Characters are an immeasurably important part of the films they populate, and oftentimes, great writing can turn characters who are objectively terrible people into lovable parts of their stories. Some of thebest movies of all timehave characters such as these, equal parts charming as they are dastardly. However, most of all, these characters have managed to stay memorable, even if some of them were created decades ago.
In stark contrast to thebest heroes in filmsor even thegreatest best friend duos in movies, characters who are bad people may have even more qualities that make them both real and relatable. Their negative qualities have become a part of their legacy, even if viewers have begun to forget about them over time. Yetcharacters like Tinkerbell and Jack Sparrow are still terrible people, even if they are generally belovedby their audiences.
10Tinker Bell
Peter Pan (1953)
Appearing in the Disney animated classicPeter Pan,Tinker Bell is a fairy who is best known for following around the titular character of Peter Pan. She initially seems like the picture of a sweet fairy, especially loving when she has Peter’s attention. However, when his attention instead turns to Wendy, she quickly becomes jealous and is shown to be easily angered.
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Tinker Bell’s jealousy becomes an integral part of the film,creating real stakes for the rest of the characters when it prompts her to endanger them all. Captain Hook uses this jealousy against her, manipulating Tinker Bell into revealing the location of Peter Pan’s secret hideout. Despite this attitude, she has become Disney royalty in a sense, beloved by fans for decades and introducing logos in projects she has nothing else to do with.
9Dewey Finn
School Of Rock (2003)
The movieSchool of Rockstarring Jack Black is a classic from the early 2000s that has since spawned a Broadway musical, depicting Dewey Finn as he cons his way into becoming a substitute teacher for a prestigious school. He commits horrible act after horrible act throughout the movie, motivated by selfishness and a desire to win Battle of the Bands.Even so, he remains incredibly lovable, with Jack Black’s iconic acting contributing much to the character.
In a single film, Dewey commits identity theft, treats his friends poorly, and because of his antics, a class of students miss out on an entire year of schooling. The film’s feel-good ending still comes across as perfectly in place despite all this, with Dewey ending up with a job tutoring kids in music. It is because of Dewey thatSchool of Rockremains so quotable, cemented in public memory even 20 years later.
8Miranda Priestly
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
The Devil Wears Pradais a compelling and fun film about a woman who, on the journey toward achieving her dream job in the journalism industry, ends up as the assistant to a narcissistic boss. This boss is Miranda Priestly, played to perfection by Meryl Streep. Miranda is the editor-in-chief of a prestigious fashion magazine, and she takes her position very seriously from the beginning of the film to the end, never changing as a character.
However, Miranda flaunts her power somewhat abusively in her job, supposedly in order for everything to be done properly.Miranda is biting with her words, insulting Anne Hathaway’s character Andrea Sachs constantlyas she demands things from her. However, it is perhaps because of her indiscriminate cruelty that she has become so popular, loved by viewers just because of the extreme lengths she goes to in this hit movie.
7Lestat de Lioncourt
Interview With The Vampire (1994)
Originally a novel of the same name, Interview with the Vampire operates as an autobiography and confession of the life of vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac. He tells his interviewer about the various vampires he has met during his long life, the most famous of which is his companion Lestat de Lioncourt. Though the story is embellished on Louis' part,Lestat is seen countless times as being manipulative and a generally horrible person.
Anne Rice’sInterview with the Vampirehas since been rebooted as the 2022 television series starring Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt and Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac.
While Louis is caught up in a battle with his own mortality and the mortality of those around him, Lestat kills indiscriminately throughout the story. Lestat seems to relish drinking the blood of the innocent, and though he seems to genuinely care about Louis, he is portrayed as more self-involved and selfish. However, Tom Cruise’s theatrics as the vampire Lestat still hold up, making for an iconic introduction to a beloved and charismatic character.
6Bellatrix Lestrange
The Harry Potter Series
TheHarry Potterfranchise is one full of iconic characters, including Harry Potter himself, but also the likes of Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy. However, many of these characters seem to have people who love and hate them, no matter their role in the series.One character that seems to be genuinely liked by the fandom despite her streak of evil deeds is that of Bellatrix Lestrange,a dedicated follower of Lord Voldemort and practitioner of the dark arts.
Harry Potter
Following in the footsteps of Lord Voldemort is a strike against Bellatrix’s character in and of itself, and she commits many horrific crimes throughout the books and films. Specifically, she is known for her use of the Unforgivable Curses and her generally violent nature. Bellatrix remains popular despite this, partially due to the electric performance of Helena Bonham Carter, as well as the character’s chaotic, pure evil nature that is often enjoyable in a villain.
5Hannibal Lecter
The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
Well-known for its expertly crafted narrative and purposeful tension,The Silence of the Lambsis a crime thriller that follows Clarice Starling as she attempts to catch a serial killer. Though Clarice is the focus of the narrative, the serial killer and cannibal she comes to for advice, Hannibal Lecter, ultimately steals the show.“Hannibal the Cannibal” is chillingly creepy in every scene he is in,culminating in his escape from the facility that traps him at the end of the film.
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Hannibal is a character that doesn’t let the viewer forget how horrible he really is. Although he gives Clarice helpful advice, it comes at the expense of truly frightening her, prompting her to question her reality, and even harassing her later on in the film. Hannibal is one of the worst of the worst, as he kills for fun and eats his victims after the fact. Yet he is also a pillar of the horror genre and is at least liked by audiences for the impossible writing and acting involved with his scenes.
4Jack Skellington
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Nightmare Before Christmasis one of the best holiday movies ever, following the story of Halloween Town ruler Jack Skellington as he discovers the festivities of Christmas. It is a lighthearted stop-motion tale that sees Jack grow as a person, learning the true meaning of Christmas and coming to accept himself and his position as the Pumpkin King. However, along the way,Jack causes plenty of trouble for the residents of Christmas Town, including Santa Claus himself.
Not only does he set out to steal Santa’s job, kidnapping him in the process, but the presents he brings to the children of the world are all frightening. Meanwhile, Santa nearly perishes at the hands of Oogie Boogie. The songs throughout the film may be fantastic, but the perils faced by the characters are all a result of Jack’s selfish actions. However, his not doing these things out of a desire to do evil, but for genuine fun and connection, makes Jack a still relatable and empathetic character; his spindly design also makes him popular.
3Jack Sparrow
The Pirates Of The Caribbean Series
Pirates of the Caribbeanis one of the most successful franchises of all time, beginning withThe Curse of the Black Pearland continuing on toDead Men Tell No Tales. However, pirates aren’t exactly known for their good deeds, famous for stealing, fighting, and (allegedly) hiding buried treasure. This is shown no better than in the character of Jack Sparrow, the fan-favorite roguish pirate that the franchise centers on.
Pirates of the Caribbean
Portrayed by Johnny Depp, Jack Sparrow is a pirate lord with a penchant for running away from danger. The different films see him chasing various treasures, all the while evading the authorities for his ongoing crimes, often resorting to betraying his allies for survival. However,Captain Jack’s charming personality allows him to come off as a more amiable character than a hardened career criminal,founding his legacy as a popular Disney icon.
2Anakin Skywalker
The Star Wars Franchise
Anakin Skywalker is perhaps the most important character in the entireStar Warsfranchise, with two trilogies dedicated to him in some capacity. He was introduced as the character of Darth Vader in the original trilogy, with the franchise taking a deeper look into his backstory in the prequel movies.Anakin’s descent into the Dark Side is explored in great detail over several films and TV shows,with his redemption still standing as one of Star Wars' most iconic moments.
Anakin Skywalker has been portrayed by several actors over the years, including James Earl Jones and Hayden Christensen.
Darth Vader was a character instantly admired for his status as a formidable, impending villain, creating a legacy that was larger than life. As Anakin, he was analyzed as a character with complex feelings that was almost a victim of forces outside his control. Overall, Anakin is one of the characters who serve as the backbone of a massive franchise with decades of lore to back it up. Despite the prequels' shoddy quality, Anakin has been further developed into an intriguing character.
1Tony Stark
The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Tony Stark is a widely beloved character who has made his mark on the world’s media,appearing in comics, films, and TV shows. Also known as Iron Man, Tony is a billionaire who uses his money and engineering abilities to become a superhero through the use of technology alone, wanting to counteract the damage he did by producing weapons. Although he is a superhero and has the world’s safety in mind, he is also an arrogant narcissist who often puts himself above others.
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Tony is rude to almost everyone, picks fights with other heroes (leading to the climactic ending ofCaptain America: Civil War), and generally thinks of himself as superior. However, Tony grows as a person over the course of several films with his attitude being the worst early on. He then sacrifices himself to save the universe inAvengers: Endgame, bringing his character arc full circle and making him one of the most adored characters in recent memory.
