Top 10 Most Sadistic Fictional Characters

Sadistic: deriving pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on others.

For this list, we rank the most sadistic fictional characters. Some of these characters may be beloved by fans, but nobody can deny they are horrible people, especially after some of the things they have done.

The Top Ten

AM - I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream

Hoo boy...
This Artificial Intelligence does what SKYNET does: destroy human civilization. Then, it finds the last five survivors and subjects them to a seemingly endless amount of brutal, painful, and sadistic torture. Why? Because it simply can. It thoroughly delights in the pain and suffering it causes towards the survivors.
AM is the most sadistic fictional AI I have ever seen. While it is true that it was made as a superweapon, it developed a sentient AI of its own and chose to destroy mankind simply because it could. Then, it tortured the survivors just for giggles. When it realizes that four out of five survivors were killed by the sole remaining one, AM proceeds to turn him into a blob, rendering him literally mouthless and helpless to do anything about himself.
I think, therefore, I AM.
Azula - Avatar: The Last Airbender

Princess Azula is a fictional character and antagonist of Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. She is voiced by Grey DeLisle Griffin. Azula is a firebending prodigy and the younger sister of Prince Zuko, known for her cunning and ruthless personality.... read more
Bellatrix Lestrange - Harry Potter

Bellatrix Lestrange is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series. She is a psychotic Death Eater who escaped from Azkaban and is fiercely loyal to Lord Voldemort. She murdered Sirius Black and helped torture Frank and Alice Longbottom into insanity.
Big Jack Horner - Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Jigsaw - Saw

Jigsaw is the alias of John Kramer, a character who first appears in the Saw film series. After losing his unborn child, being diagnosed with terminal cancer, and surviving a suicide attempt, he begins designing elaborate traps to test his victims' will to live. He believes these ordeals help people... read more
Chris McLean - Total Drama

Chris McLean is a fictional character from the Total Drama series who serves as its main host. He makes the contestants perform challenges for immunity, often ranging from humiliating to dangerous. The character was voiced by Christian Potenza in the original series and is voiced by Terry McGurrin in... read more

He loves it when contestants hurt themselves.
Ilsa - Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS
Vicky - The Fairly OddParents

Vicky is one of the main antagonists in the animated television series The Fairly OddParents, created by Butch Hartman. She is a teenage babysitter who regularly torments Timmy Turner, the show's protagonist. Vicky is portrayed as cruel, bossy, and greedy.... read more
Ramsay Bolton - Game of Thrones

Ramsay Bolton, also known as Ramsay Snow, is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation Game of Thrones. He is the illegitimate son of Roose Bolton, later legitimized and named heir to House Bolton... read more

He's horrible. He killed his stepmother and his little brother, among others, and he tortured and castrated Theon Greyjoy.
Nurse Ratched - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

If you've seen the movie, you know how horrible she is. She manipulates the people she is supposed to take care of and treats them horribly. She even caused one of them to commit suicide. The ending of the movie, of course, is the worst thing she did (which I won't spoil just in case).

The Newcomers

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Agatha Trunchbull - Matilda
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Ruth Chandler - The Girl Next Door

The Contenders

Joker - Batman

The Joker is a fictional supervillain created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, who first appeared in Batman #1, released on April 25, 1940, by DC Comics. Credit for the Joker's creation remains disputed. Both Kane and Robinson claimed responsibility for his visual design, while Finger is... read more
Light Yagami - Death Note

Light Yagami is a fictional character and the protagonist of the manga series Death Note, created by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata.e is a high school student who gains the power to kill anyone by writing their name in a supernatural notebook. The story follows his transformation from... read more
Ivar the Boneless - Vikings

Ivar is a character who lacks empathy and is, at times, very sadistic. He killed his own brother out of uncontrolled rage, let his newborn child die in the woods, killed his wife, burned people alive, ruled like a tyrant, and liked to emotionally manipulate others.

I did some research on the real Ivar the Boneless (who actually existed) and apparently, he was even worse than his depiction in Vikings.
Carnage - Marvel Comics

Carnage (Cletus Kasady) is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually as an enemy of Spider-Man. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #361 in April 1992. Carnage is the offspring of the Venom symbiote and is infamous for his violent, homicidal... read more

Carnage is what happens when you mix a murderous psychopath with an alien symbiote. Before becoming Carnage, Cletus Kasady was a serial killer who took pleasure in butchering his victims and left his mark with their blood.

He's a psycho serial killer who makes fun of killing everyone and everything. Moreover, he has a symbiote and is even one of the strongest symbiotes ever to exist. In my opinion, he should be first, with Ramsay being in second place.

He's not only sadistic, but he's also really scary, probably the scariest Marvel villain.
Trevor Philips - Grand Theft Auto V

Trevor Phillips is a character from the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V, created by Rockstar Games. He is one of the three main protagonists, alongside Michael De Santa and Franklin Clinton. Trevor is a former friend of Michael, having participated with him in a bank heist nine years prior to the... read more

The most insane, violent, twisted, and sadistic of the trio of main characters in GTA V. He goes on rampages, manipulates other characters, tortures another, and feels no remorse for his actions. He is capable of love, though, which I guess is a redeeming quality.

Trevor is a psychopath and a sadist, but he's still my favorite GTA V protagonist.
Calvin Candie - Django Unchained

He's indeed a cold, racist plantation owner. I see no humanity in this man.
Eric Cartman - South Park

Eric Theodore Cartman, commonly known by his last name, is a central character in the animated series South Park. Created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker and voiced by Parker, Cartman is one of four main characters, alongside Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick. He often serves as both an... read more
William Afton - Five Nights at Freddy's

William Afton, originally known to fans as the Purple Guy, is a central character in the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise. He is the former co-founder of Fazbear Entertainment, Inc. and serves as the main antagonist throughout the series. Afton is responsible for numerous tragedies in the storyline... read more
Joffrey Baratheon - A Song of Ice and Fire

Joffrey Baratheon is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation, Game of Thrones. He is known for his cruelty and impulsive behavior as king. Joffrey is portrayed by actor Jack Gleeson in the HBO series... read more
Cruella de Vil - 101 Dalmatians

Cruella de Vil is a fictional character who appeared in Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians. She is the main antagonist in Disney's animated film adaptations 101 Dalmatians and 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure, as well as in the live-action films 101 Dalmatians and 102... read more
Patrick Bateman - American Psycho

Patrick Bateman is an American yuppie and serial killer who first appeared in The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis. He is best known as the main character in American Psycho, also by Ellis, which was later adapted into a popular film.... read more
Pyramid Head - Silent Hill
Art the Clown - Terrifier
Colonel William Tavington - The Patriot

From the moment he killed Gabriel, I wanted to see him dead the whole movie, and I couldn't stand seeing him. That just shows how good this actor is.
General Wilhelm Strasse - Wolfenstein