crimes and murders while insisting he’s doing it for his family.
© Photo: Sony Pictures Television
#4 Marvel Cinematic Universe (2012-2019) – Believing overpopulation will destroy the universe, Thanos wipes out half of all life to restore “balance.”
© Photo: Marvel
#5 The Dark Knight (2008) – A chaos-driven criminal, the Joker believes society’s rules are fragile illusions.
© Photo: Warner Bros.
#6 The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) – Once innocent, Gollum is twisted by an obsession with the One Ring over centuries of isolation.
© Photo: New Line Cinema
#7 The Godfather ((1972) – Once determined to avoid crime, Michael Corleone slowly becomes the ruthless head of a criminal empire.
© Photo: Paramount Pictures
#8 Spider-Man (2002) – A brilliant scientist fractured by dangerous experiments, the Green Goblin became violently ambitious and cruel.
© Photo: Marvel
#9 Watchmen (2009) – A vigilante with a rigid moral code, Rorschach refuses to compromise even to save lives.
© Photo: Warner Bros.
#10 A Clockwork Orange (1971) – Known as a violent delinquent who delighted in cruelty, Alex DeLarge was later forced into psychological “rehabilitation.”
© Photo: Warner Bros.
#11 Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) – Ed Rooney becomes obsessed with catching one student skipping school, even if it means lying and breaking his own rules.
© Photo: Paramount Pictures
#12 Wall Street (1987) – Gordon Gekko builds an empire by convincing people that greed isn’t a flaw – it’s a virtue.
© Photo: 20th Century Fox
#13 Cruel Intentions (1999) – Kathryn Merteuil treats relationships like chess pieces and emotions like leverage.
© Photo: Columbia Pictures
#14 The Sopranos (1999-2007) – Tony Soprano goes to therapy while ordering violence to protect his family and his business.
© Photo: HBO
#15 That 70’s Show (1998-2006) – Red Forman rules his household through criticism, pressure, and “tough love.”
© Photo: FOX
#16 Die Hard (1988) – Hans Gruber stages a terrorist attack under the cover of political messaging to carry out a high-end heist.
© Photo: 20th Century Studios
#17 Psycho (1960) – Norman Bates presents himself as kind and vulnerable while hiding a violent reality he barely understands himself.
© Photo: Universal Pictures
#18 The Matrix (1999) – Agent Smith seeks to erase humanity to “free” both humans and machines from a system he sees as a prison.
© Photo: Warner Bros.
#19 Training Day (2001) – Alonzo Harris bends the law at every turn, claiming only dirty hands can keep the streets clean.
© Photo: Warner Bros.
#20 12 Years a Slave (2013) – Edwin Epps rules through terror, convinced that absolute control is both natural and necessary.
© Photo: Summit Entertainment
#21 No Country for Old Men (2007) – Anton Chigurh follows an unbreakable personal code that treats life and death as a matter of chance.
© Photo: Miramax
#22 John Doe: Vigilante (2014) – John Doe engineers his crimes as moral lessons meant to expose society’s sins through fear and spectacle.
© Photo: Screen Corporation
#23 Harry Potter (2001-2011) – Lord Voldemort seeks to reshape the world by eliminating those he considers weak, believing only the powerful deserve to lead.
© Photo: Warner Bros.
#24 Frankenstein (2025) – Dr. Frankenstein, shaped by a childhood of loss, betrayal and neglect, grows obsessed with defying the natural limits of life, claiming that the pursuit of knowledge justifies his experiments – even when they harm others.
© Photo: Netflix
