The Best Villains of 2022 is a list that has to be one of the best so far, given the number of protagonists that were outplayed by the bad guys this year. Moreover, it will also be safe to say that this was the year of Villains and their notorious crimes, which gave everyone their fair share of trouble. Therefore, here’s a countdown for the most sinister elements below.
Check Out The Best Villains of 2022
1. The Riddler (The Batman)
The rule is pretty simple. If there’s a hardcore old-fashioned Batman flick in the year, then you have to include the evil elements of Gotham on the list. Mostly, because nobody creates more nuisance than the arch-nemesis of the Dark Knight himself. This is why The Riddler deserves a much-reserved spot on the infamous squad of villains.
Notable director and actor Paul Dano nailed the rendition of riddler on screen, with his convincingly brilliant performance. And even though my personal bias prevents it from comparing the two interrogation scenes (The Dark Knight), it definitely brought the chills back.
There was an element of grief turned into cynicism, in Paul Dano’s riddler, that almost made us connect with the guy. Well, obviously before he started the murder rampage. Furthermore, Matt Reeve’s The Batman ends with a fitting note for the villain, with a post-credit scene hinting towards his comeback. You can watch the movie on Amazon Prime Video.
2. Scarlet Witch (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)
Let’s be honest, we didn’t expect one of the most powerful Avengers to turn into an unstoppable vicious villain, in the highest-grossing MCU movie this year. For one, I had my own level of expectations of Scarlet Witch’s arc and hoped for the redemption part to justify her emotional mess.
However, any idea of redemption was thrown completely out of the window, when the Scarlet Witch literally eliminated the members of the Illuminati, one by one. No one can forgive her for what she did with Black Bolt, Peggy Cater and Reed Richards. Along with the first mutant to appear in the franchise, Charles Xavier.
The entire scene of destruction at Kamar-Taj alone makes her a strong contender in the list and easily places her in the top infamous gang of top villains of the year. You can watch the movie on Disney Plus Hotstar.
3. Ghostface (Scream)
The killing beacon of Ghostface was passed on to Amber, the best friend of Tara, who continued to haunt her victims with the only purpose of keeping the wicked legacy intact. Morever, Mikey Madison played the role of the Scream franchise killer and reinvented horror for the big screen.
Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the film was a box office success and even impressed some of the fans, if not all of the critics. Morever, you can stream the movie on Amazon Prime Video.
4. The Grabber (The Black Phone)
One of the biggest sleeper hits of the year was The Black Phone by Scott Derrickson, featuring Ethan Hawke in the role of Albert Shaw aka The Grabber. The terrifying smile behind the mask, not only resulted in a daunting character but also gave rise to a nightmarish trend on social media.
Moreover, The Black Phone was also the most critically acclaimed horror film, with a daunting antagonist, who performs magic tricks and later abducts children, which is a recipe for a wicked and vile villainous character.
5. Gorr (Thor Love and Thunder)
One of the finest villains of 2022 with a complete character arc was Christian Bale’s take on Gorr The God Butcher. The classic Marve Comic character was brought to life by the Academy Award-winning actor, who infused an element of sympathy with his heartbreaking performance.
Even though the film did not fare well like the second part, we sure got to see the acting prowess of Bale, in a negative role. Also, marking his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You can stream the film on Disney Plus Hotstar.
6. Goff (Peacemaker)
Apart from becoming one of the best Superhero series of the year, James Gunn’s Peacemaker was also a step ahead in giving us a DC villain. The so-called leader of the alien Butterflies, Goff, possessed an American Senator in the series and influenced him in making certain favourable decisions.
Much like Thanos, the butterfly leader also has a purpose of saving planet earth, but through wicked means. This requires almost everyone to die after his possession and then leads to a more disastrous future for others (Sound’s Villainous enough for me). You can stream the series on HBO Max.
7. Harmony Cobel (Severance)
The stone-cold boss Harmony Cobel did everything in his power to cover the shady activities of his company through the season of Severance. Morever, she also had this sly element of switching back and forth between her emotionally dead bossy character to a kind-hearted neighbour, in a matter of seconds. Her astonishing display of villainy is available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
8. Darth Vader (Obi Wan-Kenobi)
Obi-Wen Kenobi was a grand surprise for the fans of Star Wars, who got to see their favourite character in a much-deserved spin-off. However, the best part of the series was not just Obi, but also the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Something, which just gave the fans the biggest treat of their life. Even though he is a classic villain, Darth Vader has an innate connect with the fandom which was easily visible throughout the run of the series. You can stream the series on Disney Plus Hotstar.
9. Jobu Tupaki (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
Everything Everywhere All at Once was the biggest breakout hit of the year, which featured not one but two strong action characters. Apart from Michelle Yeoh’s breathtakingly awesome performance, we also got to see some of the best fight sequences from Jobu Tupaki, who took the role of antagonist in the feature. To re-witness, her charismatic negative role, you can stream the movie on Hulu.
10. Namor (Black Panther Wakanda Forever)
One can argue about the true nature of Namor’s actions in the movie, but there is no doubt about the fact, that he killed the Queen of Wakanda. This makes him an equally heinous villain, who went to the farthest limits, to safeguard the interest of his people. Even if it meant destroying others. Furthermore, the epic Marvel film is yet to arrive on streaming platforms.
Tell us about your favourite villain in the comment section below.
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