# Let's rate cinematic SF/Fantasy villains by how terrifying they are. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 13, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rate-cinematic-sf-fantasy-villains-by-how-terrifying-they-are/652860 "2013-03-13T21:24:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mavic\_Chen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mavic\_Chen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mavic_Chen)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rate-cinematic-sf-fantasy-villains-by-how-terrifying-they-are/652860/41 "2013-03-15T21:39:23Z")
Wonder how many points the missus would give “The Force” from Evil Dead 1 - thinking about the tree rape bit… ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rate-cinematic-sf-fantasy-villains-by-how-terrifying-they-are/652860/42 "2013-03-15T21:43:46Z")
That pale Ripley/Alien clone thing in _Alien Resurrection_ is pretty horrific, especially those beady eyes glittering down inside their sockets. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rate-cinematic-sf-fantasy-villains-by-how-terrifying-they-are/652860/43 "2013-03-15T23:21:33Z")
OK, yeah, the Pale Man is pretty near the top of the list. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rate-cinematic-sf-fantasy-villains-by-how-terrifying-they-are/652860/44 "2013-03-16T01:39:43Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > Let’s see. How about Glory, from _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_. She’s a ditz, incredibly vain, ludicrously powerful, was essentially undefeatable except in her weakened alternate form, and murderous beyond all rationality. 95. > > As long as we’re on _Buffy_, how about Mayor Wilkins? Affably evil, sold his soul for power, was able to draw many powerful minions to his side, ascended to full demonhood, but ultimately couldn’t defeat Buffy and a bunch of high school students. His ascension lasted about five minutes. 91. Still a great character, though. OK, seeing as you brought it up, I’ll have to drag out this one, which I have posted at least twice before: > [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Based on nearly half a century of horror fandom, I’ve often argued that Angelus from _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ and _Angel The Series_ is one of the most terrifying of screen villains. > > I think it is a combination of the contrast with his non-evil, rather tediously mopey Angel persona, and the sheer delight he takes in his sadism - which, it should be noted is as much psychological as physical, although he certainly doesn’t scorn physical sadism. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rate-cinematic-sf-fantasy-villains-by-how-terrifying-they-are/652860/45 "2013-03-16T02:10:26Z")
Do the various Lovecraftian thingies violate the rule against giant monsters? I would argue that Cthulhu, or moreso Azathoth, aren’t really in the same realm as kaiju. Gojira is big, Yog is cosmic. Even if we disregard the big bads, I think that Nyarlathotep should be allowed, with a score that can only be expressed in scientific notation. ---
**Author:** ![Parthol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Parthol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parthol)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rate-cinematic-sf-fantasy-villains-by-how-terrifying-they-are/652860/46 "2013-03-16T06:14:02Z")
While she is more obscure than most of the villains mentioned so far, the first being I though of was the time-shifting cyborg assassin Rhadamanth Nemes from Dan Simmons’ _Endymion_ and _Rise of Endymion_. High 90’s for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rate-cinematic-sf-fantasy-villains-by-how-terrifying-they-are/652860/47 "2013-03-16T08:01:55Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > OK, seeing as you brought it up, I’ll have to drag out this one, which I have posted at least twice before: I agree. Also, the other characters’ reaction to the sheer terror of his existence led to one of my favorite scenes in AtS, when Wesley comes to spring Faith from prison. Faith starts to protest, saying how she’s doing OK, and how prison is good for her, how she doesn’t want to get in any more trouble, until Wes says three words - “Angelus is back.” _[Beat]_ Faith: “Step away from the glass.” ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rate-cinematic-sf-fantasy-villains-by-how-terrifying-they-are/652860/48 "2013-03-16T10:00:38Z")
Lucinda the fairy, from [Ella Enchanted](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ella_Enchanted_%28film%29). (The movie at least, I haven’t read the original book) Roaming magical fairy, a bit ditzy, possibly omnipotent. And she gives out magical gifts…but hers are flawed, more like curses. She’s like The Monkey’s Paw crossed with Glinda…but she _has no idea she’s doing anything wrong._ Further, _she reacts badly if criticized_. She honestly scared the _hell_ out of me, and I don’t scare easy. Most Lovecraftian cosmic horrors had nothing on her—Cthulhu doesn’t actively seek you out. Even Nyarlathotep doesn’t honestly think he’s doing you a _favor_. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rate-cinematic-sf-fantasy-villains-by-how-terrifying-they-are/652860/49 "2013-03-16T14:21:33Z")
**Interrobang** , the OP specified _cinematic_ villains. Has there ever been an on-screen depiction of Lovecraft’s critters that was all that? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rate-cinematic-sf-fantasy-villains-by-how-terrifying-they-are/652860/50 "2013-03-16T15:03:27Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Mr. Morden, from Babylon 5—62 > > Ivanova, from B5, when she’s pissed off----112, but only a villain if you happen to be the target of her wrath. Right, she’s no villain, she’s a hero who goes into berserker mode, but the “touched” Lyta is several orders of magnitude scarier in that class. Now, _ **Bester** _… there’s someone vile, with a couple of multiplier factors – one, the sort of villainy that comes from being (or acting like) a True Believer who’s convinced that whatever suffering inflicted or moral boundaries crossed are righteous and necessary; another, that he can and will attack you and your allies by turning\*\* _you_\*\* into a traitor so you help destroy one another, and you won’t even know it yourself. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rate-cinematic-sf-fantasy-villains-by-how-terrifying-they-are/652860/51 "2013-03-16T17:00:27Z")
I think this counts because Inglourious Basterds was a fantasy. I found **Hans Landa** to be so terrifying that I don’t even like to watch Christoph Waltz in interviews. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rate-cinematic-sf-fantasy-villains-by-how-terrifying-they-are/652860/52 "2013-03-17T15:36:22Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I agree. Also, the other characters’ reaction to the sheer terror of his existence led to one of my favorite scenes in AtS, when Wesley comes to spring Faith from prison. Faith starts to protest, saying how she’s doing OK, and how prison is good for her, how she doesn’t want to get in any more trouble, until Wes says three words - > > “Angelus is back.” > > _[Beat]_ > > Faith: “Step away from the glass.” Great scene, though I don’t think Faith was actually AFRAID of Angelus–at least, not at that point. She was confident that she could take him. Rather, she knew that Angelus was a threat the Fang Gang was not up to handling (she didn’t know about what’s-his-name, the emo kid), and that his return meant she could no longer afford the luxury of penance. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rate-cinematic-sf-fantasy-villains-by-how-terrifying-they-are/652860/53 "2013-03-17T16:12:59Z")
For me, it’s the Future Predators from _Primeval_. They really give me the willies. A strong 80 (85-89). ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rate-cinematic-sf-fantasy-villains-by-how-terrifying-they-are/652860/54 "2013-03-17T16:16:49Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > I think this counts because Inglourious Basterds was a fantasy. I found **Hans Landa** to be so terrifying that I don’t even like to watch Christoph Waltz in interviews. I fully expected people to ignore the OP’s stipulations, so I shan’t complain. But IG is quite obviously not the sort of fantasy the thread was intended for. There’s no magic, no science fiction: just history taking a different track. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-rate-cinematic-sf-fantasy-villains-by-how-terrifying-they-are/652860.md?page=2)