Batman’s arch-enemy the Joker has defeated Hannibal Lecter, Darth Vader and Freddy Krueger to be named Britain’s favourite movie villain.
Film fans chose Heath Ledger’s acclaimed performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight as the greatest movie villain of all time, earning 22 per cent of the vote in a poll commissioned by Freeview channel Great Action.
Darth Vader took second place with 21 per cent, missing out on the top spot by just one percentage point. The heavy-breathing Sith lord appeared in the original Star Wars films, with his voice provided by US star James Earl Jones and his on-screen performance delivered by Green Cross Code legend David Prowse.
In third place was the chilling cannibal Hannibal Lecter, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins in the 1991 hit The Silence Of The Lambs, which secured 17 per cent of the vote.
Although Hopkins appeared on screen for only 16 minutes, his understated menace made an enduring impression and left audiences wanting more.
The Welsh actor later reprised the role in the follow-up films Red Dragon and Hannibal.
The poll comes as cinemas prepare for the release of Clayface, a new DC comic book adventure centred on Batman’s shape-shifting foe. The Gotham-set film premieres on October 23, continuing the growing trend of exploring the back stories of supervillains such as the Joker and Kraven the Hunter.
Batman villain the Joker, played by Heath Ledger, has defeated Hannibal Lecter, Darth Vader and Freddy Krueger to become Britain’s favourite movie villain
Darth Vader came second, missing out on the top spot by just one percentage point
The findings suggest that film lovers are increasingly drawn to the dark side. Research for Great TV found that seven in ten film fans, or 70 per cent, believe villains are more memorable than the supposed heroes and make stronger central characters.
Ledger’s performance as the winning villain was tragically his final role before his death on January 22, 2008.
The Dark Knight was released around six months later, and Ledger received a posthumous Academy Award, Golden Globe and Bafta for his portrayal.
The Terminator claimed fourth place with 15 per cent, a fitting result as the world continues to debate the rapid development of artificial intelligence. The cyborg assassin was played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Schwarzenegger first portrayed the machine in the franchise’s 1984 debut, famously declaring, “I’ll be back.” He kept that promise in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and a series of subsequent films. The survey also pointed to growing frustration among many Britons with the volume of superhero movies.
Two in five respondents, or 40 per cent, said stories about heroes feel “too similar or predictable”, while 32 per cent said there are “too many superhero films being released”.
Appealing to the nation’s enthusiasm for morally complex characters, Great Action will also screen the 2018 Marvel film Venom. The anti-hero story follows investigative journalist Eddie Brock, played by Tom Hardy, after he becomes host to an alien symbiote that wreaks havoc through his body.
The film will air at 9pm on Tuesday, October 27, on Great Action, available on Freeview channel 42.
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Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins in the 1991 hit The Silence Of The Lambs, came third
Great Action will also show Punisher: War Zone at 9pm on Friday, October 2. The film follows another Marvel anti-hero, Frank Castle, better known as the Punisher, a former FBI agent who becomes a ruthless vigilante waging a one-man war against organised crime through violence and any means necessary.
Based on the Marvel comics, the film stars the late Ray Stevenson in the lead role. Stevenson died in May 2023 after recently appearing in the Star Wars series Ahsoka.
Kate Gartland, Marketing Director at Great TV, said: ‘Great action films are all about the good guy-bad guy battles – and while the heroes have traditionally taken centre stage, our research shows film fans are drawn to the dark side.
‘At Great Action, we’re committed to giving action fans the films they love, from iconic villains to more complex anti-heroes.
‘From classic movie baddies to unforgettable characters like Venom, we’re bringing audiences plenty of action-packed stories where we’re sometimes rooting for the villain.’