20 best movie villains of all time

Jareth (Labyrinth)

There is no villain with as much style as Jareth the Goblin King. Jareth, played by David Bowie in the 1986 film Labyrinth, rules over another realm where goblins and other strange creatures are around every corner.

When Sarah is stuck babysitting her little brother, he won’t stop crying … so she accidentally summons the goblin king when she wishes he would take her brother away. Unfortunately, her wish comes true, and Jareth and his goblins take the baby away, giving her 13 hours in the Labyrinth to get to his castle and save her brother.

Sarah slowly starts finding her way in the labyrinth and realizes things aren’t as they seem. Jareth is cunning and all-knowing, watching Sarah’s every move from his crystal ball. He even forces Hoggle, who’s been helping Sarah through the maze, to give Sarah a cursed peach that sends her into a deep slumber.

Jareth never seems to get very angry, and when he does, it’s still with a calm demeanor. He doesn’t need to raise his voice to instill fear in his subjects. And since he’s played by David Bowie, we’re treated to some amazing musical numbers throughout the film as well. As evil as Jareth may be, he sure can slay a song and dance, and his makeup is on point the entire movie.

Jareth’s power thrives on inconveniencing other people and trying to confuse them with his many riddles and tricks, but when Sarah resists all his temptations, she defeats the all-powerful Jareth by simply declaring “You have no power!”

Okay, so he was defeated by a teenage girl, but that doesn’t make him any less of an iconic villain.