22 Most Satisfying Movie Villain Deaths
We love "Beauty and the Beast," but we loathe Gaston. His fatal plunge is just one of the most satisfying ways a movie villain has ever met their doom. Here are some more bad guys who made you go "bye, Felicia."
Alien Queen in 'Aliens' (1986)
"Get away from her, you BITCH!" Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) faces off with the deadly Alien Queen to protect Newt in one of the best showdowns in movie history.
Brad Wesley in 'Road House' (1989)
After finding his buddy and mentor Wade (Sam Elliott) stabbed to death, bouncer James (Patrick Swayze) goes on a one-man rampage to take down local crime boss Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara). James employs his fists, his smarts, and a stuffed polar bear.
General Chang in 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' (1991)
"Star Trek" villains often go out with a bang, and duplicitous Klingon General Chang ( Christopher Plummer) gets to quote Hamlet's "To be or not to be" as his ship is blown to smithereens. So that's "not to be," then.
Cmdr. Kruge in 'Star Trek III: The Search for Spock' (1984)
Evil Klingon Commander Kruge (Christopher Lloyd) killed Captain Kirk (William Shatner)'s son, so it's sweet, sweet revenge when Kirk bests the villain in a fistfight, then kicks him -- in the face, three times! -- before sending him over the edge into a live volcano. Eat lava, jerk!
Female Muto in 'Godzilla' (2014)
Got a pesky beast destroying city after city as she tries to lay her eggs? Just use your atomic breath to blow her head clean off. Works every time.
Hans Gruber in 'Die Hard' (1988)
In his last remaining seconds, Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) knows he's about to dramatically plunge to his death, but villainous kudos for trying to drag hostage Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) over the edge with him and shoot hubby John (Bruce Willis) before he goes. Happy trails, Hans!
Commodus in 'Gladiator' (2000)
Corrupt Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) kills his father so he can become Emperor, then has Maximus (Russell Crowe)'s family slaughtered when the General won't fall in line. It takes the whole damn movie, but Maximus (though mortally wounded) finally has his vengeance, grimly driving the blade home with the last of his strength.
Donovan in 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade '(1989)
It's perfectly poetic justice when Holy Grail-seeking Nazi sympathizer Walter Donovan (Julian Glover) chooses the fanciest cup, earning not Eternal Youth, but Instant Shriveling Death. Ewwww.
Eric Savin in 'Iron Man 3' (2013)
How do you kill an Extremis-enhanced, President-kidnapping soldier (James Badge Dale). If you're Iron Man, a repulsor blast through the chest at point-blank range does the trick.
Owen Davian in 'Mission: Impossible III' (2006)
Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), has gone up against a lot of evildoers. But the worst was Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman)), who vowed to kill his wife (Michelle Monaghan) right in front of him. So it was a real pleasure to see him taken out, mid-fight, by a speeding truck.
Kurt Hendricks in 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' (2011)
Russian nuclear strategist Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) wants to start World War III. He thinks jumping to his death with the launch device will seal his plans, but he lives just long enough to see Ethan Hunt thwart his scheme.
Nazi Villains in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' (1981)
Seconds after this celebratory photo of opening the Ark of the Covenant was taken, these despicable Nazi villains were face-melted by the Wrath of God. It was awesome.
Magua in 'The Last of the Mohicans' (1992)
Magua (Wes Studi)'s hatred of a British colonel is so strong, he not only cuts out the man's heart, he vows to "wipe his seed off the earth" by killing his two daughters. The final clifftop battle in which he kills one fierce Mohican warrior, and then is fatally struck down by "the last Mohican," is epic.
Stu and Billy in 'Scream' (1995)
When the creepy mask killers are revealed to be pal Stu (Matthew Lillard) and boyfriend Billy (Skeet Ulrich), our heroine (Neve Campbell) knows -- thanks to horror movies -- she's got to shoot Billy until he's REALLY good and dead.
Castor Troy in 'Face/Off' (1997)
Master criminal Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage) and FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) trade faces in this complicated guilty pleasure from John Woo, which ends with an over-the-top boat chase and the long overdue death of Troy. And Travolta goes back to being Travolta, thanks to the magic of movie science!
Gaston in 'Beauty and the Beast' (1991)
Vain Gaston fits nicely into the long tradition of hate-filled Disney villains -- and that includes falling to his well-deserved death as he's trying to kill the hero.
Ra's al Ghul in 'Batman Begins' (2005)
Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson) gives a driftless Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) training and focus -- before revealing his true identity: He's supervillain Ra's al Ghul. He meets his death with a Zen-like calm that we actually kind of admire.
Col. Tavington in 'The Patriot' (2000)
Bad guys don't come much nastier than British Colonel William Tavington (Jason Isaacs), who kills not one but two of Mel Gibson's sons in this Revolutionary War epic. Long after Tavington brutally takes down his eldest (Heath Ledger), Gibson slays the villainous Brit with his own hands.
Sebastian Shaw in 'X-Men: First Class' (2011)
Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) defends his brutal training methods to a bitter Erik (Michael Fassbender). rik agrees, "Everything you did made me stronger. It made me the weapon I am today.... but you see, you killed my mother." And so he slowly, satisfyingly sends a Nazi coin through the paralyzed Shaw's evil skull. And then we clap.
T-800 in 'The Terminator' (1984)
The seemingly unstoppable killer cyborg is finally crushed to death with handy factory hydraulics. Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) pushes the button and announces, "You're terminated." Of course, with time travel and all, this was hardly the last we'd see of him and his fellow killing machines.
Voldemort in 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2' (2011)
Oh, what a beautiful sight it was when evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) dissolved into nothing after his long reign of terror. And, you know, killing everyone Harry ever loved.
Jabba the Hutt in 'Return of the Jedi' (1983)
Our favorite rebel princess (Carrie Fisher) doesn't stay a slave for long. In one of the most cheer-worthy moments in the "Star Wars" franchise, she uses the chains of her sluglike oppressor to strangle the creep to death. Respect.
