Top 10 Best Quentin Tarantino Villains
#10: Elle Driver
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“Kill Bill: Vol. 1” (2003) & “Kill Bill: Vol. 2” (2004) Codenamed California Mountain Snake, Elle Driver is a kind of dark mirror to protagonist Beatrix Kiddo. While Beatrix tried to leave the twisted Bill and a life as a killer behind, this viper has an unhealthy devotion to both. Elle also has no qualms about using poison and underhanded tactics against her enemies. Although she respects Beatrix for her skill, that’s the extent of her good qualities. Elle’s sadistic nature and the underhanded way she slew Beatrix’s master make her a fun villain to hate. Additionally, her eyepatch-sporting look is striking and memorable. Since it isn’t confirmed that she died after her battle with Beatrix, our excitement if she made a return in a “Kill Bill” sequel would be “gargantuan.”
#9: Zed
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“Pulp Fiction” (1994) Zed’s dead baby, Zed’s dead. And thank goodness for that. This guy might be one of the most reprehensible characters Tarantino has ever created! After Marsellus Wallace and Butch Coolidge are captured by a pawn shop owner, Zed arrives to make things worse. The new antagonist casually lets the men know that he plans to severely mistreat them. Zed also makes it clear that he’s done twisted things to men in that basement before. The villain's nonchalant attitude about the entire situation made him seem especially depraved. Fortunately, Butch is able to break free and save Marsellus from being further tormented by the villain. Although Zed isn’t around long, it was still satisfying to hear he would face brutal consequences for his actions.
#8: Daisy Domergue
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“The Hateful Eight” (2015) When we’re first introduced to Daisy Domergue, we learn that she’s a notorious outlaw, she’s been captured by bounty hunter John Ruth, and has been sentenced to death. It seems like her fate is sealed by the time she and several others take refuge in a stagecoach station during a blizzard. However, members of her old gang are there lying in wait. Before and after Daisy’s plan comes to fruition, it’s clear that she is a vicious outlaw. The amount of glee she showed about Ruth’s death was particularly unsettling. Daisy’s chaotic scheming made her one of the most cunning and unstable Tarantino villains to date. It’s certainly satisfying to see her “dance” at the film’s end…even if we personally prefer her singing.
#7: Stephen
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“Django Unchained” (2012) Stephen was an enslaved person who tried to attain as much power as he could on the plantation nicknamed “Candyland”. He usually gained advantage by selling out other disenfranchised Black people. So although Stephen pretends to be a feeble and subservient old man in public, it’s clear that he is a shrewd and sharp piece of work in private. His worst onscreen crime came when he ruined a deal that would’ve allowed Django to rescue his wife Broomhilda without incident. Thanks to Stephen’s words, she’s tormented, a good man ends up dead, and Django is nearly enslaved again. This morally bankrupt villain also took pleasure in describing what punishments awaited the hero. Stephen’s choices were so consistently bad that he definitely earned his explosive end.
#6: Stuntman Mike
“Death Proof” (2007) Within Tarnatino’s gallery of odd psychopaths, Stuntman Mike stands out as one of the most unique antagonists. He likes to follow and dispatch young women with a very particular weapon —his car. Kurt Russell’s brilliant performance ensured Stuntman Mike came off as simultaneously evil and charming at once. Although he seems to be a decent guy, his victims only see his sinister side when it's far too late. Stuntman Mike’s death proof vehicle protects him and ensures gruesome fates for the ladies he targets. He’s unstoppable until he messes with the wrong group of women. As Stuntman Mike gets some sweet comeuppance, we can’t help but think about the wild ride he took us on.
#5: O-Ren Ishii
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“Kill Bill: Vol. 1” (2003) After O-Ren Ishii worked as a Deadly Viper, she became a brutal Yakuza boss. Throughout the film, we delve deep into her tragic and horrifying backstory. O-Ren Ishii had to watch her parents die and face racial prejudice before she ascended to her position in Japan’s underworld. Anyone who dishonored her accomplishments had to be prepared to feel the sting of her sword. Unfortunately for O’Ren, part of her rich backstory involved attacking Beatrix on her wedding day. Although the villain basically commanded an incredible army, they couldn’t protect her from the Bride. O-Ren’s layered past and violent skills would have made her a great protagonist of a yakuza flick. But without her, the first “Kill Bill” wouldn’t have been nearly as cool.
#4: Vic Vega [AKA Mr. Blonde]
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“Reservoir Dogs” (1992) Almost every member of the whole crew of color-coded criminals in “Reservoir Dogs” is a bad guy. But Vic Vega a.k.a. Mr. Blonde is so evil, that he even makes the others squeamish. “Toothpick” Vic is responsible for the shootout at a robbery that leads to the death of a few of his allies. And while he appears calm and collected at their hideout, Blondie unveils his vicious and sadistic side when he brutally torments a cop the gang has captured. The infamous scene where Mr. Blonde dances while giving the officer a permanent injury is the stuff of nightmares. While standing out in a crew of criminals might seem difficult, Mr. Blonde made it look easy.
#3: Bill
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“Kill Bill: Vol. 1” (2003) & “Kill Bill: Vol. 2” (2004) The villain of Tarantino's two part assassin tale definitely lives up to his reputation. Serving as the leader of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, this cold-blooded killer demands respect. Although Bill is offscreen in the first film, he manipulates people from afar so much that we constantly feel his oppressive presence looming large. After spending a full movie making him seem like a complete monster, Vol. 2 reveals that he’s also surprisingly human. Bill genuinely loved Beatrix and even has a sweet relationship with their young daughter. However, his unforgivable crimes against Beatrix and many others meant that he had to go down. Bill’s charismatic nature and incredible speeches made him compelling to watch up until he spoke his last word.
#2: Calvin Candie
“Django Unchained” (2012) Just knowing that Calvin Candie routinely enslaved people would be enough to make him hateable. But this villain goes the extra mile to show he’s truly detestable. Candie watches enslaved people fight for his entertainment and makes someone suffer an unspeakably horrendous death. Despite his terrible actions, Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance as the villain is so magnetic that it’s impossible to look away whenever the character is onscreen. He easily commands a room once he walks in. Additionally, Candie’s monologues are truly intimidating and terrifying. His gestures alone have become so iconic, that they’ve been the subjects of a million memes! Candie is a villain that audiences absolutely love to hate.
#1: Hans Landa
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“Inglourious Basterds” (2009) Hans Landa is often hailed as one of the best villains for good reason. This German officer has made it his mission to subject every Jewish person he finds to a terrible fate. And since Landa is a man of terrifying intelligence, he’s been able to find a lot of victims during his career. As soon as he starts questioning someone, we instantly get nervous. Christoph Waltz earned an Oscar by making Landa seem quirky and witty right up until the moment he reminds us how cruel he is. By the end of the film, it's debatable whether the villain’s punished enough for his crimes. But he definitely deserves the title of the greatest Tarantino villain.
