Imagine having millions, if not billions, of people bowing down to your every whim. As Mel Brooks said in History of the World, Part I, "It's good to be the king." It's also good to be emperor, president for life, or whatever other title your realm bestows on you. As history as told us countless times, not all political leaders are looking out for their citizens. Some are greedy, power-hungry scumbags who will do anything to maintain their grip on power. In movies and TV, oppressive, tyrannical leaders make for some of the most memorable and powerful villains around. After all, how can our lowly protagonist defeat someone who can literally order an entire army to hunt you down? How do you defeat someone with so many resources at their disposal? Today, we'll be looking at the best dictators from movies and TV. Here they are:
6 Adenoid Hynkel - The Great Dictator (1940)
Charlie Chaplin's first sound feature was the 1940 satire of Adolf Hitler known as The Great Dictator. Inspired to make the film after Chaplin noticed many similarities between himself and the famous Nazi leader (the two were born four days apart from each other in April 1889 and Chaplin even thought they looked alike), Chaplin plays a dual-role, an unnamed Jewish barber and Adenoid Hynkel, the "Phooey" of the nation of Tomania. Hynkel is a pitch-perfect send-up of Hitler, with megalomania on full display. The man has a full-blown dance routine with a globe in his office. Even Hitler's grandiose speeches are sent up with Hynkel delivering bombastic words in gibberish German. Thankfully, a translation is provided, with the radio broadcasters covering the speech. Making a satire of Hitler was a ballsy move in 1940, and while it would take the rise of Mel Brooks to make satirizing Hitler acceptable again, nobody has done a better job of capturing the fake bravado and utter ridiculousness of Nazism than Charlie Chaplin's Adenoid Hynkel.
5 Scar - The Lion King (1994)
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Responsible for the most famous case of fratricide outside of the Bible, Scar masterminds a brilliant plan to become the king of Pride Rock. Admittedly, he is a rather incompetent king, as he lets a major food shortage happen under his reign. Still, with his army of hyenas backing him, no lion dares to challenge him. He's incredibly manipulative, convincing the young Simba that Mufasa's death was his fault, something Simba would believe well into adulthood. Even when Simba confronts Scar on Pride Rock, he gets Simba to say that he's responsible for Mufasa's death in front of all the other lions. While Simba does turn the tables when Scar takes a second to gloat, the fact remains that it took a lot to bring about Scar's downfall. Bonus points for the incredible villain song he gets.
4 Willie Stark - All The King's Men (1949)
Inspired by real life Louisiana governor, Huey Long, All The King's Men tells the story of Willie Stark, a populist governor in a Southern state who starts turning his back on the ideals that won him the governorship in the first place, becoming the very monster he swore to fight against. Stark actually loses his first race for governor, but wins his second, adopting a fiery, populist platform. At first, he does make some improvements to the state, but that doesn't last. He turns the state into his own personal kingdom and rules it with an iron fist. Scary in 1949, Stark is downright horrifying in 2022, with many of his tactics to hold on to power being implemented by governors in US states today. For those history buffs who know how Huey Long met his demise, Willie Stark meets his end in the same way. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.
3 Fire Lord Ozai - Avatar: The Last Airbender
Like Scar, Ozai also came to power by killing a family member. This time, the victim was Ozai's father, Fire Lord Azulon. Although he only rules the Fire Nation for five years, he still racks up an incredible list of despicable acts, such as banishing his own wife after she helps him kill Azulon, challenging his thirteen-year-old son to a duel and banishing him after he refuses to fight it, and attempting to use Sozin's Comet to commit genocide against the Earth Kingdom. Militaristic and tyrannical, Ozai continues the harsher policies of the Fire Lords before him. If the attempted genocide wasn't enough, he's also awful to all of his immediate family. Banishing his wife for helping him come to power is bad enough, but this is a man who was willing to kill his own son when Azulon ordered it as punishment after Ozai called his brother, Iroh, weak for grieving over his own dead son. Even Azula, the one child he's on good terms with, is given a meaningless title when Ozai declares himself "Phoenix King." It's enough to shatter Azula and make her see her father never really cared about her at all. All of this is enough to cement Ozai as one of the most despicable dictators ever put in a children's cartoon.
2 Emperor Palpatine - Star Wars
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Most dictators only get to oppress one nation or at best, one continent. Palpatine oppressed an entire galaxy. A master manipulator, Palpatine not only arranged a war where he ended up ruling the galaxy no matter who won, but he also successfully seduced Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side of the Force. When he says "Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design," he genuinely means it. Every dastardly deed he undertakes, he does with joy. He knows all, he sees all. Even when Darth Vader tells him the rebels have landed on Endor, he responds with a nonchalant, "Yes, I know." It's a great way to show how powerful he is and how secure he thinks that power is. Political brilliance aside, his mastery of the Dark Side of the Force makes him an incredibly dangerous opponent. The fact that it took two of the strongest Force users in the Star Wars universe to topple him the first time really shows what a powerful character he is.
1 Dr. Victor von Doom - Marvel Universe
The number one enemy of the Fantastic Four, Dr. Victor von Doom is not only a powerful villain, but one of the best villains Marvel has ever created. As king of the nation of Latveria, Doom gets diplomatic immunity in foreign nations. Latveria is a small nation, sandwiched somewhere in the Balkans (most continuities place it around the borders of Hungary, Romania, and Serbia). Thanks to Doom's leadership and knowledge, it's one of the most technologically advanced nations on Earth. Doom is actually an effective leader as well, providing his people with things like free education. As for the man himself, his technological genius is unparalleled, but he's also an accomplished sorcerer. Dr. Doom is no pushover in any fight, and removing him from political power is a tall order, but would the people of Latveria really want him removed? Any dictator that an entire country can genuinely justify as being better off under their leadership is definitely one that deserves the top spot of the best fictional dictator.