Favorite Hero / Villain Match-ups [Archive] - Absolute Write Water Cooler

Jcomp

11-04-2009, 06:23 PM

For some reason I started thinking about how great Die Hard was this morning, and it occurred to me that it's a great example of a movie that created an iconic hero and villain in one fell swoop. Then I got to thinking more about how John McClane and Hans Gruber are an excellent match for one another

McClane was a brilliant combo of Schwarzenegger action hero swagger + Indiana Jones "I have to improvise because I'm in way over my head and don't really know what I'm doing." Gruber was like a classic Bond villain stripped of ridiculous aspirations to rule the world and instead applying his intellect to something slightly more practical.

McClane improvises while Gruber is the master planner, but at different critical points in movie Gruber is forced to improvise and McClane is forced to come up with a master plan to save the day. It all comes together so well between the two.

Anywho, what are your favorite hero / villain match-ups?

maestrowork

11-04-2009, 06:27 PM

I don't know if this counts, but Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling.

The Terminator and Kyle Reese.

James Bond and Gold Finger.

James81

11-04-2009, 06:40 PM

The Terminator and Kyle Reese.

I'll second this one. I think the beautiful part of this match up is that in order to fight the machines, Reese had to become a machine in a sense (i.e. disconnecting from pain, fighting his feelings for Sarah away,etc.). That irony was what made that movie so good.

***

And you can't have this thread without the all-time classic:

Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader

Kathleen42

11-04-2009, 06:41 PM

Eric Draven and Top Dollar from The Crow.

Tennant's Doctor and Simm's Master from series four of Doctor Who - right up until the Doctor's Tinkerbell moment *sigh*

mscelina

11-04-2009, 06:50 PM

Oh, there are too many to count. Ummm...let's see...

Valmont vs. Marquie de Mertuiel in Dangerous Liasions mostly because throughout the entire movie, you're not really sure which one to root for and Valmont comes through so fabulously in the end.

Hamlet v Claudius in Hamlet. What could be better?

Oh gosh--Charles Xavier v. Magneto in the X-men. Seriously, though, when a hero and a villian get together to play chess just for the fun of it, that's a pretty outstanding conflict/relationship.

oh. yeah. *grin* The Phantom v. Raoul in Phantom of the Opera. It's not often you can get millions of people rooting for the bad guy in a classic tale of good v. evil. With the Phantom, evil is just so much more fun.

Jcomp

11-04-2009, 06:54 PM

maestrowork

11-04-2009, 06:56 PM

The Count of Monte Cristo/Edmund Dantés and Mondego.

mscelina

11-04-2009, 06:56 PM

Oh, I like that one too. Seriously. I always thought that was the reason that Batman and the Joker were always in conflict. They're like the same sides of the same dark coin.
I loved Michael Keaton's take on Batman and Nicholson's take on the Joker and quite frankly thought it would impossible to top.

I was wrong. Bale and Ledger took it to a whole new level.

Wayne K

11-04-2009, 07:02 PM

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Moriarty.

Perks

11-04-2009, 07:09 PM

Mulder and The Smoking Man

Exir

11-04-2009, 07:12 PM

Me and Myself.

No, really, I think Harry vs Voldemort is a pretty cool matchup.

Noah Body

11-04-2009, 07:13 PM

Kirk and Khan! "Khaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnn!"

DavidZahir

11-04-2009, 07:28 PM

The Bride and Bill from Kill Bill.

Ahab and Moby Dick from the John Huston/Ray Bradbury Moby Dick.

Roy Batty and Deckard from Blade Runner.

Gandalf and Saruman from LOTR.

Flint and Steerpike in Gormenghast.

Mal and The Agent in Serenity.

Kathleen42

11-04-2009, 07:54 PM

How the heck did I forget Inigo Montoya and Count Rugen from The Princess Pride?

Celia Cyanide

11-04-2009, 09:22 PM

Great selections.

Also, I am obligated to punch myself in the face for not mentioning Batman vs. The Joker. From Tim Burton's Batman or (especially, imo) The Dark Knight. They are like twisted soul mates of conflict...

Yeah, I was about to punch you in the face for that one. ;)

I think it's the characters. They're great together in everything. They feed off each other, and give each other a reason to be, even though they hate each other and want to destroy each other. I think that Bale was a bit off the DK, and Nicholson, while brilliant, was pretty far off the character itself, but their dynamic was still great in both films. And the animated series.

I just read Kevin Smith's Cacophony. Batman has a conversation with the Joker while he's on anti-psychotics, and asks him what he really thinks of him. It's SO sad!

Kitty Pryde

11-04-2009, 09:52 PM

Captain Jack and Captain John on Torchwood rock the love/hate thing so so well.

Mikey and Ma Fratelli from the GOONIES!

maestrowork

11-04-2009, 09:55 PM

Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Kathleen42

11-04-2009, 09:58 PM

Captain Jack and Captain John on Torchwood rock the love/hate thing so so well.

OMG bar fight scene.

Kitty Pryde

11-04-2009, 09:58 PM

OMG bar fight scene.

Precisely.

Noah Body

11-04-2009, 10:17 PM

Luke and Vader! There is no greater enemy a young man can have than his own pappy.

maestrowork

11-04-2009, 10:52 PM

Luke and Vader! There is no greater enemy a young man can have than his own pappy.

Except I really didn't like Luke as a hero.

Kathleen42

11-04-2009, 11:09 PM

Except I really didn't like Luke as a hero.

Same (although I also find Vader a little boring as a villain until you get the backstory) . Love love love Star Wars but it didn't even occur to me when I was picking my top hero/villain combos.

maestrowork

11-04-2009, 11:16 PM

Same (although I also find Vader a little boring as a villain until you get the backstory) . Love love love Star Wars but it didn't even occur to me when I was picking my top hero/villain combos.

That's the thing, the SW sagas have more to do with just hero vs. villain. In comparison, the whole Luke/Vader conflict is only part of it, and that's why they didn't really jump out at me. There are so many great (or even greater) characters and their own conflicts going on: Han, Leia, Yoda, the Emperor, etc. Even Boba Fett.

JoshEllingson

11-04-2009, 11:46 PM

Harry Dresden and the White Council.

childeroland

11-05-2009, 01:56 AM

Batman and Joker from the Nolan series
Atreyu and the Nothing from The NeverEnding Story
Bond and Blofeld
Xena and Callisto
Detective Goren and Nicole Wallace on Law & Order: CI
Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler
Holmes and Moriarty
Ben Linus and Charles Widmore (though, really, who's the villain there?)
Benjamin Sisko and Gul Dukat on Star Trek: Deep Spance Nine
Inuyasha and Naraku

Freelancer

11-05-2009, 02:16 AM

Colonel Joe Hendricksson and the Screamers (Screamers)
Captain John Sheridan and the Shadows (Babylon 5)
Captain John Sheridan and the Interrogator (Babylon 5, Episode: Intersections in Real Time)
Lt. Ripley and the Alien (Alien)
Lt. Ripley, Cpl. Hicks + U.S.Colonial Marines and the Aliens (Aliens)
Lt. Ripley and the Alien Queen (Aliens)
Captain Sisko and Gul Dukat (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Captain Sisko and Weyoun (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Captain Miller and Dr. William Weir (Event Horizon)
Terminator and the T1000 (Terminator 2)
Fox Mulder and the Cigarette Smoking Man (X-Files)

In computer games...
The player (You) and the Shodan A.I. (System Shock 2. Shodan is maybe the best villain that with I ever encountered in an audio / visual work. The real psychopath A.I. and the ultimate villain.).

darkprincealain

11-05-2009, 02:17 AM

Harry Dresden and the White Council.

How the heck did I forget Inigo Montoya and Count Rugen from The Princess Pride?

Seconding these.

Dazzler and Mojo from X-Men.

Sun Kwon and, well, it's hard to tell--is her main enemy Ben L. or Charles W.? I guess I should scratch that one. She's just the Queen of Awesome on that show.

SirOtter

11-05-2009, 06:29 PM

D'Artagnan vs. Richelieu and de Rochefort
Snoopy vs. the Red Baron

maestrowork

11-05-2009, 06:33 PM

How could I forget Ripley vs. Alien Queen?

And don't forget Arnold vs. the Predator.

maestrowork

11-05-2009, 06:35 PM

Colonel Joe Hendricksson and the Screamers (Screamers)
...
The player (You) and the Shodan A.I. (System Shock 2. Shodan is maybe the best villain that with I ever encountered in an audio / visual work. The real psychopath A.I. and the ultimate villain.).

I have a feeling you're a big sci-fi fan....

;)

Wayne K

11-05-2009, 06:38 PM

Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.

Shadow_Ferret

11-05-2009, 06:44 PM

Nayland Smith vs Dr. Fu Manchu
Jacob McCandles vs. John Fain (John Wayne vs. Richard Boone in Big Jake)
The Smurfs vs. Gargamel

maestrowork

11-05-2009, 06:44 PM

Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.

Who is the hero and who is the villain? I always think Bugs is the villain!

Shadow_Ferret

11-05-2009, 06:45 PM

Who is the hero and who is the villain? I always think Bugs is the villain!

Blasphemer!

Freelancer

11-05-2009, 06:51 PM

I have a feeling you're a big sci-fi fan....

;)Me? Nooooooooooooooooooooooo! Never! :D

DavidZahir

11-05-2009, 09:48 PM

Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham.
I have to ask--which ones?

Wayne K

11-05-2009, 09:54 PM

Who is the hero and who is the villain? I always think Bugs is the villain!
Bugs is a lovable rascal. Not a villain.

dgiharris

11-07-2009, 10:10 AM

I love the hero vs. villian concept in the Matrix.

Neo (slacker hacker anti-establishment turned 'the one') vs. Agent Smith (All seeing/knowing big brother establishment).