# Fictional Villains That Are Less Cool Than Their Lackeys, Minions, or Muscle **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 17, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486 "2010-04-17T21:54:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/1 "2010-04-17T21:54:22Z")
I’ll start off with an easy one, Darth Maul. He has almost no lines, and he’s stuck in the worst flick in the Star Wars franchise, but I’ll be damned if he’s not head and shoulders cooler than Palatine. With the double lightsaber, never-before-seen (in Star Wars) martial arts moves, and demon face – he’s simply much more fun on screen than the emperor ever could be. Only Vader stacks up, which I suppose was the chief consideration in his design. But the trend of the minion being cooler than the head villain seems like a fairly common trope off the top of my head. Who else comes to mind? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/2 "2010-04-17T22:23:46Z")
The head of SPECTRE in \*From Russia With Love \*was a dour, no-nonsense criminal executive without much of a personality, but his key personnel in that story were a butch lesbian ex-KGB colonel (Rosa Klebb) with a tricked-out poison switchblade shoe, and one of (if not the greatest) chess grandmasters (Kronsteen) on the planet. Klebb’s inferiors were in turn a blonde bombshell KGB secretary and a sociopathic ex-KGB assassin. Villain-wise and otherwise, _FRWL_ still stands as one of the high-water-marks in the Bond franchise. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/3 "2010-04-17T22:24:04Z")
From the world of Saturday morning cartoons from my youth: Transformers: I thought Starscream, Soundwave, and Devastator were all cooler than Megatron. G.I. Joe: Zartan seemed way cooler than Cobra Commander. Hell, everyone seemed cooler than Cobra Commander. ---
**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:** [April 17, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/4 "2010-04-17T23:30:26Z")
Darth Maul? I think you misunderstand the meaning of the word “cool.” I agree with **From Russia With Love** , but Oddjob from **Goldfinger** was pretty damn cool. Kids would try to throw their hats like frisbees. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/5 "2010-04-17T23:51:02Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Darth Maul? I think you misunderstand the meaning of the word “cool.” Darth Maul is pretty much “cool” incarnate. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/6 "2010-04-18T00:02:32Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > G.I. Joe: Zartan seemed way cooler than Cobra Commander. Hell, everyone seemed cooler than Cobra Commander. Storm Shadow was the coolest of the cool, though. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/7 "2010-04-18T01:13:58Z")
In _The Black Hole_, Doctor Hans Reinhardt was _far_ outshown in coolness by his robot Maximilian. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/8 "2010-04-18T01:48:44Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Darth Maul is pretty much “cool” incarnate. Agreed, so I was disappointed when we saw him get sliced in half. I figured his chances of showing up in Episode 2 were nil\*. As we walked out, my friends were discussing the aforementioned coolness, and I said “too bad Star Wars isn’t written by Stan Lee. In the Marvel Universe, D-Maul would be only temporarily dead.” _or should that have been “50/50”?_\* \*\*ha. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/9 "2010-04-18T02:04:17Z")
In “Kim Possible”, Shego was much cooler than Dr. Drakken. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/10 "2010-04-18T02:12:18Z")
In Lethal Weapon, Mr. Joshua is much, much cooler than his boss, whose name I can’t even remember. There’s a pretty fair amount of coolness - albeit creepy coolness - to the Thin Man in “Charlie’s Angels.” He kills Tim Curry with a sword, that’s awesome. His boss, Sam Rockwell, isn’t cool at all. As to the OP, Darth Maul is cooler than Palpatine, but Darth VADER is also cooler than Palpatine. Palpatine was out-cooled by two henchmen. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/11 "2010-04-18T02:21:54Z")
Baraggan is more interesting than Aizen in _Bleach_. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/12 "2010-04-18T03:17:50Z")
In _The Last Action Hero_ this phenomenon is parodied. Assassin henchman Benedict constantly changes his contact lenses with different images on them, and has little patience for his bumbling, malapropism-prone boss, Tony Vivaldi. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/13 "2010-04-18T05:29:57Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > In _The Last Action Hero_ this phenomenon is parodied. Assassin henchman Benedict constantly changes his contact lenses with different images on them, and has little patience for his bumbling, malapropism-prone boss, Tony Vivaldi. Not a contact lens - he changes his actual eyeball. One of which was a bomb. _Vengeance is…mine_ ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/14 "2010-04-18T06:12:15Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > Baraggan is more interesting than Aizen in _Bleach_. And Gin is more interesting than either of them. Well, admittedly I stopped reading the manga soon after that one flashback arc, so maybe Kubo’s made him lame since then. _Shrug_ Also, Darth Maul would’ve been a thousand times cooler had he been developed or given, y’know, actual character. Yeah, the double lightsaber was badass, but who IS he, really? Why does he look the way he does? What made him become a Sith lord? Does he have an IQ above 60, or does Palpatine see him as mere muscle and nothing else? Character development, it is important! ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/15 "2010-04-18T07:09:59Z")
Wait, people still read/watch _Bleach_? I’ve watched up until 2/3rds through the Hueco Mundo arc, and it’s gotten worse than DBZ in terms of filler and boring episodes. Is the manga a lot better? ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/16 "2010-04-18T09:03:11Z")
I haven’t seen the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” film since it came out but wasn’t the vampire played by Paul Reubens more interesting than the head one played by Rutger Hauer? ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/17 "2010-04-18T09:39:49Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > In _The Black Hole_, Doctor Hans Reinhardt was _far_ outshown in coolness by his robot Maximilian. The coolest thing about _The Black Hole_ was the black hole itself. When it finally ate everyone and the torturous plodding of a movie was over. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/18 "2010-04-18T09:46:53Z")
Palpatine has a crummy wardrobe. Maul dresses to impress. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/19 "2010-04-18T14:37:57Z")
> [@Maiira](#): > > And Gin is more interesting than either of them. > > Well, admittedly I stopped reading the manga soon after that one flashback arc, so maybe Kubo’s made him lame since then. _Shrug_ No, he still doesn’t suck. He’s just started fighting against Ichigo in the manga, if you’re interested. > [@Autolycus](#): > > Wait, people still read/watch _Bleach_? I’ve watched up until 2/3rds through the Hueco Mundo arc, and it’s gotten worse than DBZ in terms of filler and boring episodes. Is the manga a lot better? While it wasn’t as bad as _Naruto_, the need to avoid a 24-minute cartoon overtaking a 20-page manga did still mean it dragged sometimes. I think the way to go is to just read the manga, and only go to the anime when you want to watch a fight. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486/20 "2010-04-18T16:03:20Z")
Darth Maul has no character, and I don’t think his look is that awesome, that he deserves a mention here. Also this brilliant review [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-isAmaVbsM](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-isAmaVbsM) , has a cool bit where he is presented as the first homosexual in Star Wars. I second the Bond and Kim Possible mentions. I get +1 SDMB point for mentioning the Princess Bride and Inigo. Mr Wallace is cool, but he is up against The Wolf, and Samuel’s character. Also Malcolm Reynolds takes no blame for losing in coolness to Jayne. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-villains-that-are-less-cool-than-their-lackeys-minions-or-muscle/536486.md?page=2)