There are many movie heroes who don't respect authority. In many instances, this can be a good thing since it allows the hero to change the status quo. Similarly, a villain's actions might upset the current balance, causing the protagonist to have to restore it however they can.
All these characters share a keen disrespect for authority. Disruption of the world order is a great and iconic way to catalyze a plot while informing viewers about its characters and their values. There are even a few films where both the heroes and the villains do not respect the authorities.
10 Han Solo Was A Classic Renegade
Star Wars
Han Solo was a classic rogue from the Star Wars franchise. A smuggler by trade, he reluctantly assisted the rebels though frequently had crises of faith. Han struggled to reconcile his individuality with doing the right thing, which made him significantly less reliable than the rest of the cast. He didn't hesitate when talking back to Leia, showing blatant disrespect for the chain of command.
Regardless, Solo eventually agreed to assist the rebellion in Return Of The Jedi. He even sacrificed himself during The Force Awakens, which illustrated a satisfying conclusion to his character arc.
9 Jake Sully Went Against His Human Allies
Avatar
Jake Sully was the main protagonist of Avatar. Although arriving on Pandora with the intent of plundering its resources, he had a change of heart after spending time with the Na'vi. Predictably, this turned him against many of his former allies and the "authority" of the human race.
However, Jake was also at odds with the Na'vi once they learned about his true nature and previous goals. He was deemed untrustworthy by both factions, putting him under a great amount of psychological stress.
8 Rothbart Attempted To Take Odette's Kingdom For Himself
The Swan Princess
Rothbart was the main antagonist of The Swan Princess and a prolific sorcerer. Fearful that he would spend his entire life fighting if he overthrew the kingdom, the man captured Odette and attempted to forcefully marry her. This showed a brazen disrespect for authority, especially when combined with his attack on the king.
Rothbart only respected power rather than those who held office. As a result, he freely transformed Odette into a swan without remorse for his actions. Remorseless and determined, Rothbart wouldn't give up on his plans until Derek killed him.
7 Will Salas Defied Time Itself
In Time
Will Salas was a young man attempting to change a tumultuous society. Since In Time's mortality-based currency resulted in the death of his mother, he endeavored to distribute as many years to others as possible.
To this end, Salas clashed with deadly time agents and some of the richest men on the planet. Although quickly becoming a menace among the authorities, he won the people's adulation by robbing banks on their behalf and even saving many of their lives. Salas sought to destroy the system by redistributing its wealth.
6 Katniss Everdeen Became The Face Of The Rebellion
The Hunger Games
Katniss Everdeen was the main protagonist of The Hunger Games series. Although resenting the capital since childhood, she actively took a stand against it after her sister was drafted to participate in a brutal tournament.
Katniss volunteered so that her sister wouldn't have to. This immediately made her popular among the other districts and a novelty to the capital. She used that influence in order to become a figurehead of the rebellion, later defeating both Snow and Coin. Katniss showed no bias when her superiors displayed unreliability and needed to be put down.
5 William Emmerson Was A Notorious Cop Killer
Spiral
William Emmerson was the main antagonist of Spiral. Unlike other Saw villains, he didn't target the innocent or even those who failed to appreciate life. Instead, he specifically went after police officers on account of the corruption within their departments. To Emmerson's credit, he solely attacked corrupt authorities and did not despise police in general.
He hoped that his radical actions would intimidate the police into being more honest with their future investigations, and he ultimately escaped without ever being caught. Despite lacking Kramer's intelligence and purpose, Emmerson proved just as elusive.
4 Star-Lord Was The Galaxy's Most Lovable Maverick
Guardians Of The Galaxy
Star-Lord was the leader of a band of mercenaries in Guardians Of The Galaxy. Though claiming to be neither heroes nor villains, they always sided with the former on matters of cosmic safety. Regardless, Star-Lord did not respect galactic authorities, only cooperating with them when left with no other choice.
He felt similarly apathetic toward his father, Ego, and attempted to execute him after discovering what happened to his mother. Given that Star-Lord attacked Thanos despite Strange's warnings, he clearly followed his own set of rules.
3 Billy Loomis Was A Vitriolic Killer
Scream
Billy Loomis was the main antagonist of Scream. Unlike other horror villains, he was a relatively ordinary person who was completely aware of the heinous things he'd done to other people. Billy did not fear the authorities on account of the plans he'd made to counter them.
For example, he used Stu in order to conduct killings in his absence, which helped to absolve him of any alleged blame. Ultimately, Billy's cockiness got the best of him when he attempted to frame his own attack by having Stu stab him multiple times in the chest before his most recent victims were even dead.
2 Tyler Durden Despised Modernity
Fight Club
Tyler Durden was the main antagonist of Fight Club. Although a symptom of Jack Moore's mental instability, his actions quickly garnered international notoriety. It evolved from a therapeutic circle into a more general critique of modernity itself.
Durden lamented how society emasculated men and preached violence wherever he went. His message reached so many discontented people that he quickly gained influence over corporations, police forces, and even the government itself. Although Durden hated authority, his destructive message paradoxically made him one of the most powerful people on the planet.
1 The Joker Was An Agent Of Chaos
The Dark Knight
The Joker in The Dark Knight embodied a flagrant disrespect of authority. Advertising himself as an "agent of chaos," he attacked various government institutions and relished in creating widespread moral panic. Joker's primary goal was to demoralize all of Gotham.
To this end, he pitted a boat of ordinary people against hardened criminals and told them that whoever blew up the other first would live. Joker also corrupted Harvey Dent into a despicable villain no longer worthy of protecting the city's interests as its white knight.