Name the most evil character you've ever read/watched! [possible spoilers]

[devilish]

Teflon Billy's comment in this thread got me thinking -
who is the most evil character you've read about/saw in a movie.

Forget Sauron and his in-the-background glowing eye! Saruman and his
charm-ing voice!

A character you read that was truly despicable, made you sick, got you angry, etc.
A character whose deeds were spelled out, not just "the Evil One" behind the
scenes. Villains who flayed the heroes' loved ones and made him watch.

Zorachus, from Mark E Rogers, for instance, was the answer my friend gave
to the most evil portrayal.

Without spoilers, I would say the antagonist from the Peter Hamilton Neutronium Alchemist
series would be a good candidate.

Or the stumped-antagonist in the Guy Gavriel Kay's Fioanvar tapestry.

Anyone who read/played the module "The Apocalypse Stone" -- there were encounters in
there that put warnings on --- "Only play if your characters are mature enough."

I'm looking for villains that would laugh at the spells in the Book of Vile Darkness.

Books that you had to put down for a second and collect your breath/psyche.

Any takers?

 

[Klaus]

Kevin Spacey's character in Se7en.

Shan Yu, the villain in Disney's Mulan. And here's a couple of examples:

Shan Yu is riding with his hun army, when his scouts bring forward two chinese scouts. Shan Yu lets them go, because he wants the Emperor to know he is coming. He then turns to his master archer:
Shan Yu: How many messengers are needed to deliver a message?
Archer (drawing bowstring): One...

Later on, Shan Yu's hawk brings a child's doll to him. From clues on the doll (horse hair, pine scent) the huns learn that the chinese army is waiting in ambush in a village on the mountains.
Hun: We can avoid them easily.
Shan Yu: No. That's the shortest route to the capital. Plus, a little girl is missing her doll... (grin) We must return it to her... (evil grin)

 

[Wombat]

Let me see...

Several versions of the Arthurian tales give me Mordred, the vile worm in the apple. OTOH, Bernard Cornwell's vision of Lancelot in his Warlord Chronicles is amazingly loathsome.

Lord Voldemort of the Harry Potter books is truly evil, especially given these are children's books. Along the same line IT from A Wrinkle In Time with it's horrid power of conformity terrified me as a child.

Those are a good start, at least

 

[Hand of Evil]

Caligula - insane

 

[howandwhy99]

Hannibal Lector is highly intelligent, refined, and thoroughly evil. (Hannibal from the Silence of the Lambs film, not from the books or other films)

The possessed girl from the Exorcist.
J.R. Ewing
Thomas Covenant (if you prefer)

No one from real life right?

 

[ddvmor]

Mary Poppins.

Truly dispikabubble.

 

[mattcolville]

Jimmy Porter - Look Back In Anger

 

[devilish]

Great list so far! To be more specific, I'm looking for cruel villains.

As far as real life ones, please keep them before 1900 -- don't want
to step on anyones nerves/hearts with recent atrocities.

Kevin Spacey in Se7en : Good when you take the character in total : His
portrayal was mild mannered and innocent, but when you thought back to
all he did throughout the movie and at the end, man, was he twisted.

Hannibal Lecter: after he broke out -- was sinister before, but cruel afterward.

Voldemort : Before Goblet of Fire, I would've said "not" -- now, he fits the
bill perfectly.

Caligula : I took a Roman History course in college and the professor said that
the Penthouse X-rated Caligula movie with McDowell would've been a rated G
movie in the actual Roman times....then he gave examples: ick!

Exorcist: Hmm....maybe I'm de-sensitized but Pazuzu seemed mean-spirited, not
cruel ... except for the mother reference --- although maybe I'm forgetting parts...

JR Ewing : Didn't watch Dallas much -- seems more of a selfish capitalist than a
cruel person -- do you have examples?

Covenant: Aside from the "incident", he seemed more weak and pathetic than
cruel and evil throughout the entire series.

Mary Poppins? : "Now, Jan, Michael ... run upstairs and get ready for tea, or else
I'll cast Eternal-Torment-of-Intestinal-Rupture on you both. Tut Tut!"

Angelus : Only knew him as Angel, but will put those episodes on the rental list

On the to-read list: Look Back in Anger, Warlord Chronicles, Wrinkle in Time
On the rental list: Mulan (and can get away with it on "family" night too, sweet!!),
Buffy episdoes

Others? Bring your nasties on!

 

[Darkness]

Angelus (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is a good one.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Ming the Merciless from Flash Gorden Cruel, dangerous, powerful, and calculating. Would use one group against another just to keep them weak.