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The 10 Greatest Sci-Fi Movie Villains of the 2020s, Ranked

Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha screaming on the Harkonnen Planet in Dune: Part TwoImage via Warner Bros.

By Diego Pineda Pacheco Published 1 hour ago Diego Pineda has been a devout storyteller his whole life. He has self-published a fantasy novel and a book of short stories, and is actively working on publishing his second novel. A lifelong fan of watching movies and talking about them endlessly, he writes reviews and analyses on his Instagram page dedicated to cinema, and occasionally on his blog. His favorite filmmakers are Andrei Tarkovsky and Charlie Chaplin. He loves modern Mexican cinema and thinks it's tragically underappreciated. Other interests of Diego's include reading, gaming, roller coasters, writing reviews on his Letterboxd account (username: DPP_reviews), and going down rabbit holes of whatever topic he's interested in at any given point. Sign in to your Collider account Add Us On follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Fans of science fiction movies have been eating well throughout the 2020s. The decade so far has been full of sci-fi gems of all colors, sizes, and nationalities, from superhero blockbusters to smaller Oscar-winning indie darlings. But of course, a sci-fi film can only be as strong and memorable as its villain. Thankfully, the decade has also been full of memorable sci-fi antagonists who have posed formidable threats to the heroic intentions of their movies' protagonists.

There are recent baddies like Varang from Avatar: Fire and Ash, as well as early-2020s villains that are already icons, like Dr. Robotnik from Sonic the Hedgehog. They're scary, imposing, and entertaining for a wide variety of reasons, but there's something that they all have in common: Each of these sci-fi villains is perfect for its respective film, and they'll all go down in history as some of the genre's best rogues.

10 Namor — 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' (2022)

Tenoch Huerta as Namor with pointed ears looking to his left in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.Image via Marvel Studios

In 2018, Ryan Coogler and the Marvel Cinematic Universe took the world by storm with Black Panther, which is still the franchise's highest-rated movie almost a decade later. A lot was riding on its sequel, Wakanda Forever, particularly following the news of Chadwick Boseman's passing and the announcement that not only would the role not be recast, but that the sequel would directly deal with T'Challa's sudden death. Wakanda Forever met expectations tremendously well, including in having a villain just as formidable and compelling as Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger from the first film.

Tenoch Huerta took on the mantle of one of Marvel Comics' most iconic figures, Namor. The character was significantly altered in this adaptation in ways that not all fans of the source material loved, but it's hard to deny that Namor works exceptionally well for the kind of film that Wakanda Forever is. He's one of the MCU's best villains, thanks to his compelling motivations and Huerta's engaging performance. He's a full-on villain, there's no doubt about that, but the kind that you can't help but sympathize with.

9 Varang — 'Avatar' Franchise (2025-Present)

Oona Chaplin as Varang in Avatar: Fire and AshImage via 20th Century Studios

Following the tremendous success of the highest-grossing film in history, 2009's Avatar, the world learned that you never bet against James Cameron. The visionary Canadian director's latest work, the third chapter in Pandora's cinematic story, is Avatar: Fire and Ash. It introduces a new antagonist to the series, the twisted and violent leader of the fiery Mangkwan Clan: Varang, played by an incredible Oona Chaplin.

It's not just Chaplin's powerful performance and the way it shines through the motion capture effects. Varang is behind some of the best sci-fi movie moments of 2025, with a tragic backstory that makes her ruthless actions all the more compelling. She's a primal force of nature written in such a layered way that it's never an entirely straightforward task to root against her.

8 Miles Quaritch's Clone — 'Avatar' Franchise (2022-Present)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Though Miles Quaritch was introduced as the main antagonist of the very first Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water bypassed the obstacle of his death by making the RDA implant the Colonel's memories into a Na'vi avatar, essentially making this clone a new version of the character. That may be a technicality, but one thing is certain: No Avatar fan will complain if Quaritch continues to be the villain behind the rest of the series.

Though Fire and Ash hints at a potential redemption arc for the Colonel's avatar at some point in the future, he's a villain through and through as of now—and what a fun one he is. Quaritch is the perfect foil to Jake Sully, every bit as cunning and slippery as his archnemesis. Villains who believe themselves to be the heroes of the story, when done right, can be some of the most compelling, and Quaritch is no exception.

7 Jean Jacket — 'Nope' (2022)

The alien Jean Jacket causing a sand storm in Nope

Image via Universal Pictures

After his Oscar-winning Get Out, Jordan Peele demonstrated that not only was he one of the funniest sketch comedians in Hollywood, he was also one of the industry's most talented horror directors. Us, while great, didn't quite hit the same heights as its predecessor. Nope, on the other hand, is one of the best horror movies of the 2020s so far.

The film's villain, a gigantic alien that disguises itself as a UFO, is proof that non-anthropomorphic villains can be just as effective as more human-like ones. The Jean Jacket is a terrifying force of nature and a fun twist on typical UFO movie tropes, with origins shrouded in mystery and a design that's the stuff of sci-fi fans' dreams.

6 Dr. Robotnik — 'Sonic' Franchise (2020-Present)

After Sony spent some time fixing a Sonic design that has gone down in video game movie infamy, they put out Sonic the Hedgehog, which was met with surprising amounts of praise. And of course, anyone familiar with what's now one of the most beloved video game movie franchises will know that one of the series' strongest aspects is Jim Carrey's Dr. Robotnik.

Carrey's signature manic comedy style and ability to be utterly scary are perfect for Dr. Eggman, whom Carrey imbues with equal amounts of delightful goofiness and genuinely menacing presence. Now that Carrey has announced his retirement, it's hard to think of any actors or villains who could replace him. There's no Sonic villain quite as iconic as Robotnik, and there was never any better actor to play him than Carrey.

5 Baron Harkonnen — 'Dune' Duology (2021-2024)

Piter de Vries (David Dastmalchian) and Baron Harkonnen (Stellen Skarsgard) in DuneImage via Warner Bros. Pictures

For many years, it was believed to be impossible to take Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi novel Dune and turn it into a film worthy of its legacy, but that was before Denis Villeneuve came into the picture. The Canadian filmmaker took the incredible source material—including the menacing antagonist Baron Vladimir Harkonnen—and elevated it in exquisitely cinematic ways.

Stellan Skarsgård feels like the man born to play the iconic Baron.

Villeneuve and Herbert's visions feel like a match made in heaven, just like Stellan Skarsgård feels like the man born to play the iconic Baron. On the one hand, Villeneuve makes him visually striking, modeling him after a rhino and shrouding him in mist and mystery in ways reminiscent of Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now. From Dune to Dune: Part Two, the Baron remains a constantly imposing threat whose embodiment of unchecked and violent power works with the themes of the movies tremendously well.

4 Lex Luthor — 'Superman' (2025)

Actor Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, staring straight ahead furiously, with cuts on his face in Superman.Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Adapting an iconic comic book villain for the big screen is always a challenge, particularly when it's a villain as tremendously popular as Lex Luthor. There have been several versions of the character across the big and small screens over the years, and frankly? Nicholas Hoult's take on the legendary bald megalomaniac from James Gunn's Superman may just be the best one yet.

This Lex Luthor is one of the biggest haters in the history of cinema, and he's a big reason why Superman is one of the best action movies of 2025. Full of moustache-twirling evil but also equipped with a compelling motivation, Lex is fun and perfectly comic book-y without ever feeling cartoonish. He'll be a very welcome recurring presence throughout Gunn's entire DCU, surely.

3 Dementus — 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' (2024)

Chris Hemsworth as Warlord Dementus in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga standing in a sand dune.Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

After a whopping three decades away from the wasteland that Max Rockatansky operates in, George Miller finally returned to the franchise that he revolutionized Australian cinema with when he made Mad Max: Fury Road. It was one of the biggest action movie successes of the 2010s, which made its long-awaited prequel, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, highly anticipated by fans. As such, this was a box office flop that nobody saw coming.

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The movie may not be as masterful as Fury Road, but it's still phenomenal, and that's largely because it features what might be the best antagonist in the whole franchise, Dementus, played by an unhinged Chris Hemsworth, who's clearly having the time of his life with the role. Stylish and charismatic, yet surprisingly complex, Dementus is one of the most complete and entertaining characters that the franchise has shown thus far.

2 Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen — 'Dune: Part Two' (2024)

Austin Butler and Léa Seydoux looking into each other's eyes in Dune: Part TwoImage via Warner Bros. Pictures

Baron Harkonnen may be a fantastic villain, but it's the main antagonist of Dune: Part Two, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, who really steals the show. Part of the reason why these are two of the most perfect cinematic epics of the decade so far is that they have such great villains, and Austin Butler's take on the iconic Feyd-Rautha is nothing if not great.

Butler's terrifying performance is perfect for Feyd-Rautha, whose unpredictability and thirst for blood make him the perfect antagonistic force for such a large film. Visually striking and physically imposing, this version of Feyd-Rautha (definitely superior to Sting's version in David Lynch's Dune) is perfectly written and perfectly performed, a lethal combo that's all you need for a modern sci-fi villain.

1 Jobu Topaki — 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' (2022)

Stephanie Hsu as Jobu in Everything Everywhere All at OnceImage via A24

There's a strong argument to be made that Everything Everywhere All At Once is the best science fiction film of the 2020s so far, and if not, then it's at least one of the most entertaining. And, like any sci-fi epic of its caliber, it needed a great villain. Stephanie Hsu's Joy is by no means a villain, but her multiversal alter ego Jobu Topaki? She's far and away one of the most powerful antagonists of any movie of the 21st century.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the best hopecore movies in recent memory, not because it has a really menacing villain, but because it has such a complex one. Jobu Topaki's powers are a treat to watch in action, but it's the way the character is written and the way Hsu plays her that makes her so compelling. Her motivation, personality, and backstory all make her deeply relatable and easy to connect with emotionally, which are powerful qualities for a sci-fi villain to have.

Everything Everywhere All at Once R Adventure Comedy Action Release Date March 25, 2022

Cast Jenny Slate, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Harry Shum Jr., Jamie Lee Curtis, James Hong, Michelle Yeoh Runtime 132 minutes Director Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert Writers Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan Powered by