by Tricia Schneider

Created on: April 16, 2008

There are several memorable villains from the fantasy genre of movies and television shows. In no particular order, here are a few of my favorites

Darth Vader in the STAR WARS series (beginning in 1977) originally played by David Prowse with the voice of James Earl Jones. Born as Anakin Skywalker (played by Hayden Christensen) he was prophesied to be the one who will restore balance to the force but instead betrays his Jedi masters and turns to the dark side to become the Emperor's right hand man.

Jareth, the Goblin King from LABYRINTH (1986) played by David Bowie. When Sarah wishes away her younger half-brother, the Goblin King obliges her by taking him to his castle at the center of the Goblin city. Jareth dares Sarah to overcome the labyrinth in 13 hours and reach the castle to rescue her brother. Along her journey he pops in from time to time to make things a bit more challenging for her.

Scorpius from the TV series FARSCAPE (1999-2003) played by Wayne Pygram. This character is truly scary, not only in appearance but also in his determination to find wormhole technology to overcome his enemies. He's fierce in his search and will stop at nothing to find the information he needs even at the cost of the hero's sanity and life.

The Lord of Darkness in LEGEND (1985) played by Tim Curry. This demon is a hideous devil-like creature with huge horns and goat legs. He's seeking to create an everlasting darkness over the land by destroying the unicorns, a symbol of light and good. Tim Curry is nearly unrecognizable and the use of his voice and dialogue is spellbinding.

The Kurgan, also known as Victor Kruger, in HIGHLANDER (1986) played by Clancy Brown. This is an immortal whose drive to win the Prize' knows no boundaries. He will stop at nothing to defeat his enemies and become the last of all the immortals to survive.

Captain Barbossa in the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003) played by Geoffrey Rush. Geoffrey Rush is a phenomenal actor who portrays the cursed pirate captain with utter angst and desperation. Captain Barbossa is a man tortured by his own greed and must redeem himself in order to become human once again.

Q from the TV series STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION (1987-1994) played by John de Lancie. A mischievous alien from the Q Continuum. He enjoys antagonizing the crew of the Enterprise, in particular Captain Jean-Luc Picard and responsible for placing the entire human race on trial.

The Goblin in SPIDER-MAN (2002) played by Willem Dafoe. After performing an experimental test, Norman Oswald becomes a dual personality with the Goblin. He is a villain of strength and cunning and is filled with revenge.

Valdemort from the HARRY POTTER series (beginning in 2001) played by Ralph Fiennes. This is a character who can be feared even when he's not present. The legend of his evilness has spread so that even to speak his name is taboo and fills people with fear.

Imhotep in THE MUMMY (1999) played by Arnold Vosloo. Imhotep is a priest who falls in love with the Pharaoh's mistress and is killed and cursed for murdering the Pharaoh. He vows to return and he does so with the help of some amateur archaeologists. He becomes a force to be reckoned with as he begins the steps to reincarnate his dead lover.

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