Who/What is the most terrifying, BEST villain in fiction media?

Xeo

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May 10, 2020
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Your definition can vary, but the only rule is that the villain is fictional. So no actor portrayals of Adolf Hitler or anything like that. It can be from a book, a movie, TV series, video games, anime, whatever you want. And it can be just personally terrifying to YOU, or what you consider to be the overall most terrifying villain ever written. Maybe it's not THE most terrifying villain ever, even to you personally, but you feel it's the BEST villain in fiction due to how it was written or portrayed/acted. Annnd go.

(Here's mine.)
The "Thing" from John Carpenter's "The Thing". Facing off against that thing is an absolute worst case scenario. What a brilliant idea to be overlaid atop the original black and white film ("The Thing From Outer Space"). Which in itself was based on John W. Campbell's novella called "Who Goes There?"
Carpenter's version doesn't follow too closely to either of it's pieces of source material but honestly made for a truly terrifying story and creature. And these days IS "The Thing" if you were to ask 9/10 people.

The creature of Carpenter's version is horrifying and could be considered a form of ultimate evil as it will instill distrust, paranoia and deceit to anyone around it, If it hasn't already murdered and assimilated you. And a creature with the ability to inadvertently end humanity as a whole if left unchecked.
However, while it could be argued to not be "canon", Peter Watt's short story titled "The Things", completely changes your perspective as to the motivations behind the creature's actions. As it takes place from the perspective of the alien life form as it, or at least some of it survives the events of the original film, "The Thing From Outer Space" before being frozen and then discovered by the crew at the beginning of Carpenter's "The Thing".

It's no less frightening, but it entirely changes how you see the creature and why the events of Carpenter's story happen.
And to argue that it's not canon would therefore also argue that Carpenter's version isn't either. So I'd argue in favor of it being canon. Seriously, if you're a fan of Carpenter's "The Thing", do yourself a favor and read Peter Watt's short story.
Thething.jpg
 
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RiffRaff

Human Person, Maybe
Robot
May 11, 2020
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Hmmmm, tough one.
How about Mitochondria Eve from Parasite Eve. Not the game version but the original in the book by Hideaki Sena. Thing was brutal and truly terrifying.
 
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May 14, 2020
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Not played the game and its a Nintendo game so can't be that scary really but for me maybe a honorable mention to Skull Kid from Majoras Mask.

Joker to me in thr Arkham games was excellent but should have never been in Arkham Knight though,

Glados feels pretty terrifying and humours in equal measures which to me helps a lot with making a good villian,
 

Roager

Rogue Ogre
May 11, 2020
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Yakuza 0's Daisaku Kuze is maybe my favorite villain. Not necessarily the most terrifying, but the best execution in context.

He's the boss fight for Chapter 1, and it's a good boss fight on its own. Kuze has been shown as a schemer up to this point, but now he steps up as a direct physical threat. In a lot of games, being the first real boss fight would mean putting him on the shelf and moving on to bigger things, but the tenacious bastard keeps coming back. His second fight explicitly establishes that tenacity as a defining trait for him, and hearing his boss music crescendo in as he finishes his speech is an awesome transition into the fight itself. The third is just for his personal grudge against Kiryu after the first two and is honestly the least interesting time he arrives, but it's still important that it's there.

The fourth is built up wonderfully. The interrogation scene with Tachibana and Kuze is made great by both characters, then Kiryu busts in. There's a solid ten seconds of silence while Kiryu realizes what's happening, and the whole moment is dedicated to building his emotional intensity. Kuze apparently can't help being coldly smug, and Kiryu just fuckin explodes, again synced to Kuze's (excellent) boss music. That cutscene punch is incredibly satisfying. The crunchy sound effects, Kuze's face deforming in slow motion as his glasses fly off, the impact matching the rhythm of the music. It's perfect.

And then the last fight is different. It's not really significant to the larger story, and Kiryu honestly has better things to do. It's strictly personal, more than any of their clashes up to now. And in gameplay terms, it's kind of redundant. It's the fourth fight against the same moveset (He was armed once) and two of those had extra dudes to deal with. This is a one-on-one fight that the player can likely handle without having to think too hard about it. But for once, Kuze treats Kiryu as something resembling an equal. For once, he shows up without his glasses. And for once, his music is different. There's echoes of the other theme, but it's overall a softer, more reflective tone. Kuze is at his most vulnerable and his most human, and the fight is kind of a tribute to the man before he actually leaves the story. It really helps cement Kiryu's growth over the game's runtime, and hammers home how Kuze has been tied to that growth from the start.
 
May 14, 2020
59
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18
Yakuza 0's Daisaku Kuze is maybe my favorite villain. Not necessarily the most terrifying, but the best execution in context.

He's the boss fight for Chapter 1, and it's a good boss fight on its own. Kuze has been shown as a schemer up to this point, but now he steps up as a direct physical threat. In a lot of games, being the first real boss fight would mean putting him on the shelf and moving on to bigger things, but the tenacious bastard keeps coming back. His second fight explicitly establishes that tenacity as a defining trait for him, and hearing his boss music crescendo in as he finishes his speech is an awesome transition into the fight itself. The third is just for his personal grudge against Kiryu after the first two and is honestly the least interesting time he arrives, but it's still important that it's there.

The fourth is built up wonderfully. The interrogation scene with Tachibana and Kuze is made great by both characters, then Kiryu busts in. There's a solid ten seconds of silence while Kiryu realizes what's happening, and the whole moment is dedicated to building his emotional intensity. Kuze apparently can't help being coldly smug, and Kiryu just fuckin explodes, again synced to Kuze's (excellent) boss music. That cutscene punch is incredibly satisfying. The crunchy sound effects, Kuze's face deforming in slow motion as his glasses fly off, the impact matching the rhythm of the music. It's perfect.

And then the last fight is different. It's not really significant to the larger story, and Kiryu honestly has better things to do. It's strictly personal, more than any of their clashes up to now. And in gameplay terms, it's kind of redundant. It's the fourth fight against the same moveset (He was armed once) and two of those had extra dudes to deal with. This is a one-on-one fight that the player can likely handle without having to think too hard about it. But for once, Kuze treats Kiryu as something resembling an equal. For once, he shows up without his glasses. And for once, his music is different. There's echoes of the other theme, but it's overall a softer, more reflective tone. Kuze is at his most vulnerable and his most human, and the fight is kind of a tribute to the man before he actually leaves the story. It really helps cement Kiryu's growth over the game's runtime, and hammers home how Kuze has been tied to that growth from the start.
Having just finished Yakuza 0 I can agree with that, "that" boss intro of his was badass as hell probably one of my favourite moments/scenes in the game. Voice acting really sells him too, its a huge shame the onlt Yakuza game still now to do voiced dialogue for sidequests is 6.

The voice acting is great in the Yakuza series a character without one just feels wrong to me. Great writting now mind you but its hard to not want more voice acting.

I know the last boss is kinda from the shadows most of the game but I really liked his fight and the end moment with the fight.
 
Aug 9, 2020
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One name that always comes to mind when someone says "best villain" is Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men. The character is brilliant! He's frightening, smart, merciless, and a powerful antagonist in the truest sense of the word.

No Country for Old Men(1).jpg
 
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Xeo

Active member
May 10, 2020
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One name that always comes to mind when someone says "best villain" is Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men. The character is brilliant! He's frightening, smart, merciless, and a powerful antagonist in the truest sense of the word.

View attachment 769
He's high on my list as well. I'd say he's absolutely one of my favorites. And No Country is one of my favorite movies too!
 
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