The Star Wars franchise and the Marvel Cinematic Universe have both churned out some fantastic villains in 2022 in Darth Vader and Wanda Maximoff. It's par for the course with these iconic series that have always churned out their fair share of memorable antagonists.
While the villains in each respective franchise are unique in their own right, there are plenty of similarities between the antagonistic personalities that challenge the world's favorite heroes. As fans get excited for new projects like Andor and She-Hulk, these villainous comparisons have never been as intriguing.
Cad Bane - Ulysses Klaue
Cad Bane is a Duros bounty hunter from the Star Wars franchise, who is responsible for some of the most important episodes in the Clone Wars series. His Marvel Cinematic Universe counterpart, Andy Serkis's Ulysses Klaue, is a weapons dealer with a checkered history regarding the African nation of Wakanda.
Both of these characters are loose cannons in their respective franchises, not truly following any allegiance except to themselves and seeking a profit above anything else. However, while Klaue is a wild card in the sense that even he isn't quite sure of his own next move, Bane is calculating and strategic, never making a move without a backup plan.
Grand Moff Tarkin - Ronan The Accuser
Grand Moff Tarkin is a high-ranking official in the Imperial Army and the commanding officer of the Death Star in A New Hope. His Marvel parallel, Ronan the Accuser, is a Kree fanatic who believes that wiping out the population of the planet Xandar is the only way to exact justice for years of warfare between his people and theirs.
Both Tarkin and Ronan work in service to a greater power that finds them useful, but only to a point. Cold and callous, neither character finds great meaning in the lives of their enemies. And, while each of these villains very nearly defeated his respective heroes, both ultimately failed in the last moment, dying before they could achieve their goal.
Grand Admiral Thrawn - Helmut Zemo
Grand Admiral Thrawn is the greatest strategic mind in the Star Wars universe, who makes his most substantial appearance throughout the animated series Star Wars: Rebels. His MCU parallel, Helmut Zemo, is the primary antagonist of Captain America: Civil War, who orchestrates the division of the Avengers.
Both Thrawn and Zemo have brilliant minds, staying several steps ahead of their enemies. While Thrawn is undoubtedly even more prolific in strategy than Zemo, each of these villains managed to tear apart their respective heroes by playing the long game, proving to be two of the most destructive antagonists of all time.
Supreme Leader Snoke - Malekith
Supreme Leader Snoke is the leader of the First Order in the sequel trilogy of Star Wars, training Kylo Ren in the ways of the Sith. He finds his counterpart in the antagonist of Thor: The Dark World, the Dark Elf leader Malekith, who sought the destruction of Asgard through the Convergence.
Snoke mirrors Malekith in the unfortunate areas. The Supreme Leader was initially set up as the Big Bad of the sequel trilogy, only to be unceremoniously killed off in The Last Jedi, ending his involvement in the series. Malekith similarly received a fair deal of build-up during his respective appearance, only to disappoint on every level, quickly being forgotten by the fanbase at large.
Kylo Ren - Loki
Kylo Ren, once known as Ben Solo, is the former apprentice of Luke Skywalker who abandoned his master after being seduced to the Dark Side of the Force. He most closely resembles the Norse god of mischief Loki, who is undoubtedly one of the MCU's most scheming villains.
Both Kylo Ren and Loki act out of rage and pain in their villainous actions, wishing to prove themselves in the only way they know how. Despite their evil deeds, however, each of these characters buries their heroic qualities, only to redeem themselves in the very end.
General Grievous - Ultron
General Grievous is the leader of the Separatists' Droid Army during the Clone Wars and one of the most fearsome warriors of his time. His counterpart in the MCU, the sentient AI known as Ultron, served as one of the Avengers' most profound challenges, nearly destroying the world by turning Sokovia into a humongous asteroid.
Grievous and Ultron are both generals leading armies built of metal which cause far more destruction than the salvation they claim to bring. While each of these villains is dangerous in their own right, both only serve as a distraction from the true threat that lurks in the shadows.
Count Dooku - Kaecilius
Count Dooku is the one-time master of Qui-Gon Jinn and a fallen Jedi who, after becoming disillusioned with the Order and the Republic, began the Separatist movement under the secret guidance of Darth Sidious. Meanwhile, Kaecilius is the primary antagonist of Doctor Strange who seeks to bring the dark entity Dormammu to his own dimension.
Dooku and Dormammu were both disciples of a higher calling until becoming disillusioned by the legitimate hypocrisy of their superiors therein. Defecting from their cause, each of these villains eventually came to serve a dark power who deceived them with promises of greatness, only to betray them in the end.
Darth Maul - Abomination
Darth Maul is a Sith apprentice who acts as the main antagonist of The Phantom Menace, confronting Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn on Naboo. His parallel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Emil Blonsky, also known as the Abomination, was the very first villain faced by the Hulk in 2008's The Incredible Hulk.
Maul and Abomination are both unchecked monsters using their animalistic instinct to wreak havoc on their enemies. From a behind-the-scenes standpoint, each of these characters also found greater success in their television portrayals; Blonsky is set to re-appear in Disney+'s She-Hulk series, whereas Maul became responsible for some of the greatest arcs in Star Wars television.
Darth Vader - Gorr The God Butcher
Darth Vader is a Sith Lord and one of the most iconic villains ever put to screen. His story ultimately mirrors that of a recent addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe canon, Gorr the God Butcher. Gorr is the primary antagonist of Thor: Love and Thunder who vows to kill every so-called god in the known universe, including Thor and his allies.
Both Vader and Gorr fight from a place of hurt, as both villains had their families stolen from them by a cruel twist of fate. While neither can ever be forgiven for all of their terrible actions, both find redemption in their final moments, choosing to preserve the lives of their respective offspring rather than continue their villainous deeds.
Darth Sidious - Thanos
Emperor Sheev Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious, is the mastermind behind the rise of the Empire, whose schemes lead to the fall of the galaxy's former regime. His MCU counterpart, Thanos, saw the universe heading toward a slow destruction and sought to save it by wiping out half of all life, thereby at the very least staving off the galaxy's inevitable end.
Both Palpatine and Thanos were adept at playing the long game, spending decades plotting their wicked schemes and serving as the ultimate big bad of their respective sagas. However, whereas Palpatine orchestrated his rise in order to consolidate power for himself, Thanos was sincere in his quest to save the galaxy, though misguided in his actions.