Curious about Voldemort

[SHAFT]

I've never read the Harry Potter books and don't really have an interest in them. But I am curious about Voldemort. I was reading a top 25 villian of all time list and they had Voldemort #1. They had him ahead of Vader and Lecter, so immediately I was curious about the guy.

What makes him so bad ass? I know people don't use his name, but what else?

[Renian]

First thing that comes to mind is that death couldn't keep him dead.

[Allereli]

ZOMG YOU SAID HIS NAME!

[Sthrockmorton]

Although some are very good villains, how any of them could be placed above Hannibal is beyond me.

[AestheticDeath]

Voldemort is just the newest, and he was part of a series that became very very big very quick.

Harry Potter made that chick billions of dollars just in books and maybe the movies. Not sure if the billions I heard about included movie revenue yet.

When did she start harry potter? 10-15 years ago?

[The Ponzzz]

My guess is because HP has so many fans, that's how he got rated #1. I personally find the HP books boring and dull. And for the record, I own and read them all.

[Back]

I’m wondering why Satan was not named numero uno.

[SayGoodbye]

Maybe Voldemort is so badass because he ripped his soul into seven pieces. That's hard core.

Then there's the fact that he pretty much took over the (wizarding) world, killed and tortured thousands of people and turned a large amount of them into soulless undead minions.

Oh and he has that obsession with killing a little boy. That's kinda creepy.

[Deathravin]

He's not #1, he's just popular right now. I'm sure if the same list was made 50 years from now about 2008 and previous worst villians of all time, he'd be after the emporer and probably a few others.

If you ever want to know about voldemort, read the 6th book. It's basically a voldemort handbook. And the 7th book tells you quite a bit more about him, his quest for imortality, and his general personality.

1; he's quite unkillable unless you know a lot about him and what has made him unkillable - You have to know that he's severly untrusting (and cannot call anybody a friend... or even friendly) of other people, has a severe taste for magical history (especially that history that surrounds Hogwarts), is completely terrified to die, but has no problems in killing others for little-to-no reason as he sees himself as vastly more important than any other person.
2; He's fairly evil - He killed his own 'muggle' father and his family, just the fact that he'd be completely willing to kill a 1 year old baby shows this as does all of his other killings.
3; He doesn't care to kill people loyal to him - He kills his top lutinent because he believes it will gain him power, he kills a whole room of his followers because they happened to be there while he was pissed (granted, he was very very pissed at the time, as they had just let Harry slip out of their fingers... again), he kills people just because they're there.
4; He's iconic - he doesn't even need to be around for people to fear him. People won't even say his name because they fear him. He's secretive and shadowed, yet his people and himself leave a calling card when they kill somebody or do a particularly evil deed.

I suppose they put Voldemort first because Vader had some good in him left. He was turned back to the good side by his son. Where Voldemort was fairly evil from day one. Of course he got more and more evil as time went on.
Also we get to glimpse directly whats in ol` voldy's head since Harry can basically read his mind.


Harry Potter books are almost a direct parallel to the Star Wars stories and Lord of the Rings. They're all basically the same story.

[Miss Ismurii]

Isn't the new Harry Potter movie coming out soon??

[AestheticDeath]

How do you mean they are all parallel? In what way.

[SayGoodbye]

It comes out in November. http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/29/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-trailer/

[SHAFT]

Hey thanks for the post Deathravin. Makes me wanna read the Harry Potter series now. Nothing like a good, evil, badass villian.

[Clove]

Hey thanks for the post Deathravin. Makes me wanna read the Harry Potter series now. Nothing like a good, evil, badass villian.No kidding, since...


My guess is because HP has so many fans, that's how he got rated #1. I personally find the HP books boring and dull. And for the record, I own and read them all....apparently they're worth continuing to buy and read even if you find them boring and dull. What was it Ponzzz, did you think there would be that ONE that would grab you?

[The Ponzzz]

The girlfriend likes them, I buy them for her. So I took the time to read them. They are very yawntastic.

[DCSL]

I liked 'em, although I was embarrassed by the junior, pseudo-romance. I disagree with Voldemort being the top villain. He is only that because of his current popularity and his ubiquitous mediums, definitely. Not that he was an unworthy villain.

I'm of the school of thought that a hero can greatly be measured by the caliber of his/her nemesis and having someone like Voldemort makes Potter quite the little superhero. Epic, really. Voldemort has the fate of the world and every living creature on it in the palm of his hand, a villain that even really powerful adults find themselves hopelessly outmatched by.

I didn't think the books were boring (definitely better than the movies, as almost always) but you have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy them. Open, I guess.

[Deathravin]

Quick parralel between HP and Starwars:
Dumbledore teaches Voldemort, Voldemort goes evil, Voldemort kills Harry's parents, selecting (birthing?) his equal, Harry grows up an orphan with his mother's sister, Dumbledore teaches Harry, Harry defys Voldemort and his movement, then ends up defeating his enemy.

<<PAUSE>> The trailer just came out too www.harrypotter.com - AWESOME trailer btw.
(k, done)

Obi-Wan Kenobi teaches Anakin Skywalker, Anakin goes evil, Anakin is the father of Luke, Lukes mother dying in child birth and Anakin being (killed) turned into Darth Vader, Luke grows up an orphan with his mother's sister, Obi-Wan teaches Luke, Luke defys Vader and his government, then ends up defeating his enemy father Vader (thus transforming back into Anakin).

[Furrowfoot]

I've never read the Harry Potter books and don't really have an interest in them. But I am curious about Voldemort. I was reading a top 25 villian of all time list and they had Voldemort #1. They had him ahead of Vader and Lecter, so immediately I was curious about the guy.

What makes him so bad ass? I know people don't use his name, but what else?

Definitely read the books if you really want to get an understanding - I'm a huge fan to the point that I have a hard time enjoying the movies because there's a whole lot of subtlety and depth to the non-Harry characters in the books that gets lost in the films.

[Deathravin]

I can't really do the parralels between Harry Potter and LOTR without basically giving a syaposis of the 7th book which may be somewhat mean (and boring). But suffice it to say, there are seven 'rings' that need to be destroyed. Harry and Frodo basically have a very similar time in the 7th book.

And seriously, if that locket around the necks isn't the 'one ring' around Frodo's neck I don't know what is.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

I liked 'em, although I was embarrassed by the junior, pseudo-romance. I disagree with Voldemort being the top villain. He is only that because of his current popularity and his ubiquitous mediums, definitely. Not that he was an unworthy villain.

I'm of the school of thought that a hero can greatly be measured by the caliber of his/her nemesis and having someone like Voldemort makes Potter quite the little superhero. Epic, really. Voldemort has the fate of the world and every living creature on it in the palm of his hand, a villain that even really powerful adults find themselves hopelessly outmatched by.

I didn't think the books were boring (definitely better than the movies, as almost always) but you have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy them. Open, I guess.

Agreed. The romance cheapened it IMO and while I wouldn't say Voldemort is the top villain, he was certainly an absolute bad-ass and a pretty creepy personification of evil incarnate.

Also I agree on the subject of needing to be open to enjoying them and just take them as they are. No, it's not LOTR but I think it's a really far stretch to say they were boring or dull.

[Tisket]

Voldemort could kill people one-by-one quite easily.

Vader OWNED A DEATH STAR.

Vader wins.

[thefarmer]

Vader sounded scary.

Voldemort just has a whispering lispy thing going on.

[Methais]

Voldemort could kill people one-by-one quite easily.

Vader OWNED A DEATH STAR.

Vader wins.

I think Vader was more like the store manager with the Death Star, Grand Moff Tarkin being the district manager, and Palpatine being the owner.

[Tisket]

I think Vader was more like the store manager with the Death Star, Grand Moff Tarkin being the district manager, and Palpatine being the owner.

Blasphemous nitpicker. Vader just let them THINK they were in control.

[Furrowfoot]

Blasphemous nitpicker. Vader just let them THINK they were in control.

Vader didn't even own his suit - it was leased from Palpatine.

[Tisket]

Vader didn't even own his suit - it was leased from Palpatine.

And I'm sure he felt grateful as he threw Palpatine into the Death Star's reactor shaft KILLING HIM.

At that moment I'm sure his internal dialogue went something like: "Hah! Who's top dog NOW, bitch!"

[Peanut Butter Jelly Time]

...and you wonder why a feared children's icon has jumped passed Vader on the bad guy scale? It's like you're all cheering for him instead of hating/being afraid of him. At least Voldemort scares his target audience.

Seriously though, what does it say for us as Americans when a geeky wizard with a couple flamboyant tricks is our most feared villain? Heath Ledger's rather stunning portrayal of the Joker even has -him- raging beyond anything Voldemort stirred in me, in the movies anyway.

If the SAW series didn't go entirely to hell with SAW III, I think the Jigsaw character could've been near the top of this list, if not on top. Special mention to the ladies in Hostel, if only because hot chicks should never double cross you in a way that leads to pain or suffering, even if that's generally what always happens anyway. :(

[Tisket]

It's like you're all cheering for him instead of hating/being afraid of him.


Well, no shit...they are FICTIONAL characters after all. It would hardly be normal to hate or fear a movie character much beyond the end of the movie.

[Clove]

The girlfriend likes them, I buy them for her. So I took the time to read them. They are very yawntastic.Sure, play the poontang card. Still that's way better than the expected excuse (I was reading them to my kid).

[Deathravin]

My top 5 would probably go something like this:

Heath's Joker - He's just... evil... evil for the fun of it... "I hate warriors, too narrow-minded. I'll tell you what I do like though: a killer, a dyed-in-the-wool killer. Cold blooded, clean, methodical and thorough."

Vader - He's a loveable villian, he has some hope. You wanted to see him, something interesting was going on. But if you fuck with him, he's going to kill you - no matter the side you're on. One could make a case that Palpatine is more evil. He can infultrate two sides of the same struggle, pit them against themselves, cloud countless jedi's minds, and do it all in enough secrecy to not only destabalize the region, but to form a galactic empire with himself at the head, with all of the countless nations, losing their power, and applauding him for it. Smarts...

Voldemort - Voldy at least had people he would let get away with a lot. Pureblood wizards were just about the most important thing to Voldy. I think if he had actually MET salazar slitherin, he would have jizzed his pants... or whatever snakes have for jiz. He didn't kill for killing's sake, he was more of a Wizard Hitler. He hated muggles, but he was really just in search of absolute power. None too smart though.

Hannibal Lector - Hannibal was smart. He could occasionally be fooled, but he doesn't have a well defined driving force. He's like a Joker without that methodical anarchy in him. He just liked to eat people.

Professor Moriarty - Again, smart... I think I like smart villians.

[CrystalTears]

Heath's Joker - He's just... evil... evil for the fun of it... "I hate warriors, too narrow-minded. I'll tell you what I do like though: a killer, a dyed-in-the-wool killer. Cold blooded, clean, methodical and thorough."
At least use a quote from the Joker rather than from another awesome villian, Zorg. ;)

[Deathravin]

Can't find a dark knight script yet... But I do like that quote he has about knives with that cop in the interigation room.

[CrystalTears]

The Joker: [to Det. Stephens] Do you wanna know why I use a knife? Guns are too quick. You can't savor all the... little... emotions. In... you see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are. So in a way, I know your friends better than you ever did. Would you like to know which of them were cowards?

[Deathravin]

Lord Sauron is a pretty good one too. While not a 'smart' but more just 'brute force' and power hungry villian. should be above Moriarty I think in my list.

[Deathravin]

The Joker: [to Det. Stephens] Do you wanna know why I use a knife? Guns are too quick. You can't savor all the... little... emotions. In... you see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are. So in a way, I know your friends better than you ever did. Would you like to know which of them were cowards?

Where'd you find the script? I wouldn't mind reading some of it...

[CrystalTears]

Where'd you find the script? I wouldn't mind reading some of it...
I grabbed the quote from the memorable quotes on IMDB. I haven't seen the script available either.

[Stanley Burrell]

The Joker: [to Det. Stephens] Do you wanna know why I use a knife? Guns are too quick. You can't savor all the... little... emotions. In... you see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are. So in a way, I know your friends better than you ever did. Would you like to know which of them were cowards?

I :heart: this quote so much.

[Deathravin]

I like that one and the one about screwing up people's best laid plans at the end I think he was hanging upside down at the time.

[Stanley Burrell]

Oh right, Star Wars:

Umm, O.K., I just have to adjust my genitalia. Better. Here we go,

http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/9/99/Tusken_Raider2.jpg

Urrrrghhrrrghrhghrh was my favorite Tusken Raider. I could really identify with the guy. Badass mofo to the second power... of forever.

Assuming I played some sort of syndicated card game Urrrrghhrrrghrhghrh and Urrrrghhrrrghrhghrh's assault rifle were the FTW combo. Someone fucking stole my Darth Vader limited edition. But I took-without-asking some other 11-year-old's MtG red cards. So things are pretty even.

God, you guys are such nerds.

[Peanut Butter Jelly Time]

The lack of quality villains recently is almost as frustrating as Spongebob's life on Picture Day (see below). To be honest though, I think we're all underestimating the "classic" villains from the more or less recent past.

Ralph Fiennes as Amon Goeth in the unforgettable Schindler's List was one of the most powerful displays of any sort of villain we've ever seen. Psycho's Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) is seen to this day as one of (and often THE) best movie villain ever, not to mention Jack Nicholson's stirring adaptation of The Shining's Jack Torrance.

It's just kind of miserable that the best, truly hateable character we've had in the last decade was probably Joaquin Phoenix as Caesar in Gladiator.









http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI6ADB5yQBg

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Lord Sauron is a pretty good one too. While not a 'smart' but more just 'brute force' and power hungry villian. should be above Moriarty I think in my list.

Sauron just wasn't terrifying to me.

I mean obviously he was really freaking powerful and scary and stuff, but he always seemed to me to be more clearly just an IDEA of pure evil, rather than a personification of such.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

It's just kind of miserable that the best, truly hateable character we've had in the last decade was probably Joaquin Phoenix as Caesar in Gladiator.


Speaking of this, the Romans definitely have a monopoly on RL villains.

Rome had some pretty fucked up Ceasars.

[Jayvn]

Kefka baddest ass villain evar!

[SHAFT]

Kefka baddest ass villain evar!

Yes he was. Love Kefka. By far and away the coolest villain in the FF series.

How about Don Logan from Sexy Beast? Anyone catch that? Brilliant performance.

No no no no no no no no no no! I'm gonna kill you Gal.

[Tisket]

I thought the killer in "No Country For Old Men" was frightening. Evil that could actually exist and that you might bump into anywhere are what scare me:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w66/Sassy_Photos_2007/corliss_no_country_alt.jpg

[Methais]

Vader is still #1 in my book. Even after his death, he continues to terrorize unsuspecting people:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG2l5XwLrrI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAqMG_bSW6E

[Allereli]

I thought the killer in "No Country For Old Men" was frightening. Evil that could actually exist and that you might bump into anywhere are what scare me:

ooh good one.

I'd also definitely put the Emperor above Vader

Don't forget about Jason and Freddy

edit: oh and that tree in Evil Dead that rapes the girl

[Clove]

At least use a quote from the Joker rather than from another awesome villian, Zorg. ;)..

Oh, Father, you're so wrong. Let me explain. [closes office door, places an empty glass on desk] Life, which you so nobly serve, comes from destruction, disorder and chaos. Take this empty glass. Here it is, peaceful, serene and boring. But if it is... [pushes glass off table] destroyed... [robot cleaners move to clean broken glass] Look at all these little things. So busy now. Notice how each one is useful. What a lovely ballet ensues so full of form and color. Now, think about all those people that created them. Technicians, engineers, hundreds of people who'll be able to feed their children tonight so those children can grow up big and strong and have little teeny weeny children of their own, and so on and so forth. Thus, adding to the great chain... of life.

Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg - The Fifth Element

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

I thought the killer in "No Country For Old Men" was frightening. Evil that could actually exist and that you might bump into anywhere are what scare me:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w66/Sassy_Photos_2007/corliss_no_country_alt.jpg

Definitely a good one, he really creeped me out.

[Deathravin]

I thought I was the only one that liked 5th element.

[Tisket]

I thought I was the only one that liked 5th element.

You're seriously deluded if you really believed that.

[Methais]

I thought the killer in "No Country For Old Men" was frightening. Evil that could actually exist and that you might bump into anywhere are what scare me:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w66/Sassy_Photos_2007/corliss_no_country_alt.jpg

I just kept thinking of the oaf brother from Everybody Loves Raymond the whole time I watched that movie.