Who's Your Favorite Twisted Character?

[Quantum]

Psychological thrillers come to mind when I think about twisted characters.

Perhaps, the best known is Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.

Who else? Who do you love to hate? Or do they reflect our own inner fear at who we could become, given the right--or wrong--circumstances?

[Tara Woods Turner]

Twisted characters are fascinating because it requires a lot of imagination to walk in their shoes -sometimes it's just impossible. Also it is more gratifying when the hero finds a way to defeat him. One of my favorite sick puppies is Rick from Joe Turk's Making Monsters

[M.L.]

Off the top I would say The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Jekyll-Hyde. A big part of it though is how much story Stevenson put into a relatively short book - word choice, everything counts.

[Matthew]

I always loved The Joker, the cackling psychopath who commits crimes that make sense, but only to him. Even before Heath Ledger gave his awesome performance, the character had incredible depth and development.

Then there's Raven, the quasi-antagonist from Snow Crash. He's a massive Aleut who has "Poor Impulse Control" tattooed on his head, a gift from the penal system that insists on indicating what a convict's problem is up front. And he's also a master with glass knives, harpoons, and hijacked a Russian sub single-highhandedly. Hence why the passenger car on his motorbike has a nuclear bomb sitting in it.

Of Raven, Stephenson wrote the following:

"Until a man is twenty-five, he still thinks, every so often, that under the right circumstances he could be the baddest motherf*@$%# in the world. If I moved to a martial-arts monastery in China and studied real hard for ten years. If my family was wiped out by Colombian drug dealers and I swore myself to revenge. If I got a fatal disease, had one year to live, and devoted it to wiping out street crime. If I just dropped out and devoted my life to being bad.

"Hiro used to feel this way, too, but then he ran into Raven. In a way, this was liberating. He no longer has to worry about being the baddest motherfucker in the world. The position is taken."

[M.L.]

Another favorite is Cersei Lannister from A Game of Thrones. I think she's qualifies as a little off center. Cersei takes no prisoners (to put it mildly). Great book.

[Tara Woods Turner]

Villain as anti-hero?

[Ian]

For me, any villain played by Alan Rickman. especially Hans Gruber from Die Hard, and the Sheriff of Nottingham.

[Tara Woods Turner]

Robert de Niro in Cape Fear. Fassbender from Twelve Years a Slave. *shudder*

[Matthew]

Ian wrote: "For me, any villain played by Alan Rickman. especially Hans Gruber from Die Hard, and the Sheriff of Nottingham."

Yeah, he was awesome. Also loved Jeremy Iron's portrayal of his brother, Hans.

[Nik]

Michael Corleone, Lord of War (with Nic Cage), Leon or maybe it's because I just love everyone there: from Luc Besson as a director to Jean Reno, Natalie Portman and Gary Oldman -:)

[Eldon]

Joker is always a good choice ;)

I would say Amy Dunne from Gone Girl...she was seriously twisted!!

[N.L.]

M.L. wrote: "Another favorite is Cersei Lannister from A Game of Thrones. I think she's qualifies as a little off center. Cersei takes no prisoners (to put it mildly). Great book."

Oooh Cersei is a great villain because she has humanity that's relatable. She loves her children more than anything and it's almost a redeemable quality... Almost.

[N.L.]

Tara wrote: "Robert de Niro in Cape Fear. Fassbender from Twelve Years a Slave. *shudder*"

Fassbender was SO GOOD in that but also SO BAD. UGH.

[N.L.]

Speaking of Fassbender, I started watched X Men Apocalypse last night (haven't finished it! no spoilers!) and his Magneto is complex: he wants to be good but life keeps screwing with him and pushing him toward 'the dark side', if you will. He's understandable and relatable, and that's probably what's scary about good villains (oxymoron?), we can see their side of the story. And if we can understand their point of view and relate to them on some level, is it within us to turn to the dark side too?

[Eric]

The Bighead by Edward Lee has one of the most twisted redneck characters I've ever seen. Trent "Balls" Conner does some things that i am not quite comfortable repeating here.

[Ian]

Andrew Scott's Moriarty in the BBC version of Sherlock.

Alice Morgan in Luther.

[M.L.]

Ian wrote: "For me, any villain played by Alan Rickman. especially Hans Gruber from Die Hard, and the Sheriff of Nottingham."

I love Alan Rickman, all the more when he is the villain.

[M.L.]

N.L. wrote: "M.L. wrote: "Another favorite is Cersei Lannister from A Game of Thrones. I think she's qualifies as a little off center. Cersei takes no prisoners (to put it mildly). Great book."

Oo..."

Cersei is great, absolutely treacherous. She does such horrible things, but I feel sorry for her, most of them really, they are all so trapped in their circumstances. I can't wait to see the big show down - have thoughts as to who I think will win, has to 'win.' I hope Martin catches up soon.

[Codex]

Cesare Borgia as played by Fran¢ois Arnaud, and his sidekick, Micheletto. Whenever you just begin to like the guys, they indulge in a spill of blood again.

[[deleted user]]

Colonel Hans Landa, from the movie 'INGLORIOUS BASTERDS', as played by Christof Waltz. He was the definite bad guy, but in such a funny way.

[Zee]

Michel wrote: "Colonel Hans Landa, from the movie 'INGLORIOUS BASTERDS', as played by Christof Waltz. He was the definite bad guy, but in such a funny way."

Yes, Christof Waltz in any baddie role! :)

I also have a thing for Raymond 'Red' Reddington from The Blacklist. Scary as all heck sometimes, kills without a conscience, charming, and no one touches his family and those he loves!

[Jen Pattison]

I did like Charles Dance in the BBC's version of And Then There Were None - educated, well-mannered, and thoroughly psychotic. He was also brilliantly cast as Lord Vetinari in Going Postal.

In literature, my favourite is Count Fosco in The Woman in White.

[Justin]

Vlad Tepes aka Vlad the Impaler. I read Vlad: The Last Confession and you really get to know the man behind the myth that is Dracula. Psychological, Diabolical, Sinister and just downright ruthless.