There are few things more satisfying thanwatching a bully get their comeuppance, especially when their victims have gone through a great deal to achieve it. Most bullies receive their just desserts during a movie’s climax, but some receive it quickly into a movie’s opening in favor of introducinga more compelling villain.
RELATED:Slasher Villains That Could Have Spawned A Franchise
No matter their purpose in a narrative, bullies will tend to leave a foul taste in a viewer’s mouth due to how needlessly cruel they are. The bigger they are portrayed as being, however, the harder they fall when the protagonist bests them. Countless movie heroes have thwarted their bullies, but some fought harder than others.
7Matilda – Matilda
Matilda was born into an awkward situation. Unlike her parents, she is a wondrously intelligent young woman who loves reading. Reading offers her a brief escape from reality, so it makes sense why she retreats into the pages of her books so much. She devotes so much of her time to reading, however, that she eventually gains an otherworldly power.
Matilda’s life begins to spiral out of control when she is sent to Crunchem Hall Elementary School. The principal, Miss Trunchbull, has an unconventional method of teaching that, oftentimes, leaves her students frightened and uncomfortable. To protect her new friends, Matilda uses her newfound powers of telekinesis to put Trunchbull in her place. The lives of all Cruchem’s students are saved as a result.
6Kevin McCallister – Home Alone
It’s one thing to stand up to one’s bully in a school setting, but it’s a much more difficult feat to accomplish when the bully in question is a relative. Kevin McCallister lives a pretty carefree life, that is until his brother Buzz reveals his true colors.
Buzz loves nothing more than to torment Kevin whenever he gets the chance. The first conflict between the pair sees Buzz eating Kevin’s pizza, leaving the young McCallister dinnerless for the night. In response, Kevin shoves Buzz into the dinner table, ruining the meal for everyone. Though his parents punish him for his actions, Buzz needed to be taken down a few pegs. Kevin goes one step further in the sequel when he punches Buzz for mocking him during an onstage performance. Thankfully, Kevin wasn’t as cruel to Buzz as he was toHarry and Marv.
5Cady Heron – Mean Girls
Cady Heron finds herself entangled with an eccentric bunch upon starting her year at North Shore High School. Her friends Janis and Damian attempt to steer her in the right direction by pointing out the various cliques in attendance, with one group standing out more than the others.
The “Plastics,” a groupheralded by Regina George, is the most elite clique at North Shore. They deem themselves superior to their classmates, an assumption that makes them the perfect candidates for Cady’s revenge plot. Cady begins to lose her grasp on her identity the further she pursues her goal, but her lust for revenge is eventually fulfilled when Regina’s reign is ended.
4Marty McFly – Back To The Future
Marty McFly led a mostly uncomplicated life before meeting Dr. Emmett Brown. The two become close friends quickly, with Marty even regarding Doc as a sort of mentor. Things took a turn, however, when one of Doc’s experiments landed the unsuspecting McFly thirty years in the past.
RELATED:Cheesy But Endearing Sci-Fi Movies From The 1980s
Biff acts as a bully to both Marty and his father, George. It appears he has been abusing George since their time in school together and has since moved down the ladder to target Marty. Marty’s trip to 1955 eventually puts Biff in his place, while his venture to the futurein the sequelall but secures it.
3Woody – Toy Story
Before meeting Buzz Lightyear, Woody prided himself on beingAndy’s favorite toy. The space ranger’s arrival, however, made him fear for his position, leading him to act out in response. Buzz and Woody eventually end up trapped in their neighbor’s house. To make matters worse, Sid, their new owner, doesn’t treat his toys with the respect they deserve.
As a toy, Woody must never reveal himself to the surrounding humans. It’s an unspoken rule that all toys are compelled to follow, but Woody decides not to toward the climax. He, alongside all his new toy companions, lashes out at Sid, asserting independence. It can be assumed that Sid treated his toys with respect henceforth.
2Harry Potter – Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone
Harry Potter was stuck living a boring life with his aunt and uncle after the death of his parents. Just before his eleventh birthday, he received a letter inviting him to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was understandably excited, but this excitement somewhat diminished duringhis first encounter with Draco Malfoy.
Draco is quickly presented as an antagonist through the offensive way he addresses Ron Weasley, Harry’s new friend. He then goes on to offer his friendship to Harry, but Harry knows better than to accept. He informs Draco that he has no intention of pursuing a friendship with him, an action that causes much more harm than Harry could have ever foreseen. Harry regularly stands up to Draco and his goons throughout his years at Hogwarts.
1Peter Parker – Spider-Man
Before beingbitten by a radioactive spider, Peter Parker was nothing more than an ordinary high school student. He spent a lot of his time with Harry Osborne, his best friend, but he was mostly forced to spend his school days on his own.
RELATED:Marvel Villains That Went Through An Emo Phase
Peter rarely had someone to back him up, making him a target for bullies, Flash Thomson in particular. Peter usually begrudgingly accepted Flash’s abuse, but his newfound powers meant he didn’t need to anymore. The end of their relationship saw Peter outwitting Flash in a fight, a feat he would never have been able to accomplish before receiving his powers.
