Some completely missed the mark
Female characters historically haven’t received that much complexity on screen, and even the way we think about the “bad guy” frames the character as a man. But women bring so much depth and style to roles like evil genius, vicious murderer, or brutal bully. They also tend to have killer wardrobes, which helps! Usually, there also tend to be intricate origin stories that complicate our feelings for these villains, even if what they do is absolutely atrocious.
So, from the attractive to the sartorial, from the fearful to the fantastic, click through to see some of the best female villains to have ever appeared on screen.
Margot Robbie plays comic book favorite Harley Quinn in 'S u i c i d e S q u a d' (2016), 'Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey' (2020), and 'T h e S u i c i d e S q u a d' (2021), complete with signature pink- and blue-tipped platinum pigtails, red lips, and, of course, her baseball bat.
Lena Headey took on the role of one of the most satisfying characters to hate on TV as Cersei Lannister in 'Game of Thrones.' From murder to abuse and public shaming, it's hard to find a female villain who has been through more.
Jodie Comer plays the well-dressed, angel-faced assassin Villanelle in the hit BBC series 'Killing Eve,' and even though she performs heinous crimes, it's extremely hard to hate her.
Of course Glenn Close's 1996 Cruella in '101 Dalmatians' was iconic, but fans are absolutely obsessed with Emma Stone's take in the fashionable PETA menace's origin story in 2021's 'Cruella.'
Meryl Streep shone as the icy fashion magazine editrix in 'The Devil Wears Prada' (2006) who could seemingly cut a person open using just a short, softly-spoken observation.
Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman, is a jewel thief from Gotham City who learned to survive as an orphan by learning martial arts to perfect her skills in cat burglary. She has a reluctant altruism that makes her a complex character, along with her complicated relationship with Batman. Of the many actresses who have taken on the role, including Anne Hathaway and Halle Berry, Michelle Pfeiffer in 'Batman Returns' (1992) seems to be a crowd favorite.
Rachel McAdams totally disappears into the role of iconic high school bully Regina George in the cult-favorite film 'Mean Girls' (2004).
Angelina Jolie's enhanced cheekbones and blood-red pout are entrancing as she plays the titular role of Maleficent, the evil queen from the tale of Sleeping Beauty. Maleficent is deeply complex and misunderstood, but threatening just the same.
Both Louise Fletcher as the tyrannical psychiatric nurse Milred Ratched in 1975's 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,' and Sarah Paulson in the newer Netflix origin story series 'Ratched' are spine-chilling in the best way.
Not only did Cate Blanchett become Marvel's first on-screen female villain with the role of Hela in 'Thor: Ragnarok' (2017), but she also had a great backstory and a killer morphing costume.
Clearly on the wrong side of the law, Faye Dunaway's portrayal of the notorious bank robber and murderer in the 1967 biographical film 'Bonnie & Clyde' still had viewers fawning over the stylish female lead.
The shape-shifting X-Men supervillain is responsible for the assassination of many important leaders, and she also has one of the cleverest powers of all the mutants. Played by Rebecca Romijn and then Jennifer Lawrence as a younger version, Mystique is undeniably chic.
Only Helena Bonham Carter could have pulled off the character of Bellatrix Lestrange so well in the 'Harry Potter' series. She was equal parts deranged and clever, and truly chilled you to the bone.
Another stellar 'Harry Potter' villain, Imelda Staunton's portrayal of Dolores Umbridge was terrifying for almost the exact opposite reasons as Bellatrix Lestrange. Dressed in bright pink, she represented the worst of political power, and was ruthless in her corrupt, power-hungry motives.
Sharon Stone plays seductive killer Catherine Tramell in the cult-favorite 1992 neo-noir erotic thriller 'Basic Instinct.' That scene—you know the one—made Stone's character go down in history as one of cinema's most seductive femme fatales.
Quentin Tarantino's 'Kill Bill' is loaded with villainous characters, but Lucy Liu's O-Ren Ishii stands out not only for her epic fight with Uma Thurman, but also for her complex and tragic backstory.
We're talking specifically Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly in 'Chicago' (2002), a role which landed her an Oscar for portraying the quick-footed felon who stumbles upon her husband in bed with her sister and kills them both. But just like she sings in 'Cell Block Tango': he had it coming.
Uma Thurman's portrayal of Poison Ivy in 'Batman & Robin' (1997) was bound to seduce audiences since Ivy's weapon of choice was a venomous kiss.
Glenn Close's portrayal of Alex Forrest in the erotic psychological thriller film 'Fatal Attraction' (1987) likely deterred many men from engaging in extra-marital affairs.
Ann Dowd plays Aunt Lydia in 'The Handmaid's Tale,' a strict and brutal woman who oppresses and punishes Handmaids severely for their insubordination. She's interesting because on some occasions she can truly appear nice, that is until she's provoked.
Faye Dunaway's portrayal of Joan Crawford in the 1981 biopic 'Mommie Dearest' is chillingly told from the perspective of Crawford's adoptive daughter, Christina.
Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy play three witches named Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson in 1993's Halloween-favorite flick 'Hocus Pocus.' Their bickering amongst themselves was golden.
Grace Jones played the role of May Day, Max Zorin's lover and chief henchwoman in 1985's 'A View to a Kill,' and she was easily the best part of this James Bond flick.
Rosamund Pike played the icy mastermind Amy Dunne in the 2014 film adaptation of Gillian Flynn's best-selling thriller 'Gone Girl.' You would root for her, then you'd be appalled by her, and repeat.
Demi Moore plays Madison Lee, a former Charlie's angel who turned to the dark side in 2003's 'Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.' She fires a gold gun while in lingerie and a fur coat–need we say more?
The pristinely dressed, gold-digging, evil step-mom-to-be Meredith Blake, played by Elaine Hendrix, was an essential part of why the 1998 remake of 'The Parent Trap' was so successful.
Agatha Trunchbull, the brutal, strict headmistress and main antagonist in Roald Dahl's 1988 novel 'Matilda' was perfectly portrayed in the 1996 film adaptation by Pam Ferris. She was a pure, fear-inducing bully.
Sources: (Ranker) (Vogue) (Time)
See also: The greatest movie villains of all time
The best female villains in film and TV
The ones you love to hate
MOVIES Antagonists
Female characters historically haven’t received that much complexity on screen, and even the way we think about the “bad guy” frames the character as a man. But women bring so much depth and style to roles like evil genius, vicious murderer, or brutal bully. They also tend to have killer wardrobes, which helps! Usually, there also tend to be intricate origin stories that complicate our feelings for these villains, even if what they do is absolutely atrocious.
So, from the attractive to the sartorial, from the fearful to the fantastic, click through to see some of the best female villains to have ever appeared on screen.