Set roughly 20 years after the occasions of the Oscar-winning first movie, Gladiator II tells a brand new story concerning the Roman Empire and those that dared to defy it. Ridley Scott’s unique movie featured two Roman emperors, one good (Marcus Aurelius) and one very dangerous (Commodus); likewise, Gladiator II additionally includes a pair of real-life emperors, solely this time each match most clearly into the villain class. As performed by Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger, respectively, Geta and Caracalla are twin brothers whose reign as co-emperors is marked by cruelty, corruption, and chaos.
“Their bloodthirsty whims and equally unpredictable temper swings make this nightmarish pair of little freak boys worthy successors to Joaquin Phoenix’s supremely simpering Commodus. Their antics border on slapstick, however Quinn and Hechinger are every so temperamental and off-putting that they by no means allow you to neglect the hazard Geta and Caracalla pose to Rome’s future,” wrote IGN’s Tom Jorgensen in his Gladiator II assessment.
Geta and Caracalla, nonetheless, are simply the newest in a protracted line of depraved emperors to grace the display screen. Certainly, evil emperors – some actual, some fictional – have lengthy been the villains that the forces of freedom should overcome in films, video video games, TV, literature, and comics.
Listed below are the ten finest worst emperors that popular culture has yielded to this point, beginning with …
Caligula
This 1979 Italian cult traditional stars Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange) because the titular younger Roman who assumes management of an empire in decline and, by the movie’s finish, has grown mad in his quest to destroy and humiliate Rome’s ruling political class. Depravity and corruption abound on this erotic manufacturing from Bob Guccione, founding father of Penthouse journal, who added hardcore intercourse scenes in post-production. Stalwarts of the British stage and display screen like Helen Mirren, Peter O’Toole, and John Gielgud spherical out an ensemble far too elegant for this notoriously crass affair.
Commodus
One other real-life Roman emperor, Commodus, the demented son of the esteemed Marcus Aurelius, was portrayed by Christopher Plummer in 1964’s The Fall of the Roman Empire and, extra famously, by Joaquin Phoenix in 2000’s Gladiator. Phoenix performs Commodus as murderously jealous of his father’s most loyal normal and surrogate son Maximus. After Commodus kills Marcus, Maximus goes on an epic journey that sees him turn into a gladiator out for revenge towards now Emperor Commodus. Ridley Scott’s luxurious sword & sandal epic not solely vividly recreates Historical Rome however, by way of Phoenix’s Oscar-nominated efficiency, additional seared the picture of the thumbs-down, mad emperor within the public creativeness.
Physician Doom
Already the monarch of the fictional nation of Latveria, Marvel’s biggest supervillain is poised to get promoted subsequent 12 months in Marvel Comics’ crossover occasion The Rise of Emperor Doom. The synopsis for the storyline suggests a few of Earth’s heroes surprise if the world isn’t higher off underneath Doom’s management. This gained’t be the primary time Doom has turn into an emperor, thoughts you. In 2015’s Secret Wars, he turned God Emperor Doom after stealing the Beyonders’ powers.
Han
Jet Li starred in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor because the titular villain, a fictionalized model of the founding father of China. Within the movie, the third and remaining entry within the Brendan Fraser-led franchise, the vicious tyrant Qin Han conquers historic China, builds the Nice Wall and beneficial properties supernatural energy over the weather. He’s later cursed, and he and his troopers flip into terracotta statues. Han is resurrected centuries later and resumes his conquering methods solely to satisfy his finish by the hands of plucky adventurer Rick O’Connell and his buddies.
Joker
In Jeph Loeb’s Superman: Emperor Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime methods fifth-dimensional being Mister Mxyzptlk into giving him almost all of his reality-bending powers. The now-omnipotent Bat-villain makes use of them to warp existence into an absurdly hellish realm the place he can do something from repeatedly killing Batman and Lex Luthor to consuming the inhabitants of China. The Emperor Joker story was later tailored for an episode of the animated sequence Batman: The Courageous And The Daring.
Leto II
Whereas Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV is likely to be extra broadly identified to normal audiences by way of his depictions in David Lynch and Denis Villeneuve’s respective Dune films, we’re opting to incorporate a far stranger character from that franchise on this listing. The son of Paul Atreides and his Fremen concubine Chani, Leto II finally turned often called the God Emperor of Dune. Like his aunt Alia, Leto II is a pre-born (deemed by the Bene Geserit as abominations) who possesses the reminiscences of his ancestors. He in the end undergoes a ritualistic take a look at, consuming huge portions of spice melange, and, over centuries, transforms right into a human-sandworm hybrid.
As emperor, he dominated the universe for over 3,500 years, following the Golden Path that necessitates he function a divine tyrant in order that humanity finally learns that it should not succumb to charismatic leaders if it’s to outlive and thrive. Yeah, it’s all actually bizarre however in the end the purpose is that Leto II let himself turn into a literal monster emperor to ensure that people to lastly get their shit collectively. So yay? James McAvoy performed a pre-sandworm Leto II within the TV miniseries Frank Herbert’s Youngsters of Dune.
Ming the Cruel
Over many years of appearances in comedian strips, serials, TV, and in movie (most famously performed by Max von Sydow within the 1980 cult traditional), the intergalactic despot Ming the Cruel guidelines the planet Mongo with an iron fist. For probably the most half, Ming made the conquest of Earth and the enslavement and punishment of the residents of Mongo his prime objectives, however was steadfastly resisted by the heroic human Flash Gordon and his allies at each flip.
Palpatine
One among cinema’s best-known villains, Star Wars’ Sheev Palpatine was a member of the Galactic Senate who, in reality, was additionally the darkish lord of the Sith often called Darth Sidious. He corrupted the Jedi Anakin Skywalker, finally turning him into his protege and prime enforcer Darth Vader. Palpatine engineered the downfall of the Senate and established the Galactic Empire with himself as ruler. The Insurgent Alliance finally defeated and seemingly killed the Emperor on the Battle of Endor … solely to search out out many years later “in some way Palpatine returned.” This time, Palpatine’s Jedi granddaughter Rey completed the job Luke Skywalker and pals had began.
Shao Kahn
This iconic Mortal Kombat baddie is the Emperor of Outworld and the archenemy of Raiden. A merciless, very smart and god-like tyrant with the facility to soak up souls, Shao Kahn’s prowess at midnight arts aids him as a combatant however his conceitedness has price him many victories, particularly in his quest to overcome Earth. Along with being a fixture of the Mortal Kombat sport franchise, Shao Kahn has additionally appeared in live-action in movie and TV variations.
Zurg
Buzz Lightyear’s archenemy, Zurg is the Toy Story franchise’s riff on Darth Vader. Zurg is out to overcome the universe with solely the heroic Star Command standing in his manner. A towering, armored determine, the film Lightyear revealed a surprising backstory for Zurg that put a serious twist on the connection between the Pixar franchise’s space-faring hero and his chief foe.
For extra evil emperors, take a look at IGN’s Gladiator II assessment.