Top 10 Mysterious Movie Characters

#10: Ernst Stavro Blofeld
“James Bond” franchise (1963-)

James Bond himself could’ve made this list as his films rarely delve into his life before being 007. The head of SPECTRE, however, is perhaps an even bigger question mark. In Blofeld’s first couple of appearances, only his lower half and his pet pussy cat are exposed. While the incognito villain finally surfaces in “You Only Live Twice,” we eventually find that he’s a man of many different faces. Despite being a recurring Bond baddie, little is learned about Blofeld; if anything, we know more about his cat. But that’s exactly what makes him so fascinating, and perhaps why so many tropes have derived from him having transcended pop culture.

#9: The Caller
“Phone Booth” (2002)

This is why all phones should have caller ID. “Phone Booth” has a brilliant, Hitchcockian setup for a thriller: Colin Farrell’s Stu answers a call from a phone booth with an unknown caller on the other end of the line. The mysterious caller, voiced by a chilling Kiefer Sutherland, proceeds to blackmail the philandering Stu and threaten his life. It’s never revealed why this caller makes a practice of squeezing the truth out of wrongdoers. All we know for sure is that he’s always one step ahead of his opponents.

#8: The Driver
“Drive” (2011)

The Driver is wrapped in riddles. We don’t know his backstory. We don’t even know his name. At times, we’re not even sure if he’s a real human being. In a heartbeat, he can go from being totally calm to beating a man to death. Behind that stone cold, emotionless exterior, though, there’s a dedicated soul that’s willing to risk his life for a young woman and her son. Although his hands are unquestionably dirty, it’s clear that he’s one of the good guys as he drives off into the sunset.

#7: Anton Chigurh
“No Country for Old Men” (2007)

This hitman is a psychopath who will kill just about anyone he encounters. That’s all we really learn about Anton Chigurh and that’s all we really need to know. While we often wonder what his backstory is, we’re even more curious about what horrific action this maniac will commit next. Anton’s a walking disaster and almost nothing can stop him. The only way you’re walking away from him alive is if you win a coin toss. And with Anton flipping the quarter, having 50/50 odds has never been more frightening.

#6: Keyser Söze
“The Usual Suspects” (1995)

1995 was a year that saw not one but two of the most mysterious and illusive villains in cinema come to life – and we won’t spoil anything more about connections the characters may share here. Although John Doe constantly kept the audience on edge in “Se7en,” Keyser Söze is the one that still has us scratching our heads two decades later. Throughout “The Usual Suspects,” Spacey’s Verbal Kint builds Söze up as a crime boss with a legendary reputation. Agent Kujan realizes Söze’s secret too late in the game, but it’s still unclear what about Söze is fact and what’s fiction.

#5: John Coffey
“The Green Mile” (1999)

John Coffey is one of the kindest souls you’ll likely ever see in a film. There are even moments in “The Green Mile” that lead us to believe he’s an angel from God with miraculous healing abilities. You’d never guess that this gentle giant has been convicted of molesting and murdering two girls. However, anybody who takes his hand would know that he’s not the monster the legal system makes him out to be. As for the nature behind Coffey’s powers, though, that’s open to interpretation.

#4: The Joker
“The Dark Knight” (2008)

Throughout “The Dark Knight,” the Joker offers a couple up of backstories regarding how he got those gruesome scars. Yet, we never figure out which backstory is the real one or if any of his tales are true at all. We’re not even sure if the Joker knows his own backstory. This has amounted to numerous fan theories with some believing he’s a disfigured war veteran. All that really matters, however, is that the Clown Prince of Crime is a deranged lunatic who simply wants to bring anarchy to Gotham and destroy Batman’s moral code.

#3: Vincent
“Collateral” (2004)

When a cab driver picks somebody up, they’ll usually ask the passenger who they are, where they’re from, and where they’re going. However, they’ll rarely ask for somebody’s life story. In “Collateral,” Jamie Foxx’s Max only learns the bare essentials about Tom Cruise’s Vincent: He’s a lethal hitman who will be making several stops throughout the night. Vincent is completely unpredictable, taking people out even when he doesn’t have to. He’ll execute all his targets and leave no witnesses behind, or die trying – but hey, we’ll never know who he really is.

#2: V
“V for Vendetta” (2006)

Vigilantes often wear masks, but V is especially cautious about concealing his secret identity. When not hiding behind a Guy Fawkes mask, he’s hidden behind another disguise. While never unmasked, his motivations are clear: Take down the government that tortured him. Despite his secretive nature, V is a witty and charismatic presence nonetheless. His methods for achieving liberation and opening people’s eyes can be extreme, but he ultimately goes down as an empowering symbol for freedom. As for his true identity, let’s just say he was all of us.

Before we take a look behind the curtain at our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Bill
“Kill Bill” (2003-04)
- The Operative
“Serenity” (2005)
- Winston Wolfe [aka ‘The Wolf’]
“Pulp Fiction” (1994)

#1: The Man with No Name
“The Dollars Trilogy” (1964-66)

Although he crosses over into three films directed by Sergio Leone, almost nothing is revealed about this iconic Clint Eastwood character. Then again, what do you expect from somebody literally known as The Man With No Name? Whether you call him “Joe,” “Manco,” or “Blondie,” it really doesn’t matter: he’s become the epitome of the western stranger archetype who can draw faster than anyone in the west and passes through various towns with no clear destination. Like all the other characters on this list, he demonstrates that sometimes less is more.

Do you agree with our list? Who’s your favorite mysterious movie character? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.