March Badness - Evil 8

We're down to the most evil of villains.  Only the baddest move on.

Previous rounds:
Explanation / List of contenders
Round 1
Round 2
Sour 16

President Snow (The Hunger Games) vs Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars)

Snow maintains a facade of kindness, but in reality his rule over Panem is filled with brutality and oppression.  Torture is a necessary ingredient to maintaining his power.  The Hunger Games are a sick ritual that he perpetuates to keep the fear-filled districts in line.  There is one thing he doesn't have, though: force lightning.

*WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS*

Winner: Emperor Palpatine

John Doe (Se7en) vs The Joker (Batman, The Dark Knight)

Both John Doe and the Joker are vicious killers, who turn their homicidal rampages into sick games.  The difference is the Joker doesn't care if he wins; he's just having a good time murdering, blowing things up, and spreading anarchy.  John Doe is driven by his mission of combating sin, in his own twisted way.  He is very serious about what he does.  The Joker is just having fun, and that's what gives him the advantage here.

Winner: The Joker

Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon) vs Pazuzu (The Exorcist)

These two both excel in sending chills down spines.  They have great moments that terrify and entertain all at once.  But when it comes down to it, Pazuzu is a demon - so it's in his nature to be evil.  Hannibal is a man who chooses to be a monster.  From the moment you meet him, you know he's not your run-of-the-mill bad guy.

*WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC LANGUAGE*

Winner: Hannibal Lecter

Mr. Potter (It's a Wonderful Life) vs The Governor (The Walking Dead)

Potter is a cruel man, but he's the last remaining villain in the tournament who doesn't directly kill anyone.  He had a good run, but the Cinderella story comes to an end here.  He just can't compete with the likes of the despicable Governor.

Winner: The Governor

The Bracket

We're getting close to the end... here's the bracket after the Evil 8:

* - denotes a villain's name that was removed to avoid spoilers.  To see the real name, find the matching entry in the list of match-ups above and click the *SPOILER ALERT* link (only if you've already read or seen the book/movie/show or don't mind spoilers)