'Dark Knight' to 'Die Hard' movies in which the villains overshadowed the heroes

Over the years the film industry has produced several movies in which the antagonist overshadowed the protagonist. Even though the plot wasn't written to glorify the villain, the actors that played the characters impressed the audience with their performances.

Here is a list of Hollywood movies in which the villains overshadowed the heroes with their extraordinary performance on screen.

1. Dark Knight- Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger's portrayal of the psychopathic criminal mastermind, Joker in Christopher Nolan's 2008 film The Dark Knight, is considered to be one of the greatest villains in films, as well as one of the most iconic interpretations of the Joker. The movie was released posthumously, six months after Ledger's death, the performance received universal acclaim and numerous posthumous accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

2. Die Hard- Alan Rickman

Before he was known as Severus Snape from the Harry Potter franchise, Alan Rickman garnered popularity when he played cyber-terrorist Hans Gruber in Die Hard. Since his first appearance, Gruber has been cemented as one of the most iconic villains in film history – as well as often being ranked as the greatest action movie villain of all time and one of Rickman's most iconic roles. 

3. Inglourious Basterds- Christoph Waltz

Christoph Waltz received widespread critical acclaim for his portrayal of SS officer Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino's 2009 film Inglourious Basterds. Waltz nailed the role of Nazi officer nicknamed "the Jew Hunter" for his uncanny ability to locate Jews hiding throughout Occupied France. Waltz won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Best Actor Award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, among others.

4.  Silence of the Lambs- Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in the psychological horror film The Silence of the Lambs is regarded as one of the greatest performances in his career. Hopkin's portrayal of Hannibal, a serial killer who eats his victims, was named the greatest villain in American cinema by the American Film Institute.

5. Thor- Tom Hiddlestone

The Marvel Cinematic Universe' movie Thor introduced Chris Hemsworth's Thor to the audience at the same time it also introduced the God of Mischief Loki played by Tom Hiddlestone. Hiddlestone's Loki went on to become the main antagonist in several MCU movies and has over the years become sort of an anti-hero. Tom was also seen reprising his role in the mini-series Loki that received widespread critical acclaim 

Image: Instagram/@hanssgruber/@joker_reels_