The 4 Ways To Write A Perfect Villain Entrance

Hans Landa's introduction in the first fifteen minutes of Inglorious Basterds is one of the best villain introductions ever put to film. It displays everything about him - his cunning, his charm, his pride in being good at his task, even if he wishes it was more important to him. You instantly get a sense of how utterly terrifying he is and it causes him to steal every subsequent scene he's in.

Darth Vader’s intro at the end of Rogue One was terrifying. Really the first time I saw him as not a tall robotic moving guy who we all knew was good with the force. He ripped those guys to shreds before boarding Leah’s ship which really gave a new respect for him

I think Gus Fring from Breaking Bad has a fantastic villain entrance in part because it's so unassuming. It demonstrates all these steps in such a mellow and careful way. It shows how shrewd and calculated he is, while giving a small slip of the facade when Walt suggests they are alike. I've just always thought it was a very well executed scene.

Not sure how well-known this one will be, but I've got to give a shout out to the entrance of Megatron from Transformers Animated. Moments earlier, his crew, having just been introduced, are all bickering amongst themselves, then the doors open, we get Megs, and all of them shut up instantly and stand at attention. No music, just the sound of the guy's metallic footsteps as he walks past before ordering a status report. No humour around the guy, just straight to business. Loved it 😊

Wow this really feels like a video that was needed. Villains with memorable entrances are usually the best.

One of my favorite villain entrances is that of The Judge in Blood Meridian. He's immediately described as physically huge and imposing, but rather than demonstrating his physical power, the scene demonstrates his charisma, intelligence, craftiness, and sway over the people around him.

Hans Gruber’s intro in Die Hard is a classic. I love how calm and in control he is the whole time while his minions around him frantically carry out his wishes.

Okay i feel like theres a 5th one the Megamind in me cant help but add. Presentation! How a villain looks (fashion wise) and how the location frames them can play a huge part in selling their personality or unique skill. You buy thanos beating the hulk because the ship around them is already in smoking ruins. Vader walking through smoke with his cap fanning out behind him as he boards Leia's ship is an iconic shot from the first star wars movie. Scar's personality and way of holding himself in front of mufasa sells him as the villian even if mufasa never shows fear during the scene (tho maybe that was the point of the mouse? To have something fear Scar when the King couldnt).

The intro of omni man, the way once he kills the first guardian. And the fact the music stops and he begins his genocide. Really makes the scene feel more real without any music in the background and it really works.

Omni mans entrance as a villain killing the guardians was perfect. It also happens to fulfill all of these aspects of a villain intro

I think the best villain entrance and one of my favorite scenes in all of cinema is Kung Fu panda's tai lung

The Kilmonger intro was and is very iconic. It showed that he was highly intelligent, well versed in history, and his aura was one of danger, similar to a wile animal on the lose. It why she was scared of him

The kethric intro will stick with me as the first villain in a game that I was truly intimidated by. I expected a standard angry yell and just kill the goblin like they always do. But when he pulled it out and demanded she try again I was like “oh dang. This is serious.” Like I was genuinely dreading having to fight him.

The flood's introduction in Halo CE followed this really well. 1. Demonstrated skill by showing how easily it wiped out not only Keyes and his marines, but also the covenant. 2. Demonstrated its uniqueness by showing that it can infect and reanimate bodies. 3. Demonstrated its success because it was freed from containment and forces THE MASTER CHIEF to flee. 4. Most importantly, demonstrated the fear it caused expertly with the entire eerie buildup of the first half of the level, and the frantic escape for the second half. It starts off far quieter than every other level, you see covenant troops fleeing from seemingly nothing, you find a marine who's gone crazy and starts shooting at you in a panic. Then a cutscene divides the two parts of the level in a creepy found-footage style perspective as Chief taps into a marine's helmet cam. You watch as a squad gets DEVOURED in the room you're standing in RIGHT now, and then you're swarmed by them with intense and creepy music against an entirely new enemy.

I think the Wilson Fisk (AKA Kingpin) introdcution in Daredevil season 1 was perfect. He was hinted at, spoken about in hushed whispers, and didn't make an appearance until episode 4. Up to this point you know (have been told (by way of conversation and body language)) that he runs a criminal organisation with multiple syndiates at his control, inspires fear, and is in control of the Hell's Kitchen underworld. The scene is so at odds with expectation. He is standing in front of a large white painting. After some conversation with a woman that approaches him, she describes art as only being important in how it makes you feel. "It makes me feel... alone." In such a softly spoken way that Vincent D'Onofri delivers, it gives me chills. Knowing what the character is and the raw violence he is capable of, the subdued entrance works perfectly.

Love your idea of Demonstrate don’t describe rather than show don’t tell. I think a lot of beginning writers (myself included) tend to think we’re doing villain intros right by describing just how fearsome or devious the villain looks through the characters’ eyes rather than letting that fearsomeness be seen right away. Better to leave the way a villain looks up to the reader’s imagination with a few key descriptions and give them the villains actions to solidify their terror. Especially important for a visual medium. Great advice!

Combustion man is actually really interesting because he really doesn't have any backstory or character development, he never says a single thing, but we all love him as a villain, partly because sparky sparky boom man is funny, but also because he's more like a force of nature I suppose. The episodes where he appears are actually some of the most interesting and enjoyable to me.

A moment where the villain makes it clear that the difference between them and the protagonist (or protagonist stand-in) isn't a disparity of purely material, privilege, or general power in nature; it's a matter of will, ability, skill. I am where I am because I'm better than you. You are where you are because you have not attained my level.

I have to say, the scene at the end of rogue one really checks off all the boxes for me here. Yes, Darth Vader’s introduction in episode 4 works just as well, but I really felt the fear in the rogue one scene.

When he mentions the villains wielding fear, around 9:05, I thought of the shown entrance of Lilith in Diablo IV. She doesn't wield fear - she gives people hope, but that hope is shown as a demented, twisting thing that turns people into abominations. Also an effective entrance.