It's relatively easy to think of the film and television villains who, supreme and dark in their evil power, fill the scenes with such an overpowering presence as to render them unforgettable. Kenneth Branagh as the amoral Iago in Othello, Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter, or Heath Ledger's portrayal as the Joker for some reason jump immediately to mind. Lists and essays of villains of this dark sort have been, and will continue to be, written by people much smarter than me, so I'd rather do something else.
Each a foil to a particular characteristic of the protagonist, the villain resonates differently in each story they occupy. The villain can inspire hate, loathing, confusion, comfort, and occasionally, the hope for redemption. The villain is arguably a much more intricate and important character than the hero, and they are therefore much more difficult to handle. We've all been lost in a story in which we hope the villain is in some way successful. That they may escape the action unscathed or find salvation for their damaged hearts and minds. They provide humor, suspense, and more often than not, serve as the most honest characters in a story.
So, in this and future Villainy! rambles, I'll post some of the myriad of minor or more-forgotten villains that are part of the tapestry of fantastical characters in my head. That said, I can't promise that I won't stray into more established, iconic Bad Guys from time to time.
Vizzini, The Princess Bride
Westley: You're that smart?
Vizzini: Let me put it this way. Have you heard of Plato? Aristotle? Socrates?
Westley: Yes.
Vizzini: Morons.
Vizzini was one of the first memorable villains from my childhood. Not only did this mastermind have a real giant and a master swordsman at his beck and call, but he appeared to be the most nefarious and confidently intelligent creep in the world. His wit, lisp, and utter impatience for the idiocy and rhyming of his cohorts made him believable and, more importantly, fun to watch.
Additional Villain Points:
1.) Not only did Vizzini serve to counter Westley's mental prowess, he was a foil to the film's primary villain, Prince Humperdink. The Prince was an elite, vacuous twit we all hoped would suffer a swift and hopefully humorous demise.
2.) The bastard literally laughed in the face of his own death.
Ace Merrill, Stand By Me
Ace: Okay, Chambers, you little faggot. This is your last chance. What do you say, kid?
Chris: Why don't you go home and fuck your mother some more?
Ace: [pulls out switchblade] You're dead.
There was nothing funny about Ace Merrill. You hated him instantly and completely. He was cold, heartless, and cruel. He was the reckless alpha male of his circle, and in a small community like Castle Rock, Maine, he had little to fear. When he and his group of friends (whom he loathed) decided that they would be looking for the body of Ray Brower as well, a confrontation with the four young boys was inevitable.
What became the most remarkable aspect of this character upon the film's conclusion was his utter irrelevance to the boy's painful loss of innocence. The boys found the dead body near the train tracks, and the audience felt things crumble. Their laughter ceased, and the party ended as they stared at the bloodied, pasty face of a boy not much older than they. The idyllic childhood was finished.
Ace's threats and snarls of vengeance fell to pieces as he stared down the barrel of gun of held by a boy no longer concerned with the bluster of a pitiful, "cheap, dime store hood."
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