Bad to the bone and made for the screen, give me an advanced villain over a one note hero any old day but especially on April 29, National Villain Day.
Interestingly, and etymologically, the word villain translates to common villager and comes from the Medieval belief, held by the aristocracy, (and let’s be real those motherf—ers hold all the things) that the less wealthy amongst them were individuals “of uncouth mind and manners.”
Class struggles man, then, now and all the time.
Over time, the definition grew, uncouth became criminal behaviors and villain turn into synonymous with bad guys, low lives, fiends and foes.
The appearance of contemporary cinema has given rise to a few of the most memorable villains in the cultural collective, heroes are nothing without them and plots are hungry for them; from subtle psychos to super hero foils, mouth respiration maniacs to men who can’t eclipse their smothering moms, cannibal head cases to deprave kings, it takes every kind folks.
For those who’re feeling grim, take a moment to read our list of the most dangerous zodiac signs and the signs most definitely to commit murder. After you’ve been heartily cheered by those sunny subjects, read on for our list of the better of the baddies of film and learn more about what movie villain aligns with your zodiac sign.
Terminator, “The Terminator”
![10 Best Biker jackets in movie history](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/03/terminator.jpg?w=1024)
Director James Cameron credits a fever dream, a really Aries form of sleep cycle, with inspiring what would turn into the Terminator franchise.
Ruled by Mars, Aries represents the warrior archetype and Terminator is an apex Hunter-Killer who shoots anyone that gets in the way of his objective, energy that’s according to the impulsive, act now, ask questions later nature of the ram. Aries folk may be relentless in pursuit of an objective, additionally they look great in black leather and provides roughly zero f—s, three things that are incontestably true about Arnold Schwarzenegger as the OG Terminator.
Runner up but primary in our nightmares is red headed, scissor completely happy id incarnate Chucky from “Child’s Play.”
Gollum , “The Lord of the Rings”
![Gollum from the movie Lord of the Rings](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/04/lord_of_the_ring.jpg?w=1024)
Taurus is the sign of tangibility, rulers of the Second House of values and possessions, natives like fancy s–t and sometimes make the fatal mistake of conflating material goods with self price and/or habitually treat other people like possessions. At their most base bull selves, this manifests as abject greed, fixed considering and emotional hoarding. Themes clear in bent backed, gold rubbing, “my precious,” whispering Gollum.
Freddy Kruger, “Nightmare on Elm Street”
![Freddy.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/Freddy-1.jpg?w=1024)
Gemini is symbolized by the twins and the two sided archetype easily lends itself to stripe wearing, double talking and double lives, the province of super creep Freddy Kruger who managed for a time to be each a killer of kids and a father to 1.
In comparison with other “strong, silent, stalking” type 80’s murder villains, Kruger is a verifiable chatter box. Played by IRL Gemini Robert Englund, Kruger is all the time quick with a cringy dead pan.
Geminis live in the proverbial gray area and sometimes struggle to differentiate fantasy from reality.
True to the mutable, mercurial nature of his sign, Kruger kills for thrill in the liminal land of sleep. Runner up is Loki who embodies the subversive, trickster energy that is emblematic of Gemini.
Nurse Ratched , “One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest”
![ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, Louise Fletcher, 1975](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/MSDONFL_EC011.jpg?w=1024)
Cancers, with their access to the divine feminine, oceanic empathy and deep understanding of need are the great caretakers of the zodiac. At its highest expression this makes them true conduits of healing but when that care goes rancid and the must feel needed transfigures itself right into a dark love of control, a calcified exterior, and passive aggressive power plays you get stern, terrifying ‘take your medicine,’ mommy dearest type Nurse Ratched. In Ken Kesey’s book that inspired the film, Ratched is described as being big busted with an antiquated hairstyle. Consequently, Cancer rules the chest and breasts and is the most nostalgic sign in the zodiac. Played by IRL Cancer Louise Fletcher in the film, Ratched became an emblem not just for the corruption of the maternal but the corruption of institutional power.
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The Joker, “Batman”
![THE DARK KNIGHT, Heath Ledger as The Joker, 2008. ©Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/joker.jpg?w=1024)
The DC universe tells us that the Joker was born on August 1, making our man of mayhem a Leo sun. Leo rules the fifth house of delight and play, colloquially often called the “fun house” it’s the natural province of laughter, clowns, theatrics and decadence. The Joker, in all his painted face, chaos as cardio glory embodies the underbelly of this sign and the perversion of play. In true Leo form, he does nothing on a small scale or without an audience. His bad is big, his bad is daring and the spectacle he makes of his mischief is all the time a sight to behold.
Anton Chigurh , “No Country For Old Men”
![NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, Javier Bardem, 2007. ©Miramax/courtesy Everett Collection FILM STILL](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/MCDNOCO_EC093.jpg?w=1024)
Javier Bardem won an Oscar for his portrayal of shag rocking, cattle gun wielding psychopath and probable Virgo Anton Chigurh in “No Country For Old Men.” Virgo is ruled by Mercury, planet of the mind and the sign lords over the sixth house of labor and day by day efforts. Apropos of this, Anton is incredibly intelligent and really, excellent at being a success man. Ruthless? Yes. Impulsive? Never. True to the mutable nature of his sign he comes correct with calm, cool strategy and is quick to improvise and adapt. Mercury is, as you would possibly have guessed, mercurial and our man embodies this energy by leaving life and death as much as a coin toss.
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Darth Vader, “Star Wars”
![Star Wars Episode V Darth Vader on the gantry in the reactor shaft on Cloud City at Bespin. © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/12/rogue_vader1a.jpg?w=1024)
Libra is represented by the scales and balances and their solar quest symbolizes the everlasting seek for equanimity. In kind, dark lord Darth Vader was prophesied to be the chosen Jedi who would bring balance to the Force. Unfortunately, the scales tipped in a special direction and as a substitute brought us a pointy dressed, mouth respiration, death dealing style icon and the hottest villain in cinematic history. Runner up for Libra villain goes to Green Goblin, born on October 11 and fellow masked mouth breather Michael Myers, read more about his stars here.
Eric Killmonger, “Black Panther”
![BLACK PANTHER, Michael B. Jordan, 2018. © Marvel / © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/06/BLACK-PANTHER-SMELLS-LIKE-10S-SPIRIT.jpg?w=1024)
Manipulative and mistrustful, sexy in a really tortured way and driven by revenge, Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan personifies lots of the tell tale traits of the Scorpio archetype.
Scorpio is related to the eighth house of sex, death and regeneration and natives are notoriously single minded and ruthless in pursuit of their desires.
True to form, losing his father at an early age initiated Killmonger into death as a reality and the experience of that loss informed every decision he made in its wake. Emotionally complex he admits to his cousin T’Challa, “I lived my entire life waitin’ for this moment. I trained, I lied, I killed… simply to get here… And all this death… just so I could kill you.” All this death for a likelihood at vengeance, big time Scorpio vibes.
Jigsaw, “Saw”
![Tobin Bell in SAW IV.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/horror-movie-villain-based-on-your-zodiac-11.jpg?w=1024)
Ever the optimists, Sagittarius folk view life as an important gamble and aim to make the perfect of any hand they’re dealt or setback they’re saddled with.
Lemons to lemonade, challenge to opportunity, terminal cancer diagnosis to maim heavy YOLO cult revolution. Our galvanizing, gravel voiced Jigsaw, facing his own mortality seeks to show others be full present in and protective of the one, wild and precious life they should live.
These people have an actual joie de vivre and it’s easy to see how the wasted lives of others can be a thorn of their hoof. Sagittarius rules the ninth house of philosophy, higher leaning and universal truths and the extreme methods of this live for today guru ultimately seek to bring humans closer to themselves and the lives they are supposed to lead.
Lord Voldemort, “Harry Potter”
![FOR SUNDAY FEATURES FILM STILL RALPH FIENNES as Lord Voldemort in Warner Bros. Picturesǃ٠fantasy adventure ǃ˙HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS ÇƒÏ PART 2,ǃ˘ a Warner Bros. Pictures release.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/09/voldemort.jpg?w=1024)
Tom Marvolo Riddle was born on December 31, 1926 making the dark lord a real blue Capricorn. Those born under this sign often get a rough shake in the childhood department and are forced into adult roles or assume a gravity beyond their years.
He Who Cannot Be Named is not any exception, disowned by his muggle father and orphaned by the death of his magical mother, the Dark Lord comes of age in the grim confines of an orphanage.
Certain by ambition, to be the best and claw their solution to the top in any respect costs, Capricorns use setbacks, underestimation, and revenge fantasies as a form of accelerant for achievement and advancement. Checks out.
As a cardinal earth sign, Caps are attached to worldly goods and true to form, Voldemort took to stealing from his fellow orphans, hoarding their possessions as trophies. Later this materialism manifested as LV fracturing himself into seven tangible Horcruxes.
Hannibal Lecter, “The Silence of the Lambs”
![384593 04: Actors Anthony Hopkins stars as Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Julianne Moore stars as FBI Agent Clarice Starling in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures'' (and Universal Pictures in association with Dino De Laurentiis) thriller](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/Hannible-1.jpg?w=1024)
In keeping with the books that inspired the movies, Hannibal Lecter celebrates his birthday on January 20, 1933, making our favourite cerebral cannibal an Aquarius sun with a Scorpio moon.
It tracks. Water bearers discover with the archetype of the loner/genius, face pressed to the glass (or prison partitions) outsider. Aces at emotional detachment, chilling stillness and massive picture considering, Aquarians have high hopes for humanity and wild theories on how best to maneuver our species forward, in Lecter’s case, that equates to eradicating evil by eating it.
Lecter is many things, a superb manipulator, a linguist, a cannibal and a keen dealer of 1 liners but like most water bearers the one thing he refuses to be is strange.
Thanos, “Avengers: Infinity War”
![AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, Josh Brolin (as Thanos), 2018. ©Marvel/©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/thanos-infinity-war.jpg?w=1024)
Pisces folk swing wildly between bleeding heart and broken nihilist, a duality made manifest in hyper sensitive super villain/foster father with the gold hands and serious jawline, ladies and gentlemen, Thanos.
While his methods are problematic with top notes of genocidal maniac, it could possibly be argued that his guiding objective, to save lots of the resources of the planet and salvage life itself, is sort of pure.
Our man is working from a spot of pain (says that girl that’s loved many a villain in her day) as his quest to kill half the denizens of the universe was born from watching the people of his home planet perish consequently of unchecked overpopulation.
Pisces are big on escape and as Thanos maintains, “Reality is commonly disappointing. Now, reality may be whatever I would like,” spoken like a real, and truly unhinged Pisces.
Astrology 101: Your guide to the stars
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, popular culture and private experience. She can also be an achieved author who has profiled quite a lot of artists and performers, in addition to extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Amongst the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.