From Superman and Lex Luthor to Spider-Man and Venom, the history of cinema is littered with many of the greatest rivalries in the history of artistic expression. In many ways, cinema has usurped literature’s position of the peak artistic form of the modern age, pitting the forces of good and evil against one another on screen.
The clash between good and evil has been at the very heart of cinema from its inception, and over 11,000 IMDb users have been having their say on the greatest rivalries in cinematic history, ranking the top 10 hero/villain rivalries.
Thor & Loki (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
The Shakespearean rivalry between Thor and his adoptive brother Loki is at the very core of Thor’s solo outing in 2011. The battle between Thor and Loki for their father’s admiration, respect, and approval, gives this rivalry its power as the brothers fight it out for the position of Odin’s one true heir.
Thor and Loki’s rivalry has grown into more of a brotherly love as the MCU has expanded and evolved, with Loki growing into more of a hero as his story has progressed, most recently in his own solo Disney+ series Loki. The last time fans saw Thor and Loki together in Avengers: Infinity War, it was clear that their rivalry was well and truly behind them, leaving Loki’s demise at the hands of Thanos all the more crushing for Thor.
John McClane & Hans Gruber (Die Hard)
Die Hard holds its own to this day as one of the greatest action movies of the 1980s and one of the all-time great action movies. The movie featured the big-screen arrival of Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman, both of whom would go on to do some of the biggest movies of all time. It’s the intense rivalry between the two that gives Die Hard some of its best and funniest moments.
What’s doubly impressive is that much of the rivalry between the two is created in the conversations the two have when they don’t share the screen, really highlighting how effective cinema can be at creating a powerful conflict through dialogue and editing.
Professor X & Magneto (X-Men Franchise)
Despite the many shortcomings and failures of Fox’s series of X-Men films, one thing that cannot be denied is that the films perfectly captured the complicated relationship and rivalry between Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto).
While the characters have been played by two different sets of actors, with Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen playing the older versions of the characters, and James McEvoy and Michael Fassbender playing the younger versions, all the X-Men films, at their best, focus on the battle between these two figures and their ideology regarding the place of mutants in the world. Xavier’s peaceful approach to the struggle for mutant liberation is contrasted with Magneto’s more combative style in the fight for the hearts and minds of mutants. The rivalry between the two is underscored by respect and friendship, with a mutual understanding that both are fighting for the same cause.
Neo & Agent Smith (The Matrix Franchise)
While most people will no doubt remember the original Matrix for its mind-blowing visual effects, and the sequels for their less than stellar storytelling, one thing that runs through across the original trilogy is the intense rivalry between Keanu Reeve’s Neo and Hugo Weaving’s villainous computer system Agent Smith.
Their rivalry is a classic tale of good vs. evil, with Neo personifying freedom and Agent Smith representing those who are trapped by the machines. Their rivalry culminates, in the original trilogy, in a wildly over-the-top anime-esque action sequence with Neo ultimately emerging victorious. While The Matrix Resurrections continued the rivalry between Neo and Agent Smith, it’s the rivalry with Weaving’s version of the character that truly makes their rivalry one of the best in cinematic history.
Maximus & Commodus (Gladiator)
One of Ridley Scott’s all-time greatest movies, Gladiator is an epic historical drama that tracks the fall and rise again of Russell Crowe’s Roman General Maximus, who, upon learning that his wife and son are murdered by the sitting Roman Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), goes on a journey to avenge his slain family.
The rivalry between Maximus and Commodus is not just a battle between a good man, that was betrayed by the son of his mentor Marcus Aurelius, and an evil man, in the form of Commodus. In the context of the story, their rivalry is also symbolic of the conflict over the future direction of Rome, whether Rome will stay true to its tradition as a Republic, or fall further and further into autocracy and Empire with Commodus as its head.
Billy Costigan & Colin Sullivan (The Departed)
Martin Scorsese’s remake of the Hong Kong classic Infernal Affairs, The Departed is considered by many to be the Scorsese’s very best gangster movie, combining the gangster drama and crime thriller.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon star as Billy Costigan and Colin Sullivan in a cat-and-mouse plot that weaves and winds throughout. The drama is made all the more thrilling by the rivalry between DiCaprio and Damon’s characters, both of whom are tirelessly attempting to out the other before their cover is blown.
Ellen Ripley & The Alien (Alien Franchise)
Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise has made her one of the most iconic female protagonists in action movie history. Beginning in 1979, with Ripley Scott’s Alien, Weaver has appeared as Ripley in four Alien movies. However, it’s often the first two movies in the franchise audiences cite when thinking about her rivalry with the alien xenomorph.
Aliens, directed by James Cameron, in particular, turned her character into an action movie star and evolved her hatred of the alien creature from the first movie as she fights to protect the small child “Newt.” While the third and fourth movies in the genre failed to capture the sci-fi magic of the first two films, Ripley’s rivalry with the xenomorph is legendary in the history of cinema.
Harry Potter & Lord Voldemort (Harry Potter)
One of the most iconic rivalries of 21st century cinema has been the battle between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort in J.K. Rowling’s series of Harry Potter books and films. The epic struggle between the two powerful wizards is at the heart of the Harry Potter series, with both fighting to rid the world of the other.
While Voldemort does appear in the first movie of the series, The Philosopher’s Stone, it’s his reappearance in The Goblet of Fire and thereafter, when he is portrayed by Ralph Fiennes, that his intense rivalry with Harry Potter truly kicks off. The deep connection the two characters share allows Harry and Voldemort to interact with one another while they’re not on screen, developing their relationship and building tension before their iconic duel in the final film of the series.
Batman & The Joker (Batman 1989)
The rivalry between Batman and the Joker is infamous. The diametrically opposed characters have faced off in multiple different formats, including movies, comics, games, and TV shows, spanning the better part of eighty years. With a multitude of actors taking on the roles of both Batman and the Joker, most recently with Robert Pattinson and Barry Keoghan in The Batman, IMDb fans voted the first cinematic paring of the iconic duo as the second best rivalry in the history of cinema.
Tim Burton’s Batman, released in 1989, was the first cinematic appearance of both Batman and the Joker and did much to pave the way for the landscape of superhero movies audiences enjoy today. Michael Keaton’s version of Batman is rivaled by Jack Nicholson’s mobster version of the iconic Clown Prince of Gotham. Their rivalry is made even more personal in the movie by the revelation that it was a young Jack Napier (the Joker) that killed Bruce Wayne’s parents.
Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader (Star Wars)
The cinematic rivalry between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader is legendary. First appearing in A New Hope, in 1977, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker barely interact in the first film of the trilogy. Their rivalry truly begins in The Empire Strikes Back, culminating in their Cloud City duel and the infamous revelation that Vader is Luke’s father.
Continuing in Return of the Jedi, audiences see the struggle Luke has in bringing his father back from the dark side. The rivalry between these two characters has led Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader to become two of the most significant and recognizable hero/villain pairings in the history of cinema. Even to this day, fans are continuing to see the characters return to the screen in new Star Wars series like The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
