Anton Chigurh

Anton Chigurh is the main antagonist of Cormac McCarthy's novel No Country for Old Men, and its film adaptation, in which he is portrayed by Javier Bardem.

The character received much praise during the film's theatrical run, where Javier Bardem was awarded an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for his performance. Chigurh has been included on numerous lists of greatest villains, most notably in Empire Magazine's List of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters Of All Time.

Character overview

Chigurh is a hitman with no remorse or compassion. He is described by a central character in the novel as a "psychopathic killer," in his 30s, with a dark complexion, and eyes as "blue as lapis ... Like wet stones." His signature weapon is a captive bolt pistol, which he uses both to kill his victims and to destroy cylinder locks on doors. He also wields a sound-suppressed Remington 11-87 semiautomatic shotgun and pistol (a TEC-9 in the film adaptation). Throughout both the novel and the film, Chigurh flips a coin to decide the fate of his victims. The Remington 11-87 was actually released seven years after the original setting of the book but it had still made an appearance as one of the most memorable weapons in the movie.