There’s no question that afantasymovie is only as good as its villain, and these antagonists were unparalleled forces of nature in their stories. While the formula of most fantasy films ends up with the hero winning the day, this isn’t the case with every narrative, as there are plenty of great movies where the villain wins. However,it’s even more surprising when an antagonist is set up to be all-powerful and unstoppable, and the hero defeatsthem regardless. The main characters often achieve this through some sort of magical connection or loophole in the fantastical world.
Some movies andfantasy TV shows have the perfect villainwho has the right amount of power to match wits with the hero. However, there are many more examples of protagonists having to work hard to uncover a way to defeat the unstoppable force of the villain, as they have better resources, more formidable magic, and a seemingly foolproof plan.It’s easy to attribute the success of these heroes to plot armor,as the protagonists leave many conflicts with the villain unscathed. However, a universal takeaway from the defeat of these antagonists is that good will always triumph over evil.
5Lord Voldemort
Harry Potter (2001–2011)
Ralph Fiennes played the adult version of Lord Voldemort in theHarry Pottermovies,beginning with his appearance inThe Goblet of Fire. While Voldemort was always a terrifying villain, in both the books and on screen, much of his gravitas and the fear he inspires is made possible by Fiennes' performance. It will be difficultcasting Voldemort for theHarry PotterTV remake, as Fiennes has come to define the role in so many ways. However, the darkness of Voldemort is one of the most important pieces ofHarry Potter.
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There’s a lot of room for variety within the fantasy genre, and no matter what niche these movies fill, they’re considered the best of their class.
It comes to pass thatVoldemort’s arrogance and belief in his absolute power is the source of his undoing.Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) doesn’t defeat Voldemort because he’s a better wizard or is inherently more powerful. Voldemort’s refusal to consider the power of love and that he might have made a mistake makes it possible for Harry to slowly destroy the Horcruxes. Additionally, Harry’s willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater good, something Voldemort would never do, gives the side of good an edge.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students' time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
80%
82%
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
90%
86%
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
88%
74%
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
78%
81%
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
83%
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
77%
85%
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
96%
89%
4Darkness
Legend (1985)
The highly underrated 1985 Ridley Scott movieLegendhas become a cult classicin recent years, and Tim Curry’s turn as the monstrous villain Darkness is a large part of why. As the physical manifestation of all that’s evil and villainous, Darkness only seeks to make the world as twisted as he is and uses his considerable powers to do so. Though the character design of Darkness isn’t the only indicator of his evil and corruption, Scott and the production team did an excellent job visually representing how terrifying he is.
Tom Cruise and Mia Sara play the young heroes, Jack and Lili, who come up against Darkness, putting a stop to his quest to plunge the world into eternal night.
Tom Cruise and Mia Sara play the young heroes, Jack and Lili, who come up against Darkness, putting a stop to his quest to plunge the world into eternal night. Surprisingly, Darkness is intrigued by Lili and her innocence, as she’s the opposite of everything he’s made of. Though the visuals and aesthetics ofLegendare often praised more highly than the story itself, the film is elevated by the strength of its villain, giving the conflict an edge.
Legend
Cast
Legend, released in 1985, is a fantasy film set in a mythical forest where a mystical forest dweller, chosen by fate, embarks on a heroic quest to rescue Princess Lili and thwart the evil Lord of Darkness, preventing the world from succumbing to an eternal ice age.
41%
73%
3Thanos
The Avengers (2012–2019)
Thanos' powers in the MCUare some of the most formidable of any villain. He’s so unstoppable that, at first, the Avengers don’t defeat him at all.Josh Brolin’s Thanos wins inAvengers: Infinity War,successfully using the Infinity Gauntlet to eliminate half of the population. After this crushing defeat, most of the Avengers accept their losses and try to move on until Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) creates a way to go back in time and stop Thanos before he can kill everyone.
A lot goes wrong in bothInfinity WarandEndgame,and there are no guarantees that just because the Avengers go back in time, they’ll be more successful the second time around. However, through fierce determination and a little bit of luck, they manage to reverse Thanos' plan and bring back many of the people who were lost inInfinity War, though it comes at the cost of beloved friends and heroes inEndgame. There are plenty of corners of the multiverse where Thanos remains the victor, as his plan was almost foolproof.
Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, concludes the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Infinity Saga. It follows the remaining Avengers as they attempt to reverse the destruction caused by Thanos, navigating complex dynamics and forging alliances to restore balance to the universe.
91%
76%
92%
94%
2The White Witch
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
The upcoming remake ofThe Chronicles of Narniahas been generating a lot of buzz. How Greta Gerwig will revamp the visual style and the story structure from the originals will impact the upcoming series' longevity. It remains to be seen if Gerwig will adapt C.S. Lewis' books in chronological order or order of publication. However, missing out on the White Witch would be a mistake for the remake. Though replacing Tilda Swinton will be difficult,the character of the White Witch is one of the best villains in all ofNarnia.
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Though fantasy is typically thought of as an escapist genre, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of dark & grim moments within these movies.
Smart enough to understand how to manipulate the Pevensie children and strong enough to take on Aslan himself, it’s through divine intervention that the characters end up defeating her. In fantasy movies likeThe Chronicles of Narnia, there’s an element of fate and destiny that comes into play in the conquering of a villain like the White Witch. The Pevensies were always meant to travel to Narnia and bring peace back to the land, butwithout this predestined success, the White Witch could’ve easily maintained control of the land.
The remake ofThe Chronicles of Narniahas been green-light for two movies, so far.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) is a fantasy film directed by Andrew Adamson. It follows the story of four siblings who discover a magical wardrobe that leads to the enchanted land of Narnia. They join forces with Aslan, the majestic lion, to battle against the evil White Witch. The film features Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, and Anna Popplewell in the leading roles.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
75%
61%
1Sauron
The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003)
As difficult as it is to imagineThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy without Frodo (Elijah Wood), it’s just as hard to think about J.R.R. Tolkien’s seminalfantasytale without its formidable antagonist. Sauron manifests in many ways inThe Lord of the Rings, as his physical form might have been vanquished a long time ago, but as long as the One Ring exists, his spirit will never fade. Frodo experiences this firsthand, as every time he puts on the Ring, he feels the pull of power and the seductive evil that Sauron uses to control his disciples.
Amazon Prime’sThe Rings of Powerexplores Sauron’s backstory in the Second Age, but in the original movie trilogy, the audience feels the weight of Sauron’s overwhelming power.In the end, Frodo isn’t strong enough to destroy the Ring,and it’s because of Gollum (Andy Serkis) that it falls into the fires at Mount Doom, and Sauron’s rule comes to an end. Often, stories likeThe Lord of the Ringsexamine how chance and fateful encounters are what ultimately lead to the destruction of the forces of evil.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
95%
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
