8. Harvey Dent’s Arc
When The Dark Knight was announced, and Aaron Eckhart was cast as Harvey Dent, it was obvious to assume he’d be one of the film’s villains. And, by the end, he is. But the way The Dark Knight uses Harvey’s arc—from fearless, crime-fighting lawyer to terrifying, scarred, murderer—as the central thematic through line in the movie is truly masterful. We see and feel why and how he changes, giving the movie that much more pathos, as well as a juicy villain origin story.
