When it comes to movie characters, first impressions matter. A character’s introduction can not only let the audience know who that character is, what makes them tick, and what their personality is like, but it can also establish the tone of the entire film. When done right, a character introduction scene can be one of its movie’s most memorable moments.
The fantasy genre is full of iconic scenes introducing even more iconic characters. Whether it’s a selfless hero, an interesting antihero, or a terrifying villain, these kinds of scenes can make or break a fantasy film. From Gandalf the Grey to the Pale Man, the best character introductions in the history of the fantasy genre are proof of just how important it is to get the audience hooked on a character from the get-go.
10
Howl (Takuya Kimura/Christian Bale)
‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ (2004)
Hayao Miyazaki, one of the greatest and most important Japanese filmmakers in history, has made several of the best animated fantasy films of all time. He’s a master of character introductions, but the best in any of his works is perhaps the introduction of Howl Pendragon, the deuteragonist of Howl’s Moving Castle, one of Miyazaki’s best.
Howl’s has some of the most striking animation, some of the best music, and some of the most interesting characters in the entire Ghibli filmography, which definitely includes Howl. As soon as he walks into the scene to save protagonist Sophie from a pair of guards harassing her, the audience knows exactly who he is: A magical, romantic, larger-than-life figure that Sophie can trust. Joe Hisaishi‘s sweeping score only elevates the scene into truly romantic and epic heights.
9
Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton)
‘Beetlejuice’ (1988)
Tim Burton‘s sophomore effort as a feature filmmaker, Beetlejuice remains one of the auteur’s most iconic outings. Gleefully bizarre, creepy, creative, and idiosyncratic, it’s a blast of fun full of humor, music, and practical effects. The most memorable element of the whole movie, though, is its titular character: the mischievous chaos-loving ghost Betelgeuse.
The movie, one of Burton’s only true masterpieces, has several great character introductions, but there’s no beating the guy himself. Scary, funny, and elevated to stratospheric heights by Michael Keaton‘s exquisitely sardonic performance, it’s a scene that, despite coming surprisingly late into the runtime, perfectly establishes the tone of the film and everything viewers need to know about Betelgeuse.
8
Gandalf (Ian McKellen)
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ (2001)
For the longest time, it was a widely-held belief that it was impossible to translate the Legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien to a big-screen experience that fully lived up to its legacy. Oh, how wrong that belief was. Along came Peter Jackson and delivered in his epic Lord of the Rings saga one of the greatest film trilogies in history, as well as perhaps the best-ever high fantasy movies.
Fellowship of the Ring is an exceptional introduction to this world, its many stories, and—of course—its dozens of characters. One of the most important is Gandalf, who’s introduced as a wise friend rather than the butt-kicking wizard that viewers will later confirm he definitely is. It’s a perfect first scene that makes sure audiences know that, in this world, even the most powerful are able to use their might for good.
7
Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch)
‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ (2013)
After the Lord of the Rings trilogy (as well as a rather tumultuous production history) came the long-awaited The Hobbit trilogy. It didn’t quite live up to the level of quality of its three predecessors, but it’s a much better series of movies than many people give it credit for. Plenty of characters in the trilogy just didn’t quite work (including the members of a particularly dull love triangle), but there’s one character who was exactly like what fans were expecting, and that’s Smaug the dragon.
The Desolation of Smaug is generally regarded as the best in the trilogy, and that’s largely thanks to the terrifying introduction of the titular fire-breathing dragon. It’s a perfectly paced moment where only Smaug and Bilbo are present, which serves to create far more tension and to give the audience a better idea of just how much of a force to be reckoned with the monster truly is.
6
Shrek (Mike Myers)
‘Shrek’ (2001)
All memes and jokes aside, Shrek truly is one of the most groundbreaking and influential animated movies of all time. There’s a reason it won the first-ever Best Animated Feature Oscar. It twisted the animated fantasy genre on its head for the 21st century, delivering a parodic and satirical take on the fairy tale movie formula monopolized by Disney that completely changed the landscape of family animation.
Both as a source of timeless memes and as a genuinely phenomenal opening scene, Shrek‘s start is one of the best opening scenes in movie history. The ogre narrating a fairy tale and then literally wiping his butt with the pages is not only a hilarious joke unlike anything else families had seen in animation before, but also a brilliantly symbolic way to portray what Shrek represents: a complete subversion of Disney magic.
5
Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp)
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl’ (2003)
One of 2003’s most essential classics, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was only the fourth time Disney ever tried their hand at basing a feature film on one of their theme park rides, except that this time, it worked a thousand times better than they were ever expecting. This magical swashbuckler immediately became the start of one of the House of Mouse’s most profitable franchises, and it was all built around the studio’s most iconic live-action character ever.
Captain Jack Sparrow is a witty, cunning, endlessly charismatic force of nature who has never heard the meaning of the word “worry.”
Captain Jack Sparrow, portrayed in a bombastic Oscar-nominated performance by Johnny Depp, is a witty, cunning, endlessly charismatic force of nature who has never heard the meaning of the word “worry.” As such, there’s nothing more fitting than his introduction involving him quietly making it to port on a slowly-sinking boat with comically large sails. It’s a flawlessly directed and performed scene that lets the viewer know exactly who Jack is right off the bat.
4
Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen)
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ (2001)
Gandalf’s introduction in The Fellowship of the Ring may be great, but there are few aura-farming moments in cinema more iconic than the introduction of Strider, also known as Aragorn. As such, it’s natural to see it as the best character introduction in the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy. He will later prove to be one of the story’s kindest and most noble men, but in this moment, the audience has no idea what to expect.
Aragorn emerges from the shadows, mysteriously smoking a pipe with his hood on. Unless they’ve read the source material, viewers have no idea whether he’s friend or foe, so when he’s later introduced as the hobbits’ protector, audiences’ mental image of him remains as that of a badass, inscrutable warrior with motivations that are hard to decipher. It’s part of the reason he’s perhaps the franchise’s most intriguing character.
3
The Pale Man (Doug Jones)
‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006)
Mexican auteur Guillermo del Toro is the master of cinematic dark fantasy, and the Spanish-Mexican co-production Pan’s Labyrinth is still his magnum opus. As scary as it is beautiful and as fascinating as it is gruesome, it’s bathed in del Toro’s usual stylistic choices and thematic concerns, but it all comes together so perfectly that it’s easy to call it one of the best fantasy films of the 21st century.
There are several moments and scenes from Pan’s Labyrinth that are absolutely unforgettable, but there’s one sequence in particular that’s perhaps the one that comes to most viewers’ minds when they think of the film: the brief yet unforgettable appearance of the Pale Man. He’s not in the movie for very long (his introduction scene is pretty much the only scene that he shows up in), but the Pale Man leaves such an indelible impact on the story as a whole that he’s become the face of the film for many people.
2
Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry)
‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ (1975)
The (drag) queen of cult musicals, the delightfully campy Rocky Horror Picture Show is the kind of cult classic that every cinephile should watch on the big screen, at midnight, with a huge crowd at least once in their lives. Endlessly quotable and full of catchy tunes, it may not be a particularly masterful movie in the strictest sense, but it sure is a good time (warp).
The mad scientist Frank-N-Furter, played impeccably by Tim Curry at the top of his game, is the main antagonist of the movie, as well as one of the poster boys of cult cinema as a whole. His introduction is precisely what anyone familiar with the movie’s reputation would expect it to be: rhythmic, menacing, mysterious, sexy, and with camp to spare. Set to the tune of “Sweet Transvestite,” Frank-N-Furter’s intro scene is the stuff of campy dreams.
1
Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder)
‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’ (1971)
Based on a Roald Dahl book, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is one of the best fantasy movies of all time. It can be creepy, funny, and has some killer songs—but there’s one thing it always is, and that’s absolutely magical. It’s one of the ’70s’ most beloved family classics, anchored by a truly timeless performance by the great Gene Wilder.
Wilder took the role on the sole condition that Willy Wonka’s introduction scene could be done the way he envisioned: The chocolate-maker comes out of his factory with a limp and a cane, only to later somersault in front of the children that he’s ready to welcome into his factory. According to Wilder, this would make it so that, from that point on, no one would know at any point whether Wonka was lying or telling the truth, and it works wonders. It’s a brilliant masterclass in clever characterization, and the greatest character introduction in the history of fantasy films.