For nearly two decades fans have been treated to countless films that revolved around the X-Men, and whether it was the core team many fans know, Deadpool and his X-Force, or Wolverine on his various solo adventures, the one thing that has remained a constant is the threat of a worthy villain. Taken straight from the comic books, some of the origin stories may have been changed or updated to suit the particular film’s narrative, but the general essence of the villains always remained. Throughout the lengthy span of the X-Men franchise, fans have been treated to some of the best (and worst) villains. Though, regardless of how good or bad they are, the notion that they will try their absolute best to destroy the X-Men and all they hold dear, always remains. 

Something that the franchise has done well, was to bring in some of the most iconic and fan favorite X-Men villains from the pages of the comic books, onto the silver screen. Regardless of how well or poorly they may have been written, at least the notion of making the fans happy was still considered. With so many villains from the X-Men comic books to choose from, it’s not surprising that they all couldn’t be great. One thing’s for sure is that while there may have been some poorly done villains, there were just as many that were done to near perfection. Without further ado, here’s a look at some of the many villains that the X-Men franchise got right, and some that they got wrong.

20 GOT RIGHT: TOAD

Toad X-Men Movie

Aptly played by Ray Park, Toad is one of the X-Men movie villains that did not have as big a role his second go around. However, there was still something to be said for Park’s portrayal of the character. Toad’s antics were quite spot-on, exemplified by his constant bothering of fellow villain, Sabretooth and also by the way he showed off and taunted any members of the X-Men during their fights at the train station or the Statue of Liberty.

The first X-Men film also gave us a good view of Toad’s powers, from his agility and jumping range, to the prehensile tongue and mucous spitting. It would have been nice to see the character progress more into future films.

19 GOT WRONG: SEBASTIAN SHAW

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Sebastian Shaw has been a mainstay in X-Men comic book lore for years, and when he was to be introduced in the films, many fans were excited by the prospect. However, what they got was not really anyone similar to the comics.

While Kevin Bacon did a good job in portraying this manipulative side of the character, that seemed to be the only thing that was truly Sebastian Shaw-esque. As one of the X-Men’s greatest adversaries and head of something as notorious as the Hellfire Club, there was just something missing and very forgettable about Sebastian Shaw’s portrayal on the silver screen.

18 GOT RIGHT: BOLIVAR TRASK

Bolivar Trask was a human who always had it out for those of the mutant variety. In X-Men: Days of Future Past, we get our biggest look at the villain mastermind who created the mutant hunting Sentinels and the Sentinel program. Portrayed by Peter Dinklage, Trask comes of as an unassuming scientist, but beneath the surface, he wants nothing more than to control the “mutant problem”.

With the hysteria surrounding mutants at an all-time high, Trask uses this as an opportunity to flesh out his dastardly plans against mutants. In turn, Trask creates something that will have an everlasting effect on mutantkind.

17 GOT WRONG: CALLISTO

As leader of the underground mutant community known as the Morlocks, Callisto has always been powerful in her own right. However, she wasn’t done particularly well in X-Men: The Last Stand. Played by Dania Ramirez, the only thing that Callisto really had going for her was the fights between herself and Storm, which definitely paid homage to the discourse between the pair that stemmed from their past comic book encounters.

Callisto’s downfall was certainly in the fact that she never really seemed truly as menacing as her comic book counterpart and it is a wonder as to how she is even the leader of the few mutants assembled in X-Men: The Last Stand who are meant to be her fellow Morlocks.

16 GOT RIGHT: THE REAVERS

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The Reavers have been a thorn in the side of the X-Men for decades and the group are finally brought to life on the big screen in 2017’s Logan. Having been beaten by the X-Men, particularly Wolverine numerous times, so it’s a wonder to anyone as to why the Reavers continue to come back.

That being said, it makes for a very fun and interesting time in Logan. In scenes reminiscent of fighting panels in the comic books, Laura (aka X-23) takes on the Reavers with the help of Wolverine. In probably one of the best fight scenes thus far in comic book history, the Reavers prove that they can be great villains in both the comics and on the big screen.

15 GOT WRONG: ARCHANGEL

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In the comic books, Archangel was one of the most fearsome Horsemen of the Apocalypse after being genetically engineered by Apocalypse to change his previously feathered wings into metallic ones sharp enough to inflict great damage. Although that change was one that occurred in the film, the sense of danger that should have been associated with the character was definitely lost.

With not much screen time, it was hard for Angel’s new wings and powers to be put fully on display. Ben Hardy did his best with what he was given, however, the on-screen rendition from X-Men: Apocalypse ultimately did not live up to his comic book counterpart.

14 GOT RIGHT: PSYLOCKE

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While Psylocke suffered the same fate of less screen time as the other Horseman of the Apocalypse (minus Magneto), she was still one of the best thought out villains in the X-Men franchise. Aptly played by Olivia Munn, Psylocke’s dangerousness is felt the moment we see her spending time with Caliban.

Even before she’s found by Apocalypse and imbued with greater powers, he tells her she is strong -- and that is something that anybody who knows the character can't deny. Paired with the comic book accurate costume, Psylocke was a force to be reckoned with but do think the character would have been even better if the audience could have seen her more.

13 GOT WRONG: SILVER SAMURAI

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Silver Samurai has always been one of Wolverine’s major foes and while he did serve his purpose in The Wolverine, he wasn’t the version of Silver Samurai that most comic book fans are familiar with. Instead, they were greeted with mech armor made out of adamantium.

Made on the orders of Ichiro Yashida, not only did the suit serve as protection, but it was also used in an effort to prolong Yashida’s life. While the idea is interesting, there was something about the mech armor that didn’t exactly translate well onto the big screen. In fact, the villain was at his scariest when you could actually see the aged Yashida within the suit, trying to strip Wolverine of his life force.

12 GOT RIGHT: WILLIAM STRYKER

William Stryker in X2

Always lurking in Logan’s mind, Colonel William Stryker played an integral part in the experimentation done on Wolverine where adamantium was laced to his skeleton, ultimately creating Weapon X. While Stryker’s origins greater differ from that of his comic book counterpart, the update was one that certainly served a bigger purpose in the X-Men franchise’s grand scheme.

Making his first live-action appearance in X2: X-Men United, Stryker made a name for himself as one of the X-Men’s greatest villains -- not only controlling mutants for his own gain, but also wanting to rid the world of mutantkind in any way possible.

11 GOT WRONG: DEADPOOL (X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE)

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Of course, most people love Ryan Reynolds in the role of Deadpool. However, the version of Deadpool that fans received in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, was definitely nowhere near the fan favorite "Merc with a Mouth" they were used to. Managing to maintain some of the character’s humor, for the first parts of the film, the character ultimately takes a turn for the worse.

With his mouth stitched shut, unable to partake in anymore wisecracks, Wade Wilson eventually becomes another one of X-Men’s villains that fall victim to both poor writing and poor character design. In the end, it all worked out for the better, because we eventually did get two very well done Deadpool films.

10 GOT RIGHT: LADY DEATHSTRIKE

In X2: X-Men United, Lady Deathstrike is William Stryker’s right-hand, complete with a healing factor, adamantium-laced skeleton and retractable fingernails that rival Wolverine’s claws. Missing the cybernetic enhancements from the comic books and animated versions, the original backstory of Lady Deathstrike is non-existent in X2, however, making Deathstrike a part of Stryker’s crew was a good idea.

Played by Kelly Hu, Lady Deathstrike did have a great moment which definitely paid homage to her rivalry with well-known adversary, Wolverine. Although we did not get to see Lady Deathstrike in more films, her first and only appearance was one good enough to leave a lasting impression.

9 GOT WRONG: SABRETOOTH

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Making his first live-action appearance in X-Men, former professional wrestler, Tyler Mane, took on the role of Victor Creed. Reduced to a growling, lineless sidekick, Mane’s version of the character wasn’t too memorable. When the character resurfaced years later, this time played by Liev Schreiber, the character didn’t get any better.

However, the second time around, it was mostly bad because of a poorly written script. Schreiber did his best as the character, but the story didn’t allow for the character to be one of the great villains of the franchise. As a longtime member of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Sabretooth is one of the longest-standing of all the X-Men villains on this list and deserved way more respect than he got.

8 GOT RIGHT: SENTINELS

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Created by Bolivar Trask to put police and put a stop to the “mutant problem”, the Sentinels have always had a place in both the X-Men comics and the animated television shows throughout the years. Giant robotic entities, the Sentinels hunt mutants. In X-Men: Days of Future Past, fans are lucky enough to see the original renditions of the robots, as well as the much more advanced creations from the future, there is no doubt about the ominous presence the daunting Sentinels have.

From the opening parts of the film where we meet the upgraded Sentinels with the ability to mimic the powers of the mutants they find, Days of Future Past put a new, ominius spin on these classic X-Men villains.

7 GOT WRONG: JUGGERNAUT (X-MEN: THE LAST STAND)

Vinne Jones' Juggernaut in his helmet in X-Men: The Last Stand.

Fans finally got a live-action version of the Juggernaut in X-Men: The Last Stand, but try as Vinnie Jones might, he never quite got the grasp of the character, especially with the kind of writing he was provided. Jones didn’t get many lines, but the ones he did have were definitely less than to be desired.

In addition to the poor dialogue, fans were also treated to a lackluster costume that was far from any comic book iteration of Cain Marko. Truly, it was just a shame to see the X-Men’s unstoppable foe seen in live-action for the first time in this format. Thankfully, this was rectified in Deadpool 2, but most probably won’t ever forget X3’s Juggernaut.

6 GOT RIGHT: MYSTIQUE

Mystique in the comics was an assassin and her deadliness in the films may not have been as prominent, but there was no mistaking that it was there (especially in X-Men and X2: X-Men United). Serving as Magneto’s right-hand in the original trilogy, Rebecca Romijn was a great Mystique and could be very well associated with the phrase, “silent, but deadly.”

With the younger version being played by Jennifer Lawrence, we saw that Mystique was more than Magneto’s premier henchman. Aside from the animated renditions of the character, the film version was well done and and she truly had an undeniable presence, which was likely a factor in her the growth we saw in her from film-to-film.

5 GOT WRONG: EMMA FROST

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Emma Frost was a foe of the X-Men before she became a friend. Known as the White Queen of the Hellfire Club, Emma Frost has always been formidable because of her position in the club, her diamond skin and her powerful telepathy.

While we see the mutations at play, we never see her as a powerful member of the nefarious club, which is one of the biggest injustices of her X-Men: First Class appearance. There is zero sense of Frost’s haughtiness and confidence in her live-action counterpart, and the much beloved White Queen ends up being a disservice to fans of the character.

4 GOT RIGHT: JUGGERNAUT (DEADPOOL 2)

Deadpool 2 marks the second appearance of Juggernaut in an X-Men-related film and this one was certainly a time they got it right. As if he was pulled straight from the pages of a comic book, this version of Juggernaut was just as big as you’d expect and had the perfect voice, reminiscent of the past animated shows.

A CGI-creation that is actually voiced by Ryan Reynolds (edited, of course), Cain Marko includes all the attitude we’d expect and is definitely the size that many fans have been waiting for. He was a funny and perfect fight partner to both Colossus and Wade Wilson in Deadpool 2 and it was great that a film did the big villain justice.

3 GOT WRONG: APOCALYPSE

Another one of the X-Men’s villains that missed the mark on the silver screen is Apocalypse. When the premise of the next X-Men film came to light and it was known that En Sabah Nur would be part of the equation, many were rightfully excited to see what that would bring to the films.

However, the rendition that many saw on-screen was so vastly different from the comic book iteration of the character. Not only did the film version of Apocalypse miss the mark on his iconic look, it also missed the mark on the reality of the strength he possessed. While there are glimpses of it throughout the X-Men: Apocalypse film, much like with Phoenix, it’s disappointingly never fully realized.

2 GOT RIGHT: MAGNETO

Ian McKellen as Magneto

Probably the X-Men’s most well-known adversary, Erik Lensherr, aka Magneto, has always been at the end of some of the X-Men’s biggest trials and tribulations, and he was definitely just as impactful in the film franchise. Whether played by Ian McKellan or Michael Fassbender, the presence and power of the "Master of Magnetism" was always poignantly portrayed by both actors, and the chemistry between Magneto and Professor X was just as palpable.

All of these elements were a key factor in Magneto being a villain that the X-Men films have consistently gotten right, making him, as Magneto aptly said in X-Men: First Class, “perfection.”

1 GOT WRONG: DARK PHOENIX

Dark Phoenix has always been an ever-present threat to the X-Men. After the powerful cosmic entity took over Jean Grey’s body and psyche in the comic books, things for the mutant team have never been the same. Still, one of the best story arcs in the history of X-Men comics, there were so many things missing from the character in the movie version which made her fall flat to the majority of the audience.

There was no way that the entirety of “The Dark Phoenix Saga” could be jammed into a singular film, and while Famke Janssen did the best she could with the material that she was given, it still made for lacklustre rendition of one of the X-Men’s ultimate villains.