Guillermo del Toro has crafted many fantastic worlds with 11 feature films under his belt. Inspired by classic horror tales such as Frankenstein, his work blends horror and fantasy. While his movies usually feature visually striking creatures, the humans in his stories are often the actual monsters.
Del Toro has worked with some amazing actors throughout his career, and together they have brought some unforgettable characters to life. Not all of these characters are his original creations, but his work as a filmmaker and writer has helped elevate these pre-established characters to new heights.
Lady Lucille Sharpe - Crimson Peak
Played menacingly by the consistently excellent Jessica Chastain, Lucille is the cruel antagonist of Crimson Peak. She masterminds a racket involving her brother Thomas marrying heiresses before they murder the women for their money. This scheme is thrown into disarray after Thomas falls in love with their latest victim, Edith.
The product of childhood abuse, Lucille clings to the only person who has treated her with kindness. Thus, she treats Edith with disdain, as she fears the other woman will cause her to be alone. Ultimately this is the fate that befalls her due to her heinous actions.
Jared Nomak - Blade II
The villain of Blade II, Jared Nomak is a Reaper, a race evolved from vampires. Fearful of the threat Jared poses, the vampires ask Blade to hunt down and destroy Nomak. Soon we learn that Nomak is the son of the vampire elder, who forced his child into an experiment that birthed the Reaper gene.
Revenge drives Nomak to go against his father for the torment he has caused him. His motive is understandable, and he is ultimately less evil than the ones Blade works for, causing Nomak to be a sympathetic villain.
The Pale Man - Pan's Labyrinth
Despite appearing in only one scene, The Pale Man is one of the most memorable characters in Pan's Labyrinth, del Toro's adult fairy tale masterpiece. Pale Man is a grotesque creature, his skin sagging off his humanoid figure, while his eyeballs are located in his palms, causing him to use his hands to see.
Pale Man feeds on children, and the scene of young Ofelia infiltrating his lair is the most terrifying part of the film. Del Toro mainstay Doug Jones portrays The Pale Man, and the actor leaves a creepy impression that lingers long after the scene ends.
Hellboy - Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army
While Hellboy as a character has existed since 1993 via the Mike Mignola comic books, del Toro's 2004 film Hellboy brought the character to mainstream audiences. The result of a relationship between an arch-demon and a human witch, Hellboy is half-demon, half-human.
Working for a government agency named B.P.R.D., Hellboy helps protect a society that will never accept him. Ron Perlman was born to play the role, showcasing the softer, human side of the character underneath all the makeup. Perlman just as quickly shines when Hellboy is required to be a cigar-chomping, cat-loving badass.
Stanton Carlisle - Nightmare Alley
The newest character on this list, Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), features in 2021's Nightmare Alley. Carlisle is a conman who happens upon a traveling carnival in 1939. He soon charms the staff and becomes part of the family, learning tricks to aid him in his quest to leach off others. This experience sends him down a deadly path as a fraudulent psychic.
Carlisle is not a good person, but Cooper's performance elevates what could easily have been a despised character. While Carlisle's fate after the film is a well-deserved and ironic end, there is sympathy for the fallen conman.
Liz Sherman - Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army
A human with pyrokinetic abilities, Liz Sherman's (Selma Blair) powers first emerged when she accidentally killed her family and the rest of their neighborhood as a child. A childhood friend of Hellboy's, the pair grow close during their time together at the B.R.P.D.
Liz is an introvert, still carrying the burden of her family's death. Throughout the two films, her bond with Hellboy and Abe Sapien brings out more of her personality and allows her to shine as a tortured but well-meaning hero. Her romantic relationship with Hellboy is a highlight of the story and adds a nice helping of heart amongst the action and fantasy set-pieces.
Stacker Pentecost - Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim's Stacker Pentecost leads the last line of defense to prevent humanity's extinction in an alternate future where Kaiju attacks ravage the world. A former Jaeger pilot, giant robots designed to combat the Kaiju, Pentecost now commands others to battle in his stead.
Terminally ill, Pentecost is fighting for a future where his adopted daughter Mako can be safe. Idris Elba's natural charisma creates a character anyone would follow into battle. His iconic "today we are canceling the apocalypse" speech makes you want to jump off the couch and slap a Kaiju in the face.
Elisa Esposito - The Shape of Water
The non-speaking protagonist of The Shape of Water, Elisa, works as a secret government research facility janitor. She discovers a creature being held captive and forms a bond with her fellow silent being, which soon blossoms into romance. The film itself went on to be an unlikely Best Picture winner.
Sally Hawkins earned an Oscar nomination for her portrayal as Elisa, and the amount of character Hawkins portrays without dialogue is magical. Refusing to be silenced by the forces conspiring to separate her from her lover, Elisa is an inspiring character who shows our actions make us who we are, not our words.
Vasiliy Fet - The Strain
Based upon a trilogy of books del Toro wrote with Chuck Hogan, The Strain follows a cast of characters attempting to prevent vampires from taking over their city. Among the group is Vasiliy Fet (the underrated Kevin Durand), a rat exterminator of Ukrainian heritage. Beyond being just the big guy who's good at killing vampires, Fet hides a more intellectual side.
In a series bursting with horrific moments, Fet brings some much-needed fun. His easy-going personality sometimes puts him at odds with the more serious group members, but his heroic nature and natural charm cause him to be a standout amongst the stacked cast.
Abe Sapien - Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Del Toro's first foray with fish/men hybrids, Abe Sapien (Doug Jones, once again), is an amphibious man and the partner of Hellboy and Liz Sherman at the B.R.P.D. The brains of the team, as well as being a psychic, Abe shares a sibling-like relationship with his two partners.
Inexperienced when it comes to love, Abe finds himself in an unfamiliar situation when he falls for Princess Nuala in Hellboy II: The Golden Army. This causes some hilarious and heartwarming scenes, resulting in Abe being both a lovable member of the team and one of the best parts of the film series.