Table of Contents

Part VIII

15. Jadis, the White Witch (The Chronicles of Narnia)

[Jadis, the White Witch]

Why I Like Her: Jadis has a heavy burden to bear, being the representative of sin and evil in a largely Christian allegory. Born in a parallel world to Narnia, Charn, the Witch was the sole survivor of her realm by her own choice. Having been in the midst of a civil war with her sister, she learned of the Deplorable Word which would wipe out all existance in a realm, except the one that spoke it. She did just that, leaving Charn a life-less husk, and then moving on to the next world she could perhaps conquer.

Not much is truly known about her ancestry, however, it is held that she was the off-spring of Giant and Jinn (although she claimed to be human), and this would account for her size (she is described at around 7 ft tall) and strength. (accounts have her break iron with her bare fists)

Eventually usurping the throne of Narnia, she cast the land into an eternal Winter. It is during this time, during the creation of the Deep Magic, that she gains ownership over all traitors and the right to kill them. This is an allusion to her as representing the devil, but also more specifically sin, which the faith holds has the power of death over those who follow it.

Through her reign of terror, which lasted many years, she executed many on the stone table as well as having turned a great deal of Narnians to stone with the power of her wand. The petrified remains of many of her enemies decorated the halls and courtyard of her castle outside of Cair Paravel.

Jadis's will is unbreakable, her power unimagineable, and the lengths that she will go to in order to maintain her rule are unthinkable. The White Witch: a suitable number 15 for this countdown.

"I have no interest in prisoners. Kill them all." —Jadis

"Every traitor belongs to me as lawful prey and...for every treachery I have a right to kill." —Jadis

"You know, Aslan, I'm a little disappointed in you. Did you honestly think you could save the human traitor? You are giving me your life and saving no one. So much for love. Tonight, the Deep Magic will be appeased, but tomorrow, we will take Narnia forever! In that knowledge, despair... and die!" —Jadis

14. Kefka Palazzo (Final Fantasy VI)

[Kefka Palazzo]

Why I Like Him: I thought Kefka would be one of the easier villains to do a write up on, but I like him so much I was slightly hesistant putting this together because I want to make sure it's done properly. If I were making a list of my favorite video game villains of all time Kefka would definitively be #1. I liked RPGs alot when I was younger, but until Final Fantasy III/VI came along I wasn't really hooked, and Kefka's antics and personality really help to push this game on as one of the best RPGs of all time.

Kefka was the first volunteer for Cid's new Magitek infusion, gaining a host of magical abilities as a result of the experiment. Something went wrong, though, and his sanity was pretty much shattered as a result.

Kefka's heinous acts are quite extensive, from poisoning the water supply of Doma, to tricking General Leo and the Returners into bringing the Espers out of hiding, to eventually betraying the Emperor and using the 3 statues of the gods to reshape the world and bring all to ruin. Later, when confronted by the heroes again, he reveals that slowly killing the world is not enough, that life is meaningless and he must destroy everything. While he's highly unstable, he manages to bring an entire world to its knees and nearly drives it over the edge into the brink of destruction. Few villains ever come so close, or achieve so much, as Kefka does, and he does it with a zeal and joy that leaves his maniacal laughter ringing in our ears long after its done.

"This is sickening! You sound like chapters from a self-help booklet! Prepare yourselves!" —Kefka

"Nothing can beat the music of hundreds of voices screaming in unison!" —Kefka

"Run, run, or you'll be well done!" —Kefka

"I will destroy everything! I will create a monument to non-existence!" —Kefka

"I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate you!" —Kefka

"Why do people rebuild things they know are going to be destroyed? Why do people cling to life when they know they can't live forever? Think how meaningless each of your lives is!" —Kefka

"Uwee hee hee hee." —Kefka

13. Emperor Palpatine (The Star Wars Saga)

[Emperor Palpatine]

Why I Like Him: So evil as to be the incarnation of the word for a generation of movie fans, the name of the Emperor of the Galactic Empire has gone hand and hand with the word villain for going on three decades and still evokes that scheming and ancient darkness whenever his image is brought to mind. Whereas Vader is the star of the Saga, and in many minds the ultimate face of evil, Palpatine is the antagonist that moves the plot along towards his own ends.

The man is a bit of an enigma in that we don't know much about him, other then he was a senator from Naboo, that he eventually used the sympathy that position gave him to become Supreme Chancellor of the Senate, and after having emergency powers issued to him he usurped most of the authority of the government, eventually crowning himself Emperor of the Galaxy. From his story of Darth Plagueis the Wise it is speculated that when he refers to the apprentice of Plagueis killing him he is actually speaking of himself. This makes sense, and is generally held as truth by most fans of the series. He himself had two apprentices before Vader, and used both almost as if they were merely tools towards his ends, to be discarded once their use had been fulfilled. The two were Darth Maul and Darth Tyranus, Tyranus being killed at the hands of Anakin at the behest of Palpatine himself.

His plan of take over was well thought out, and was nearly flawless in execution. Palpatine enjoyed the position of Emperor for many years before he was eventually overthrown by the rebellion, and during that time period his reign of terror brought worlds to their knees. His pop culture references are numerous, and he remains an icon of evil to this day.

"There is no civility, only politics." —Senator Palpatine

"I will make it legal." —Darth Sidious

"Wipe them out. All of them." —Darth Sidious

"Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen ..." —Emperor Palpatine

"Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the Dark Side!" —Emperor Palpatine

"Oh no, my young Jedi. You will find that it is you who are mistaken about a great many things." —Emperor Palpatine

"Good. use your agressive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you." —Emperor Palpatine

12. Agent Smith (The Matrix Trilogy)

[Agent Smith]

Why I Like Him: Initially I resisted seeing the Matrix. I really don't like Keanu Reeves, and did not believe any movie could live up to the hype that surrounded the film. After I hadn't seen it for awhile the sequels came out and were renounced as pure crap for the most part. I was bored one night, though, and back when I was working for Pepsi and had waaay to much money on my hands I went to the mall and bought about 2 days worth of DVDs, 3 of which were the Matrix and its 2 sequels. (Mostly cause it was like 20 bucks for the lot of them) This is eerily similiar to the way I got into Star Wars, cause I actually resisted seeing Star Wars for the longest time, and took all 3 home with me at once, and in the same way that I was blown away by a New Hope I was blown away by the Matrix and ended up watching all the other films that night. Maybe I'm using language that's too strong, but I really enjoyed the first film and thought that it was really well done. Now I'm starting to hinge on discussing the Matrix instead of Smith, so enough of that.

Smith is a relative newcomer to me compared to a lot of the villains on the list, and if I were to compile this list two years ago he wouldn't have been here. I should've known when everyone couldn't get past Hugo Weaving as Elrond ("Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson") that Smith was truly a memorable villain, but at the time I only knew him by the role he played in the Lord of the Rings movies. Now, after seeing the Matrix and V for Vendetta, I am a huge fan of his.

Smith is a sentinent program, an Agent of the Matrix, whose sole purpose is to seek out and destroy any program or human avatar that would disturb the natural programming flow within the Matrix. Able to possess any user within the Matrix, as well as able to manipulate most of their surroundings, the Agents are terrors that seem to get less powerful as the series goes on. That's one major issue I have with the Matrix films, as they go on the agents, and the other agents of the machine world, which are played up as hugely deadly in the first film, are more easily taken on later on in the 2nd and 3rd movies. I keep getting off track though, this is about Smith.

Smith, eventually is partially overwritten by the One, gaining new powers and abilities similiar in nature to a computer virus. He begins to systematically take over the entirety of the Matrix, assimilating everything in his path in an effort to eventually plunge the world into a void of nothingness. Diametrically opposed to Neo, the one, Smith has an attitude of merciless finality, believing that his winning is inevitable and that any attempts at resisting him are a futile waste of effort. Smith's end confuses me slightly even to this day, but I suppose the equation being balanced is as good an explanation as any.

"I’d like to share with you a revelation I’ve had, during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you aren’t actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with its surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply, and multiply until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we... are the cure." —Agent Smith

"Do you hear that, Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability." —Agent Smith

Agent Smith: I killed you, Mr. Anderson. I watched you die.... with some satisfaction, I might add. Then something happened- something I thought would be impossible, but it happened anyway. You destroyed me, Mr. Anderson. Afterwards, I was aware of the rules. I knew what I was supposed to do, but I didn't. I was compelled to stay- compelled to disobey. And right now, here I stand because of you, Mr. Anderson. Because of you, I'm no longer an Agent of this system. Because of you, I'm unplugged. A new man, so to speak- like you. Apparently free.

Neo: Congratulations.

Agent Smith: Thank you.

(Throws cookies against wall.) "Maybe you knew I was going to do that, maybe you didn't. If you did, then that means you baked those cookies and set that plate there deliberately, purposefully — which means that you're sitting there also deliberately, purposefully." —Agent Smith

"Can you feel it Mr. Anderson? Closing in on you? Oh I can, I really should thank you after all. It was, after all, it was your life that taught me the purpose of all life. The purpose of life is to end." —Agent Smith

Agent Smith: Why, Mr. Anderson? Why do you do it? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you're fighting for something? For more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom? Or truth? Perhaps peace? Yes? No? Could it be for love? Illusions, Mr. Anderson. Vagaries of perception. The temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose. And all of them as artificial as the Matrix itself, although only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love. You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson. You must know it by now. You can't win. It's pointless to keep fighting. Why, Mr. Anderson? Why? Why do you persist?

Neo: Because I choose to.

11. Keyser Söze (The Usual Suspects)

[Keyser Söze]

Why I Like Him: BRILLIANCE! SHEER BRILLIANCE! Many, many times have I seen villains that are just cardboard cut outs of each other, with their own little motivations thrown in as a slight twist to their character. THIS however is an innovative villain, and not only innovative, but his heart is as black as any other I have listed alongside him on this countdown. If there was an award for originality I'd probably award it to Keyser, because although I managed to guess at who he really was before the movie was over, he really had me going for over half the film.

Passing himself off as the cripple, Verbal Kint, Keyser weaves a story like a spider weaves a web, using details from everything around him to create an intricate story which leaves you almost wondering if the events of the movie really happened at all...or if he just made everything up.

I would delve into his past history, however, we can't really verify whether or not Verbal/Keyser were lying when they went into those details either. He was supposedly a Turkish drug smuggler whom the mob attempted to strong arm by holding his family hostage. Rather then relent to the mob's demands he shot his family, then the mobsters. (all but one of the mobsters actually, one he left alive to tell the tale) After going on a killing rampage against the mob he disappeared for a time period, gaining his legendary status. Believed to be a myth, he now is feared and known amongst most all the underworld.

Söze is so unique, I mean he pretty much was non-existant throughout most of the film, or at least he never was present as "Keyser", and yet he manages to speak so much louder by being absent, distanced from his plans. Definitely a guy to take note of.

"The way I hear it, Soze is some kind of butcher. A peerless, psycho, fucked-up butcher. " —Fred Fenster

"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." —Verbal Kint

"Who is Keyser Soze? He is supposed to be Turkish. Some say his father was German. Nobody believed he was real. Nobody ever saw him or knew anybody that ever worked directly for him, but to hear Kobayashi tell it, anybody could have worked for Soze. You never knew. That was his power. The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. And poof. Just like that, he's gone." —Verbal Kint

"How do you shoot the devil in the back? What if you miss?" —Verbal Kint

"I did see Keaton get shot, I swear to you." —Verbal Kint