Not in any particular order... But of course, I am first. Duh.
1. Gabriel Ashlocke(a.k.a. The First Mutant, Patient Zero). A narcissistic sociopath with all four mutant abilities, New Mutant Gabriel Ashlocke was born so evil that Eckhart had him podded in order to protect humanity from his influence. But all he really wanted was to be accepted by the world.
~Minions: The Links
2. Keyser Soze (a.k.a. The Devil), from my favorite movie of all time, The Usual Suspects. A cunning Hungarian narcotics overlord with amazing foresight, far-reaching connections, and no conscience. Soze was so ruthless that he inspired these marvelous lines:
"The greatest trick The Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."
"Keaton always said: I don't believe in God, but I'm afraid of him. Well, I believe in God. And the only thing that scares me…is Keyser Soze."
~Minion: The calm and collected lawyer Kobayashi.
3. Khan Noonian Singh, from the movie Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. Like Ahab after his great white whale, obsessive Khan would not rest until he exacted revenge upon Enterprise Captain James T. Kirk. You have to admire his eloquence:
"From hell's heart I stab at thee. For hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee."
"Revenge is a dish best served cold. It is very cold in space."
~Minions: Pet Ceti eels to make his enemies reveal their secrets.
4. Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint, from the James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever. This creepy duo was capable of committing cold-blooded murder while happily exchanging wise-cracks. They loved only money…and each other.
5. Mordred, from Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. Haven't read this text in a while, but Mordred has always stuck with me. I just love this name; it has such an evil sound. Say it with me: Mooordred. This angry prince was the product of King Arthur's incestuous relations with his half-sister Morgause. When Arthur left Camelot to fight Lancelot, Mordred immediately declared him dead and usurped the kingdom and Queen Guinevere for himself. Very smooth.
6. Ursula, from Disney's The Little Mermaid. A conniving sea-witch with the face and torso of a human and the lower body of a giant squid, Ursula granted the wishes of "poor unfortunate souls"…and when they couldn't pay her price, she withered them into ghosts. She used her leverage over Ariel to steal the mermaid's man, and to entrap her arch-rival Triton, King of the Sea, so that she could rule in his stead.
"Oh drats, out of trident juice? Well, you've been a great audience, but I have things to do…to someone else."
~Minions: Pet eels Flotsam and Jetsam kept an eye out for their mistress's best interests.
7. The Wicked Witches of the West and East, from The Wizard of Oz. These two twisted sisters terrorized the mystical land of Oz until that pesky Dorothy and her house squashed their reign. The green-faced, hook-nosed, black-clad, broomstick-riding Wicked Witch of the West set the mold for all witches who came after her. The fireballs! That cackle! And who can forget the immortal lines:
"I'll get you my pretty! You and your little dog too!"
"Who ever thought a little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness?"
"I'm melting!"
~Minions: Flying monkeys. Who could ask for more?
8. Gargamel and Balthazar, of The Smurfs. Gargamel is the pitiful, but persistent wizard who spent his days trying to capture and boil The Smurfs in his cauldron. I rooted for him because I felt sorry for him. I never quite understood why he was always dressed in a patchy black robe like a destitute monk. And what was up with the red tights? Balthazar was Gargamel's more cold-hearted and powerful wizard godfather.
~Minions: Pet demon cat Azrael, useless apprentice Scruple.
9. Hannibal Lecter (a.k.a. "Hannibal the Cannibal"), from the movie The Silence of the Lambs. A former psychiatrist imprisoned for murder and cannibalism, Hannibal uses his brilliant mind to delve into the psyche of FBI agent Clarice Starling while giving her clues about the killer she seeks. Hannibal is chilling because he plays the part of a suave and sophisticated gentleman, yet is capable of coldly performing acts of abject cruelty. Many wonderfully creepy lines, but I am censoring them for our younger audience.
"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti."
10. C. Montgomery Burns, from The Simpsons. Evil comes in all shapes and sizes. This man proves that scrawny, physically weak and balding can still reign with the right nefarious attitude. The reclusive owner of the nuclear power plant where Homer Simpson works, Mr. Burns is well aware of the dangers of atomic energy, but will do whatever it takes to cover them up…and heaven help his employees and any who stand in his way. He was my hero since the day he called Bart "Brat." Too many deliciously evil quotes to count, but here are a few:
"Eeexcellent."
"Thank you, come again. Smithers, release the hounds."
"I could crush him like an ant, but that would be too easy. I'll bide my time until…oh what the hell, I'll just crush him like an ant."
Burns: Who's that goat-legged fellow? I like the cut of his jib.
Smithers: Prince of Darkness, sir. He's your 11 o'clock.
~Minion: Poor bespectacled, besotted right-hand man Mr. Waylon Smithers.
11. Cruella De Ville, from Disney's animated One Hundred and One Dalmations. LOVE the name. She's loud, she's mean, she's politically incorrect, and she's certainly distinctive, with half a head of white hair and the other half black. Cruella's main goal in life is killing dogs to make rugs and fur coats.
"I live for furs! I worship furs! Is there anyone in this wretched world who doesn't?"
~Minions: The cruel but moronic television-obsessed Jasper and Horace.
Cruella's song