Cruella de Vil, Voldemort and the 25 greatest movie villains of all-time

13. Jack Torrance

When it comes to villains who make a lasting impression, Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of John Daniel Edward “Jack” Torrance in The Shining might be one that stands out among the rest. In fact, you would almost have to say that beyond being one of the greatest movie villains of all time, Jack Torrance might just be one of the greatest characters ever created.

While the novel that Torrance’s character is based on gives him a more sympathetic light, in the movies we aren’t looking for sympathy for Jack. Instead, the movie makes it clear from the very beginning that this is a man struggling with his sanity. In fact, one would almost say that he is already in the midst of insanity when we first meet Jack Torrance in the hotel manager’s office.

And let’s not forget the fact that he actually puts an axe through someone’s chest, which is definitely a gruesome way to kill a person. While the hotel Jack Torrance is staying in is already haunted and perhaps even evil in its own right, Jack seems to feed off all the negative energy. He has no problem unleashing his own brand of evil on people and that helps to make him one of the great villains in cinematic history.

Although Stephen King created the character in his novel, what Jack Nicholson did with him made him the iconic bad guy we know today. Besides, who else could have made the line, “Here’s Johnny” so iconic and sinister in one fell swoop?