One movie, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence. Three different possibilities here, which is what made this movie one of the best Westerns of all time.
First the Obvious - Liberty (Lee Marvin):
Quintessential Bully/Thief/Rapist/Killer. The very definition of a Sociopath.
Secondly - Ransom Soddard (James Stewart):
Young, educated, cerebral, intelligent, moral, representing the future. Likable to a fault you might say but, vulnerable to a fault as well and the thing that makes him a bit of a villain is that he knows the truth about who the real hero is and he still takes the credit and the girl, even though he knows that his actions basically destroyed the real hero.
Lastly - Tom Doniphon (John Wayne):
The Protector of the Towns People, a man who has acted as the foil to Liberty for years. He represents old school traditions and all he desires now is a quiet life in a small house with the woman he loves. Through circumstances, not of his own creation, he is caught in a Kobayashi Maru sort of situation. He can't deal with Liberty directly because Liberty won't confront him but, he can't allow Soddard to die because of his sense of honor. He's caught in the middle, forcing him to act in a dishonorable, villainous sort of way. He kills Valence in cold blood for the greater good, so to speak but in doing so, he dooms himself to the inescapable fact that he will lose his love and his life because of it. He dies a drunkard, a brooken man who in the end, is forgotten by all but his only friend and the two people who betrayed him.
Any of these three could be considered the best, all time Villains. My personal choice though, Lee Marvin as Liberty Valence. He's the perfect Villain!
