The most scary literary villains in books/ films

[Lampros]

I'll start...Miss Trunchbull. Still scared when I read the book or watch the films as a 35yo!

Max Cady / Robert de Niro in Cape Fear .

I read the book a few years ago and thought she was awful, but I had the idea that she was generally thought of as good. I don't know where I got that idea from as if you look up reviews of the book when it was first published they don't give that impression.

I had the same experience when reading Wuthering Heights years ago when I was in my teens. I was expecting a brooding hero in Heathcliff but when reading the book thought 'who's this awful shit?'

Martina Cole’s George in The Ladykiller. I was reading it in my parents back garden when I was about 16 and had to call my Dad to come in the garden to get me as I was convinced someone was in the tree at the back of the house staring at me.

I wet the bed because of these things

Always!

The Stone Angels in Dr Who

The Borg before they got all fluffy 🙄

The Romulans in Star Trek TNG and the terrifying David Warner’s character in Star Trek’s “ Chain of Command” as he tortured Picard. One episode ( or maybe a double) and it still haunts me

not sure if he’s a villain or a monster but the clown from IT gave me actual nightmares.

Mr Hyde - genuinely quite a malevolent character. Also from R.L.S the uncle who arranges for the boy in kidnapped to be kidnapped - never actually appears but he’s definitely a villain. And Long John Silver in Treasure Island is a wrong un too.

and also Ms Trunchbull!

I always found the cyber men more scary than the Daleks.

The Wheelers in Return to Oz scared me and my kids shitless. In fact, everyone, friend and foe, in that film is creepy.

Yep, this. It is an amazing book though. Slightly tempted to try to read it again.

Morgan (sp?) from the BBC adaptation of Narnia, Prince Caspian. The bit where he casts the blue circle left a mark on me for many years as a child and most scary thoughts revolved around him poking up

Oh god and that bloody bed-sheet thing in MR James’ “oh whistle and I’ll come to you my lad”. It’s ridiculous. I know it to be ridiculous. I still can’t read it if I’m in the wrong mood or alone in the house.

@Verbena87 oh yes! Horrid. I have been known to make the dog sleep on my bed after listening to M.R James stories at night (why do I listen to them alone at night? Because I never bloody learn.).

Maugrim the wolf from the BBC adaption of Narnia. Literally a man in a wolf mask but he was terrifying.

@Verbena87 Scarier than Count Magnus' 'companion'? I love M R James. I almost wish I'd never discovered him because his ghost stories are so much better than any other, so no one measures up.

As an antidote, maybe read The Shepherd by Frederick Forsyth?

Came here to say count fosco!

What did you think of Ben whishaw in the film adaptation?

It’s the one that’s stuck with me most, I think it plays into that childhood dressing-gown-on-the-back-of-the-bedroom-door-monster thing so well. They are masterful stories - I think they’re a bit like biting a slow-burn chili: sort of underwhelming at first and then suddenly it’s 3am and you’re still awake and too scared to get up for a wee because of the wretched things!

I think I saw it not long after reading the book but it’s left basically no impression - I think the book was so smelly (really sensory) in a way film just isn’t, so the book just overshadowed it.

Mr Noseybonk. Not technically a villain but gave me nightmares.

Satan in 'Rosemary's Baby'.
Is 'The Lord of the Rings' in 3 parts - well, the 'Black Riders'. I had to stop reading it.

I remember hiding behind the sofa..70s kid.

Silas in Hollyoaks, a serial killer. Put me of the name, Silas, forever.