Media with fantastic villains

Not sure where to put this, since it encompasses almost all forms of media, but I'm looking for reccomendations.

As I mentioned on another thread; I am OBSESSED with villains. I'm looking for films/anime/video games/books/manga/cartoons etc that have fantastic villains!

What's my definition of a fantastic villain? I'm a massive fan of Chessmasters, Magnificent Bastards, Hammy villains, Well Intentioned Extremists. Anti-Villains. Stuff of that ilk. My number one criteria though, is that the villain needs to be competent and on par with the hero in some way.

No Villain Protagonists. I can't stand them.

Sorry if I'm sounding like a jerk. I'm just bored and looking for stuff to watch/do

edited 17th Jan '12 2:09:38 PM by gingerninja666

Obvious answer: Professor Moriarty, the classic Chessmaster.

Have you seen A Game of Shadows yet? I think that did a decent job of making him threatening.

Oh FUCK yes!!

Game of Shadows was awesome for PRECISELY that reason

"Come now... you really think you're the only one who can play this game?"

edited 17th Jan '12 2:43:44 PM by gingerninja666

Definitely seconding Moriarty. He's brilliantly done in A Game of Shadows. Makes him seem like a credible and ruthless nemesis to Holmes, as well as disturbingly competent.

^^ Dat line. It just floored me when I saw it in the cinema.

In a good way or in a bad way?

Yes. That line was amazing. Really cemented him in my mind as a fantastic villain.

^^ In the best way ever. It was like "now we're doing things for REAL!"

I have tons of love for Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks (Although Windom Earle doesn't join the cast until the last quarter of the show, the chess game between Cooper and him with life's at stakes i truly a sight to behold)

I pretty much have that whole fight memorized... because it's AWESOME!!

"Let's not waste anymore of eachother's time. We both know how this ends."

Isn't Blue Velvet the film with the guy who inhales ether to get high or something? (I remember hearing about it in Bravo's top 100 scariest movie moments)

edited 17th Jan '12 2:55:46 PM by gingerninja666

Death Note.

Yup. He also dry humps Isabella Rosellini. Charming fella, isn't he?

But yeah, David Lynch has a a tendency to write good antagonists, even if they're not always that smart (Twin Peaks main antagonist is just an hedonistic demon, really. Doesn't stop him from being the right mix of scary and enjoyable to watch)

One of my favourite animes of all time.

I also said no Villain Protagonists. I can't stand em

Is he competent?

edited 17th Jan '12 3:00:24 PM by gingerninja666

If you like Doctor Who and haven't seen them yet, you could try Sutekh from "Pyramids of Mars", Scaroth from "City of Death", House from "The Doctor's Wife", Magnus Greel from "The Talons of Weng-Chiang", Lucas Finch from "School Reunion", and, of course, recurring villains the Master and Davros. All excellent villains, and all at least reasonably competent (some very much so).

On the Chessmaster front, Doc Scratch from Homestuck is a good one, IMO.

I'd round off the predictable Bobby post by recommending Discord, but you have a pony in your avatar so there's no point.

Could never get into homestruck

I know of all those from Doctor Who. They're all great villains

...yes Discord is Brilliant

edited 17th Jan '12 3:15:14 PM by gingerninja666

If you mean Bob, well, yeah, he has the benefit of being a demon who possesses people and thus he can hide amongst the living and blah blah blah.

But he's no genius. Or at least, no Windom Earle.

The Smiler from Transmetropolitan. Darkseid from Final Crisis. Adam from Buffy. Angelus from Buffy.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

And almost any other major villain in that franchise.

edited 17th Jan '12 4:19:50 PM by TheBatPencil

Oh yeah, the joker. Especially The Killing Joke and The Dark Night.

Metal Gear.

Hans Landa from Inglourious Basterds, if you haven't seen that. One of the best, IMO.

Iago from Othello is a classic scheming villain. I seem to remember Kenneth Branagh's portrayal being pretty good, if very creepy.

Landa was great. Made a perfect Smug Snake.

Monster

edited 17th Jan '12 5:03:14 PM by dRoy

This is going to be a really, really weird statement, but the best villain I've seen in a mainstream American movie was in the otherwise forgettable film 16 Blocks. I've seldom seen a Well-Intentioned Extremist be so utterly reasonable—as at least one reviewer observed, it's like no one told the actor that he was playing a bad guy. For a while, it almost makes you wonder if he's right.

edited 17th Jan '12 6:33:58 PM by feotakahari

Landa?

Is he competent? Smug Snakes aren't usually known for their mastermindness