Top 10 Most Insane Villains

Some villains are bad. Some are evil. And then there are the ones who are flat-out broken. This list is for those freaks.

We're not talking about your standard bad guy with a tragic backstory and a goal to take over the world. Those types might be cruel, but at least they're operating on something that vaguely resembles logic. No, this is about the ones who smile while setting things on fire. Who hum lullabies over corpses. Who make you question if they were ever human to begin with. These are the ticking time bombs. The split-personality psychos. The cold-eyed sadists with zero grip on reality.

And yes, your favorites might be missing. That's because this isn't a popularity contest. It's a brain-melt contest. So if you're wondering why some big names didn't make the cut, ask yourself if they're terrifying because they're dangerous or because they're genuinely unhinged.

The Top Ten

The Joker - The Dark Knight

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

It is so difficult to choose between The Joker and Hannibal Lecter! I love them both. They are both really insane, and both actors won an Oscar by getting into the skin of these characters. I am sorry, Anthony, but Heath was just a little more insane than you. I am really sorry.

Joker is by far the most insane villain I have ever seen or heard of. Sorry to all the other guys on this list, but Joker has you beat on the insanity scale by a lot. To those who created the Joker, you guys definitely hit your target right on the head.
Michael Myers - Halloween Series

Michael Myers is a character from the Halloween series of slasher films. He first appears in John Carpenter's 1978 Halloween as a young boy who murders his older sister, then returns fifteen years later to kill again. In October 2018, a direct sequel to the original film was released, ignoring previous... read more
Alex DeLarge - A Clockwork Orange
Hannibal Lecter - The Silence of the Lambs

Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a character in a series of suspense novels by Thomas Harris. Lecter was introduced in the 1981 thriller novel Red Dragon as a forensic psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. He became more widely known after Anthony Hopkins's iconic portrayal in the 1991 film The Silence... read more

I know Buffalo Bill said it, but regardless: It rubs the lotion on its skin, or it gets the hose again.

A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. Yup, totally insane.
Leatherface - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Leatherface is a character in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre horror-film series and its spin-offs. He wears masks made of human skin and engages in murder and cannibalism alongside his inbred family. The character is inspired in part by real-life murderer Ed Gein.
Melvin - Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series
Cannibalistic Mountain Men - Wrong Turn Series
Jigsaw Killer - Saw

Jigsaw is a character from the Saw film series. He first appears in Saw as John Kramer, a man diagnosed with terminal cancer after the loss of his unborn child. Following this, he designs elaborate traps to test his victims' will to live, believing he is helping them find a greater appreciation for life... read more
Buffalo Bill - The Silence of the Lambs
Kefka Palazzo - Final Fantasy VI

Kefka Palazzo is a character in the Final Fantasy series of video games. Originally designed by Yoshitaka Amano, he appears in the sixth installment of the series, Final Fantasy VI. Kefka is widely regarded as one of the most memorable and maniacal villains in the franchise's history.

"Life...dreams...hope... Where do they come from, and where do they go? None of that junk is enough to fulfill your hearts! Destruction! Destruction is what makes life worth living! Destroy, destroy, destroy! Let's destroy everything!"

A man who just wants to destroy the world with no apparent reason is really insane indeed.

He is dressed like a clown and has the most evil laugh I have ever heard. Enough said.

The Newcomers

?
The Mad Doctor - Mickey Mouse
?
Jafar - Aladdin

Jafar is the main antagonist of Disney's 31st full-length animated feature film Aladdin. He is introduced as the sinister Royal Vizier to Agrabah's Sultan, who desires power over the kingdom. Jafar uses dark magic and manipulation to achieve his goals throughout the film.

The Contenders

Jason Voorhees - Friday the 13th Series

Jason Voorhees is a fictional character from the Friday the 13th horror film series. He first appeared in the original 1980 movie as the young son of the killer, Mrs. Voorhees. Over the course of the series, Jason became the central antagonist, known for wearing a hockey mask.
John Doe - Se7en

This guy makes the Joker look pale. Sure, the Joker is a terrorist, but this guy kills people in the most gruesome ways before leading up to one of cinema's greatest endings.

Though he is calm and calculating when he wants to be, Doe is one of the most far-gone movie villains. Unlike most on this list, he actually thinks he is doing the right thing. He kills people in grotesque ways and sees it as some sort of vigilantism in the name of God, who works in mysterious ways.
Jack Torrance - The Shining

John Daniel Edward "Jack" Torrance is the main antagonist of Stephen King's horror novel The Shining, published in 1977.
He is a struggling writer and recovering alcoholic who takes a job as the winter caretaker of the isolated Overlook Hotel. Under the influence of the hotel's supernatural forces... read more

I remember being freaked out when he poked his head through the door and said, "Here's Johnny."
Cannibalistic Cliff Men - The Hills Have Eyes
Pyramid Head - Silent Hill 2
Peter Foley - Copycat
Norman Bates - Psycho

Norman Bates is a character created by writer Robert Bloch for his novel Psycho. He was portrayed by Anthony Perkins as the primary antagonist of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film adaptation and its three sequels. Bates is known for his disturbing psychological complexity, particularly his alternate personality... read more
The Joker - Batman (1989)
Freddy Krueger - A Nightmare on Elm Street Series

Fred "Freddy" Krueger is the primary antagonist in the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series. He first appeared in the original film directed by Wes Craven in 1984. Freddy is known for his burned face, red-and-green striped sweater, and his glove with razor-sharp blades.

A pedophile who wants to slash you with his glove and attacks you in your dreams. Now tell me he isn't insane. But I still think he is kind of awesome.

How is Jason anywhere near crazier than Freddy? Seriously, Freddy is at 17 and Jason is at 13. And Freddy makes Ledger's Joker look like a chump, just saying.

I may be insane, but he is my favorite forever. Robert Englund rocked this role to its core! Freddy is the best.
Flowey - Undertale

Flowey is a character in the RPG Undertale. He is the first character you encounter and initially presents himself as your friend. However, his true nature as a manipulative antagonist is soon revealed as the game progresses.

Literally unable to feel compassion if he tried, knows nothing but murder and hatred. Plus, he has the best laugh of them all. Listen to "Your Best Nightmare."
Tyler Durden - Fight Club

Tyler Durden is a character from the movie Fight Club. He is revealed to be a split personality of the unnamed Narrator. Tyler emerges as a result of the Narrator's insomnia, psychological collapse, and dissatisfaction with a consumer-driven lifestyle... read more
Mr. Teatime - The Hogfather
Professor Moriarty - Sherlock Holmes

Moriarty is an extremely intelligent and insane villain. He does not just pick out a random person to ruin. He chooses a person with the same intellect to challenge him. In my opinion, his current ranking as number 23 is incorrect. I think he deserves to be in the top 10, or at least the top 20. The games he plays to "advertise" his "business" in public during the Reichenbach Fall trial show the risk he is willing to take, even though to him they may just be another game he knows he will win.
The Master - Doctor Who
T. Rex - Jurassic Park