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The classic villain...Sometimes compelling, sometimes complex, some times simple, but always adversarial and, if done correctly, eternally memorable. A villain, if made the most of, can be an ineffable work of art that can (and often does, in films, particularly) outlive its own death.
Who, in your opinion, was the greatest villain of all time? Who were some of the runner ups? What makes a villain great and what kind of villain would you like to see more of?

I suppose it's inevitable that Heath Ledger's rendition of the Joker be brought up, and rightly so in my opinion. Cinematically, the only thing he did incorrectly (in my opinion, which is only that of a layman when it comes to acting) is perhaps to outshine the protagonist when it comes to being interesting and memorable.
See any other villain can be bought and sold. Be it money, be it revenge, they have a goal, a driving force, something that motivates them. The only thing that seemed to motivate the Joker was chaos but rather than make him a feral and ravening entity that destroyed wantonly and blindly, they made him highly intelligent. He would weave brilliant and complex schemes, but only in situations where the could be made to work towards the end of greater chaos in the world or inspiring it in others.
At the same time there was great humanity within his words. In any well done movie, you won't think of the characters, as you're watching, as actors who are reading rehearsed lines, but Heath Ledger went a step beyond that; at times, it sounded like not even his character knew what exactly he might say next, with the occasional stutter or seeming haphazard word or gesture.
He has already made someone's list (though I cannot remember who's list, as I was linked by the AIM Dashboard) and he makes mine, as well. I'll be adding other thoughts as more people post their picks.

You're all welcome to stick to as brief a post as you'd like but I personally would love to hear you make a good case and defend your pick as to what makes them so great a villain.

If we don't regard Hannibal as a villain, then what are our guidelines and basis for calling ANYONE a villain? There is no such thing as pure evil existing in humans, at least in a villain/murderer sense. Until we get to discussing whether lack of any morals or conscience is equal to evil, Hannibal does remain a "villain" - at least in the classic sense.

Well said, Josh. : )

Yeah, my point, entirely. He explained himself in full to Harvey after burning half of his face off.

I'm going to bring in the gamer girl aspect, and say Kefka from Final Fantasy VI. He poisoned an entire city via the water, killing every single person including children. He enslaves a race, kills an emperor, and sets a castle on fire; all for power. Best FF villain thus far if not ever.

You just listed exactly the reason why I didn't cover Sephy. xDD Yes, VI is one of the most underrated of the series, and usually the favorite of those who have played it.