While villains are often the most hated characters in movies, these 10 action movies feature characters that are actually more dislikable than the main antagonist. Whether they be henchmen, supporting characters, or even protagonists, some characters just have something about them that makes them more despicable than the main villain. While these characters are rare, they're always a site to behold, with action movies having a disproportionate amount of these extra-hatable characters.
A hero is only as good as their villain, and that is even more true in action movies. Often these stories follow an underdog attempting to take down a vast criminal organization or empire, with films like Die Hard, Kill Bill, and even the entirety of Star Wars fitting this mold. Hans Gruber, the T-1000, Agent Smith, and Immortan Joe are just some of the iconic action movie heroes that have made the blood of audiences boil for decades, and that's not even to mention Marvel or DC's impressive rogues' gallery. However, having side characters that are even more disliked is an interesting anomaly, and here are some good examples.
9 Major Arnold Toht - Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the quintessential 80s action movies, and while its villain is great, its secondary antagonist is so dislikable that he has become the most iconic evildoer in the Indiana Jones franchise. While Dr. René Belloq is a bad guy obsessed with money, Major Arnold Toht is the definition of evil. After all, Toht is a literal Nazi. His ruthlessness and genocidal motivations make him a terrifying foe to face off against, and the constant reminders of his Nazi allegiance make it all the more satisfying to see Major Arnold Toht's face melt off when the Ark of the Covenant is opened.
8 Elle Driver - Kill Bill
Despite the character's name being in the title, Bill actually isn't seen a whole lot in Kill Bill. However, the opposite is the case for Elle Driver, the eyepatched Deadly Viper Assassin whose hatred for Beatrix Kiddo is personal. Out of all of Kill Bill's villains, Elle Driver seems to get much more enjoyment out of torturing Beatrix than the rest of the assassins, with her gleefully pulling off the massacre at Beatrix's wedding. Elle is motivated by her love for Bill, which makes her seem even more twisted considering his characterization. Luckily, Elle gets her comeuppance during Kill Bill's brutal trailer fight.
7 Clarence J. Boddicker - RoboCop
Due to RoboCop's satirical nature, the OCP CEO simply named Old Man is the obvious villain of the first two films in the franchise. However, Clarence J. Boddicker is downright evil. Boddicker is the one behind Alex Murphy's RoboCop transformation, being the one to fire the shot that nearly killed him. Boddicker is terrifying because, unlike most other RoboCop villains who are motivated by corporate greed, Boddicker's driving motivation seems to only be hedonism. Boddicker has no morals, and just steals and kills as he pleases, earning him his spot as the series' most recognizable villain.
6 Harry Ellis - Die Hard
Harry Ellis barely gets any screen time in Die Hard, and he isn't even a villain, but he is definitely more hated than Hans Gruber. Early in the film, Harry is shown harassing Holly, even though she is clearly not interested. It isn't known if Harry is a jerk while he's not on cocaine, but the copious amount of drugs he takes during Die Hard surely doesn't help. Then, in an absolutely rage-inducing scene, Harry instantly betrays all of the hostages, giving John McClane's identity up to the terrorists in an attempt to help his own personal standing.
5 Cypher - The Matrix
The Matrix has a lot of villains, from Agent Smith to the Machines, but Cypher is easily the most despicable. Cypher betrays the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar in order to continue living in blissful ignorance inside of the Matrix, with the character being so smug about his decision. Joe Pantoliano's performance makes Cypher come off as the biggest jerk in The Matrix, making it even worse. On top of that, Cypher is a human, meaning that his villainy comes from his own personal choices whereas the villainy of the Machines comes from their programming.
4 Winston - John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum
Winston is a good friend of John Wick throughout the first two films and is still a trusted ally in John Wick: Chapter 4. However, Winston's betrayal of John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum makes him even worse than the film's main villain, The Adjudicator. Winston completely turns against John just so that he can keep his hotel, making his motivations rather shallow. Winston declares John ex-communicado and puts the first bounty on his head, creating a deadly situation for John. At the end of the film, Winston even shoots John, with it being unknown if he was intending to kill or not.
3 Bats - Baby Driver
Played by Jamie Foxx, Bats is just one member of the gang in Baby Driver, but it is incredibly easy to despise him. Rather than the relatively sane villains like Doc, Buddy, and Darling, Bats is a massive sadist, with the wild card getting the criminals into all kinds of trouble. The worst part, though, is when Bats shoots and kills an innocent security guard for absolutely no reason. This scene solidifies the audience's hatred as well as Baby's hatred for Bats, with Baby deciding to take measures into his own hands by killing him.
2 Scarecrow - The Dark Knight Rises
Bane is the main villain in The Dark Knight Rises, but Scarecrow also returns from Batman Begins in a supporting role. While Bane is evil, he is given a sympathetic backstory and enough motivation to make him more than just a comically evil bad guy. Scarecrow, on the other hand, uses the newfound anarchy to run a kangaroo court where he unjustly executes Gotham's elite. It's difficult for a character in such a small role to leave such an impact on a film, but Scarecrow's villainous acts in The Dark Knight Rises do just that.
1 Mutt Williams - Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is notoriously hated, and while not many people remember Irina Spalko, almost everyone remembers Shia LaBeouf's Mutt Williams. Mutt was hated upon his introduction to the Indiana Jones franchise, with him being set up as a replacement for Harrison Ford's Indy. The backlash against Mutt was so big that these plans were scrapped, with Mutt not being seen again since Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Despite being an action movie hero, Mutt Williams is the most hated character in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.