Table of Contents

Part III

40. Alex (A Clockwork Orange)

[Alex]

Why I Like Him: Murder, rape, grand theft auto, skipping school, beating the crap out of the elderly, Alex manages in a Clockwork Orange to cover most the seven deadly sins and perhaps even create some new ones we were unaware of previously. Oblivious to the significance of what is going on around him and the importance of the events Alex manages to (at least in the regular cut of the book and the movie version) remain a selfish violent bastard even after everything he's been through, attempting to manipulate events merely to serve his own wants and needs even though he cannot see he himself is often being manipulated. A truly black hearted villain, and he's got some decent style to boot.

"There was me, that is Alex, and my three droogs, that is Pete, Georgie, and Dim, and we sat in the Korova Milkbar trying to make up our rassoodocks what to do with the evening. The Korova milkbar sold milk-plus, milk plus vellocet or synthemesc or drencrom, which is what we were drinking. This would sharpen you up and make you ready for a bit of the old ultra-violence." - Alex

39. Agent Sands (Once Upon a Time in Mexico)

[Agent Sands]

Why I Like Him: Agent Sands was a tough one to decide to put here, as some of you may argue that he is in fact a hero within the movie. I, however, would put forth the following evidence to the contrary: the man kills (almost randomly), he manipulates a number of people to get his plan set in motion (both good and bad), and he has no qualms about overthrowing the President who seemingly has the best interests of the Mexican people at heart. Make no mistake about it, Sands is an evil man and commits evil acts. He has a huge pair of wrecking ball sized cajones, and that leads to him committing seemingly heroic acts, but let's be honest here folks. He did this simply to extract revenge on the people who maimed him, not because he's some kind of dark hero.

Agent Sands: El, you really must try this because it's puerco pibil. It's a slow-roasted pork, nothing fancy. It just happens to be my favorite, and I order it with a tequila and lime in every dive I go to in this country. And honestly, that is the best it's ever been anywhere. In fact, it's too good. It's so good that when I'm finished, I'll pay my check, walk straight into the kitchen and shoot the cook. Because that's what I do. I restore the balance to this country. And that is what I would like from you right now. Help keep the balance by pulling the trigger.

El Mariachi: You want me to shoot the cook?

Agent Sands: No. I'll shoot the cook. My car's parked out back, anyway.

38. Lavos (Chrono Trigger)

[Lavos]

Why I Like Him: Overrated? Perhaps. Cliche? Maybe. He does end up sucking the very life out of the world, making it a dry husk that slowly withers and dies as he feeds of the DNA of the people that have lived there over the centuries, and he too falls under the list of villains that (even if it was only temporary) achieved their goals and brought their plans to fruition. In fact he manages to off the main hero as well. Why is he on the list at all, let alone above the people who have come before him? Because it takes a hell of a lot of patience and planning to not only wait to bring about the apocalypse since the beginning of time, but slowly influence events to bring it about. Lavos: truly a hardcore villain and deserving of his spot on the list.

"Behold, my pretties, destiny, in its most brutal form! All the dreams that might have been. All the happiness, and sorrow, you might have experienced, gone forever! For you there will be no tomorrow!" - Queen Zeal

37. Arthas Menethil (Warcraft 3)

[Arthas Menethil]

Why I Like Him: It's an old story, one that has be probably told a couple hundred times over the years. Gallant knight strives to do right, gallant knight is curtailed or has tragedy struck in his quest, gallant knight slowly turns to less then gallant tactics to achieve his ends, gallant knight has good turn against him, gallant knight is now which he fought against for so long. We bear witness as Arthas slowly turns towards the dark side, finally pushed over the edge by the dark sword Frostmourne. He kills his father, brings ruin to his homeland, and just generally is an all around whiny little sonuvabitch. He's got all this and a cool looking sword and armor. All this equates to Arthas scoring the number thirty-seven spot on the countdown.

Terenas Menethil: What is this? What are you doing, my son?

Arthas Menethil: Succeeding you, Father...

36. Grima Wormtongue (Lord of the Rings)

[Grima Wormtongue]

Why I Like Him: We discussed sidekicks a little bit when Smee was brought up early in the countdown, and while Smee may have been one of the originals (I don't know who came first, Wormtongue or Smee) he was definitely likeable, maybe even loveable. Grima, on the other hand, is exactly the opposite. While Peter Jackson may lead you to believe he's a torn man with a secret heart of gold he most certainly is not, and in fact is probably as hideous and evil a man as you can get. Piecing together several things from the books we find that Wormtongue not only poisoned the mind and body of the King of Rohan, but he was also captured by the Nazgul some time before that and actually was the one who informed them of where the Shire was located. The fact that he spitefully slits Saruman's throat in the end only seals his position as one of the most blackhearted men in the history of literature.

"Oh, but you are alone. Who knows what you have spoken to the darkness, alone, in the bitter watches of the night, when all your life seems to shrink, the walls of your bower closing in about you, a hutch to trammel some wild thing in? So fair, yet so cold like a morning of pale Spring still clinging to Winter's chill." - Grima Wormtongue