A great villain can make a good movie unforgettable. This One Gotta Go card lines up four modern favorites: Thanos from the Avengers films, Killmonger from Black Panther, the Joker from the 2019 film and Hans Landa from Inglourious Basterds.
You keep three and erase one from movie history. Think about which villain made you nervous, which one you secretly understood and which one you could do without. Then make your pick and let each person explain what makes a villain great.
The 4 choices on this card
A. Thanos (Avengers)
Thanos spent years building up in the Marvel films before his big moment, and his snap is one of the most famous scenes of the era. Still, he is a computer generated character, and some fans think his plan never quite made sense. That makes him a fair cut.
Keep it if: You think Thanos is the reason the Avengers saga worked and you will never forget the snap.
B. Killmonger (Black Panther)
Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan, is a villain with a point, which is why so many viewers connected with him. His story is personal and emotional. If you prefer villains who are pure menace, his complicated motives might make him the one to cut.
Keep it if: You think the best villains are the ones whose reasons you understand, even when you disagree with what they do.
C. The Joker (2019)
The Joker from 2019 earned Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar and gave the character a dark, grounded origin story. It is a powerful performance. It is also a heavy film, and some people prefer the more playful versions of the Joker from earlier movies.
Keep it if: You think Joaquin Phoenix gave one of the best performances of the decade and that the film stays with you.
D. Hans Landa (Inglourious Basterds)
Hans Landa, played by Christoph Waltz, is polite, charming and terrifying, and the performance won an Oscar. He is unforgettable, but Inglourious Basterds is the least watched movie on this card, so he is the villain fewer people know.
Keep it if: You think the opening scene of Inglourious Basterds is a masterclass and that Landa is the scariest of the four.
Our take
This is a tough one, but we would cut Thanos. He matters to a huge story, yet the other three are performances that stand on their own and still get talked about as acting achievements. The most fun debate tends to be Killmonger against the Joker, because both are villains people feel strangely sympathetic toward. Ask everyone which villain they would least want to meet, and the answers might surprise you. Bonus question: which actor had the most fun playing the part?
How to play this card with friends
- Read the four choices out loud.
- Everyone picks the one they'd eliminate at the same time.
- Explain your pick. This is where the fun starts.
- Use the follow-up questions below to keep it going.
Follow-up questions to keep the debate going
- Which movie villain did people root for because they had a point?
- What makes a villain truly great: menace, charm or motive?
- Which villain had the best entrance?
- What movie villain would you add to this card?
Want more debates like this? Get the One Gotta Go card game for game night, family dinners and road trips. Shop the decks.
Iconic Movie Villains: quick answers
Who won an Oscar for playing a villain?
Several actors have won Oscars for villain roles. Christoph Waltz won Best Supporting Actor for Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor for Joker, and Heath Ledger won Best Supporting Actor for the Joker in The Dark Knight.
Why do people like Killmonger?
Killmonger is a villain with clear and personal reasons for what he does, rooted in his history and his view of the world. Many viewers felt his frustration was understandable, even if his methods were not. That depth, along with Michael B. Jordan's performance, made him a fan favorite.
