Perhaps the oldest character on this list, Tolkien's Saruman the White was brought to vivid, creepy life by Christopher Lee and director Peter Jackson. Starting "Fellowship of the Ring" as a supposed ally of Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Saruman shows his true colors and his unwavering lust for power just minutes after being introduced. From that moment on, he gives "LOTR" viewers a villain to hiss, while the more powerful Sauron exists primarily only as a big, fiery eyeball in the sky. And who better to play the articulate evil wizard than the baritone-voiced Brit who has starred in seemingly thousands of horror films?

-Dave Lewis