Only Real Movie Buffs Can Match The Villains To Their Movies

Good vs Evil. Moral vs Immoral. Kind vs Cruel.

It is often said that the key to good drama is conflict, and one of the greatest conflicts in movie history is between the hero and the villain. Great heroes cannot exist without an equally great villain opposing them; after all, if there is no one stopping or standing in the way of the hero/villain getting what they want, then there is no conflict, and by extension, no drama.

We, as audience members, love a memorably despicable villain. Even if we don't like to admit it, we like looking upon the dark side of human nature and wondering what makes it tick. We can live vicariously through these villains, who often buck the system and rail against the laws of society that we live by. Villains have no rules defining their actions, unlike heroes, who generally act in the best interests of the world. In other words, sometimes the hero can be boring, whereas the villain is fun and interesting. It's no surprise that so many actors and actresses have been quoted as saying they enjoy playing villains the most, as they are allowed to cut loose with their performances and follow the dark impulses they would usually try to ignore.

This quiz will test even the biggest movie buff. We've got villains in here from all kinds of movies, from comic book blockbusters to low budget indie films, and villains of every shape and size, from megalomaniacal types bent on world domination to jilted lovers out for revenge.

But can you match the villain to the correct film? Let's find out!

Question 1

Red Skull

The Red Skull aka Johann Schmidt has menaced the movies twice over the years: in a much-maligned low budget trainwreck in 1990 that went straight-to-video, and then in a far superior 2011 big screen effort that helped launch a franchise. It's this 2011 movie's title that we're looking for. Skull is a Nazi agent, has a particularly distinctive and grotesque visage, and tends to get in scraps with one superhero in particular. In fact, he and that hero have been locked in a seemingly never-ending battle in comic books for over 70 years!

Question 2

Hans Gruber

Perhaps one of the most iconic villians of 1980's cinema, Hans Gruber has a special place in the hearts of action movie fans from that era. Portrayed with slithery, well-dressed menace by the late Alan Rickman, Gruber is an ex-Volksfrei radical terrorist who leads a group of thieves in taking over the Nakatomi Plaza building. Gruber and his men come unstuck, however, as they didn't reckon upon the lone cop stuck in the building with them who makes it his mission to stop the terrorists by any means necessary. Yippee ki yay!

Question 3

Kylo Ren

Played by Adam Driver, previously an indie actor best known for his role in TV's Girls and appearances in quirky films like While We're Young, Kylo Ren is a space baddie who leads the villainous First Order, a military dictatorship. His look is memorable, and the audience is given compelling insight into his backstory and what motivates him. In fact, some elements of his past (and parentage) proved slightly controversial with fans of the franchise he is now a part of!

Question 4

Arthur Leigh Allen

And now for something completely different! In 2007, David Fincher directed what many now believe to be his defining masterpiece, though it went slightly under the radar. Based on the real-life case of a terrifying serial killer who menaced San Francisco in the late 1960's/early 1970's and was never caught or identified, Fincher's film fingers Arthur Leigh Allen as the prime suspect. Allen was never charged with the crimes in real life, but Fincher and screenwriter James Vanderbilt leave no doubt as to who they feel was responsible.

Question 5

En Sabah Nur

The X-Men movie franchise has given us a bunch of great villains over the course of nine movies. So, naturally, we're going to quiz you on the villain that WASN'T realised so brilliantly on the big screen! Because we can be awkward like that, En Sabah Nur is the world's first mutant. He was born in ancient Egypt and was worshipped as a God, so when he awakens in 1983 and sees the state of the world, he wants to make things better. By destroying and then remaking the world in his own image. Oh dear.

Question 6

Ahmanet

Another Ancient Egyptian villain in this entry! Princess Ahmanet was first in line to succeed her father as King, but when his second wife gave birth to a son, she knew he had to go. She summoned Set (the God of violence and disorder) and killed her entire family, but was then captured by her father's Priests and was condemned to an eternity of imprisonment. Until she was unleashed in the modern day and chased after Tom Cruise a lot.

Question 7

Pennywise

Clowns can be pretty darn scary. That goes without saying these days, mostly thanks to characters like Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Originally appearing in Stephen King's mammoth 1000+ page novel in 1986, Pennywise first came to our screens in a 1990 TV miniseries. While a little dated if watched today, it definitely left an indelible mark on children who watched it. Then, in September 2017, the big screen remake was released and Pennywise terrified a whole new generation! He also managed to smash box office records, helping the movie become the highest grossing horror film of all time.

Question 8

General Zod

General Zod is a Kryptonian military leader and megalomaniac hellbent on turning Earth into a new Krypton under his reign. Played by the hugely intense Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire, Nocturnal Animals), he is the main antagonist of the 2013 movie that gave birth to the DC Cinematic Universe. Even though the DC movies have received somewhat mixed responses from fans and critics (to put it mildly), it's probably safe to say that Zod has been the best villain so far.

Question 9

Santino D'Antonio

Santino D'Antonio was a bad, bad man. A high-ranking lord in the Camorra crime syndicate, he forced Keanu Reeves' titular retired assassin to return to the business of killing. And the person he was forcing him to kill? Santino's own sister. Not cool, dude! The audience had previously heard about Reeves' character's 'impossible task' that facilitated his retirement, but didn't know exactly what it entailed. It turned out Santino had helped him, and then made him swear a blood oath that he would do whatever Santino requested when he eventually called upon him.

Question 10

The Joker

Okay everybody, this is an easy one. We'd be disappointed (and shocked) if anyone got this wrong, what with The Joker being one of the most famous fictional villains ever. Plus there's the fact that the movie in question was a genuine cultural phenomenon back in 2008. And that the late Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for the role! The Joker, of course, is an agent of chaos. He brings destruction and anarchy wherever he goes, and while he may seem like he doesn't have a plan, you can bet your sweet ass he most certainly does. And that plan involves turning everything society knows on its head and watching civilised people tear themselves apart!

Question 11

Krall

The crew of the Starship Enterprise has gone up against a myriad of scary alien enemies over the course of the seven television series, 13 movies and countless comic books and tie-in novels. Krall, played under lots of prosthetic make-up by Idris Elba (The Dark Tower, Luther), is one of the most recent alien warlords to come along in the franchise. He brings with him a palpable sense of menace, and a surprising origin story that shows the audience an understandable reason why he is doing such awful things.

Question 12

Michael Myers

Michael Myers is one of the quintessential boogeymen of horror cinema. First appearing in a genre-defining classic film in 1978, directed by the great John Carpenter (Assault On Precinct 13, The Thing), Myers would go on to star in eight sequels in which he silently stalked and killed more nubile teens than you could shake a stick at. Having been dormant since the year 2009, 'The Shape' (as Myers is known in all the movie scripts) will return in 2018 in a new reboot, written by Danny McBride and directed by David Gordon Green.

Question 13

Adrian Toomes

Adrian Toomes was just a regular guy. A working man who salvage company was contracted to clean up New York City after the Chitauri alien invasion caused devastation in 2012's The Avengers, he was unceremoniously put out of business whenever Tony Stark and the US Government teamed up and formed Damage Control. Not one to take this lying down, Toomes and his men kept some of the Chitauri technology, using it to create and sell advanced weaponry. Including a suit with mechanical wings that Toomes (played by the legendary Michael Keaton) uses himself!

Question 14

Hela

Hela is the Goddess Of Death. And if that doesn't say 'villain', then we don't know what to tell you! Played with scenery-chewing perfection by Cate Blanchett (The Lord Of The Rings, Carol), Hela was a vicious leader of Asgard's armies, who conquered the Nine Realms alongside her father Odin. However, when Odin saw she was becoming too ambitious and he had tired of the bloodletting she loved so much, he imprisoned her and wrote her out of history. Which, naturally, meant nothing but bad things for Asgard once Odin died and she escaped her prison!

Question 15

Koba

In the 2010's, improvements in the technology behind the motion capture visual effects process have been staggering. From characters like Gollum in The Lord Of The Rings films or Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars, who looked revolutionary at the time but now look dated and rudimentary, the process has now evolved to a stage where fully CGI characters look entirely real at all times. Koba is one of the best examples of the technology, and he was imbued with a scary malevolence by actor Toby Kebbell (Fantastic Four).

Question 16

Harley Quinn

We're back in the much-maligned DC Cinematic Universe for this entry. In 2016, a movie came along which placed supervillains at the centre of its story. In the film, the US government recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black-ops missions in exchange for reduced sentences. And ensures their compliance by placing bombs in their heads that will be triggered if they step out of line! Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn is part of the team, and is a winningly zany and sexy presence. One of the most popular characters in DC Comics, she currently has a solo movie in the works.

Question 17

Bellatrix Lestrange

The unhinged Bellatrix Lestrange is a Death Eater; meaning, she is a member of a group of wizards and witches, led by the evil Lord Voldemort, who seek to eliminate any Muggle-borns (wizards or witches with non-magical parents) in the wizarding community. She first appeared in the fifth installment of a mega, mega-successful film franchise, and was played by Helena Bonham Carter (Fight Club, Alice In Wonderland). She is the cousin of Sirius Black, who was played by the mighty Alan Rickman in every installment of the franchise.

Question 18

Bane

'I am Gotham's reckoning.' Tom Hardy's burly and intimidating, yet bizarrely accented and eloquent, terrorist leader Bane exploded into the public consciousness in 2012. In the final part of Christopher Nolan's epic Batman trilogy, he presented a new threat to the Caped Crusader: someone with brains and brawn in equeal measure, who could break Batman's mind as easily as he could break his body. And in a trilogy with some truly excellent villains, Bane still stands out due to Hardy's commitment to the role.

Question 19

Castor Troy

Despite his aptitude for playing scary and/or weird oddballs, Nicolas Cage hasn't played very many villains in his career. Which is definitely odd, as the man has such a penchant for chewing the scenery with manic glee. One of his defining roles came in this 1997 action flick, which was directed by John Woo (Mission Impossible II). Cage played the despicable terrorist Castor Troy, who did battle with his FBI Agent nemesis Sean Archer. Or, at least, that's how it is for a portion of the movie...

Question 20

Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy is one of the greatest female villains ever created in comic book history. An eco-terrorist, she is obsessed with plants, ecological extinction and environmentalism. She uses her feminine wiles to manipulate the heroes who oppose her, and her deadly toxins are terrifying to behold. Sadly, her one big screen incarnation came in this 1997 Joel Schumacher-directed disaster. Played by Uma Thurman (who would have actually made a brilliant Ivy in a better film), she is reduced to a camp, one-liner spouting disappointment.

Question 21

Hans Landa

Christoph Waltz is an amazing actor, capable of conveying bowel-loosening menace while keeping a perfectly calm, rational tone of voice and unnerving smile on his face. He has become synonymous with writer/director Quentin Tarantino, and has appeared in his last three films, earning Best Supporting Actor trophies at the Oscars for two of them! His performance as Nazi SS Commander Hans Landa was his first collaboration with Tarantino, and for our money, his best. 'The Jew Hunter', as Landa is known, is a truly memorable screen villain.

Question 22

Kroenen

Karl Ruprecht Kroenen was a Nazi scientist, who was forced to wear a gas mask and protective bodysuit at all times. In the comic books where he first appeared, the reason for this was never fully explained, but when he became one of the main villains in a 2004 Guillermo Del Toro movie, his origin was expanded. We found out Kroenen became addicted to surgery, as he hated his physical appearance, and performed brutal surgeries on himself, such as removing his own eyelids and lips. He also has no blood in his veins, simply dried up dust and swords that extend from the arms of his trenchcoat. That's top villainy!

Question 23

David

In 2012, Ridley Scott made a prequel (of sorts) to the Alien franchise, which he had begun with his classic 1979 film. That movie was a magnificent haunted house movie, but in space, and after that he had no further input in the sequels. This meant his return was a big deal. Unfortunately,though, the movie kinda stank. But it did have one great thing about it, and that was Michael Fassbender's performance as David, the bleached-blonde android who has developed his own ego, insecurities and envy. Ultimately, it's his disdain for humanity and the dangerous experiments he conducts that make him the villain of the piece.

Question 24

Richmond Valentine

Samuel L Jackson's performance as the eccentric internet billionaire and philanthropist Richmond Valentine is a sight to behold. On the one hand, his ridiculous dress sense and amusing lisp make him hard to take seriously, but on the other hand, it perfectly suits the heightened world director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) is presenting in the film. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and so neither does Jackson. The film would go on to get a sequel in 2017, with an even more ludicrous villain, played by Julianne Moore.

Question 25

Deacon Frost

In 1998, two full years before Bryan Singer rescued the comic book movie genre with his sci-fi take on the X-Men, Wesley Snipes starred in a bloodthirsty action movie in which he fought vampires with guns and karate. It was also based on a comic book (though very few people knew it at the time), and it could be argued it was the real film that helped turn the genre around. Stephen Dorff played Deacon Frost, the film's villain, a upstart young vampire, sick of living in secret and angling to incite war between vampires and humans.

Question 26

Dr Octopus

A superhero's rogues gallery is one of the most important aspects of lengthy success in comic books. After all, if the hero has few compelling villains to fight, why would the readers care about the stories? And in comics, aside from Batman, the best collection of villains belongs to Marvel's webhead Spider-Man. Dr Octopus is one of the most iconic villains in the Wall-Crawlers history, and he made his first big screen appearance in 2004, played by Alfred Molina (The Da Vinci Code).

Question 27

Darth Maul

Any good villain needs to have an instantly recognisable and iconic look. Especially if said villain is appearing in a sci-fi or comic book movie. Darth Maul, who was played by Ray Park (X-Men's Toad), has one of the coolest, most frightening looks in the Star Wars universe. Looking like some sort of Sith version of the Devil, he also wielded a double-sided lightsaber during his battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn, which was totally badass. Too bad he didn't make it out of that battle in one piece, though!

Question 28

Lex Luthor

In 1978, a movie hit cinemas and became a phenomenon, giving birth to the comic book movie genre as we know it. Still hailed as a classic to this day, the film was directed by Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon, The Goonies) and starred an unknown actor named Christopher Reeve, who would become completely synonymous with his character in the public eye. Gene Hackman played the villain of the movie, a criminal genius named Lex Luthor whose dastardly plan involved making a fortune in real estate by buying up desert land, then using a nuclear explosion to sink California, leaving his desert as the new West Coast.

Question 29

Annie Wilkes

Not all big screen villainy involves garish costumes or plans to take over the world. In fact, some villainy can be all too real and mundane; as simple as a fan of something who takes their obsession too far. This tyoe of villainy can sometimes be even more terrifying, as it could feasible happen in real life. Kathy Bates won the Best Actress Academy Award in 1990 for her role as Annie Wilkes, the unhinged fan of James Caan's author Paul Sheldon. Let's just say she was pretty handy with a sledgehammer...

Question 30

Valak

Director James Wan has become something of a horror legend in the 2000's, having created several indelible franchises that scare the pants off audiences, including Saw and Insidious. But it is his series that deals with the paranormal investigations of married couple Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, that are arguably the most successful and most spine-chilling. Valak appeared in one of these films and was a horrifying demon who was revealed to be the true mastermind behind the Enfield haunting in 1977. Valak spooked audiences so much that she now has her own spin-off movie scheduled for summer 2018!

Question 31

Alex Forrest

In the late 1980's/early 1990's, there was a spate of films released starring mainstream movie stars that could be described as 'erotic thrillers'. These movies usually dealt with a man (often played by Michael Douglas) getting in too deep with a sexy woman who turned out to be a psychopath. Alex Forrest, played by Glenn Close, was one of these psychos. In the 1987 film, she had a weekend affair with Douglas' married man, and when he broke it off she became obsessed with him. Which led to some very scary situations!

Question 32

Roy Batty

'I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.' This monologue, delivered with detached perfection by Rutger Hauer (Batman Begins, Sin City) in Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi masterpiece, is one of the most famous speeches in cinema history. And Hauer's Roy Batty is one of the most memorably frightening villains in movie history too.

Question 33

Anton Chigurh

'Call it, Friend-O.' Javier Bardem's chilling performance as psychopathic contract killer Anton Chigurh won him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2008, and helped launch the Spanish actor's career in Hollywood. Chigurh's unusual method of deciding victim's fates with a coin toss is memorably unsettling, as is his weapon of choice, a captive bolt pistol (normally used on cattle). The movie, a cat-and-mouse thriller written and directed by the Coen Brothers, was one of the best films of 2007, and also starred Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson and Josh Brolin.

Question 34

Max Cady

In 1991, Robert De Niro scared audiences to their core with his performance as convicted rapist Max Cady, who was seeking vengeance against the public defender (Nick Nolte) who was so disgusted by Cady's crimes that he buried evidence and helped put him in prison. De Niro worked out like crazy for the role, dropping to 4% body fat. He even paid a dentist to grind down his teeth so he would look more menacing, later paying the same dentist to fix his teeth after the movie had finished filming! Now that's dedication to your art.

Question 35

Cipher

It's not often that an Oscar-winning actress like Charlize Theron will sign up to play the villain in the eighth installment of a franchise, let alone a franchise based around cars driving real fast. But then, this franchise is like no other, and has gone from strength to strength in the 2010's, establishing itself as one of the most bankable series' in Hollywood. Theron plays Cipher, a cyberterrorist and criminal mastermind who wants to start a nuclear war. But is thwarted, predictably, by cars driving real fast!

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