# Baddest Fictional Bad Guy in Movies from this Universe **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 15, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016 "2013-03-15T16:22:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/1 "2013-03-15T16:22:55Z")
Who is the baddest “real” person bad guy? i.e not Darth Vader, not Lex Luthor, just somebody who is supposed to be in our world. Does that make sense. It doesn’t have to be from our time, particularly, i.e. it can be from a Western or some period piece. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/2 "2013-03-15T16:24:02Z")
I’ll go with Hannibal Lecter. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/3 "2013-03-15T16:29:16Z")
My vote is for killing machine Anton Chigurh in “No Country for Old Men.” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/4 "2013-03-15T16:51:50Z")
It’s hard to find a fictional bad guy bad enough to compete with some of modern history’s real life bud guys (e.g. Hitler). ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/5 "2013-03-15T17:36:41Z")
Daniel Plainview from _There Will Be Blood_ has gotta rank pretty high. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/6 "2013-03-15T17:45:43Z")
Do you mean “baddest” as in “most badass” - i.e. most powerfully bad? Or “baddest” as in the most evil. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/7 "2013-03-15T17:47:20Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Do you mean “baddest” as in “most badass” - i.e. most powerfully bad? Or “baddest” as in the most evil. I was thinking the latter. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/8 "2013-03-15T17:57:30Z")
Marty Augustine from **The Long Goodbye**. Badass and 100% unpredictable. He might kill you, or he might give you a thousand dollars, and there’s no way to tell. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/9 "2013-03-15T18:25:13Z")
You say no Lex Luthor, but would you count The Joker from the Batman movies recently? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/10 "2013-03-15T18:27:47Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > You say no Lex Luthor, but would you count The Joker from the Batman movies recently? Or maybe a Bond villain? ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/11 "2013-03-15T18:35:16Z")
Tom Ripley (“The Talented Mr. Ripley”) He was so unassuming; a hidden evil. His victims are caught off guard until it was too late.:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/12 "2013-03-15T18:41:57Z")
The one Bruno Ganz portrayed in _Downfall_. Name escapes me at the moment. I think he’s a villain in some other movies too. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/13 "2013-03-15T18:45:23Z")
How about Michael Myers from the _Halloween_ films? At least before they veered off into the supernatural… ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/14 "2013-03-15T18:46:22Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > You say no Lex Luthor, but would you count The Joker from the Batman movies recently? No, not in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![chargerrich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chargerrich/32/5399_2.png) [@chargerrich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chargerrich)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/15 "2013-03-15T19:40:07Z")
Bert… from Sesame Street. PURE.EVIL.INCARNATE ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/16 "2013-03-15T19:59:04Z")
Even though you don’t see him much, Rainmaker from Looper. The scene where he gets his guys to lure the guy back… you know the one, I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t seen it yet. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/17 "2013-03-15T20:01:28Z")
Maybe Rainmaker doesn’t count come to think of it… so if not… John Doe in Seven ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/18 "2013-03-15T20:02:41Z")
That dude on Snatch that feeds people to pigs. Bricktop. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/19 "2013-03-15T20:07:47Z")
The hillbillies from “Deliverance.” ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016/20 "2013-03-15T20:08:38Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > It’s hard to find a fictional bad guy bad enough to compete with some of modern history’s real life bud guys (e.g. Hitler). Indeed, even in the accomplishments department. You can’t really compare to snipers who killed 700 people in the course of a month (although he wasn’t evil), or who almost singlehandedly shot thousands of Polish prisoners over the course of a week. Not to diminish his accomplishments, but I’m sure Audie Murphy was on the low end of badassery as far as WW2 goes – I’m sure there are hundreds of Russian and German soldiers who did equal or more during the course of the war – but he even had to tone down his actual accomplishments because he thought they’d be unbelieveable. ETA: “bud” guys? Well, he was born on 4/20. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baddest-fictional-bad-guy-in-movies-from-this-universe/653016.md?page=2)