The Best Film Characters of All Time

Screw Twilight, Hannah Montana and HSM. Those films don't have character appeal or good acting.


10. John McClane from Die Hard
While not not notch acting, Bruce Willis played Lieutenant John McClane as one of the most enjoyable characters in action films. Although he jokes even at the face of death, John McClane has moments where he is serious. Example in Die Hard 4.0 where his daughter is kidnapped. Also not to mention his sadistic and mocking laugh and the line "Yippe-Ki-Yay Mother****"


9. Tony "Scarface" Montana from Scarface
Perhaps Al Pacino's most iconic role, excluding the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather series. Maybe it's because Tony Montana suits the new generation of drugs, booze and sex. A deep contrast to the disciplined and honored Michael Corleone, Montana has a loud dirty mouth. Probably the most foul mouthed character I've ever seen. Not even John McClane could top the number of times Montana said the "f" word. Personally, I don't quite REALLY LOVE the character but dang, I won't do this list without him. Most people remember Montana as the first film character who yelled the famous line "SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!" which has been parodied countless of times.


8. The Terminator from Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Due to the fact that the robots... erm cybernetic organisms from The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator Salvation are different characters, I'll identify more to the one from the first sequel. While Arnie played the first one as a cool and chilly yet brutal villain, he returns as a cool, macho and awesome hero. He was the only time a robot could create so much emotion among viewers where he says "I know now why you cry, but it's something I can never do" before he is melted in the molten steel. Alongside the phrase "I'll be Back" is the equally iconic "Hasta La Vista, Baby".


7. Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story
I'd have to say Buzz Lightyear is the most positive thinking characters of all time. the phrase "To infinity and beyond" is proof enough. Although he did break down and "emo-ed" when he found out he's a toy after his arm broke of during an unsuccessful attempt to fly. Yet in Toy Story 2, he returned as the hero-who-never-gives-up when Woody was kidnapped. There's also a scene when he attempted to fly and ended up FALLING WITH STYLE and opened his eyes pointing to Woody "CAN!". I wonder what Toy Story 3 will be like although I'm not quite happy with a Spanish speaking Buzz Lightyear. He is heroic, but at times he is goofier than any of the toys. "YOU SEE THE HAT! I'M MS NESBITT!!! MUAHAHAHAHA"


6. Darth Maul from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Okay, Lord Maul might not be as iconic as Lord Vader but his rorschach tattooed face makes him the scariest adversary a Jedi could face. While Darth Vader's lightsaber combat employs bone-crushing and mighty swings ans strokes, Darth maul is a more agile and feeble duelist capable of wielding the double bladed lightsaber or lightstaff. He doesn't speak much but the lightsaber duel between him against Obi-Wan and Qui Gon Jinn was awesome. I mean only Darth Maul was awesome. He swings his lighsaber with a velocity Darth Vader could never dreamed of and is exceptionally skilled in melee combat. Played by wushu champion Ray Park(X-Men and G.I. Joe), you know what to expect.


5.Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Carribean
Perhaps the best film acting never to receive and Oscar nomination, Johnny Depp's Captain Jack is a mixture of pure drunken stupidity, brave and enjoyable heroism and the treacherous deadly air of a pirate. How caan we take our eyes off his gestures during speech and his mad and wild runnings. Don't let this fool you, he almost beat Davy Jones in a swordfight. Perhaps Captain Jack Sparrow is a braver and more high flying version of Indiana Jones.



4. Vito Corleone from The Godfather and The Godfather Part II
The only time ONE character received TWO Academy Awards, how can you leave a masterpiece like that out. The infamous Marlon Brando played him in Part I while Robert De Niro took over for the flashbacks of Part II. Brando played him as a raspy voiced yet wise patriarch of the Corleone family, the most powerful mafia organization of the world. Despite his background dealing with casinos, rackets, drugs and booze, we get to sympathise with him. His quiet yet convincing grieving of his son Santino and dying of a heart attack while playing with his grandson at the garden, he's a lovable character.

Robert De Niro played him with the wise and family-loving personality of Brando's version with the brash, charm and wittyness of a younger man. Especially during the scene where he negotiates with Don Fanucci and later shoots the man. Despite his portrayal of Vito as the protagonist contrast to Pacino's Michael as the antagonist of The Godfather Part II, De Niro has his dark moments. Shooting down Don Fanucci at a dark corridor and carving Don Ciccio's stomach for revenge... CHEESY


3. The Joker from The Dark Knight
The make up, the scary severed cheeks, the cackling laugh, WHY SO SERIOUS? Heath Ledger's Joker is the scariest film character not to come from a horror film. It is a mix of crazy and wacky elements and the psychopathic and murderous elements of Jack Torrance from The Shining played by original Joker Jack Nicholson. Jack Nicholson played the joker in Tim Burton's Batman in 1989. He's the funnier Joker but not the better. He's the most enjoyable joker but not the one you can't take eyes off. Ledger fills in the gaps. It is true, I agree that Jack Nicholson's take is closer to the comics but Heath drives the Joker as a dark and cynical yet charming villain. He rarely jokes onscreen but his voice and speech dominates The Dark Knight.


2. Darth Vader from Star Wars
I'll be marked TRAITOR of Star Wars is he's not on the list. Lord Vader is the epitome of pure villainy. The black suit and armor, the voice that signifies doom, the scary breathing. He'll be a kid's nightmare but a cool character for teens and adults. In Episode I, he's a cute and cheeky boy. The less said about Episode II the better. In Episode III, he plays a Jedi version of Michael Corleone from The Godfather Part II. The story of how a good man becomes evil. Skywalker/Vader is meant to scare us but we are meant to sympathise with him as a tragic hero. A badasss villain but a hero at the same time. Though no emotions and acting are seen under the mask. I really enjoyed Hayden Christensen's acting in Episode III. Yelling at his true love, mocking his best friend. All a repeat of Michael Corleone but has a lot of originality of it's own.



1. Michael Corleone
Al Pacino's a great actor. The Godfather Part II is just one of his great performances in the 70's. The Godfather, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather Part II and Justice For All all gave Pacino Oscar nominations. That totals FIVE NOMINATIONS in 7 years. That's a streak impossible to beat dude. Anyway, Michael Corleone is portrayed under the shadows of Brando's Vito Corleone in Part I. In Part II, he transforms from the good and law abiding citizen who loves his family into an evil man who kills everyone who ever loved him physically and mentally. He kills his brother Fredo, beats the shit out of his wife and alienates himself.But what was his sin? It was not, as we might have imagined or hoped, that he presided over a bloody enterprise of murder and destruction. No, Michael's fault seems to be pride. He has lost the common touch, the dignity he should have inherited from his father. And because he has misplaced his humanity he must suffer. We sympathised him in Part I for being in the wrong family. In Part II all sympathy is lost. Part III delivers the saddest film ending ever. His daughter gets shot by the bullet meant for him and screams in agony, revealing how much he treasured his family. It is said that the fact that Pacino didn't win for Part II was the biggest Oscar upset ever. Up till now, Pacino's performance in Part II is the best I've seen. He doesn't have the visionary character appeal of Darth Vader or Buzz Lightyear but replaces it with acting and a tragic story.