While supervillains are usually found in comic books and their big-screen adaptations, the term allows for a broader interpretation that can encompass characters outside of the original medium. The word 'super' implies that they have a special skill or enhancement that elevates them above other characters, while villain obviously refers to their nefarious deeds or evil tendencies.
While many of the greatest movie supervillains are from comic-inspired films, many of the greatest movie villains are powerful enough to qualify as a supervillain. There are quite a few movie supervillains who sit at the top alongside other live-action comic book supervillains in terms of strength and power.
10 Khan Was A Genetically-Engineered Conqueror With Enhanced Strength And Intellect
Star Trek's Enterprise encountered the powerful and brilliant Khan Noonien Singh (played by Ricardo Montalban) first in The Original Series and then again in 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. A rebooted version of the character appeared in the modern franchise in 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness.
Khan was a result of a selective breeding program that genetically engineered superior humans, which allowed Khan to take over most of Earth before he was cryogenically frozen. His enhanced strength was only part of what made Khan such a powerful supervillain, as his superior intellect made him a tactical genius who challenged the brightest minds in the Federation.
9 Lord Voldemort Wasn't Physically Strong, But He Had Mastered Deadly Magic
The biggest threat in the Harry Potter franchise of films was the deadly sorcerer who became known as Lord Voldemort. His first attempt to violently take over the Ministry of Magic and assassinate young Harry resulted in Voldemort being feared across the wizarding world, earning him the title of "He who must not be named."
Voldemort wasn't a physically intimidating foe after he returned from death in a weakened body. However, his magical ability outmatched almost everyone, and he had no issues with using fatal curses and dark magic to extend his life and increase his power.
8 Bane Had Reached Peak Physical Strength And Was Trained By The League Of Shadows
Tom Hardy brought the DC villain Bane to life on the big screen in Christopher Nolan's finale to his Batman trilogy, 2012's The Dark Knight Rises. While the comic version had been enhanced by an addictive strength-enhancing drug known as venom, the live-action version had trained his body to peak fitness levels.
The League of Shadows had also trained him to be a highly-skilled assassin, which allowed him to take over the group after the death of their original leader. Bane's strength, intellect, and fighting ability made him more than a match for almost any threat, including Batman.
7 Brixton Lore Was Enhanced With Advanced Technology To Become "Black Superman"
The Fast & Furious franchise introduced quite a few menacing villains. However, the strongest was without a doubt Brixton Lore, played by Idris Elba. Lore appeared in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw as a mercenary enhanced with advanced tech that increased his reaction time and strength exponentially.
Lore was a super-soldier who referred to himself as the "Black Superman" and worked for a high-tech secret organization with the goal of wiping out half of Earth's population. He displayed quite a few impressive feats of strength that earned him his self-imposed nickname, though he was very dependent on the secret high-tech organization he worked for to maintain his body.
6 The Terminator Has Introduced A Few Different Powerful Models Of Robotic Assassins
1984's The Terminator saw the titular advanced robotic assassin sent back in time to take out the mother of the future resistance movement's leader. The first intimidating machine was the T-800, a powerful robot with incredible strength and endurance, covered in artificial skin to both blend in and survive the trip through time.
Each sequel introduced a seemingly more powerful version of the Terminator, whose bodies ranged from liquid metal to advanced nanotechnology to increase their strength and deadly capabilities further. The T-800 played by Arnold Schwarzenegger may have been an obsolete model, he still managed to hold his own against the more advanced Terminators that came along.
5 Darth Vader's Strength Comes From His Mastery Of The Force And Skills With A Lightsaber
Another movie supervillain who may not be as physically strong as some of his peers is Darth Vader from the Star Wars franchise, though he's strong enough, and he more than makes up for his lack of superhuman strength with his control of the dark side of the Force. His mastery of the Force gave him incredible psionic abilities that allowed him to take out his enemies or with a tightening of his fist.
Darth Vader was also a highly-skilled fighter whose skills with a lightsaber and ferocity on the battlefield made him a renowned threat across the entire galaxy. While Darth Vader found redemption in his final moments, he will always be known as one of the deadliest and strongest lords of the Sith.
4 Magneto's Mastery of Magnetism Makes Him An Incredibly Powerful And Dangerous Threat
The live-action X-Men franchise also featured quite a few different supervillains who challenged the mutant heroes with their incredible powers, though it was Magneto and his control over magnetic forces who proved to be the most consistent and dangerous of the bunch.
Fans even got to see Magneto both in his prime and after years of experience, as the franchise featured Sir Ian Mckellan as the elder Magneto while Michael Fasbender played a younger take on Erik Lensherr. Both versions of the character displayed many incredibly powerful feats that make Magneto one of the strongest movie supervillains.
3 Thanos Is A Deadly Universal Conqueror Who Gained Additional Power With The Infinity Gauntlet
The biggest bad in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was the Mad Titan named Thanos, a universal conqueror who used his armies to take over worlds as he tried to 'bring balance' by wiping out half of their inhabitants. He decided to finalize his goal when he gathered together the powerful Infinity Stones that gave him control over the universe's fundamental forces.
While Thanos wielding the Infinity Gauntlet is incredibly powerful and nearly impossible to beat, he is also a powerful warrior without it. Thanos fought and nearly overpowered the strongest members of the Avengers before he was undone by the power of the Infinity Stones.
2 General Zod Is A Kryptonian With A Multitude Of Abilities That Include Super-Strength
The powerful Kryptonian known as General Zod has appeared on the big screen twice over the years, and on both occasions, he was able to stand up to the incredibly powerful Superman, who is considered one of the strongest superheroes both in the comics and on the big screen.
Zod was older and more calculated when Terence Stamp played him in Superman: The Movie and Superman II. However, it's Michael Shannon's version of the character from Man of Steel who stands out due to his brutality and aggressiveness.
1 Sauron Was A Powerful Spirit And Necromancer Who Easily Took On Armies By Himself
Both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings franchises dealt with the looming threat of the dark celestial being known as Sauron, a powerful artificer and necromancer who gathered his dark armies together in order to take control of Middle-earth.
In his most powerful form, Sauron tore through armies of humans and elves all by himself, each blow sending forces flying across the battlefield. Even after his body was destroyed when the One Ring was cut from his hand, Sauron's Evil Eye still maintained control over the land of Mordor and wielded incredible power that continued to threaten Middle-earth.