Since the release of Obi-Wan Kenobi, fans have been thrown back into a world where the good guys lost, and the evil Empire rose above the muck. In the aftermath of the loss of the Jedi, the galaxy remains in turmoil, and utter devastation continues to be wreaked over the innocent populace.
But Obi-Wan Kenobi isn’t the only story that depicts a world where the antagonists win. There are many iconic films that showcase stories that end with the heroes lost or dead and with the villain standing above in victory. In fact, it’s a common enough occurrence that fans on the website Ranker have actually compiled a list of the best films starring victorious villains.
No Country For Old Men
The perfect modern Western, No Country for Old Men follows the adventures of a hitman, a Vietnam vet, and a sheriff after a secret trove of money is discovered in a barren desert in Texas. Though many viewers likely expected the hitman to be captured prior to the veteran’s death, the film took an entirely different route.
In the end, the veteran who discovered the money is killed, the hitman recovers his funds, and the sheriff retires, traumatized by the brutality of the hitman’s actions. It turns the story into a true tragedy and adds a heavy weight to the ending of the story. Without such a depressing ending, it’s likely No Country for Old Men wouldn’t be the hit it was — and the title wouldn’t fit as well either.
Fight Club
Though a box office bomb, Fight Club is today regarded as a cult classic that helped reshape many people’s perception of modern film protagonists. Given that the protagonist doubled as Tyler Durden, the antagonist, had either character reigned victorious in the end, it’s likely that the villain always would have won.
Yet, with the unnamed Narrator falling victim to a deadly explosion, it’s hard to say that Durden didn’t win at the end of the film. Though Durden dies, he ends the Narrator’s consumerism and eventually manages to destroy several buildings in the process. It’s a disheartening ending, but one that leaves viewers thinking for a long while after.
The Green Mile
As one of the best Stephen King movies, there are few films with as tragic an ending as The Green Mile. Though a prison guard comes to realize that one of his inmates — a Black man falsely accused of heinous crimes — has mystical abilities, the man is executed regardless and goes to his grave with a smile on his face.
It’s a horribly tragic moment that weighs on fans long after the credits roll. The fact that the prison guard lives a supernaturally long life in the aftermath adds some degree of consequence, but the fact that the execution went through regardless of innocence made the film utterly painful. After having had so much time to empathize with the prisoner, there was nothing worse than watching him go to his end, expressing his fear of the dark.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
After trying to avoid a hard labor prison sentence, Randle McMurphy found himself pleading insanity and being sentenced to an institution, under the jurisdiction of the stern Nurse Ratched. Yet despite attempting to lead a revolt against Ratched, McMurphy is subjected to a lobotomy, ending his crusade while Chief escapes.
While the last scene does provide One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest with a hopeful ending, the fact that Nurse Ratched remained in an authority position kept it from being truly optimistic. Though the patients celebrate, they remain under her supervision, and thus she claims the true victory in the end. The revolt is spoiled, and the audience is left disappointed and wanting, even mourning McMurphy’s loss.
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith
The conclusion of the prequel trilogy, Star Wars Episode III proved to be the best of the trilogy and one of the best movies of Ewan McGregor’s career. Depicting the fall of the Jedi Order and the rise of Darth Vader and Palpatine, the film is never better than the moment Order 66 is revealed, as the Clone Troopers turn around to execute the Jedi.
Star Wars is at its best when it handles heavy themes, and the ending of this film truly sets up the original trilogy better than any other. It adds an extra element of tragedy to Vader while making Obi-Wan an even more sympathetic hero. Though the film gets slightly goofy when Vader is shrieking “No!” to Palpatine, the weight of the fall of the Jedi remains clear regardless.
The Usual Suspects
While parts of it haven’t aged well, The Usual Suspects remains a renowned film well-regarded for its divisive ending, wherein Verbal, secretly a mass murderer and urban legend, escapes custody and walks off without anyone even knowing to stop him.
For a film with a heavy reliance on action, it’s this one scene — devoid of on-screen violence or death — that really leaves its mark on audiences. The main mystery of the film is resolved, and the antagonist doesn’t have to face a single moment of justice. The ending left its mark on viewers and made The Usual Suspects instantly worthy of a rewatch, just to see if there were any hints to the final reveal.
Seven
Following a series of oddly thematic murders, a police department is desperate to hunt down a seven deadly sins inspired murderer. As the detectives investigate, they eventually find the killer, who manages to force one of the detectives to play the part of Wrath by killing him at the climactic moment of the film.
Had it ended with the arrest of the serial killer, Seven might have been dismissed as another generic noir film. However, that ending — and the heavy implications it carries about the role of police and the nature of humanity — helped it secure its place as an incredible and memorable movie.
The Silence Of The Lambs
Though Hannibal Lector is a horror villain without a lot of screentime, the Silence of the Lambs star certainly came out of the film with a definite victory. Having escaped his cell and returned to his former criminal activities, Lector is left out in the world to wreak havoc once more.
While Lector wasn’t the primary villain of the film, he was certainly an extremely antagonistic presence that stole the show in his every scene. There’s a reason he managed to star in a show of his own, after all. But it was the ending of The Silence of the Lambs that really helped catapult Lector into stardom.
Avengers: Infinity War
Sometimes, all it takes to cause a universal crisis is a snap of giant purple fingers and a golden metal glove. When Thanos snapped in Infinity War, he won the battle and slaughtered half of all life in the universe. The viewer was left anxious, desperate to see how the Avengers would bring back lovable heroes like Doctor Strange and Spider-Man.
Given that the movie nailed its final scenes, it fully established that the film’s antagonist reigned supreme. Anything the Avengers hoped to do to contest him would have to be done in the sequel. It added considerable suspense to the year-long wait between Infinity War and Endgame while adding an indescribable emotional weight to the sequel film.
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
One of the most rewatchable Star Wars films, Empire Strikes Back ends with the terrible realization that Darth Vader was Luke’s father. Given that Luke tumbles down the shaft near the end, having lost his hand, a friend, and his morale, it is often considered an even darker film than Revenge of the Sith.
But that darkness meant that the characters were each at their lowest points. And, at their lowest, the only thing for them to do was to climb. It made the sequel that much more incredible when the characters rose above the Empire and managed to pull Vader back to the light.
Next: The 10 Funniest Quotes From The Empire Strikes Back
