When you’re watching a movie, the whole first act is usually dedicated to giving actors introductions to the story.

These introductions tell us a lot about the characters in the movie. They can show us their personalities, hint at their arcs, or just make us laugh, cry, or feel excited.

But who had the best introductions of all time? Which characters came on screen and captured our hearts and minds and made us buy into the world and story of the movie?

Let’s dive in.

10. Captain Jack Sparrow – Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Pirates of the Caribbean is a movie that knows its supposed to be fun, and it gives you character introductions that know it as well.

For Jack Sparrow, there’s a grand, sweeping orchestral score that swells as we see a figure standing majestically on the mast of his ship, looking toward Port Royal. It’s the classic hero shot.

The camera then pulls back and reveals that Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is not on a grand galleon, but on a tiny, rapidly sinking dinghy. He casually steps from the mast onto the dock at the exact moment the boat disappears beneath the waves. He’s a kind of lunatic who seems to luck into things, but maybe he does have a plan?

9. Don Vito Corleone – The Godfather (1972)

The film opens in a dark office. We hear the famous line, “I believe in America,” from an undertaker, Amerigo Bonasera, begging for justice for his daughter. For a long time, we only see the back of the man he is speaking to.

The camera slowly circles around to reveal Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), gently stroking a cat in his lap. He listens patiently before calmly explaining the true nature of power, and showing us he’s a man that people respect and fear.

8. Harry Lime – The Third Man (1949)

For the first half of the film, Harry Lime (Orson Welles) is a ghost—a man presumed dead, spoken of in whispers and legends. Other characters build up his persona without us ever meeting him.

Then, in a dark Viennese doorway, a cat cozies up to a pair of unseen shoes. A light from a window briefly illuminates a face, and it’s Harry, offering a sly, enigmatic smile before disappearing back into the shadows. We now know he’s alive and that he might be too slick and may get our hero into a lot of trouble.

7. James Bond – Dr. No (1962)

It’s hard to imagine there was a time we didn’t know James Bond, but this iconic character stepped into the world, and we never looked back.

We’re at a high-stakes Baccarat table, and an unseen man, playing against a beautiful woman, calmly offers his advice. We see only his hands and his cigarette case. The woman asks his name as he lights a cigarette. He looks up at her, and for the first time, we see his face. “Bond,” he says, coolly. After a perfectly timed pause, he adds, “James Bond.”

5. Trinity – The Matrix (1999)

The movie begins with a phone call trace. Police storm a derelict hotel room to arrest a lone woman, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss). “I think we can handle one little girl,” the lead officer scoffs.

He is wrong. Trinity proceeds to neutralize the entire squad with gravity-defying martial arts, running on walls, and moving with impossible speed before escaping through a phone line.

It’s the perfect hook. Trinity’s introduction is also the audience’s early introduction to the rules of the Matrix and how it’s not like the world we think we know.

5. Hannibal Lecter – The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

After an intense workout, FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) walks down a long, menacing corridor in a maximum-security asylum. She passes cells of screaming, hostile inmates.

At the very end, in a pristine glass enclosure, stands Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). He is perfectly still, posture perfect, waiting for her. “Good morning,” he says, with unnerving politeness.

We know he’s not like the other crazies in here, but we also can tell he belongs.

4. Indiana Jones – Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Absolutely one of my favorite movies of all time, and the opening scene here where we meet Indy is excellent. We’re deep in a Peruvian jungle, where a group of explorers follows a mysterious figure.

We see him only from behind—a leather jacket, a fedora, and a bullwhip on his hip. He communicates with hand signals, navigates traps, and uses his whip to disarm a treacherous guide. It’s only after he steps out of the shadows and into the light that we finally see the face of Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford).

Indy steps out of the shadows and strikes an iconic hero pose. We know he means business and that this isn’t his first adventure.

3. Jules Winnfield & Vincent Vega – Pulp Fiction (1994)

Two hitmen, Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta), are driving to a job. But they aren’t talking about the job. They’re having a hilarious conversation about the cultural differences in European McDonald’s (“You know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?”).

These are guys in suits who look menacing, we’re not quite sure who they are, but when they get guns out, we’re now certain these hitmen are just like us, and this world is one we have never seen before.

2. The Joker – The Dark Knight (2008)

This is a genius scene in a movie. A meticulously planned bank heist unfolds, executed by a team of criminals in clown masks. As the heist progresses, the criminals systematically eliminate each other according to a mysterious plan, each believing they will get a bigger share.

Finally, only one man is left. He removes his mask to reveal a scarred, makeup-smeared face. It’s The Joker (Heath Ledger). “I believe,” he says to a wounded bank manager, “whatever doesn’t kill you simply makes you… stranger.”

We get how terrifying this person is, and we understand they are thinking two steps ahead of everyone else.

1. Darth Vader – Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

Look, there’s no argument who walks on screen and has the best intro. Following a massive Imperial Star Destroyer’s pursuit of a tiny Rebel ship, the ship’s airlock door is blasted open. Smoke fills the pristine white hallway.

Rebel soldiers wait nervously. They know what’s coming, even if we don’t.

Out of the smoke emerges a figure entirely in black: a towering, masked cyborg-like guy with a flowing cape. His breathing is a deep, mechanical rasp. He surveys the carnage, the absolute embodiment of evil and Imperial power.

Summing Up The Best Character Introductions 

These are some of the best character introductions in all of movies. I love these characters and the way we meet them deepens our understanding of them and the narratives they’re inside.

Are there better ones out there? I want to know your picks.

Let me know what you think in the comments.