Sometimes the coolest lines in movies are delivered by the bad guy. Either a memorable one liner or a villainous monologue, the villain gets to have all the fun. Here are some of my favorites. These are not in a ranked order because c’mon, that would be way too hard. 

Ozymandias from Watchmen

One of the most iconic moments in the comic book. I thought Matthew Goode pulls it off so well with that detached, emotionless tone like he was telling them he did something mundane rather than wipe out millions of people.

Emperor Palpatine from Revenge of the Sith

I feel like the Emperor (or Darth Sidious if you prefer) has plenty of great lines, but one of the most iconic has to be from the prequels when he orders the Clones to execute Order 66, which is what brings down the Jedi. Ian McDiarmid has a way of saying lines that just make you feel the hatred coming from him. Another line I absolutely love from ol’ Palps is in ROTJ when he tells Luke “you’re faith in your friends is yours.” So much disdain, you can actually feel it.

Alonzo Harris from Training Day

“To protect the sheep you gotta catch the wolf, and it takes a wolf to catch a wolf.” Denzel Washington has a bunch of classic lines from this movie, but this is definitely one of the best. And yes, I realize the picture is not the scene when he delivers it, but I just like that picture of Alonzo in the diner. 

Joker from The Dark Knight

Basically every line from the Joker in The Dark Knight is memorable. I love the “why so serious” story and the tension Heath Ledger builds as he tells it. Other great lines from the movie “I’m like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn’t know what to do if I caught one” and “if you’re good at something, never do it for free.”

Patrick Bateman from American Psycho

“Do you like Phil Collins?” Christian Bale has plenty of weird lines in this movie. His daily routine monologue is also fantastic, but c’mon…is there a better line than his whole murder while playing Phil Collins. 

Thanos from Avengers: Infinity War

I know, “I am inevitable” is probably the line more people would say is their favorite. I just love this line and love saying it whenever I balance a spoon on my finger. Or I make Payton balance on one foot and once she is good, I always say it. 

Mr.Potter from It’s a Wonderful Life

George Bailey begs Mr.Potter to give him the $8000 and old Mr.Potter absolutely crushes him. “You’re worth more dead than alive.” Such a harsh line, then he just keeps going. Has anyone ever said the word malfeasance better than Lionel Barrymore?

Aaron Stampler from Primal Fear

I love this movie. My mom is a huge Richard Gere fan and I am pretty sure that is why we rented it. This was the first movie I ever saw Edward Norton in and this ending scene had me hooked as a fan. The clap, then “well good for you, Martin!” The way he says it and the way everything clicks for Gere (and the audience)…yeah, definitely a great scene.

Bane from The Dark Knight Rises

This is probably the most meme’d quote of my favorites. It is also one of my favorite lines to repeat while talking into an empty paper towel roll. Yeah, my wife hates me at times. 

Vincent from Collateral

Such a funny line, but delivered in a very matter of fact way. Jamie Foxx freaks out and says that Tom Cruise killed the guy and out comes this line. I feel like it works so well for Vincent and his mindset. In his head, he is not a killer, he is just doing a job. If he did not kill these people, someone else would. He is just the instrument.

Hans Gruber from Die Hard

Alan Rickman absolutely owns this movie. He just steals every scene that he is in and the more you watch it, the more you want him to win. “By the time they figure out what went wrong, we’ll be sitting on a beach, earning twenty percent.” That is one of my favorite movie lines, but it is still only second to Hans saying Yippee-ki-ay, motherfucker. The way he says motherfucker is just so classic. Also, I love the scene when he meets John McClane and he pretends to be American. The whole “oh no, you’re one of them.” A British guy pretending to be German pretending to be American. Gotta love it.

The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz

One of the greatest villains of all-time and probably one of the greatest movie lines “Ill get you my pretty, and your little dog too!” Then the cackle at the end makes it even better. Also, I should point out that my dad loved to say “wanna play ball?” before he would throw something. 

William Stryker from X2

“YOU’RE LYING! You were even more frightened of him than I was. You know, just one year after Jason returned from your ‘school’, my wife! You see, he resented us, he blamed us for his condition, so he would toy with our minds, projecting visions and scenarios into our brains. Well, my wife, in the end she took a power drill to her left temple in an attempt to bore the images out. My boy, the great illusionist!” I love the way Brian Cox says this to Professor X (I could probably watch Brian Cox angrily read the phone book…hell, I enjoy hearing him talk about McDonald’s fries in those ads). The contempt he has when he says MY BOY, you can feel that and the way he paints the image of his wife putting a drill to her head…yeah, one of the best villain lines because it makes you feel for the villain.

 

The Operative from Serenity

“I’m not going to live there… There’s no place for me there, any more than there is for you. Malcolm, I’m a monster. What I do is evil. I have no illusions about it, but it must be done.” The Operative gives this lesson to Malcolm after he kills a bunch of people (including children). He wants to create a better world, but he knows that he will never be part of it. That once his mission is done, he will be put down as well. I always thought he was an underrated villain.

O-Ren Ishii from Kill Bill Vol. 1

O-Ren Ishii cuts off a guy’s head for questioning her heritage. I think my favorite part about this whole scene is how calm she is afterwards explaining that she welcomes respectful disagreements about her decisions, but that there is only one subject that is taboo…and the price for bringing it up is your motherfucking head!

I saved my favorite three for last. Like I said before, I do not know how I would rank them, but these three are my favorite. These are the ones that inspired this list.

Brick Top from Snatch

Brick Top is one of the most unassuming villains. Alan Ford looks like an accountant or something with those giant glasses. And yet, he gives one of the most menacing speeches. C’mon, after you saw this movie, tell me you did not drive past pig farms and think “huh, wonder how many people that guy has killed?” Brick Top also has plenty of other great lines, such as “no thank you Turkish, I’m sweet enough” “in the quiet words of the Virgin Mary, come again” “do you know what nemesis means?” 

Agent Smith from The Matrix

The interrogation scene from the first Matrix movie is one of my favorites (yes, I realize it is three scenes, but just roll with me here). Hugo Weaving starts out with some history, then he goes into the insults about how humans are basically a virus, but then he begins to lose it. I love the way he says “I must get out of here, I must get free and in this mind is the key, my key.” 

Darth Vader from A New Hope

“Don’t be too proud of this technological terror you’ve constructed…” Obviously Vader has tons of classic lines, but I love this. As you have probably noticed, I love when an actor enunciates words. The way James Earl Jones says technological terror and just makes it flow into everything else makes it even more menacing. 

Okay, so there you have my list. How did I do? What are some of your favorites?