AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes & Villains is a list of the one hundred greatest screen characters (fifty each in the hero and villain categories) as chosen by the American Film Institute in June 2003. It is part of the AFI 100 Years... series. The list was first presented in a CBS special hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The program was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Special.

Criteria The jurors were limited to feature-length (at least 60 minutes), narrative, English-language films with significant financial and/or creative backing from the United States. All characters, whether hero or villain, were to "have made a mark on American society in matters of style and substance" and "elicit strong reactions across time, enriching America’s film heritage while continuing to inspire contemporary artists and audiences".

The list

Heroes The AFI defines a hero as "a character(s) who prevails in extreme circumstances and dramatizes a sense of morality, courage and purpose. Though they may be ambiguous or flawed, they often sacrifice themselves to show humanity at its best." Rank Hero Sex Actor(s) Film Year Notes 1Atticus FinchMaleGregory Peck To Kill a Mockingbird 1962 Based upon Amasa Coleman Lee; received Academy Award 2Indiana JonesMaleHarrison Ford (1) Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981 3James BondMaleSean Connery Dr. No 1962 4Rick BlaineMaleHumphrey Bogart (1) Casablanca 1942Nominated for Academy Award 5Marshal Will KaneMaleGary Cooper (1) High Noon 1952Received Academy Award 6Clarice StarlingFemaleJodie Foster The Silence of the Lambs (1) 1991Received Academy Award 7Rocky BalboaMaleSylvester Stallone Rocky 1976 Nominated for Academy Award 8Ellen RipleyFemaleSigourney Weaver Aliens 1986 Nominated for Academy Award 9George BaileyMaleJames Stewart (1) It's a Wonderful Life (1) 1946Nominated for Academy Award 10T.E. LawrenceMalePeter O'Toole Lawrence of Arabia 1962 Historical figure; nominated for Academy Award 11Jefferson SmithMaleJames Stewart (2) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington 1939Nominated for Academy Award 12Tom JoadMaleHenry Fonda (1) The Grapes of Wrath 1940Nominated for Academy Award 13Oskar SchindlerMaleLiam Neeson Schindler's List (1) 1993 Historical figure; nominated for Academy Award 14Han SoloMaleHarrison Ford (2) Star Wars (1) 1977 15Norma Rae WebsterFemaleSally Field Norma Rae 1979 Based upon southern mill worker Crystal Lee Sutton; received Academy Award 16 ShaneMaleAlan Ladd Shane 1953 17Harry CallahanMaleClint Eastwood Dirty Harry 1971 18Robin HoodMaleErrol Flynn The Adventures of Robin Hood 1938 19Virgil TibbsMaleSidney Poitier In the Heat of the Night 1967 20Butch Cassidyand the Sundance KidMalePaul Newman (1)and Robert Redford (1) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1969 Historical figures 21Mahatma GandhiMaleBen Kingsley Gandhi 1982 Historical figure; received Academy Award 22 SpartacusMaleKirk Douglas Spartacus 1960 Historical figure 23Terry MalloyMaleMarlon Brando On the Waterfront 1954Received Academy Award 24Thelma Dickinson and Louise SawyerFemaleGeena Davis and Susan Sarandon Thelma & Louise 1991Both nominated for Academy Award 25Lou GehrigMaleGary Cooper (2) The Pride of the Yankees 1942 Historical figure; nominated for Academy Award 26SupermanMaleChristopher Reeve Superman 1978 27Bob Woodwardand Carl BernsteinMaleRobert Redford (2)and Dustin Hoffman All the President's Men 1976 Historical figures 28 Juror #8 (Davis)MaleHenry Fonda (2) 12 Angry Men 1957 29General George PattonMaleGeorge C. Scott Patton 1970 Historical figure; received Academy Award 30Lucas "Luke" JacksonMalePaul Newman (2) Cool Hand Luke 1967Nominated for Academy Award 31Erin BrockovichFemaleJulia Roberts Erin Brockovich 2000 Historical figure; received Academy Award 32Philip MarloweMaleHumphrey Bogart (2) The Big Sleep 1946 33Marge GundersonFemaleFrances McDormand Fargo 1996Received Academy Award 34 TarzanMaleJohnny Weissmuller Tarzan the Ape Man 1932 35Alvin YorkMaleGary Cooper (3) Sergeant York 1941 Historical figure; received Academy Award 36Rooster CogburnMaleJohn Wayne True Grit 1969Received Academy Award 37 Obi-Wan KenobiMaleAlec Guinness Star Wars (2) 1977 Nominated for Academy Award 38 The TrampMaleCharlie Chaplin City Lights 1931 39 LassieFemale Pal Lassie Come Home 1943 40Frank SerpicoMaleAl Pacino (1) Serpico 1973 Historical figure; nominated for Academy Award 41Arthur ChippingMaleRobert Donat Goodbye, Mr. Chips 1939Received Academy Award 42Father Edward FlanaganMaleSpencer Tracy Boys Town 1938 Historical figure; received Academy Award 43 MosesMaleCharlton Heston The Ten Commandments 1956 Biblical figure 44Jimmy "Popeye" DoyleMaleGene Hackman The French Connection 1971 Based upon New York City Police Detective Eddie Egan; received Academy Award 45 ZorroMaleTyrone Power The Mark of Zorro 1940 46BatmanMaleMichael Keaton Batman (1) 1989 47Karen SilkwoodFemaleMeryl Streep Silkwood 1983 Historical figure; nominated for Academy Award 48 The TerminatorMale in appearanceArnold Schwarzenegger (1) Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991 Character also appears on Villains list. 49Andrew BeckettMaleTom Hanks Philadelphia 1993 Loosely based upon Geoffrey Bowers; received Academy Award for performance 50General Maximus Decimus MeridiusMaleRussell Crowe Gladiator 2000Received Academy Award

Villains The AFI defines a Villain as "a character(s) whose wickedness of mind, selfishness of character and will to power are sometimes masked by beauty and nobility, while others may rage unmasked. They can be horribly evil or grandiosely funny but are ultimately tragic." + Rank VillainSex Actor Film Year Notes 1 Hannibal LecterMaleAnthony Hopkins The Silence of the Lambs (2) 1991 Received Academy Award 2Norman BatesMaleAnthony Perkins Psycho 1960 Loosely based upon Ed Gein 3 Darth VaderMaleDavid Prowse (voiced by James Earl Jones) The Empire Strikes Back 1980 4 The Wicked Witch of the West FemaleMargaret HamiltonThe Wizard of Oz 1939 5Nurse RatchedFemaleLouise Fletcher One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 1975Received Academy Award 6 Mr. PotterMaleLionel Barrymore It's a Wonderful Life (2) 1946 7Alex Forrest FemaleGlenn Close Fatal Attraction 1987Nominated for Academy Award 8Phyllis DietrichsonFemaleBarbara Stanwyck Double Indemnity 1944Nominated for Academy Award 9Regan MacNeil (as possessed by the demon "Pazuzu") Female / Demon hybridLinda Blair (voiced by Mercedes McCambridge) The Exorcist 1973Nominated for Academy Award 10The Evil QueenFemaleVoice by Lucille La Verne Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1937 11Michael CorleoneMaleAl Pacino (2) The Godfather Part II 1974Nominated for Academy Award 12Alex DeLargeMaleMalcolm McDowell A Clockwork Orange 1971 13 HAL 9000Male soundingVoice by Douglas Rain 2001: A Space Odyssey 1968 14 The AlienUndefinedBolaji Badejo Alien 1979 15Amon GöthMaleRalph Fiennes Schindler's List (2) 1993 Historical figure; nominated for Academy Award 16Noah CrossMaleJohn Huston Chinatown 1974 17Annie WilkesFemaleKathy Bates Misery 1990Received Academy Award 18 The SharkMale "Bruce"Jaws 1975 19Captain BlighMaleCharles Laughton Mutiny on the Bounty 1935 Historical figure; nominated for Academy Award 20"Man"Male N/A Bambi 1942 21Mrs. Eleanor IselinFemaleAngela Lansbury The Manchurian Candidate 1962Nominated for Academy Award 22 The TerminatorMale in appearanceArnold Schwarzenegger (2) The Terminator 1984 Character also appears on Heroes list. 23Eve HarringtonFemaleAnne Baxter All About Eve 1950Nominated for Academy Award 24Gordon GekkoMaleMichael Douglas Wall Street 1987Received Academy Award 25Jack TorranceMaleJack Nicholson (1) The Shining 1980 26Cody JarrettMaleJames Cagney (1) White Heat 1949 27 Martians Undefined Various The War of the Worlds 1953 28Max CadyMaleRobert Mitchum (1) Cape Fear 1962 29Reverend Harry PowellMaleRobert Mitchum (2) The Night of the Hunter 1955 Loosely based upon Harry Powers 30Travis Bickle MaleRobert De Niro Taxi Driver 1976 Loosely based upon Arthur Bremer and Lee Harvey Oswald; nominated for Academy Award 31Mrs. DanversFemaleJudith Anderson Rebecca 1940Nominated for Academy Award 32Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker Male / FemaleWarren Beatty and Faye Dunaway (1) Bonnie and Clyde 1967 Historical figures; both nominated for Academy Award 33Count DraculaMaleBela Lugosi Dracula 1931 34Dr. SzellMaleLaurence Olivier Marathon Man 1976Nominated for Academy Award 35J.J. HunseckerMaleBurt Lancaster Sweet Smell of Success 1957 Based upon columnist Walter Winchell 36Frank BoothMaleDennis Hopper Blue Velvet 1986 37Harry LimeMaleOrson Welles The Third Man 1949 38Caesar Enrico BandelloMaleEdward G. Robinson Little Caesar 1931 39Cruella De Vil Female Voice by Betty Lou Gerson One Hundred and One Dalmatians 1961 40Freddy KruegerMaleRobert Englund A Nightmare on Elm Street 1984 41Joan CrawfordFemaleFaye Dunaway (2) Mommie Dearest 1981 Historical figure; received Razzie AwardRazzie Awards: The Movies That Won The Most Razzies - The Delite 42Tom PowersMaleJames Cagney (2) The Public Enemy 1931 43Regina GiddensFemaleBette Davis (1) The Little Foxes 1941Nominated for Academy Award 44Baby Jane HudsonFemaleBette Davis (2) What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? 1962Nominated for Academy Award 45 The JokerMaleJack Nicholson (2) Batman (2) 1989 46Hans GruberMaleAlan Rickman Die Hard 1988 47Tony CamonteMalePaul Muni Scarface 1932 Loosely based upon Al Capone 48Roger "Verbal" Kint / Keyser SözeMaleKevin Spacey The Usual Suspects 1995Received Academy Award 49Auric GoldfingerMaleGert Fröbe (voiced by Michael Collins) Goldfinger 1964 50Detective Alonzo HarrisMaleDenzel Washington Training Day 2001Received Academy Award

Notes

References

External links AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains List of the 400 nominated screen characters