AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains is a list of the 100 greatest movie heroes and villains (50 of each) chosen by American Film Institute in June 2003. It is part of the AFI 100 Years... series. The series was first presented in a CBS special hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The presentation program was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Special.[1]
In several cases, the characters on the lists are seen in two or more films. The primary or original (if possible) film that character(s) was in is listed, or that film that was given particular attention during the program.
Batman, It's a Wonderful Life, Schindler's List, "Terminator" and The Silence of the Lambs are the only films to have characters appear on both lists (the Alien is from Alien and Ripley is listed for the sequel, Aliens, Darth Vader is listed for The Empire Strikes Back and not Star Wars, and James Bond is listed for Dr. No and not Goldfinger).
The Terminator hero and villain characters are different cyborgs, so technically they are two different characters.
Star Wars is the only film to have two characters appear in the same list, Han Solo and Obi-Wan Kenobi as heroes.
Three characters from three separate Stanley Kubrick films appear on the villains list (Alex DeLarge, HAL 9000, and Jack Torrance).
The actors
Gary Cooper is the only actor to appear three times on the list; in all three he appeared as a hero.
Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Bette Davis, Faye Dunaway, Henry Fonda, Harrison Ford, Robert Mitchum, Paul Newman, Jack Nicholson, Robert Redford, James Stewart, and Peter O'Toole each appear twice on the same list.
Al Pacino and Arnold Schwarzenegger each appear on both lists.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is the only actor to appear on both lists as the "same" character.
Real people
In some cases on the list, real people (portrayed by actors) or characters based on real people appear.
