The 1980s gifted us with some truly gnarly, sadistic villains, from international terrorists to despicable high school bullies. We love to hate a good villain because they give our hero something to strive against, proving their heroism all the more dramatically when The End scrolls across the screen. Here, we’ve gathered 21 of our all-time favorite 1980s movie bad guys (and girls). Because some of the greatest films of the decade were made that way by some of the baddest in the bunch!
#1: Hans Gruber (Die Hard)
Crotocs and viewers agree that Alan Rickman’s performance as Hans Gruber in Die Hard is the kind of material that should be studied by acting students around the world. His coldblooded yet suave portrayal of a bloodthirsty terrorist has become the stuff of legends, setting the standard for the ever-so-sophisticated villain in the action movie genre.
