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- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Paramount Pictures
The 15 Most Infamous Villains With Mustaches We Can’t Get Out Of Our Head
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Vote up the villains with the most memorable 'staches.
A mustache is more than a fashion statement. It's a symbol. It demonstrates a man of culture - someone who values protecting their upper lip from deviants who may try to touch that ticklish area between the nose and mouth. In the case of villainous fiends, it adds a dash of flamboyant style.
From Yosemite Sam's hellish handlebar to President Skroob's diabolical fluff, let's explore the infamous mustaches that have made their presences felt in cinema. And don't forget to vote up the 'staches that should have received the Best Supporting Actor Oscars here.
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Johnny Ringo
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- Tombstone
- Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Who Is He: Part of the outlaw gang known as the Cowboys, Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn) takes the reins after the death of their leader, "Curly Bill" Brocius, in Tombstone. Like any good outlaw, he hates lawmen, and this puts him at instant odds with Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell).
Type Of Mustache: Much like everyone else in the film, Ringo has a masterful mustache. He curls the edges of his upwards, giving it the shape of a smile. Undoubtedly, this gives him a certain kind of menacing look on screen.
How The Mustache Adds To The Evil: Violent and known to go off the edge, Ringo is one of the baddest villains around. What makes matters even worse is how his curved mustache makes it look like he's grinning at his foes at all times. He's like the Joker of the Wild West here.
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- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Paramount Pictures
Who Is He: In Sonic the Hedgehog, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) is introduced as an intelligent but deranged scientist hired by the US government to uncover the cause of a massive power outage. When Robotnik realizes Sonic's (Ben Schwartz) quills hold unprecedented levels of energy, and can be harnessed to power all of his inventions, he becomes obsessed with capturing the hedgehog.
Type Of Mustache: Robotnik boasts two distinct mustache styles in the Sonic movies. When first introduced, it's more of a Super Mario Bros. bushy banquet on his upper lip. However, following his exile on the Mushroom Planet, his hair falls out and his mustache triples in size. It seems the more sinister (and balder) he becomes, the bigger and more out of control his 'stache becomes.
How The Mustache Adds To The Evil: A clean-shaven Robotnik wouldn't have the same menacing appeal here. As Robotnik unleashes his villainous monologues and rubs his hands in delight at all the trouble he causes, the bouncing and hulking mahogany mustache becomes like a sniffling cohort in his dastardly schemes.
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- Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
- 20th Century Fox
Who Is He: As the owner of Globo Gym, White Goodman (Ben Stiller) wants to reign supreme and crush Average Joe's gym in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Arrogant and rude, he also harbors plans to win the dodgeball tournament with his team, the Globo Gym Purple Cobras. Basically, he's a human gnat.
Type Of Mustache: Goodman boasts a Frank Zappa-inspired mustache that feels like it's pulled straight out of the ‘70s. It’s almost but not quite a horseshoe mustache. However, he isn't only leaving the party on the top lip, as he creates a small patch of hairy goodness between his bottom lip and chin.
How The Mustache Adds To The Evil: With that Grandma haircut and mustache combo, Goodman looks like a TV personal trainer out of the early '80s who hasn't left behind the previous decade's fashion choices. His annoying voice rings in everyone's ears, but nothing is quite as loud as this obnoxious 'tache that screams, "Throw the ball in my face." No one with this look can ever be considered a good guy, especially when they walk out doing a cobra dance before a dodgeball match.
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- Hook
- TriStar Pictures
Who Is He: As Peter Pan's (Robin Williams) arch-nemesis, Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) lures his old foe back to Neverland for one final rumble in the jungle in Hook. At the same time, the pirate with a hook for a hand realizes the potential in turning Peter's children against their father and establishing an heir for himself.
Type Of Mustache: A perfectly manicured and deliberately curled mustache adorns Hook's face. The villain clearly takes pride in his appearance, since the design of his facial hair matches his eyebrows. Hook would make a wonderful addition to the Queer Eye cast, as it's clear he has a handle on grooming.
How The Mustache Adds To The Evil: Through every sneer or laugh, Hook's mustache accentuates his expression and mood. He's capable of deceiving Peter's children, Jack and Maggie, by making himself look like a friendly uncle when necessary. Other times, the sheer menace of the man translates through his upper lip's accessory.
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- The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends
- ABC
Who Is He: The opposite of Dudley Do-Right, Snidely Whiplash lives only to make Dudley's life as difficult as possible in The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends. There's no rhyme or reason for what he does; he just loves tying people to railroad tracks because that's what bad guys do.
Type Of Mustache: Like any classic villain from literature or film, Snidely has a twirly mustache that curls up to give him a devious look. It's not quite as well kept as Captain Hook's sensational 'stache, but it certainly has its own character.
How The Mustache Adds To The Evil: It's the combination of the black clothing, top hat, and mustache that makes Snidely look like the archetypal villain. Plus, his mustache is perfect for twirling, especially if he's monologuing about his latest and greatest scheme.
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- Looney Tunes Cartoons
- Max
Who Is He: Looney Tunes's Yosemite Sam hates rabbits. Why? No one knows. The pint-sized, gunslinging outlaw despises varmints like Bugs Bunny and comes up with harebrained schemes to exterminate them.
Type Of Mustache: Where does Yosemite Sam's handlebar mustache end and his eyebrows begin? This fiery ginger's facial hair wraps around his eyes and nose, not leaving much skin exposed. It's a mask made out of hair - like Cousin Itt from The Addams Family.
How The Mustache Adds To The Evil: Despite outlaws trying to outrun the authorities, they are vain people who love to stand out for their appearance and escapades. In Yosemite Sam's case, no one else has his unique unkempt look. Essentially, he and Elmer Fudd have the same purpose: To hunt wabbits. But Sam distinguishes himself from the clean shaven Fudd with wild facial hair that has a mind of its own.
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President Skroob
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- Spaceballs
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Who Is He: In Spaceballs, Mel Brooks portrays the wacky President Skroob. The incompetent leader wasted all the fresh air of the planet Spaceballs, so now he's hatched a plan to steal the air from neighboring planet Druidia.
Type Of Mustache: How does one define Skroob's mustache? It looks like two baby caterpillars were squashed and planted on his lip. Weirdly enough, it suits him.
How The Mustache Adds To The Evil: Much like Skroob's leadership style, his mustache is a sorry excuse for facial hair. It's a 'stache for the sake of having one, and embodies the low effort that he puts into life in general.
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- Gangs of New York
- Miramax Films
Who Is He: In Gangs of New York, Bill "The Butcher" Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis) terrorizes the streets as the manipulative leader of the Natives gang. Cruel, violent, and unpredictable, Cutting rules with an iron fist and crushes those who oppose him.
Type Of Mustache: Historically accurate and imposing, Cutting displays a large handlebar mustache that was popular in its era. This was the equivalent of a fade for 19th century men.
How The Mustache Adds To The Evil: This type of mustache was worn by people of extreme wealth and power, so it only adds an extra layer to Cutting's personality here. He believes himself to be above the law and everyone else, so this fluffy decoration on his face acts as a symbol of how untouchable he is.
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- Flash Gordon
- Universal Pictures
Who Is He: Clever, ruthless, and tyrannical, Ming the Merciless (Max Von Sydow) rules over the planet Mongo with an iron fist in Flash Gordon. He decides to attack Earth, really just to kill some time - because it sounds like a fun exercise when one's a powerful, lawless emperor.
Type Of Mustache: Ming boasts a delightful Fu Manchu mustache. It's a straight 'stache that extends past the corners of the mouth and points downward. It also gives the appearance of two tentacles hanging from the sides of his face.
How The Mustache Adds To The Evil: Ming's Fu Manchu 'stache complements the sharp ridges of his eyebrows, giving him a sinister appearance that extends to his demeanor. Take one look at him and it's clear he's the villain of the story here. No one can deny that evil space emperor chic is quite the choice here.
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- Die Hard
- 20th Century Fox
Who Is He: As the man who tries to ruin Christmas in Die Hard, Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his goons saunter into Nakatomi Plaza where they take hostages and plan to steal $640 million in bonds. Intelligent and calculating, Gruber is a pure criminal mastermind who is one step ahead of everyone - except John McClane (Bruce Willis).
Type Of Mustache: To be fair, this is cheating a bit since Gruber shows off a carefully manicured beard - not just a mustache. It's immaculately trimmed and styled to demonstrate how he's still a gentleman even if he is a ruthless criminal.
How The Mustache Adds To The Evil: Gruber carries himself as an articulate and well-mannered man, despite all the villainy. His facial hair complements this facade, as it doesn't look too gauche or outrageous. It's meticulously put together, much like the rest of his devious plan.
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Bowler Hat Guy
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- Meet the Robinsons
- Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Who Is He: When it comes to grudges, no one holds them quite like Michael Charles "Goob" Yagoobian, AKA Bowler Hat Guy, in Meet the Robinsons. As a former roommate of Lewis Robinson at the orphanage, he grows bitter toward Lewis and becomes his nemesis. It doesn't stop there, though, as he beefs with Lewis's son, Wilbur, too.
Type Of Mustache: Goob possesses a pencil-thin, long 'stache that sits under his crooked nose. Look, it's a stereotypical villain mustache, and it's no surprise he twirls it too.
How The Mustache Adds To The Evil: Kitted out in all black and a black bowler hat, the mustache is the icing on the cake for Goob, who embodies everything a cartoon villain should be. There's simply a devious quality to this type of facial hair that screams, "Bad guy alert!"
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- Ferris Bueller's Day Off
- Paramount Pictures
Who Is He: In Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), the Dean of Students, is a stickler for the rules. And he has Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) in his sights, since he knows the teenager loves to bunk school. He's obsessed with exposing Ferris and his deceitful ways.
Type Of Mustache: In the '80s, authority figures like teachers and cops loved this look. The mustache is meaty and covers most of the upper lip, but it's also trimmed to not extend over the lips or extend too far outward.
How The Mustache Adds To The Evil: Oh, boy. Every maniacal school teacher from the '80s bore the same fat 'stache that Rooney wears here. There's a pomposity to it that instills an instant dislike in the audience. Also, let's be real here: Rooney has the creepiest smile in the world, and the mustache does him no favors here.
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- Bronson
- Vertigo Films
Who Is He: Based on the real-life individual, Michael Peterson (Tom Hardy) is one of the most violent and notorious prisoners in the British incarceration system. Nicknamed Charles Bronson, he is known for his exceptional fighting prowess and glorious mustache.
Type Of Mustache: Thick and filling his entire upper lip, Bronson's mustache requires combing and wax to keep it from getting completely out of hand. However, it's a real man's 'stache, as it looks as bulky and scary as its owner.
How The Mustache Adds To The Evil: Bronson intimidates when he walks into a room, but he's a character. The combination of his bald head, brawny boxing physique, and expertly styled mustache fit the personality. In a way, the look might disarm his adversaries, recalling an old timey strongman from the circus - but it's also become part of his mystique.
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- The Hunger Games
- Lionsgate
Who Is He: Look, as the Head Gamemaker for the Hunger Games, there's no way that Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley) can be a nice guy. His deviant mind designs death traps for contestants to suffer, all for the entertainment of others.
Type Of Mustache: Looking like Satan's long-lost son, Crane crafts both his mustache and beard with geometric shapes and manicured techniques. In fact, it almost looks like a map for one of his games on his face.
How The Mustache Adds To The Evil: Much like the horrific games he designs, there's a precision and showmanship to his facial hair. This man is a showoff and he loves to express himself both in his career and appearance. Although, one has to wonder how many hours he spends getting those angles perfect.
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- There's Something About Mary
- 20th Century Fox
Who Is He: In There's Something About Mary, Pat Healy (Matt Dillon) is a sleazy, second-rate private investigator hired by Ted Stroehmann (Ben Stiller) to find Stroehmann's high school crush Mary Jensen (Cameron Diaz). While looking into Mary, Pat ends up infatuated with her himself.
Type Of Mustache: Oh, it's a pitiful excuse for a mustache. This wispy line over his lips looks like it was drawn on by a five-year-old child.
How The Mustache Adds To The Evil: Pat's a total sleazeball, so it's only fitting that he'd have a bottom-of-the-barrel, ironic mustache to fit his persona. No real destroyer of worlds would be caught with such a sorry piece of facial hair, but Pat parades it around like he found the last Coke in the desert. When he smiles, this pencil-thin 'stache only makes him look more like a comical villain - think Dick Dastardly from Wacky Races.
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