I’m guilty of liking the villains more than the heroes in movies, may be because they’re all twisted and sick and they’ll never get a chance to live in the real world. What if your favourite villain was based on the character of a real person? That’s a sick plot twist! The following are some of the most vicious villains that are inspired by real people:
-Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal is one of the most disturbing characters that were ever created. To make matters even more disturbing, Hannibal was inspired by several real life serial killers. Yes, several. Thomas Harris, the creator of the character, admitted in mid 2013 that the character was mainly inspired by a Mexican doctor and serial killer he met in prison- Alfredo Ballí Treviño, a physician from an upper-class Monterrey family who was found guilty of murdering a close friend (and lover) and mutilating his body; he was also suspected of killing and dismembering several hitchhikers in the city outskirts during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The character was also said to be based on Albert Fish, a serial killer who killed 9 children, and was suspected for the murder of over 100 more. He cannibalised the children and sent their parents letters saying how delicious they tasted.
-Leather Face from Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Since we’re still on the topic of serial killers, Leather Face from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre horror-film series is also based on a real serial killer- Ed Gein who used to kill women and use their bodies for DIY crafts. Yup, a crafty serial killer. He even made masks out of his victim’s bodies and wore them. Gein was also the inspiration for Norman Bates from ‘Psycho’, Buffalo Bill from ‘The Silence of the Lambs’, Bloody Face from ‘American Horror Story’, and Eddie Gluskin of the video game ‘Outlast’.
-Rasputin from Anastasia
The movie Anastasia is inspired by real life events; all characters including the villain, Rasputin, are based on real people. The movie and the portrayal of Rasputin are historically inaccurate; whether he was the villain or the good guy remains debatable. Grigori Rasputin was an alcoholic peasant, who later became a “faith healer”. He was hired by the Russian Prime Minister’s wife to heal her daughter; she eventually became obsessed with him. He later began giving her political advice which bothered the rulers; they ended up killing him. How you rate his “evilness” will solely depend on your political views. What’s interesting about Rasputin though was his death. You should read about it!
-Magneto from X-men
The main villan from X-men is also based on a real person, who is actually a good person- Malcolm X, African-American Muslim minister and human rights activist. Magneto’s early history is pretty much inspired by Malcom X’s. However, many disagree and say that he’s inspired by Meir Kahane- an American-Israeli rabbi whose work became either the direct or indirect foundation of most modern Jewish militant and extreme right-wing political groups. Even though Malcom X and Kahane are the exact opposite of each other when it comes to ideologies, their evil alter-egos are somehow similar.
-Count Dracula
Dracula, the world’s most famous vampire, is based on the true story of Vlad the Impaler; the Romanian emperor who was actually one of the best rulers in history. He’s most famous for his attack on the Ottoman Empire. Even though he didn’t actually suck people’s blood, he was known for extreme torturing techniques of his enemies. No one knows what he did for sure, but he’s the hero of many legends which the original inspiration for Dracula.
