Favorite/most memorable villain?

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Once that ward (Luke Skywalker) became a Jedi himself, he developed the famous Jedi contempt for the common man. Like his mentor, as Skywalker became more of a Jedi, he became increasingly disloyal to the cause and comrades he once served.

This was most vividly illustrated when he jeopardized the operational security of the rebel raiding party on Endor, giving himself up and risking the entire mission—not to mention the lives of hundreds and the freedom of the galaxy—so he could pursue Jedi business. Ultimately, he found himself locked in a completely irrelevant battle within the Emperor’s throne room aboard the second Death Star. Whether he won or lost had no strategic significance to the battle, or the war. There was a gigantic fleet action underway, on which depended the freedom of every sentient being across a hundred million systems.

And, like a typical Jedi, Skywalker chose this moment to go AWOL from the most consequential struggle of his time. He had Jedi business to attend.

To fully understand the unreliable and narcissistic nature of the Jedi, imagine being at D-Day, and your battle buddy is the worst sort of self-centered millennial. At the moment of decision, you hit the beach in the greatest invasion in the history of mankind—but when you look over to find him, he’s gone. Later, you are reunited at the victory celebration and you ask him where he was, at that instant when absolutely everything good and true was on the line.

He shrugs. “Saw my dad.”
-Jonathan V. Last

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Absolutely. The apotheosis of Darth Vader was truly disgusting. Saving one demigod—a good demigod, his son—wiped away all his guilt from slaughtering billions of normal people. Those who say I am reaching too far should look up George Lucas’ infamous interview with The New York Times in which he openly and explicitly disdains democracy and declared that the best form of government is to have a “good despot.” I wrote about this in Salon, infuriating some fans but delighting others, by pointing out how that nasty little green oven mitt Yoda is pretty much, inarguably, the most evil figure ever in the history of any human mythology. I have defied folks to name one time when he says or does anything that is indisputably wise. The trail of destruction that follows him and every decision that he makes is inarguable and overwhelming.
- David Brin

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"Another one of Yoda’s most memorable quotes has got to be his quip about fear and anger when talking to young Anakin in The Phantom Menace. When Anakin asks why the Jedi Council is inquiring after his emotions, Yoda responds, “Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate.”

That’s a swell thing to say to a traumatized child who misses his mother. Anakin’s been enslaved for all his young life, and even though he’s escaped from Tatooine, his mother Shmi is still there. Of course he’d be scared and even angry. Instead of addressing Anakin’s legitimate reactions, Yoda tells a little boy his feelings will make him a bad guy."
- REBECCA WEI HSIEH

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erdelyii wrote:

THE JOKER Heath Ledger's Joker, of course. Nicholson went out and hit on women in bars in his costume, after shooting stopped for the day.