5 Great Sci-Fi Movie Villains Nobody Talks About 

The sci-fi genre is built on interesting thematic storytelling and thought-provoking ideas, but it has also featured a wealth of iconic villains. Sci-fi is one of the most consistently popular genres in modern fiction, encompassing almost all forms of media after having captured fans’ imaginations for generations. The very best sci-fi movies have become completely iconic in their own right, often inspiring blockbuster franchises that keep their characters relevant for many years. However, not every great sci-fi character is as fortunate, and sometimes, even the most interesting and entertaining figures in the genre are occasionally forgotten, especially when it comes to antagonists.

There are many great sci-fi movie villains, but not all of them get the recognition they deserve. For every one that is immortalized as a pop culture icon, there are more that are all but forgotten. Others are simply unfairly overlooked when it comes to their imaginative characterization, unique stories, or the general air of menace they are able to create through their presence alone. Throughout the history of the genre, there have been many great sci-fi movie villains that hardly anybody talks about.

5) Immortan Joe – Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

A rare sci-fi sequel better than the original movie, Mad Max: Fury Road continued the post-apocalyptic action franchise in spectacular form. Its story follows Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) and Furiosa (Charlize Theron) as they are pitted against the cult known as the War Boys, led by the villain known as Immortan Joe. After being betrayed by Furiosa, who was once his most trusted Imperator, Immortan Joe sets out for revenge on his former protege.

What makes Immortan Joe such a good villain lies partly in his design. He’s both instantly recognizable and perfectly in line with the entire vibe of the Mad Max franchise, with his unique and somewhat frightening appearance marking him as an especially memorable character. As he so brilliantly captures the spirit of the franchise, Immortan Joe is a villain who thoroughly deserved to be more widely recognized for his unnerving appearance and unforgettable bloodlust.

4) Rose the Hat – Doctor Sleep (2019)

As a sequel to one of the best Stephen King movies of all time, Doctor Sleep is hardly an obscure movie. Following on from the events of The Shining, Doctor Sleep pays homage to its predecessor in many ways while also expanding its world considerably. Adapted from Stephen King’s book of the same name, it further explores the idea of the “Shine”, a telepathic connection shared by gifted individuals, and features a group of vampiric nomads who consume the life force of those with the gift.

Rose the Hat, played by Rebecca Ferguson, serves as the main villain of Doctor Sleep. She’s an utterly terrifying figure, too: she sweetly manipulates children before brutally murdering them, and makes no apologies for her simple method of prolonging her existence. She’s an antagonist that feels completely organic to the world of Stephen King, and who manages to both make sense while also being one of the most chilling characters in the sci-fi genre.

3) The Colonel – War For The Planet Of The Apes (2017) 

The new Planet of the Apes movies completely redefined the franchise, transforming it from a B-movie guilty pleasure into a truly epic sci-fi spectacle. War for the Planet of the Apes, the third movie in the reboot series, follows Caesar as he continues to lead the growing ape community, even as they face increasing hostility from the few remaining humans. The movie’s human faction is led by the Colonel, played by Woody Harrelson in a rare serious villain role.

The movie’s plot shows that the Colonel will stop at nothing to fight his cause, including murdering the innocent wife and child of Caesar. The cold and calculated acts of villainy performed by the desperate Colonel are enough to cement him as one of the best antagonists in the entire Planet of the Apes franchise. Even so, he’s rarely talked about in the wider context of great sci-fi villains, making it seem that he’s often unfairly overlooked.

2) Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg – The Fifth Element (1997)

When it comes to nostalgic ’90s sci-fi, it doesn’t get much better than The Fifth Element. Starring Bruce Willis as taxi driver Korben Dallas and Milla Jovovich as Leeloo, Luc Besson’s quirky space opera is considered something of a sci-fi classic. Pitted against the movie’s heroes is the villain Zorg, played to perfection by Gary Oldman.

Zorg is an eye-catching villainous oddball, and he revels in his villainy in a way that few movie antagonists do. Oldman’s performance makes the villain larger than life, firmly establishing him as one of the most memorable aspects of The Fifth Element, even amongst the rest of its talented cast. For all of his memorable qualities, though, Zorg is rarely cited as the iconic villain he truly is, and he deserves far greater recognition than he receives.

1) Wilford – Snowpiercer (2013)

Bong Joon Ho’s 2013 movie Snowpiercer, itself based on a French comic book, is one of the most interesting dystopian sci-fi movies of recent times. Brought to life by an all-star cast featuring Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Octavia Spencer, Park Chan-wook, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Ed Harris, and Jamie Bell, Snowpiercer is truly an exceptional movie. Its story, which follows the lower-class citizens fighting their way to the front of the massive train housing humanity’s survivors of an ice age, is one of hope and resistance in the face of a dystopian class system.

Its villain, Wilford, played by Ed Harris, is the enigmatic patron of the train housing humanity’s survivors. Hailed as a philanthropic billionaire genius, the shocking sci-fi twist is that the movie’s central rebellion was actually orchestrated by Wilford all along as a means of population control. Harris’s performance makes Wilford seem as ruthless as he is eccentric, making him a truly exceptional villain. What’s more, Sean Bean’s take on the role in the TV show adaptation only added even more layers to Wilford’s character, making him one of the most underrated sci-fi villains of all time.

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