The Most Villainous Laughs In Cinematic History Ranked

Forget about the concept of laughter as the best medicine — for villains, a cacophonic cackle or grotesque guffaw holds the potential to do more damage than a rusty screwdriver to the head. Think of it as the equivalent to a bow and curtsy after a rip-roaring performance, as these antagonistic characters receive a moment to bask in their own nefarious glory. After all, what is the point of celebrating the small victories in quiet isolation?

In cinema, a villainous laugh serves the purpose of solidifying the character's actions as something noteworthy and/or to cement their sinister scheme to the viewer. At times, they may also be used to symbolize the hero of the story being in danger, or to create an eerie, unsettling feeling about the current situation. Whatever the intention, a hellish ha-ha hits in all the right spots for those watching in their seats, as most fans love nothing more than to imitate these scenes afterward.

Now, picking the best villainous laughs in cinema could run into the thousands — easily. However, this is about the dirty dozen. The worst of the worst. The sadists of spook. So someone better call an exorcist because these chortles, shrieks, and hoots hold the potential to be more menacing than a phishing scam to a bank account.

As a parody of Ernst Stavro Blofeld from the James Bond films, Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) winks at the audience with a wild combination of over-the-top mannerisms and silly plans for world domination. Nothing gets the audience going quite like a dramatic moment when Dr. Evil announces his dastardly plan to the camera, puts his pinkie finger to the corner of his mouth, and lets out the quintessential evil villain laugh.

Normally, the doctor's goons surround him in these scenes, and like good sycophants — and to ensure he doesn't sic the sharks with laser beams on them — they mimic his enthusiasm and cadence. It's the living embodiment of the Ron Burgundy "We Are Laughing" meme where everyone shares the joke, even if they don't quite get it.

An unnamed ex-"Saturday Night Live" writer once claimed that Dr. Evil was actually a caricature of "SNL" creator Lorne Michaels and his mannerisms. However, Myers brushed it off, saying the villain was inspired by Donald Pleasence's portrayal of Blofeld in 1967's "You Only Live Twice."

Think of slashers like Jason Voorhees from "Friday the 13th" and Michael Myers from "Halloween." They go about their business in silence. They don't say too much, as they let their weapons do the talking. On the other hand, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) from "A Nightmare on Elm Street" possesses the (black) heart of a showman. He doesn't only want to invade dreams; he wants to leave a permanent mark with the blades on his fingers and his extrovert personality.

Despite the torment and torture he puts the teenagers through, he ensures that there's always a smile and laugh for his victims. The "Elm Street" franchise contains several moments of Freddy cackling like the nightmare monster he is, but the original 1984 film features the most villainous laugh of the entire series.

After Tina Gray (Amanda Wyss) falls asleep next to her boyfriend, Rod Lane (Nick Corri), it doesn't take too long for Freddy to invade her dreams and attack her. Fighting back in the nightmare, Tina reaches for his face and his skin falls off to reveal a grotesque visage. At the same time, Freddy erupts into a delirious chuckle. And with that, no one has ever slept peacefully ever since.

Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" remains one of the most haunting films of all time — mostly due to Jack Nicholson's mesmerizing and disturbing turn as Jack Torrance, who slowly unravels as he and his family stay at the Overlook Hotel. Over time, Jack's personality shifts and becomes more insidious as the hotel's ghastly influence seeps into his being. His transformation results in him becoming a danger to his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), as he eventually tries to kill them.

While there are numerous moments where Nicholson puts on an acting master class, such as the infamous "Here's Johnny" scene, the sequence at the empty bar showcases how far gone Jack Torrance truly is. Speaking to the ghost bartender, Jack says, "Hi, Lloyd. A little slow tonight, isn't it?" Then he looks directly at the camera, takes a beat, and explodes into eerie, full-blown laughter. It isn't merely the fact that he chuckles at his own joke here, but it's more to do with the vacant look in his eyes as he does so. The person laughing here is no longer Jack, but something else entirely.

Out of all the villains on this list, none come close to matching Cruella de Vil's (Glenn Close) depravity. In "101 Dalmatians," she harbors the unholy desire to kill Dalmatian puppies — yes, puppies! — to dress herself up in their fur and be fabulous. This is far worse than Leatherface's desire for human masks in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" series, because puppies. This despicable excuse for a human being known as Cruella lives up to her name and shows no remorse or regret for her actions, believing fashion trumps animal rights here.

To top it all off, Cruella finds the humorous side of this. Whenever someone brings up the topic of the Dalmatians, she breaks out into wide-eyed, berserk fits of laughter like someone asked her to pull their finger. It's as if the simple thought of committing these heinous acts tickles her funny bone and she can't help but double over and cackle about the outcome. Honestly, where is John Wick when you need him the most?

Credit needs to go to director Francis Ford Coppola and his team for the ambience of "Bram Stoker's Dracula." From the visceral lighting, imaginative transitional shots, and Wojciech Kilar's haunting score, it's impossible to avoid the chill of the movie. Gary Oldman also gives it his all as the head bloodsucker from Transylvania, Count Dracula — especially in mastering the vampire's sinister laugh.

One of the more terrifying moments in the film occurs relatively early on, when Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves) visits Dracula's castle. There, the Count's vampire brides feast on Jonathan until they're interruped by their master, who orders them to stay away from Jonathan as he is reserved for Dracula only. As consolation, the Count provides his three consorts with an infant instead. Jonathan screams in horror as the Count smiles lasciviously, his lips curving up devilishly before he lets out a forbidding laugh and the screen fades to black. Again, the tension of the music and red lighting only add to the spooky experience, as the moment comes across as deliciously evil.

Look, if someone drops a house on your sibling, expect bad vibes to fester for a long time. As such, no one can blame the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) for holding a grudge against Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) and her dog, Toto — although, the pooch didn't exactly do much here. In Victor Fleming's "The Wizard of Oz," the Witch interrogates Dorothy about what happened to her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East. Matters escalate when she sees Dorothy wearing her sister's ruby slippers, because who steals a victim's shoes like that?

The Witch gets in Dorothy's face, promising revenge in the near future: "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too," she warns, before bursting into a high-pitched, loud cackle that scares the frightened Munchkins in attendance. Then, poof! The Witch disappears into a cloud of smoke like she is a ninja.

While numerous and memorable villainous laughs have resonated throughout cinema history since 1939's "The Wizard of Oz," the Wicked Witch of the West's shriek remains arguably the most iconic of the lot. Even if someone fails to remember much about the movie or its plot, they will recognize Hamilton's unmistakable eruption of witchy goodness.