March Badness - The Championship

It comes down to this.  Just two villains left.  Who is the ultimate baddie?  The Joker or Hannibal Lecter?

Previous rounds:
Explanation / List of contenders
Round 1
Round 2
Sour 16
Evil 8
Fiendish 4

The Joker (Batman, The Dark Knight) vs Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon)

I've already said a great deal about these two outstanding villains, so I'll let them do most of the talking in this final match-up.  The Joker goes first, when he puts on a nurse's outfit and finishes converting a good guy into a bad guy:

*WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS*

Next up, we have Hannibal meeting a senator to discuss Buffalo Bill.  He makes quite a first impression:

Next, the Joker asks: Why so serious?

Hannibal's turn:

The Joker shows us that no cell can hold him:

*WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS*

But Hannibal proves he can escape, too:

*WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS AND GRAPHIC VIOLENCE*

Even Joker enjoyed that performance by Dr. Lecter.

But he's not done:

And neither is Hannibal:

And the winner is...

The Joker

He's just too evil and too much fun.  Twisted and demented, the Joker makes other villains look pedestrian.  And despite his wickedness, he's extremely entertaining.

The Bracket:

Here it is.  The final bracket:

* - 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)

March Badness - Fiendish 4

Any of these last four villains have an argument for ultimate baddie.  But only two will meet in the final to earn that title.

Previous rounds:
Explanation / List of contenders
Round 1
Round 2
Sour 16
Evil 8

Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars) vs The Joker (Batman, The Dark Knight)

The scope of Palpatine's evil is broader than anyone's in the tournament.  He wants to conquer the galaxy and rule over all worlds with absolute dominance.  He constructs a device with the capability to obliterate entire planets.  However, while we can assume that Palpatine has always lusted for power, the same can't be said for the purity of his evil.  It's the dark side of the force that has corrupted him, turning him truly vile.  There is no magical force acting on The Joker.  He is simply a homicidal maniac.  But it's his style and the utter joy he feels wreaking havoc that really tips it his way.  As Alfred put it, "some men just want to watch the world burn."

Winner: The Joker

Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon) vs The Governor (The Walking Dead)

Hannibal does some messed up stuff (see the clip below).  And the thing is, he does it in a civilized world.  The Governor is despicable, there's no doubt about that, but you have to wonder if he would be as bad if you take away the zombie apocalypse.  He certainly wouldn't be going around killing people.  Dr. Lecter is evil, despite being educated and not really having a reason to kill and eat people.  He just likes it, I guess.

*WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC/DISTURBING IMAGES*

Winner: Hannibal Lecter

The Bracket

The final match-up is set.  Here's what the bracket looks like heading into the championship:

* - 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)

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)