In many movies, the villain and the hero meet for the first time in the third act to settle between them whatever score needs settling. In others, the villain and the hero cross paths quite early and go on to clash numerous times until all is settled. However, there are some movies in which the villain and the hero never meet face to face.
A scenario in which the protagonist doesn’t personally deal with the source of the nuisance, or the bad guy doesn’t win, might come off as unsatisfactory. However, these movies still manage to achieve their objectives without putting the two disagreeing parties in the same location and making them have a confrontation.
Braveheart (1995)
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When King Edward I “Longshanks” of England kills the wife of William Wallace the day after his wedding, the Scottish rebel sets out for revenge. But despite putting a spirited campaign against the king, Wallace gets betrayed, captured, and killed.
For most of its running time, Braveheart attempts to make a case for itself as one of the best revenge movies of all time but in the end, there is no true vengeance. Viewers are only left to appreciate the protagonist’s valor since he never gets to drive a sword into Longshanks’ abdomen and make him pay. An opportunity for that to happen comes towards the end when the king commands his own forces but still, the bad guy emerges victorious.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
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In a post-apocalyptic wasteland where water and gasoline are scarce, Max Rockatansky teams up with the defecting war captain Imperator Furiosa to flee from the tyrant, Immortan Joe. This leads to a lengthy road battle.
The theme of female empowerment runs throughout the movie hence it feels right when Imperator Furiosa is granted th opportunity of killing Immortan Joe instead of Max. After all, she knows him better. Though Max is the main protagonist, his activities are mostly limited to what could be considered one of the greatest movie chase scenes of all time. And since the chase is so magnificently choreographed, audiences are left with nothing to complain about.
True Romance (1993)
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Elvis Presley fanatic and comic nerd Clarence falls in love with an escort. He then kills her pimp to free her but on the way out, he grabs a bag of cocaine, thinking it’s her belongings. This action sets the mob after the two lovebirds.
The movie—which was written by Quentin Tarantino—has a do-for-love storyline guaranteed to make fans emotional. The main antagonist of the movie is mob boss Vincenzo Coccotti, who does a great job of marshaling his troops in an attempt to get back the drugs. However, the mission fails, and the couple goes on to have a happy ending. It’s unclear what happens to Coccotti.
From Russia With Love (1963)
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The evil organization named SPECTRE seeks to avenge the death of one of its most formidable members, Dr. No. Meanwhile, James Bond aims to get his hands on a device known as the Lektor from the Soviets.
There’s a lot to love about From Russia With Love, including Agent 007’s cat and mouse games with one of the best Bond henchmen, Red Grant, as well as the action sequences. The big bad of the movie is Blofeld, aka SPECTRE No. 1. Bond never gets into the same room as him and neither is his face shown. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it helps add an air of mystery.
The Fifth Element (1997)
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Set in the 23rd century, the sci-fi movie sees a cab driver named Dallas attempt to acquire mystic stones that will ensure Earth’s survival. Standing in his way is the industrialist Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg.
Movies, where the villain is at the service of an even large force, tend to be intriguing, and such is the case with The Fifth Element. Zorg happens to work for a mysterious entity known as the Greater Evil and he sure does carry out his master’s wishes with zeal. Interestingly, Zorg and Dallas never get to confront each other. The closes they come to that happening is when Dallas walks out of an elevator and moments later, Zorg steps in.
The Truman Show (1998)
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An insurance salesman named Truman isn’t aware that his life is actually a reality TV show and that his friends, relatives, and neighbors are actors. The person pulling the strings is a director named Cristof.
Truman’s ignorance is the best thing about the movie, as he goes about his daily business not knowing he is actually inside a dome. As is always the case in such kinds of situations, he eventually finds out the truth. Interestingly, the exchange between him and Cristof only happens via speakers. In a development that seems unfair to him, Truman is never given the opportunity to get his hands on the man who literally used him as a toy.
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982)
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The Wrath Of Khan sits top among the best Star Trek movies and for good reason. Khan is relentless in his effort to use the Genesis Device to create new worlds whereas Captain Kirk will do everything to stop him.
A formidable villain, Khan never stops creating new problems for Kirk when he solves an existing one. Interestingly, the two never meet, simply because Khan is on the Reliant ship, whereas Kirk is on the Enterprise. Keeping the action inside the ships is what has helped distinguish the Star Trek movies from other space-related projects and it works well again here, with Kirk and Khan only communicating through radio.
No Country For Old Men (2007)
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Llewelyn Moss, a hunter, stumbles upon money from a drug deal gone bad. He is then pursued by the psychopathic killer, Chigurgh, who wants the money.
Chigurgh and Moss’ cat and mouse games throughout the movie make for wildly entertaining moments. Though Chigurgh is a formidable villain, he is no match for Moss, who always knows his next movie. The closest they ever come to meet is during a shootout in the town of Eagle Pass. Despite being a great hero, Moss meets his demise at the hands of Mexican drug dealers.
Zodiac (2007)
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Cartoonist Robert Graysmith tries his best to get close to a serial killer that refers to himself as Zodiac. With the help of detectives, he tries to solve the mystery but the identity of the killer is never established.
By easily taunting law enforcement officers, Zodiac paints himself as one of the most intelligent villains ever. The antagonist never gets tired of using puzzles and leaving completed clues. Still, all that the law enforcements manage to do is single out a few individuals as suspects. In the end, no one meets the killer.
The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (2001 – 2003)
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Sauron—the ruler of Mordor—plans to conquer all of Middle-earth so Hobbit Frodo Baggins makes plans to stop him by destroying the One Ring. And neither he nor his accomplices meet Sauron.
Since Sauron is more of a deity, meeting him becomes difficult for anyone pursuing him. However, things are made much easier with the revelation that one doesn’t need to actually see him in order to defeat him. By simply getting rid of the Oen Ring, Sauron can be defeated and that’s what happens after close to 9 hours.
