8 Male Movie And TV Villains We Hate To Love

Admit it, we all have one villain we wish we didn't like and kind of maybe understand.

1. Dr Hannibal Lector (Hannibal Lector)

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Hannibal Lector undoubtedly had to make the cut! I'll even go as far as to say that he's perhaps the greatest villain in movie history. Lector only features in 24 minutes of the movie yet the lack of emotion and remorse within his demeanour combined by the eerie and playful look in his eyes, topped off with an intimidating sense of intelligence has him successfully crawling under your skin in seconds. There is also the whole cannibal thing too.. and if you're a fan then you should definitely check out the TV series featuring Mads Mikkelsen.

2. Betelgeuse (Beetlejuice)

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Beetlejuice has this playful, crude and outright troublesome personality which is exactly why people can't get enough of him! Despite his lack of understanding towards personal space and the questionable pranks, there's no denying that this is one villain that leaves us crying with laughter. I also challenge anyone to find me a better rendition of 'Day-O' quite like that of Beetlejuice!

3. Bane (The Dark Knight Rises)

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I'm about to geek out heavy on this one so prepare yourselves. Bane is perhaps one of the greatest Batman villains we've ever seen. After that sentence there may be a fair few of you thinking I've forgotten about The Joker but hear me out. The Joker was great BUT there's no backstory in the movies. If this was about comic book villains then the Joker would've made the cut, there's no doubt about it but in The Dark Knight he's crazy just because. In the Dark Knight Rises Bane has a back story and it's one that almost gets you right in the feels. **Spoiler Alert** Through-out the movie, Bane is presumed as the son of Ra's Al Ghul however it turns out to be Miranda Tate, board member of Wayne Enterprises and otherwise known as Talia Al Ghul. The story is that Bane, Tahlia and her mother were sent to the 'pits of hell' where Tahlia's mother was raped and murdered by fellow inmates. Bane helped Tahlia 'escape the same fate as her mother' and for this was brutally attacked leaving him in constant agony and this is how Bane came to wear the mask. It provides him with a constant supply of pain relief and this is why we can't help but love him. Despite being the villain here, he continues to sacrifice literal life and limb for Tahlia. There is of course perhaps the teeniest tiniest influence of the fact that we all know it's Tom Hardy under that mask too.. *Drool.

4. Crowley (Supernatural)

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Would it REALLY be a list of villains we hate to love if the king of hell himself wasn't featured? There are so many incredible British villains through-out movie history such as Jeromy Irons as Scar, Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber and Ian Holm as Ash to name a few. British villain in question here is none other than Crowley, Supernatural's very own king of hell. Crowley is known by supernatural fans for his incredible ability to get himself out of any situation.. especially if there's a contract involved. He also has to be one of few characters that successfully conveys sarcasm in both his tone and body language. Between this and his good looks, his devilish charm and often inappropriately timed behaviour, it's really hard not to like him. I have a feeling the Winchester brothers may disagree with me though..

5. Hades (Hercules)

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Alongside the king of Hell we have the king of the underworld! Hades is a character that anyone having a rough week has found no trouble relating too. He's the best representative of anyone suffering from a run of bad luck and the guy can't seem to catch a break. Whilst this is delightfully humorous, I can't help but feel a little sympathetic but what did he expect when he took on a god? Poor guy.

6. Magneto (X-Men)

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Magneto is one of my favourite X-men characters but only recently so! In the very early movies, he held a pretty neutral stance and was often portrayed as someone that was a little on the side lines as to whether or not he was going to be a villain or a hero. However in the latest movies, viewers are introduced to a whole new side of him and it totally explains why he is the way he is! **Spoiler Alert** In one of the most recent X-men movies we're introduced to Magneto's experiences as a child with abilities. In one particular scene, we see him living inside Auschwitz where he is befriended by a 'mutant collaborator' called Shaw. Later on in the scene, after discovering Magneto's powers, he is asked to move a metal coin and after unsuccessful attempts, Shaw proceeds to shoot magneto's mother. At this point it becomes evident that Magneto's difficulty to adhere to the rules set by Professor Xavier for the safety of mutants and as means of avoiding a war, are solely due to the anger and resentment caused by the death of his mother. After learning this, it becomes more difficult to see Magneto as a villain per say but easier to understand his actions whether they're good or bad. Can you really blame him?

7. Jigsaw (Saw franchise)

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I was incredibly reluctant to put Jigsaw in this because the saw films in my opinion aren't great and I'm a little squeamish about blood and guts (okay I'm really squeamish). As someone pointed out to me during a discussion though, Jigsaw is a great example of a villain we hate to love. As each Saw film becomes more gut wrenching and difficult to watch, the plot always remains the same.. one man that's out to test people physically and mentally as means of pushing them to realise that they're either wasting their lives or that they should appreciate it more. Whilst I'm not fan, I can't deny that Jigsaw deserves a spot in the 8 male TV and Movie Villains We Hate To Love! (I'm dreading trying to find an image or Gif for this...)

8. Professor James Moriarty (Sherlock Holmes)

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I'm not talking Jared Harris but instead Andrew Scott, who plays Moriarty in the Sherlock Holmes TV series alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. A running theme between Sherlock and Moriarty is that they're both very close in terms of IQ and intelligence which constantly has Holmes and Watson running in circles. As the series continues, It becomes increasingly difficult to dislike him when you're more inclined to think 'oh wow, actually that was pretty darn clever'. Hats off to this evil genius.