The Joker vs. Hannibal Lecter: Hannibal Lecter is one of the best villains out there. Calculating. Stylish. Incredibly intelligent. Utterly devoid of compassion or morality. He is evil. However, he is still charming and inviting, his evil oozing out slowly over time. He is a sociopath of the highest order. The Joker is one of the best villains out there. Calculating. Incredibly intelligent. Utterly devoid of compassion or morality. He is a sociopath. And he loves to kill people and cause other acts of chaos and mayhem. He revels in it. He loves it. He laughs at all of us with our petty, little morals and makes a joke of our lives. There's nothing remotely charming about The Joker, although he does point out one of the greatest fears of human existence: that it all means nothing. This alone, this primal aspect, sets The Joker just a shade above Lecter. Yes, Lecter is the shadow of humanity, luring us with his charm and good looks (in the books). However, The Joker is the punchline, the threat that threatens us with the uselessness of our lives, of our existences or souls. The Joker is EVIL. The Joker wins.
The first one was easy. This next one is hard as Hell.
Darth Vader vs. Professor Moriarty: The Dark Lord of the Sith defined for the late 20th century and into the 21st century what it meant to be a villain for most Americans. Easily surpassing even The Joker in recognizability, Darth Vader has it all: looks, voice, menace (personified in the breath), competence, and a certain nobility. you loved to hate and fear him. Revelations about his path notwithstanding (he's essentially a warped Christ-figure), Darth Vader will remain the best known villain for some time. Heck, he's the only villain here that has a theme song; in many ways, The Imperial March is better known than any of John William's work. A brilliant piece of tyrannical, imposing, heartless, and yet regal music that perfectly captures the character for whom it was written. The competitor doesn't have these things. Professor Moriarty, on the other hand, is no where near as well known to most people. Most people don't read much and most people, although familiar with Sherlock Holmes, know little about his greatest and most dangerous villain. Moriarty is the standard upon which most great pulp and eventually comic book villains would be built. He was the master of the web, the perfect nemesis. Lex Luthor, Darkseid, Dr. Doom, Emperor Palpatine... All of the great villains owe something to Moriarty. Darth Vader cannot be duplicated while Moriarty has been. Repeatedly. In a sense, this makes him the better villain and, from a purely objective position, I feel that I should vote for him. But I can't. Simply can't. I never had nightmares with the Professor. I never pattern the physical presences of my villains on Moriarty. I don't whistle his theme song over and over again like a mantra. So, I have to go with my heart and vote for: Darth Vader.
I can't wait for the final vote! If it breaks down how I expect, I already know how it will end for me.
