Christian Bale is an award-winning English actor known for his versatility as well as the extreme lengths he is willing to go to for his roles. Bale had his breakout role in Steven Spielberg's 1987 war film Empire of the Sun, drawing attention to his talents as an actor. This led him to gain more and more opportunities to star on the big screen, making a name for himself in American Psycho, The Machinist, and Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy. After decades of work, Bale has become one of the most recognizable actors in Hollywood, and with good reason.

Thanks to Bale's versatile style of acting, he is able to take on just about any role with ease. From playing the sweet boy-next-door in Little Women to the emaciated insomniac who doesn't know what's real in The Machinist, Bale's skills know no bounds. Thanks to American Psycho, one of his most iconic roles is that of Patrick Bateman, but that is not the only villain he's ever portrayed. Here are Christian Bale’s best movie villain characters, ranked.

6 Jim Davis — Harsh Times

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MGM / Summit Entertainment

In one of Bale's lesser known films, he takes on the part of struggling Army Ranger vet Jim Davis, who does his best to return to civilian life. Harsh Times shows the realities that many veterans face when coming back from the warfront, trying their best to return to the rules they left behind. While Jim is the protagonist of the film, his behavior would suggest that he is not the good guy in the story. While some have argued that the film did not meet expectations, Bale's performance elevates it to one of the best at the time of its release.

Related: These Are the Best Christian Bale Movies, Ranked

5 Dick Cheney — Vice

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Plan B Entertainment

Vice is a biographical political satire that follows the exploits of controversial U.S. politician Dick Cheney. After a long arduous casting process, Bale was chosen for the role. While some may argue that an actor more suited to Cheney's physique and age would have been more accurate, who better to portray every complexity of Cheney than Bale himself. In order to get as close to the character as possible, Bale gained over 40 pounds for the role, per PEOPLE, putting his body through hell once more in order to become the character completely. Vice manages to show what a villain looks like in the real world, with Bale at the helm of portraying a man willing to stop at nothing for power.

4 Walter Wade Jr. — Shaft

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Scott Rudin Productions

John Singleton's Shaft follows the adventures of John Shaft (Samuel L. Jackson) after he arrests the son of a wealthy real-estate tycoon Walter Wade Jr (Bale). Bale has the great displeasure of playing one the most detestable rich scumbags ever to hit the cinema. While Bale is not the sole villain of the film, his portrayal of the over-privileged Wade Jr is greatly contrasted by Jeffrey Wright's Peoples Hernandez. While Hernandez is seen as the true villain due to his criminal activity, the reality in Shaft is that it is Wade who does far more harm thanks to his racist and upper-class attitudes that harm racialized communities. Bale did a fantastic job of creating a character so detestable that it became difficult to utter his name without sneering.

Related: Thor: Love and Thunder: How Does Gorr Measure Up Against Other MCU Villains?

3 Melvin Purvis — Public Enemies

Christian Bale in Public Enemies
Universal Pictures

Starring alongside fellow A-lister Johnny Depp, who plays the role of lovable gangster John Dillinger, Bale plays FBI agent Melvin Purvis who is in pursuit of Dillinger. Public Enemies is based on the real life of John Dillinger and the real-life Melvin Purvis. Bale's Agent Purvis is not a villain in the sense that he does evil deeds, but he acts more as an antagonist who struggles with the community's perception of Dillinger, while also trying to maintain the morality of the Bureau. Bale's performance is comparable to Depp's, and seeing the two as adversaries makes Public Enemies a wonderful gangster film.

2 Gorr the God Butcher — Thor: Love and Thunder

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Marvel Studios

In the most recent installation of the MCU, Thor: Love and Thunder, Bale makes an appearance as the film's main villain Gorr the God Butcher. With a name as intimidating as his appearance, Gorr proves to be one of the few things that audiences and critics can agree made the movie worthwhile. Despite the MCU's difficulties in creating strong villains, Gorr the God Butcher is truly worthy of his name and able to face off against the God of Thunder, giving him the challenge he rarely finds elsewhere. Bale single-handedly portrays one of the MCU's deadliest supervillains with ease, creating a new sense of doom from the evil side of the MCU, giving our beloved heroes a run for their money.

1 Patrick Bateman — American Psycho

American Psycho, LionsGate
Lionsgate

Topping our list is one of the most iconic, memorable villains to ever hit the silver screen, Patrick Bateman. American Psycho follows the homicidal broker Patrick Bateman, obsessed with his appearance and being superior to those around him. The film has received a great deal of praise and acclaim for its take on corporate greed while also maintaining a comedic tone to the film as Patrick chases his prey naked with a chainsaw. Despite Patrick's heinous crimes, he is still unfortunately a character that viewers can't help but love thanks to Bale. In one of his best performances to date, Bale is not only memorable, but managed to create a character unlike any other. To think that the part was almost given to Leonardo DiCaprio is incredible.