11. Tamao Serizawa (Crows Zero, played by Takayuki Yamada)
Suzuran High school, also known as” School of Crows”, is considered the most violent school in Japan. Gangs of students fight constantly with the ulterior motive of dominating the school, something that has yet to happen in its long history. Currently, the number one fighter at the school is Tamao Serizawa, also known as “King of Beasts”, who is very close to achieving his goal. However, Takiya Genji, the son of a Yakuza leader, makes his appearance, and his father has promised him his position in the organization if he manages to take over the school. Takayuki Yamada was always a cool actor, but in here he portrays a villain that is at least as appealing as the protagonist, a capacity that was cemented in the second film in the series. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
12. Shizu Ozawa (Guilty of Romance, played by Hisako Okata)
Sion Sono's masterpiece includes a series of truly horrific villains, but the one who definitely steals the show is Hisako Okata, who plays Mitsuko's mother, presenting one of the most terrifying smiles ever witnessed on screen, and one of the most unconventional family scenes, even for a Sono movie. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
13. Sam Pau (Project A, played by Dick Wei)
Taiwanese Dick Wei played secondary characters for the majority of his career in Shaw Bros and Golden Harvest, but his martial arts abilities were always appreciated, which is the reason his credits include more than 120 titles. One of his most iconic appearance is definitely as Sam Pau in Jackie Chan's masterful action comedy “Project A”, with him playing the role with a very fitting theatricality both in words and in movement. The final battle of the movie, which sees him fighting Chan along Sammo Hung and Yeun Biao, is definitely one to remember. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
14. Sgt Diosdado “Dadong” (Kisapmata, played by Vic Silayan)
Vic Silayan as “Dadong” puts intense psychological pressure on everyone around him, in a rather terrifying type of bullying that is impressive to watch, in all the scenes he appears in the movie. His carefully placed remarks, his laughter, all move towards the same direction, with the fact that he very rarely becomes violent actually adding to his horrifying persona. The second is the way De Leon and his DP Rody Lacap have framed the two-storied house, as a setting that is suffocating and claustrophobic, with the moments Dadong puts the bar on the door highlighting this approach in the most eloquent fashion. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
15. Thunderfoot (Drunken Master, played by Hwan Jeong-lee)
Hwan Jeong-lee will always retain a place in martial arts cinema history as one of the best kickers to ever appear on screen. One of his most iconic remains the one as Thunderfoot in “Drunken Master”, where he punishes a number of opponents, including Jackie Chan's Wong Fei-Hung, in a truly cruel battle that takes place during the beginning the movie. The final one, where he is finally beaten by the Drunken Fists style of his arch rival, is one of the most memorable scene in the vast filmography of both. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
16. Kunio Mamiya (Cure, played by Masato Hagiwara)
There's a deep sickness in the middle of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's intense psychological thriller “Cure”, and the diagnosis is never conclusive. A string of random murders where the victims are exsanguinated with large Xs carved into their necks hits a Japanese city, and detective Kenichi Takabe (Koji Yakusho) is caught up in the whirlpool of torment in their wake. It seems a puppet master is operating from the sidelines in the form of Masato Hagiwara's mysterious Kunio Mamiya, a drifter who feigns amnesia in order to get close to people before performing some diabolical mesmerism on his unsuspecting victims and planting homicidal seeds in their brains. He is a chilling presence, often acting like a lost toddler who doesn't know who people are or where he is, ignoring questions or just outright changing the subject when he comes close to letting the facade slip. But behind the vulnerable stupor lies an outright malevolence, leading normal people to do the unspeakable with a flick of his lighter and a touch of his hand. Also being the owner of one of cinema's scariest apartments, Mayima is a terrifying villain precisely because the viewer can see themselves in his victims; we all want to be a good Samaritan to those in need, and every person who performs an act of kindness in “Cure” is met by Mayima's merciless, motiveless evil. (Simon Ramshaw)
17. The Bad (The Good, the Bad, the Weird, played by Lee Byung-hun)
Lee Byung-hun channels a charming arrogance and aloofness as Chang-yi that makes even his most cold-blooded actions in this movie so damn fun to watch. The ruthless and sadistic gang-leader is a role we've seen play out countless times, and while Byung-hun's “The Bad” doesn't break the mould in that regard, he does add a few nuances to the character that make him more than just a one-note killer. Furthermore, his overall style and coolness feel the screen every time he appears on it.
18. The Giggling General (Eastern Condors, played by Yuen Wah
Yuen Wah steals the show in Sammo Hung's epic war picture despite not turning up into the last third. With a cast filled with martial arts villainy, his effete General is a stand out, constantly cooling himself down with a fan and giggling like a child. Despite the unthreatening appearance he unleashes his skills in climactic confrontations with Yuen Biao and Hung. He also gets to go out in style with an explosive exit. Truly a memorable villain! (Ben Stykuc)
19. Mother (Moebius, played by Lee Eun-woo)
A spouse discovers her husband is having an affair and in order to reciprocate, she decides to castrate their only son and even eats the severed member before she runs away. What more to say about one of the most onerous villains ever to appear on screen. Lee Eun-woo steals the show in the movie with her performance, being utterly convincing as both the vigilant, paranoid mother and the sexually perverted mistress.
20. The Businessman (The Sadness, played by Tzu-Chiang Wang)
One of the most unsubtle and shocking horror films seen on screen lately, “The Sadness” by Rob Jabbaz is inspired by the Crossed comic book series and fuelled by the recent Covid pandemic. In no time, protagonists Jim and Kat realise that a mutating Alvin virus is causing chaos and the flimsy plot follows them trying to reunite while the infection spreads and humanity descends into unspeakable depravity. Alvin, in fact, brings out the absolute worst in people, and the infected give in to their darkest basic impulses. Within a rich gallery of unnamed nasty characters doing revolting things, one stands out for his relentlessness; an old businessman who timidly approach Kat in the underground and at her rejection turns into a raging, cursing monster. He embodies the nastiest, misogynistic repressed fury and he doesn't let go; on the contrary, once fully infected, he turns into a black-eyed, blood-thirsty, axe-wielding depraved beast that will hunt you down. (Adriana Rosati)
