whether they’re taking over the world or
just need to rob a bank these villains
are certainly carrying some emotional
baggage one more diamond my love welcome
to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
villain back stories in movies kitty who
I had the best grades in the class and I
didn’t get diddly squat for this list
we’re looking at those classic cinematic
villains and are choosing those with the
best and most effective stories that
offer us a glimpse into why they’re bad
to the bone and just so you know a
spoiler alert is probably in order the
chase Candyman through the town to
Cabrini Green where they proceeded to
sawed off his right hand with a rusty
blade number 10 the Grinch
dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole
Christmas the centipede
the famous dr. Seuss book and timeless
animated short didn’t offer much
background for the famous green
Christmas Heder I must stop this whole
thing what the 53 years I put up to this
now but the filmmakers devised a back
story that’ll make anybody shed a tear
for this misunderstood creep once we
discovered that the Grinch has been a
victim of some nasty schoolyard bullying
his crusade against Christmas cheer is
more than understandable you don’t have
a chance with her you’re eight years old
and you have a beer
anyone who is humiliated in front of the
love of his or her life is justified in
wanting to live a life of Solitude the
grinch just took his anger a bit too far
we are glad however that he abandons his
all-out war against Whoville and becomes
a beloved member of the community in the
end
number not Freddy Krueger via Nightmare
on Elm Street franchise delving into
much darker territory we now follow the
dream master himself Freddy Krueger
in a franchise spanning nine film so far
Kruger is clearly fueled by revenge but
only at the end of the first film do we
learn his motive for targeting Elm
Street kids turns out that Kruger was
also a child killer in real life to stop
him the parents on Elm Street chased him
down and burned him alive to gasoline
put it all around the place made a
trailer out the door
then let the whole thing up and watched
it burn more secrets about the killer’s
past emerge in later films but it’s the
first reveal that packs the biggest
punch this is just a dream you’re not
alive this whole thing is just a dream
number eight
Maleficent Maleficent Vava one of
Disney’s most terrifying and enduring
villains Maleficent received the origin
story treatment in her own self-titled
live-action epic and it was nothing like
we expected
although villain backstories often rely
on a sad past to make us feel some pity
this origin transformed this Evil Queen
into a lovable antihero I like you
begging
do it again backstabbed and stripped of
her beautiful wings by Stefan her human
friend and future king maleficents
desire for revenge becomes
understandable her complexity grows as
we learn that she ends up caring for the
princess she is cursed I will not ask
you forgiveness because what I’ve dumped
tears unforgiving it’s difficult to
pinpoint where our loyalties lie with
this one to be a feared creature what I
wings in a world where you don’t belong
number seven Jason Voorhees the Friday
the 13th franchise though he is the
iconic masked face of this famous
franchise Jason only appears in the
final seconds of the original film prior
to that the entire first film sets up
the backstory that creates one of
cinema’s most enduring serial killers
that’s when his psychotic mother goes on
a killing spree to get revenge for the
death of her young neglected son who
drowned at Camp Crystal Lake
while the counselors were busy
fornicating I was the cook Jason should
have been watched every minute we even
end up feeling bad for the poor innocent
child that is until he starts killing
every horny teen in sight
number six Alec Trevelyan Goldeneye my
god you just be a good boy and die your
first James Bond has faced his fair
share of interesting villains but none
has hit him more personally than
goldeneyes Alec Trevelyan
you’re late done listen I have to stop
in the bathroom ready to save the world
again after you double O six a
remarkable character he begins as an
agent and Ally alongside James but soon
turns out to be Britain’s and James’s
greatest threat similar to RAL Silva in
Skyfall Trevelyan is an ex mi6 agent out
for revenge
in this case because he blames the
British government for the deaths of his
parents and in one of life’s little
ironies the son went to work for the
government whose betrayal was the father
to kill himself his wife beginning his
path to retribution early he trains with
mi6 and eventually plans to wipe out
Britain’s economy with help from the
goldeneyes satellite if you don’t bet
big you can’t win big but you might lose
big
you know James
I was always better number-5 syndrome
The Incredibles
I was wrong to treat you that way I’m
sorry see now you respect me because I’m
a threat it didn’t take much to set
young buddy pine off and make him the
world’s most dangerous super villain
having been ignored by his idol mr.
incredible when he tries to help him
fight crime
young buddy vows to one day get revenge
on the superheroes he once idolized and
revered well I finally figured out who I
am I am your ward incrediboy although
not as elaborate or destructive as other
backstories it’s fascinating to witness
how such a small action can have such
dire consequences take this one home and
make sure his mom knows what he’s been
doing I can help you you’re making him a
snack mister Incredibles choice directly
influences buddy and sets him on his
path to become syndrome his most
dangerous nemesis moral of the story
kids
if you get famous don’t ignore your fans
don’t worry I’ll be a good mentor
supportive encouraging everything you
weren’t number four Hannibal Lecter the
Hannibal Lecter franchise I know that
I’m not smart then how did you catch you
you had disadvantages what disadvantages
you’re insane what started as a minor
character has evolved into one of
literature and cinemas most beloved and
feared madmen sounds charming most
audiences were introduced to lectures
mysterious demeanor and unnerving sense
of McCobb menace in the Silence of the
Lambs
but that story began in media res when
it comes to Hannibal the cannibals
backstory two prequels fill in the
blanks for us
beginning with red dragon which reveals
a bit more about why Lecter is in jail
ultimately however it’s the demented
Hannibal rising that gives us the full
backstory we deserve filling in details
about how he lost his family my studies
in fascinated and absorbing completely
and where he acquired his peculiar
palette and his taste for vengeance
yes I still find myself thinking about
my sister and the men who took it from
me number three Lord Voldemort the Harry
Potter franchise
the Boy Who Lived the world’s greatest
Dark Wizard needed an appropriately
disturbing backstory one that took eight
films and a full decade to reveal in
full who crooks I can trust to turn my
reading and I didn’t fully understand it
motivated by a fear of death and his
hatred of his half-blood heritage and
armed with the prophetically that one
child has the power to vanquish him Tom
Riddle evolves into Lord Voldemort a
wizard so evil most witches and wizards
dare not speak his name and who owned
that wand we do not speak his name his
story is pieced together through
flashbacks and memories each of which
helps us to understand Voldemort start
beginnings and vengeful pursuits a
little better and satisfying our
curiosity about the motivations of this
evil villain I can make things move
without touching me
I can make animals do not want without
training I can make bad things happen to
pay a clue mean to me number two magneto
the x-men franchise still fighting the
good fight
from here it doesn’t look like that
playing by your rules magneto is the
only comic book villain on this list and
that’s saying something about director
Bryan Singer’s talent and the indelible
performances of both Ian McKellen and
Michael Fassbender this brilliant
franchise flipped all formulas on their
head with the incredibly sad and
touching backstory of super villain
Magneto
a psychotic vehicle anti Nagappa Al
Smith would hit for bringing seeing a
young Erik Lehnsherr ripped apart from
his parents at a Nazi concentration camp
and discovering his magnetic powers at
the same time gets our hearts hurting
for the poor man who would be Magneto a
character we should normally despise
this short opening scene paved the way
for a long-running franchise where the
line between hero and villain is often
blurred
food
before we unveil our top pick here are
some honorable mentions the kids are
isn’t what started me at my work with
the moment I decided to end my life it
started me in my work and brought
meaning to it life is cruel why should
the afterlife be any different you know
what the scariest thing is
to not know your place in this world to
not know why you’re here
Gilman what human what
humor what
Peter Creek was born Simon Peter Gruber
he’s Hans Gruber’s brother
number one Darth Vader the Star Wars
franchise join me and together we can
rule the galaxy as father and son
another famous villain who central to an
entire franchise Darth Vader’s image and
background remained a mystery for years
although glimpses into his past in the
original trilogy revealed family
problems akin to a Greek tragedy why
didn’t you tell me you told me Vader
betrayed and murdered my father
your father was seduced by the dark side
of the force it wasn’t until the prequel
trilogy that we learned how the man once
known as Anakin Skywalker became the
evil figure in the black helmet we
eagerly watched young Anakin grow up and
struggle with his inborn skills knowing
full well what fate had in store for him
what will happen to me now reaching a
climax in Episode three and torn between
obi-wan and Darth Sidious the death of
Anakin’s wife is the final peace that
leads Skywalker to succumb to the dark
side once and for all it seems in your
anger you killed her I couldn’t she was
alive
I felt it do you agree with our list
first I’ve ever seen which villian
backstories have marked you the most why
do you ask questions to which you
already know the answers for more
outrageous top 10s published every day
be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com it
is pointless to resist
you
just need to rob a bank these villains
are certainly carrying some emotional
baggage one more diamond my love welcome
to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
villain back stories in movies kitty who
I had the best grades in the class and I
didn’t get diddly squat for this list
we’re looking at those classic cinematic
villains and are choosing those with the
best and most effective stories that
offer us a glimpse into why they’re bad
to the bone and just so you know a
spoiler alert is probably in order the
chase Candyman through the town to
Cabrini Green where they proceeded to
sawed off his right hand with a rusty
blade number 10 the Grinch
dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole
Christmas the centipede
the famous dr. Seuss book and timeless
animated short didn’t offer much
background for the famous green
Christmas Heder I must stop this whole
thing what the 53 years I put up to this
now but the filmmakers devised a back
story that’ll make anybody shed a tear
for this misunderstood creep once we
discovered that the Grinch has been a
victim of some nasty schoolyard bullying
his crusade against Christmas cheer is
more than understandable you don’t have
a chance with her you’re eight years old
and you have a beer
anyone who is humiliated in front of the
love of his or her life is justified in
wanting to live a life of Solitude the
grinch just took his anger a bit too far
we are glad however that he abandons his
all-out war against Whoville and becomes
a beloved member of the community in the
end
number not Freddy Krueger via Nightmare
on Elm Street franchise delving into
much darker territory we now follow the
dream master himself Freddy Krueger
in a franchise spanning nine film so far
Kruger is clearly fueled by revenge but
only at the end of the first film do we
learn his motive for targeting Elm
Street kids turns out that Kruger was
also a child killer in real life to stop
him the parents on Elm Street chased him
down and burned him alive to gasoline
put it all around the place made a
trailer out the door
then let the whole thing up and watched
it burn more secrets about the killer’s
past emerge in later films but it’s the
first reveal that packs the biggest
punch this is just a dream you’re not
alive this whole thing is just a dream
number eight
Maleficent Maleficent Vava one of
Disney’s most terrifying and enduring
villains Maleficent received the origin
story treatment in her own self-titled
live-action epic and it was nothing like
we expected
although villain backstories often rely
on a sad past to make us feel some pity
this origin transformed this Evil Queen
into a lovable antihero I like you
begging
do it again backstabbed and stripped of
her beautiful wings by Stefan her human
friend and future king maleficents
desire for revenge becomes
understandable her complexity grows as
we learn that she ends up caring for the
princess she is cursed I will not ask
you forgiveness because what I’ve dumped
tears unforgiving it’s difficult to
pinpoint where our loyalties lie with
this one to be a feared creature what I
wings in a world where you don’t belong
number seven Jason Voorhees the Friday
the 13th franchise though he is the
iconic masked face of this famous
franchise Jason only appears in the
final seconds of the original film prior
to that the entire first film sets up
the backstory that creates one of
cinema’s most enduring serial killers
that’s when his psychotic mother goes on
a killing spree to get revenge for the
death of her young neglected son who
drowned at Camp Crystal Lake
while the counselors were busy
fornicating I was the cook Jason should
have been watched every minute we even
end up feeling bad for the poor innocent
child that is until he starts killing
every horny teen in sight
number six Alec Trevelyan Goldeneye my
god you just be a good boy and die your
first James Bond has faced his fair
share of interesting villains but none
has hit him more personally than
goldeneyes Alec Trevelyan
you’re late done listen I have to stop
in the bathroom ready to save the world
again after you double O six a
remarkable character he begins as an
agent and Ally alongside James but soon
turns out to be Britain’s and James’s
greatest threat similar to RAL Silva in
Skyfall Trevelyan is an ex mi6 agent out
for revenge
in this case because he blames the
British government for the deaths of his
parents and in one of life’s little
ironies the son went to work for the
government whose betrayal was the father
to kill himself his wife beginning his
path to retribution early he trains with
mi6 and eventually plans to wipe out
Britain’s economy with help from the
goldeneyes satellite if you don’t bet
big you can’t win big but you might lose
big
you know James
I was always better number-5 syndrome
The Incredibles
I was wrong to treat you that way I’m
sorry see now you respect me because I’m
a threat it didn’t take much to set
young buddy pine off and make him the
world’s most dangerous super villain
having been ignored by his idol mr.
incredible when he tries to help him
fight crime
young buddy vows to one day get revenge
on the superheroes he once idolized and
revered well I finally figured out who I
am I am your ward incrediboy although
not as elaborate or destructive as other
backstories it’s fascinating to witness
how such a small action can have such
dire consequences take this one home and
make sure his mom knows what he’s been
doing I can help you you’re making him a
snack mister Incredibles choice directly
influences buddy and sets him on his
path to become syndrome his most
dangerous nemesis moral of the story
kids
if you get famous don’t ignore your fans
don’t worry I’ll be a good mentor
supportive encouraging everything you
weren’t number four Hannibal Lecter the
Hannibal Lecter franchise I know that
I’m not smart then how did you catch you
you had disadvantages what disadvantages
you’re insane what started as a minor
character has evolved into one of
literature and cinemas most beloved and
feared madmen sounds charming most
audiences were introduced to lectures
mysterious demeanor and unnerving sense
of McCobb menace in the Silence of the
Lambs
but that story began in media res when
it comes to Hannibal the cannibals
backstory two prequels fill in the
blanks for us
beginning with red dragon which reveals
a bit more about why Lecter is in jail
ultimately however it’s the demented
Hannibal rising that gives us the full
backstory we deserve filling in details
about how he lost his family my studies
in fascinated and absorbing completely
and where he acquired his peculiar
palette and his taste for vengeance
yes I still find myself thinking about
my sister and the men who took it from
me number three Lord Voldemort the Harry
Potter franchise
the Boy Who Lived the world’s greatest
Dark Wizard needed an appropriately
disturbing backstory one that took eight
films and a full decade to reveal in
full who crooks I can trust to turn my
reading and I didn’t fully understand it
motivated by a fear of death and his
hatred of his half-blood heritage and
armed with the prophetically that one
child has the power to vanquish him Tom
Riddle evolves into Lord Voldemort a
wizard so evil most witches and wizards
dare not speak his name and who owned
that wand we do not speak his name his
story is pieced together through
flashbacks and memories each of which
helps us to understand Voldemort start
beginnings and vengeful pursuits a
little better and satisfying our
curiosity about the motivations of this
evil villain I can make things move
without touching me
I can make animals do not want without
training I can make bad things happen to
pay a clue mean to me number two magneto
the x-men franchise still fighting the
good fight
from here it doesn’t look like that
playing by your rules magneto is the
only comic book villain on this list and
that’s saying something about director
Bryan Singer’s talent and the indelible
performances of both Ian McKellen and
Michael Fassbender this brilliant
franchise flipped all formulas on their
head with the incredibly sad and
touching backstory of super villain
Magneto
a psychotic vehicle anti Nagappa Al
Smith would hit for bringing seeing a
young Erik Lehnsherr ripped apart from
his parents at a Nazi concentration camp
and discovering his magnetic powers at
the same time gets our hearts hurting
for the poor man who would be Magneto a
character we should normally despise
this short opening scene paved the way
for a long-running franchise where the
line between hero and villain is often
blurred
food
before we unveil our top pick here are
some honorable mentions the kids are
isn’t what started me at my work with
the moment I decided to end my life it
started me in my work and brought
meaning to it life is cruel why should
the afterlife be any different you know
what the scariest thing is
to not know your place in this world to
not know why you’re here
Gilman what human what
humor what
Peter Creek was born Simon Peter Gruber
he’s Hans Gruber’s brother
number one Darth Vader the Star Wars
franchise join me and together we can
rule the galaxy as father and son
another famous villain who central to an
entire franchise Darth Vader’s image and
background remained a mystery for years
although glimpses into his past in the
original trilogy revealed family
problems akin to a Greek tragedy why
didn’t you tell me you told me Vader
betrayed and murdered my father
your father was seduced by the dark side
of the force it wasn’t until the prequel
trilogy that we learned how the man once
known as Anakin Skywalker became the
evil figure in the black helmet we
eagerly watched young Anakin grow up and
struggle with his inborn skills knowing
full well what fate had in store for him
what will happen to me now reaching a
climax in Episode three and torn between
obi-wan and Darth Sidious the death of
Anakin’s wife is the final peace that
leads Skywalker to succumb to the dark
side once and for all it seems in your
anger you killed her I couldn’t she was
alive
I felt it do you agree with our list
first I’ve ever seen which villian
backstories have marked you the most why
do you ask questions to which you
already know the answers for more
outrageous top 10s published every day
be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com it
is pointless to resist
you
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