14 Sci-Fi Movie Villains Who Will Mess Your Day Up
Never underestimate the power of a good villain. These sci-fi baddies have a unique talent for spreading misery and destruction, whether through the power of the Force, vast, intergalactic wealth, or just a burning hatred of humanity.
The Borg Queen
As seen in: "Star Trek: First Contact" (1996) Until the eighth "Star Trek" film, the Borg were nothing more than a faceless collective of cybernetic automatons. That changed when we met the Borg Queen, a leader with a knack for manipulation and a willingness to travel across time to stamp out humanity like a bug.
The T-1000
As seen in: "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991) We thought Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 was bad. But he's small potatoes compared to a liquid metal cyborg that can shape-shift and shrug off bullets like they're mosquito bites.
Ming the Merciless
As seen in: "Flash Gordon" (1980) When an intergalactic tyrant has "Merciless" in his name, you know you're in for a bad time. If it wasn't for Flash Gordon and his rocking theme song, humanity would have been wiped away by Ming's cosmic tomfoolery.
Darth Vader
As seen in: "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" Darth Vader has long been regarded as one of the greatest villains in pop culture, but his most recent cinematic appearance was a nice reminder of how deadly the Dark Lord of the Sith can be when he isn't whining about sand. Those poor Rebel soldiers never stood a chance...
Dr. Zaius
As seen in: "Planet of the Apes" (1968) The only thing worse than a talking, man-hating orangutan is a talking, man-hating orangutan politician. Dr. Zaius is pretty much the big baddie of the "Planet of the Apes" franchise, one who's all too happy to imprison heretics and give them the old lobotomy treatment.
Khan Noonien Siongh
As seen in: "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" (1982) and "Star Trek Into Darkness" (2013) Combine the super-soldier body of Captain America and the revenge-obsessed personality of Captain Ahab and you basically have Khan. It takes a special breed of villain to thrive during a conflict known as "The Eugenics Wars."
The Predator
As seen in: "Predator" (1987) The Predators have pretty much one hobby -- hunting the galaxy's most challenging sport. Unfortunately for us, they tend to favor humans. When even Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers are dwarfed by this muscular killer, what hope do us ordinary schmucks have?
Darth Maul
As seen in: "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace" (1999) The Star Wars prequels might not have given us much, but they did deliver a Sith Lord worthy to stand alongside Darth Vader. Maul is still the only movie character with the cojones to rock a double-bladed lightsaber.
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
As seen in: "Dune" (1984) If Dune is the sci-fi version of "Game of Thrones," then Baron Harkonnen is its Cersei Lannister. Magnetic and repulsive in equal measure, this powerful aristocrat will stop at nothing to cement his place in the galaxy.
HAL 9000
As seen in: "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) HAL 9000 is the probably the biggest reason so many of us have a deep mistrust of A.I. And why shouldn't we? This ruthless computer thought nothing of killing off his entire crew for the sake of his mission, including leaving one hapless astronaut to float forever in the cold void of space.
Roy Batty
As seen in: "Blade Runner" (1982) We don't necessarily blame Roy for embarking on a killing spree in "Blade Runner." After all, he was just an android searching for a second lease on life. But we'd still hate to run into this trained killer in darkened, rain-soaked alley.
Agent Smith
As seen in: The "Matrix" Trilogy Sentient, human-hating computer programs are the worst. Especially when that program has the ability to take the form of a kung-fu master with the ability to turn everyone into scowling doppelgangers. Smith makes us think it's time to unplug from the Internet entirely.
Kylo Ren
As seen in: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2015) Every new "Star Wars" trilogy needs a good Sith villain, and the new series already has one in Adam Driver's tortured ex-Jedi. As cool as Kylo was in "The Force Awakens," his real defining moment was barely glimpsed in flashback from. It takes a special breed of villain to kill off Luke Skywalker's Jedi Order.
The Xenomorph
As seen in: "Alien" (1979) and "Aliens" (1986) The Xenomorphs come in different varieties, but each one of them has perfected the art of hunting, terrorizing, and eventually eating human prey. And those are the lucky ones. We'd hate to be the the unlucky Weyland-Yutani employee whose body plays host to a Chestburster.
