The 20 most controversial movie characters of all time

Who’s the real villain in The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda or Nate? There’s a growing body of fans who are staunchly in the camp of the latter. Who would’ve thought that a chef in New York City would create so much controversy?

Borat was so controversial, there was a lawsuit brought forth against the producers of the movie. They were accused by Romanian people of portraying them negatively,  as the Romanian village of Glod stood in for the titular character's hometown in Kazakhstan. Sacha Baron Cohen has also been asked repeatedly why he was willing to play the character. 

Some viewers have always been a little critical of Ursula, but the sea witch was questioned more heavily amid the live-action remake when it was announced that Melissa McCarthy was playing the character instead of a queer person, as the character is based on a drag queen.  

There are lots of people who do not like Jar Jar Binks. They never have. From the beginning, Jar Jar was disliked, with lots of critics saying the character is a racist depiction of Black people. Others find him unfunny and a ridiculous farce. 

At the time of filming, Alex DeLarge’s actions, and by extension A Clockwork Orange, were found very graphic. The violence pegged Alex as a controversial movie character, and his reputation has never recovered despite graphic violence being much more commonplace in cinema today. 

It’s obvious why Christian Grey is so controversial, right? If you’re still curious, we have four words for you: Red Room of Pain. (If you’re still confused, a simple Google search will help you out. We don’t feel quite right going into further detail.)

Disney has had multiple instances of portraying Siamese cats negatively. Many viewers find their time in Lady and the Tramp particularly troubling due to the song they sing about being Siamese. 

Scarface was violent and not well-received initially. A commentary on the current administration of the time, the film and the character of Tony were supposed to be controversial. The filmmakers certainly achieved their goal. 

We don’t have time to get into what makes the Architect in The Matrix Reloaded so controversial. Just trust us; he is. The internet is rife with debate about who he is and what he’s done, and you could go down several rabbit holes about Matrix theories if you wanted. 

Many members of the LGBTQ+ community have criticized the character of Catherine Tramell, the famed bisexual character in Basic Instinct , played by Sharon Stone. The movie’s most famous scene stirred controversy the minute it was released, and viewers still debate the ethics of the film.  

Was Daniel Hillard, aka Mrs. Doubtfire, a good father for dressing up as a nanny to spend more time with his children, or was he a dishonest maniac who manipulated his family in arguably the strangest way possible? We’ll let you decide. 

Some see Brad Pitt’s Tyler Durden from Fight Club to be a toxic pig and have decried his glorification in the media. Others, however, see his character as necessary to the film’s plot, claiming that it wouldn’t be as impactful if he didn’t have certain characteristics. 

Was Severus Snape a villain or a hero? Does he deserve eternal hate or a chance at redemption? These, and many more, are the questions that have plagued Harry Potter fans since the final film (or book if you’re a purist) was released, and they will continue to as long as new people are consuming the series. 

It can be hard to get things right. Fans of Iron Man 3 loved the reveal of the villain Trevor Slattery, but critics said his portrayal was problematic. Fans of the comic series were also upset that notable changes had been made to the character. 

Yzma is the antagonist in The Emperor’s New Groove, but many fans feel she’s been unfairly maligned. Some have said she got a bad rap for advising Kuzco when she was just doing her job and that Kuzco deserves misfortune for his own shortcomings. 

Should Edward Cullen be heralded as a handsome and intriguing love interest, or should he be seen as a monster who almost killed the woman he claims to love? Other fans would say Bella Swan’s part in the controversy needs to be considered, too. 

The Joker has been a controversial character since he was just a drawing, but his human portrayals haven’t received any less criticism. Part of the widespread criticism comes from the alleged curse that playing the part negatively affects the actor’s mental health. 

The Grinch himself isn’t necessarily controversial, but Jim Carrey’s interpretation of the iconic character certainly was. Purists thought Carrey made a total farce of the Grinch, while fans loved his zany portrayal. Either way, it’s still a popular movie around Christmastime. 

Jessica Rabbit was criticized for her overt sexuality when the movie hit theaters. When the film was released on LaserDisc, Jessica Rabbit received further criticism for what some thought was a scene featuring her in the nuđe. Critics still debate whether or not there was anything inappropriate shown in the scene. 

Critics of Peter Pan have accused Disney of portraying Indigenous people in a derogatory way in the film. Viewers have called upon Disney+ to add a disclaimer at the beginning of the film. This isn’t the first time Disney has been accused of racism in its older films.