The ruthless bully character has been a movie staple for decades, but the limited theatrical release of the new documentary Bully on March 30 ushered in a new kind of example – the heinous, reprehensible real-life bully. While we certainly don’t advocate bullying in real life situations, we’ve got to admit that we don’t mind seeing a little fictional bullying take place on the big screen. So here’s our breakdown of ten of the biggest, and baddest, movie bullies of all time, from nightmare-inducing teen thugs like Scut Farkus and Biff Tannen to more recent (but equally vicious!) additions to the canon, like Regina George.
“Ace” Merrill – Stand By Me (1986)
In A Nutshell: Alpha male of 1959 Castle Rock, Oregon and leader of the local bullies “The Cobras,” Merrill (Kiefer Sutherland) is a ruthless switchblade-toting jerk who loves nothing more than to pick on little Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton).
Bullying Offenses: Stealing Gordie’s favorite hat that his dead older brother Denny gave to him. Running a quartet of local thugs named “The Cobras.” Playing “car chicken” with innocent passersby. Threatening Gordie and Chris with a switchblade when they try to stop “Ace” from taking Ray Brower’s dead body.
Meanness Rating: 7. “Ace” is a truly mean guy punctuated by his tough snarl and cutting jabs about Gordie’s dead brother.
Mick McAllister – Teen Wolf (1985)
In A Nutshell: Mick’s (Mark Arnold) the typical jock bully from the rival high school basketball team who just happens to also be the boyfriend of Pamela Wells — the girl of Scott Howard’s (Michael J. Fox) dreams.
Bullying Offenses: Trash talk and dirty play on the basketball court. Not appreciating the dreamy Pamela Wells. Ruining Scott’s wolf-bowling-date with Pamela by telling him that he blew his mother’s head off with a shotgun because she used to steal chickens out of Mick’s backyard. Yikes!
Meanness Rating: 6. He’s a bad guy, but Mick does get points at least for continuing his bullying even after Scott becomes the wolf. Now that takes some guts!
Francis Buxton – Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985)
In A Nutshell: Francis is the spoiled, obese neighbor who wants desperately to buy Pee-wee’s prized bicycle but after trying unsuccessfully to get Pee-wee to sell, he hires someone to steal it.
Bullying Offenses: Previously mentioned bike-thievery. Calling Pee-wee names. Fighting Pee-wee in his enormous indoor pool. “I know you are, but what am I?!”
Meanness Rating: 7. His insults and seemingly endless supply of money makes him dangerous, but he’s not exactly a tough guy.
Chet Donnelly – Weird Science (1985)
In A Nutshell: Chet (Bill Paxton) is Wyatt’s (Ilan Mitchell-Smith) douchebag, older brother who has recently returned home from military school and has made it his life mission to physically and emotionally abuse his younger brother as much as humanly possible.
Bullying Offenses: Extortion, blackmail, physical, and emotional abuse of Wyatt and his friend Gary are only the tip of the iceberg with this bully.
Meanness Rating: 8. From his ridiculous buzz cut to his faux fatigues, Chet Donnelly is rotten to the core!
Fred O’Bannion – Dazed and Confused (1993)
In A Nutshell: Fred (Ben Affleck) is every freshman’s worst nightmare. He’s the big senior on campus whose job it is to make all their lives a living hell with his homemade, individualized wooden paddle and he does it well.
Bullying Offenses: Striking fear into the hearts of every Lee High School freshman (and probably every freshman in all of Austin, Texas. Hardcore paddle spankings that make freshman rear ends sore for weeks. Scare tactics.
Meanness Rating: 7. The paddle beatings are so painful that would be enough to make Fred mucho mean, but the fear he instills into the freshman with the anticipation of those beatings makes his one of cinema’s greatest bullies.
Troy Perkins – The Goonies (1985)
In A Nutshell: Troy (Steve Antin) is your typical jock bully. He thinks he’s the greatest thing in all of Astoria, that Andy (Kerri Green) should be wearing his letterman jacket, and that his convertible makes him irresistible.
Bullying Offenses: Taking Brandon Walsh (Josh Brolin) on the ride of his life… right into the wilderness. Treating Andy like his possession. Disrespecting the “Goonies.”
Meanness Rating: 6. Troy’s ego might be huge, but his bullying could use some work. Then again, he did nearly kill Brandon in that whole bicycle incident.
Regina George – Mean Girls (2004)
In A Nutshell: Regina (Rachel McAdams) is the Queen Bee of North Shore High School’s bully trio the “Plastics.” She’s an exception from the mostly physical bullies on this list, but her quick tongue ensures that she’s just as lethal.
Bullying Offenses: Trash talking. Rumor starting. Gossip sharing. Backstabbing. And, worst of all, slut shaming.
Meanness Rating: 8. Regina loses a point for lack of physical bullying, but her penchant for talking smack about anyone and everyone makes her one of the meanest bullies to ever grace the silver screen.
Scut Farkus – A Christmas Story (1983)
In A Nutshell: Scut (yeah, for all you people who have been calling him “Scott” all these years, it’s Scut) Farkus (Zack Ward) is the prototypical bully. He’s a mean, menacing bad boy who will terrorize his prey forever. Or, at least until that prey finally steps up, punches him in the mouth, and he cries like a little baby. Yup, typical bully.
Bullying Offenses: Hitting Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) in the face with snowballs. Employing a tiny, angry toadie named Grover Dill (Yano Anaya). Chasing Ralphie and his friends just about every day. Threatening physical harm. Wearing a terrible coonskin cap. Forcing Ralphie to bring out his inner beast.
Meanness Rating: 9. If you grew up watching A Christmas Story every December and you didn’t hate Scut Farkus there was something wrong with you. I mean, he had yellow eyes. Yellow eyes!
Biff Tannen – Back to the Future (1985)
In A Nutshell: Biff (Thomas F. Wilson) comes close to being the biggest bully in movie history by not only being a bully in the present day, but he’s also a major jerk in the past and the future. The guy’s just an enormous meanie.
Bullying Offenses: Bullying a grown George McFly (Crispin Glover) to do his work for him. Bullying a teenage George McFly into doing his homework for him. Starting drunken arguments. Humiliation. Pushing Lorraine (Lea Thompson) to the ground. Chasing Marty (Michael J. Fox) with his car.
Meanness Rating: 9. Biff Tannen spends three films being a total bully. He’s easily one of the meanest characters in cinematic history.
Johnny Lawrence – The Karate Kid (1984)
In A Nutshell: Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) is the bully that all movie bullies aspire to be. Unabashedly violent. Totally unforgiving. Completely intimidating. And, most of all, absolutely relentless. Even after getting crane-kicked into oblivion, Lawrence still returns to bully another day in The Karate Kid II. Not only that but William Zabka essentially made an entire career out of playing the same bully in nearly all his movie roles.
Bullying Offenses: Too many to name: Cobra Kai dojo beatdown. Beach beatdown. Halloween dance beatdown in an awesome skeleton costume. Sweeping the leg. All Valley Karate Tournament beatdown… until he finally meets his match with a Daniel LaRusso “Crane Kick.”
Meanness Rating: 10. Don’t let Johnny handing Daniel the trophy at the conclusion of The Karate Kid fool you. He’s still the baddest (and meanest) movie bully of all time.