Best Evil Duos In Movies

Key Takeaways

• Villainous duos bring a unique dynamic to movies, creating an even deadlier twist to the plot.
• From Bond films to Star Trek, evil pairs like Xenia & Alec or Duras Sisters leave a lasting impact.
• Antiheroes like Harley & Joker or Bonnie & Clyde offer twisted romance and thrilling action.

Some movies don’t follow the typical recipe of a good protagonist and choose a different approach instead and make the villains the ones who drive the plot. These characters are dangerous enough alone, but when they join forces with someone who has no qualms about hurting others, they become even deadlier.

Most stories only need one villain, so it’s even more fun when the writer or creator decides to add two of them. While in the normal world, most people wouldn’t enjoy empathizing with criminals and evil people, but in movies, it’s fascinating to watch some of the best villain duos take on the world.

Updated November 18, 2024, by Kristy Ambrose: The concept of the evil duo works in every genre, but seems to appear most often in action, slashers, thrillers, and horror movies, or the genres that have a lot of gore. Media like books and comics use the evil duo just as often, giving villains a chance to network their talents instead of taking care of their nefarious plans alone. Although the evil duo is often a romantic couple in a co-dependent and dysfunctional relationship, the dichotomy can also include family members, employees, and close friends.

15 Xenia Onatopp & Alec Trevalyn

GoldenEye

• Director: Martin Campbell
• Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco
• Distributed By: MGM/UA Distribution Co., United International Pictures
• Release Date: November 17, 1995

Most viewers remember Famke Janssen as Jane Grey of the original X-Men movie franchise, but her breakthrough role was as Bond girl Xenia Onatopp in Goldeneye. Her ruthless demeanor, stunning beauty, and alluring accent seem to have no equal, but Sean Bean also has a part in this movie. He plays the main antagonist, Alec Trevelyan, which also means the audience will get to see a dramatic and gory death at some point.

A former pilot who is always cheerfully sadistic, Onatopp is the brawn, doing the dirty work that she loves which includes mayhem, stealing, kidnapping, and driving a mean Ferrari. Trevelyan is the brains of the evil duo, pretending to be a double-0 while secretly running a Russian cartel that’s made a deal with a crooked military leader.

14 The Duras Sisters

Star Trek: Generations

• Director: David Carson
• Starring: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Levar Burton
• Distributed By: Paramount Pictures
• Release Date: November 18, 1994

The Sisters of the House of Duras have appeared in various places throughout the Star Trek franchise and were featured as villains in episodes of The Next Generation and Deep Space 9. Their story arc comes to a fiery end in the seventh Star Trek movie, which also includes the untimely end of James Kirk and the destruction of yet another Enterprise.

Lursa and B’Etor had a long history in Trek lore as antagonists as far back as 2367, when they were responsible for starting the Klingon Civil War. Most of their exploits were schemes to install their nephew Toral as the head of the Klingon High Council, but they were also involved in arms deals, mercenary work, and other plans to improve their family’s influence and power and raise more money to fund them both.

13 John Hartley & Nolan Booth

Red Notice

• Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
• Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot
• Distributed By: Netflix
• Release Date: November 5th, 2021

The Netflix action piece Red Notice uses the fact that even villains become sympathetic when they’re effectively utilized as protagonists. Hartley and Booth, portrayed by Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds, are forced by circumstances to work together, and the buddy chemistry between them as well as the strong amount of jokes they share more than makes up for the somewhat convoluted plot.

And whenever Gal Gadot enters the scene, and the duo becomes a trio, the movie gains even more energy and drive than it had before. If for nothing else, watching Red Notice for the main cast and the jokes between them is time well spent.

12 Johnny Bartlett & Patricia Bradley

The Frighteners

• Director: Peter Jackson
• Starring: Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson
• Distributed By: Universal Pictures
• Release Date: July 19, 1996

It’s interesting to see what Peter Jackson was up to before The Lord of the Rings made him a household name. This film is a funny comedy in addition to being a genuinely scary horror movie. The juxtaposition of love stories is one of the more interesting themes, and the toxic coupling of Johnny and Patricia is on the negative side of the spectrum.

These two serial murderers are cringe on so many levels, likely just as horrible in life as in death, which only starts with the pile of dead bodies they leave in a hospital. Their murder spree was cut short when Johnny was sentenced to the electric chair for their crimes. But love never dies, at least not until its ashes are consecrated on holy ground and sent to Hell for all eternity.

11 Imhotep & Anck-Su-Namun

The Mummy

• Director: Stephen Sommers
• Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah
• Distributed By: Universal Pictures
• Release Date: May 7, 1999

The Mummy series is the ultimate adventure piece full of action, danger, beautiful settings, and, of course, the complex love story between the two main villains, Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun. The movie series subverts the usual plot in which a villain falls for an innocent woman, and things go wrong. In this scenario, neither of them is all that innocent. Imhotep will stop at nothing, killing people included, if it means getting back the woman he loves.

As for Anck-Su-Namun, when she had to choose to risk her life and save Imhotep or protect herself, she chose the second option. Whether that makes her selfish or not, that’s up to every viewer to decide. Whatever the case, Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun were the ultimate evil duo while they lasted, and their shared history spanning thousands of years made for a fascinating story.

10 Veronica & J.D.

Heathers

• Director: Michael Lehmann
• Starring: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty
• Distributed By: New World Pictures
• Release Date: March 31, 1989

Most couples in movies focused on teenagers ultimately come across as sweet, even when they fumble and make their fair share of mistakes. That’s not the case for Veronica and J.D. J.D. is the one who convinced Veronica it was okay to get back at the people who were mean toward her and others, even if it meant hurting them or worse.

Veronica went with it anyway, at least initially. While she might have had a reason for hating the Heathers, that doesn’t justify killing them. It might be difficult to cheer on the couple, but Heathers offers an intriguing story of a twisted relationship. Plus, Winona Ryder and Christian Slater are excellent in the leading roles.

9 Gordon & Abigail Craven

The Addams Family

• Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
• Starring: Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd
• Distributed By: Paramount Pictures
• Release Date: November 22, 1991

The previous media related to the Addams Family franchise never explained the family’s finances, but this 1991 movie had a secret vault of gold and jewels in the basement and the Cravens find out about it. With the help of the Addams’ lawyer, who is also a grifter, they dress Gordon up as Uncle Fester, who’s been missing for decades.

A mother-son evil duo in this case, or at least it seems that way at first. Part of the twist here is that Gorden isn’t exactly who Abigail says he is and only the authenticity of the Addams Family can get through the facade she’s created. This family has some experience with evil, and the Cravens are no match for them. If they were antagonists, Morticia and Gomez could be on this list.

8 Sweeney Todd & Mrs. Lovett

Sweeney Todd

• Director: Tim Burton
• Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman
• Distributed By: DreamWorks, Paramount Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures
• Release Date: December 21, 2007

The worst thing about this couple (other than the fact that they murder people and bake meat pies from their victims’ flesh) is that they don’t stand on equal ground. Mrs. Lovett is in love with Sweeney Todd and dreams about the future they will share, but all that Todd is focused on is getting revenge on the man who ruined his life.

Unlike other romances between two evil people, this one comes across as one-sided, especially since the movie later reveals that both Todd and Mrs. Lovett are lying to each other. Thanks to all of this, as well as Helena Bonham-Carter’s and Johnny Depp’s performances, it’s interesting to watch how the relationship between the two main evil characters evolves.

7 Harley Quinn & The Joker

Joker: Folie à Deux

• Director: Todd Phillips
• Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
• Distributed By: Warner Bros. Pictures
• Release Date: October 4th, 2024

DCEU movies didn’t give this villainous couple as much space as they would have deserved, but there’s a library of animated series and shows that have fixed this problem, and show Harley and Joker living their best life of terror in Gotham while Batman’s after them. The first Suicide Squad offers only a glimpse into how dangerous these two truly are, but the recent movie Joker: Folie à Deux gave these two infamous villains some real screen time.

Harley and Joker are both intelligent and unpredictable, which makes for a fatal combination. According to the animated lore, Harley later changes her ways and becomes one of the anti-heroes. She even helps to create the superhero team Birds of Prey and stop the villainous Black Mask. In this movie, however, she’s one of the catalysts for Joker’s deeper and even more destructive downward spirals.

6 Roy Batty & Pris

Blade Runner

• Director: Ridley Scott
• Starring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young
• Distributed By: Warner Bros.
• Release Date: June 25, 1982

This pair are the last two survivors of a plot hatched by some of the most sympathetic villains in movie history. Roy Batty and Pris were replicants with only four years to live because of a deliberate design failure. Anyone can agree that’s a valid gripe. They and their companions were indiscriminate about killing anyone that got in their way, including the innocent crew of a ship they hijacked to reach Earth.

The saga of replicants and “born” humans now spans two movies, and the main character in the sequel is a combination of both hero and villain, depending on who’s asking. Roy is the character that voices the now famous “tears in the rain” line as his time runs out, but he has enough time to act out of character and save Deckerd’s life before his body reaches its termination date.

5 Mickey & Mallory

Natural Born Killers

• Director: Oliver Stone
• Starring: Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr.
• Distributed By: Warner Bros.
• Release Date: August 26, 1994

When watching Natural Born Killers for the first time, the audience might recall Bonnie and Clyde. But this story is even more brutal than theirs. Mickey and Mallory are very much in love but instead of settling down and leading a peaceful life, they choose a different road.

They kill dozens of people, all the while running from the law and enjoying their love. Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis give their best performances in the movie. The film is full of action but also has the power to make the viewers think, for example, about how the media portrays violence.

4 Bonnie Parker & Clyde Barrow

Bonnie and Clyde

• Director: Arthur Penn
• Starring: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman
• Distributed By: Warner Bros.-Seven Arts
• Release Date: August 13, 1967

Bonnie and Clyde are the ultimate evil duo, and the 1967 movie is one of the classics that no one should miss. Once again, real life proved stronger than anyone’s imagination as the movie is based on real events that happened in the 1930s.

Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty star as lovers who ride around the USA and rob banks. Bonnie and Clyde became a huge hit and was nominated for ten Academy Awards but only won two. Whether the audience sympathizes with Bonnie and Clyde or not, their affection comes across as genuine and the movie is so fast-paced and intelligent that it makes for an unforgettable experience.

3 Love & Niander Wallace

Bladerunner 2049

• Director: Denis Villeneuve
• Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas
• Distributed By: Warner Bros. Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing International
• Release Date: October 6, 2017

The character of Niander Wallace is larger than life in Bladerunner 2049, with a whole industry of replicants at his command, giving him a huge advantage in the dystopian future not only from a social but also financial position. His loyal sidekick is a replicant that he’s named Love, and she’s ruthless as she is coldly professional, acting as the brawn to Wallace’s brain.

Viewers who have seen the short film 2036: Nexus Dawn will understand some of the backstory behind how Wallace inherited the business of making replicants from Tyrell, and what he changed to end the embargo that formed the plot of the first movie. This explains his obsession with Rachel, perhaps the only Nexus 7 model that made it off the production line.

Rachel’s implanted memories were a new technique that Wallace adopted for his own models, but the secret of reproduction eluded him. Love is sent to find this child, and leaves a path of wanton destruction and bloody murder in her wake.

2 Chucky & Tiffany

Bride of Chucky

• Director: Ronny Yu
• Starring: Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif, Katherine Heigl
• Distributed By: Universal Pictures, Good Machine
• Release Date: October 16, 1998

What’s more evil than a murdering doll? Let’s add another doll, along with a sordid love story, and the result is the supernatural-evil duo of Chucky and his bride, Tiffany. She didn’t take on a main role until Bride of Chucky, which is the fourth installment in a franchise that includes eight movies and two seasons of a TV show.

Viewers are introduced to Tiffiany as the person who steals the remains of a serial killing doll from a vault and enacts a voodoo ritual to resurrect him again, so that’s some good exposition if a character is unhinged mentally.

Tiffany is eventually resurrected as a killer doll herself, and the two are made for each other. The saga of Chucky and Tiffany overlaps with comedy-horror. Tiffany is the more sensitive and even remorseful of the two, but she is still given to bloodthirsty urges.

1 Macbeth & Lady Macbeth

Roman Polanski’s Macbeth

• Director: Roman Polanski
• Starring: Jon Finch, Francesca Annis, Martin Shaw
• Distributed By: Columbia Pictures
• Release Date: December 20th, 1971

A collection of the most deadly evil duos in movies would have to include the couple that started the whole trope. That’s one of the reasons both Hollywood and independent filmmakers keep putting “that Scottish play” on film, and Roman Polanski is only one of many directors who have interpreted this story in their own way. His 1971 version of the story is particularly brutal, making the husband in the equation a willing participant.

Some versions of this play view the titular character as more of a sympathetic character who was misled, while others portray him as an arrogant, entitled snob and a paranoid coward. This is the latter, and this character is as much beyond redemption as his notorious partner in crime, Lady Macbeth. It’s a duo that goes down together, in a puddle of gore, and it’s ideal for those who want to see Shakespeare at his very darkest.