5 Villainous Heroes Like Heathcliff

Published: FEB 25, 2026

TOM RIPLEY IN RIPLEY

A handsome, deceitful sociopath whose ability to manipulate and kill for social ascension is terrifying and magnetic. He has an air about himself with that predatory smile and sloe eyes, that can be mistaken for charismatic.

RAHUL MEHRA IN DARR

SRK as Rahul Mehra, a psychotically obsessed lover, whose stalking and violent tendencies make him a uniquely unsettling antihero. A landmark character in Bollywood, Mehra is nevertheless a menace.

TONY MONTANA IN SCARFACE

The ultimate criminal antihero, whose ruthless pursuit of power is intoxicating yet tragic, Al Pacino embodies the dark side of ambition in Scarface and defines the bad boy.

JOE GOLDBERG IN YOU

Penn Badgley as psychopathic Joe Goldberg is a modern internet-era antihero, whose obsession and violence are framed through social media and online voyeurism, echoing the digital-age focus of Fennell’s Heathcliff.

REYNOLDS WOODCOCK IN PHANTOM THREAD

A master dressmaker whose control on women borders on cruel, yet Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance keeps him compelling. He's scowling, moody and easily angered by minor disruptions like butter knife clinking against plate's surface at breakfast.