Top Ten Hottest Movie Villains

Everyone loves a good hero. Whether it's Taron Egerton as Eggsy in Kingsman: The Secret Service or Chris Pine as Captain Kirk in the new Star Trek movies, a good hero typically equates a good movie. The only character even more vital than the hero is the villain. After all, the hero isn't exciting without a good challenge.

Here are 10 of the hottest (male and female) movie villains.

10. Bucky Barnes - Captain America: Winter Soldier

This is tough because Bucky isn't necessarily a villain. He has no control over himself, but his actions while under HYDRA's control paint him as a bad guy, especially in the government's eyes. In terms of looks alone, Sebastian Stan deserves to be at the top of the list, but his character is stuck somewhere between villain and (future) hero in less-than-ideal circumstances, leaving him at number 10.

9. Khan - Star Trek: Into Darkness

Maybe it's the accent, but something about Benedict Cumberbatch is unconventionally attractive, putting his character Khan at number nine. Watching him square up against Chris Pine as Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock is entertaining, but his jump from anti-hero against Colonel Marcus to flat-out villain against the Enterprise crew makes him a villain you love to hate.

8. Bellatrix Lestrange - Harry Potter

Everyone paints Voldemort as the worst villain in the Harry Potter franchise even though he's just whiny old man going to extreme lengths to kill an innocent kid. Bellatrix is Voldemort's most loyal follower and, according to J.K. Rowling's description of her on Pottermore, she's "intensely happy to torture any that cross her." Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange falls in at number eight.

7. Anakin Skywalker - Star Wars

He's the classic good-guy-gone-bad and a great villain once he becomes Darth Vader, but you don't really want to hate him. At least, not until he turns against Obi Wan. He had good intentions with his family in mind, he just made some poor life choices based on those intentions. Come on, Anakin. "You were the chosen one!"

6. Ronan - Guardians of the Galaxy

Ronan as a character is admittedly not that attractive but knowing Lee Pace is under all that body paint changes things a bit. His character is ruthless and diabolical, but stands no match to Peter Quill, a.k.a. Starlord, and his crew. Even though he didn't even try to win the dance battle Peter started, his alliance with Thanos and goal to destroy Xandar put Ronan at number six.

5. The Joker - The Dark Knight

The Joker is arguably everyone's favorite supervillain. He's been the token bad guy since he was first introduced in DC Comics in 1940 and then brought to life by the late Heath Ledger. Ledger described his character as a "psychopathic, mass murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy," and brought that description to the screen. We'll see how Jared Leto does with the role in Suicide Squad but for now, The Dark Knight's Joker is number five.

4. Maleficent - Maleficent

Another revamp of a classic story, Angeline Jolie's portrayal of Maleficent is wonderful both on and off screen. Angeline Jolie's daughter Vivienne was in the film because she was the only one who wasn't scared of her mom. Like Anakin, Maleficent wasn't a villain until she was betrayed and started seeking revenge and even then, she doesn't stay a villain through the entire film - but she's gorgeous whether she's evil or not so she's number four.

3. Regina George - Mean Girls

Regina George is awful in every conceivable way, but you still sort of like her. She's conniving enough to frame Cady as the owner of the Burn Book and somehow manages to get the beautiful Aaron Samuels to put up with her. She's not your conventional villain but, wow, she's awful... and yet somehow wonderful. You just can't go wrong (or right) with Regina George.

2. Loki - The Avengers

It's amazing how a sweetheart like Tom Hiddleston can play someone as ruthless as Loki. Loki definitely has a better get-up than Thor, but other than that, everyone including Loki knows he's in the wrong. I understand his rage over being the evident disappointment in his father's eyes, but he's the younger son so Thor is actually the rightful king of Asgard. It's hard to hate a face like Tom Hiddleston's though, so Loki ranks in at number two.

1. Queen Ravenna - The Huntsman

Snow White is a classic that has undergone many remakes and spin-offs, but Charlize Theron's portrayal of the Evil Queen in The Huntsman makes the character even more grim than the other renditions. She's so glamorous, it almost makes her even more intimidating. She kills her sister's baby because she's scared of not being the most beautiful woman in the land and with Chris Hemsworth as the protagonist, you have to hate her for putting him through that kind of pain.