Captain Vidal

''"You'd do better to tell us everything. But to make sure it happens, I brought along a few tools. Just things you pick up along the way. At first I won't be able to trust you, but after I use this, you'll own up to a few things. When we get to these we'll have developed a... how can I put this? A closer bond, much like brothers. You'll see. And when we get this one, I'll believe anything you tell me." - ''Captain Vidal when he tortures his prisoners

Captain Vidal is the main human antagonist of Pan's Labyrinth and is considered by many to be one of the most brutal and repulsive villains in modern cinema - his cruelty far exceeding even those of the many mythical monsters and demons which made up the dark fantasy world of the tragic tale.

He was portrayed by Sergi López i Ayats.

History
Captain Vidal, Ofelia's new stepfather and father of Carmen's unborn child, is the son of a famed commander with the same name who died in Morocco, believes strongly in fascism and was assigned to root out any anti-fascist rebels.

When Ofelia met Captain Vidal after she and her mother Carmen arrived at the mill, she tried to greet him nicely with a simple handshake. But Vidal firmly grabbed her left hand and tells her that she'd always give out a left handshake. From that moment on, he shows dislike for the girl.

Later one night, Vidal's cruelty and sociopathic nature is revealed when he brutally murders two innocent farmers who had been detained on suspicion of being rebel allies.

Ofelia becomes worried about her mother, whose condition is worsening. The faun gives Ofelia a mandrake root, which instantly begins to cure her mother's illness.

Meanwhile, Vidal becomes increasingly vicious, torturing a captured rebel and then killing the doctor who euthanized the tortured prisoner to stop his pain. Vidal catches Ofelia tending to the mandrake root, and Carmen throws it into the fireplace, where it then begins to writhe and scream in agony. Instantly, Carmen develops painful contractions and dies giving birth to a son. Vidal eventually discovers that his maid, Mercedes, is a spy, and he captures her and Ofelia as they attempt to escape. Ofelia is locked in her bedroom, and Mercedes is taken to be tortured; however, she frees herself, badly injures Vidal, and flees into the woods, where her brother Pedro and his fellow rebels rescue her.

The faun returns to Ofelia and gives her one more chance to prove herself. He tells her to take her baby brother into the labyrinth. Ofelia steals the baby after sedating Vidal; although enduring massive blood loss and disoriented, the evil man continues to chase her through the labyrinth while the rebels attack the mill. The faun tells Ofelia that the portal to the underworld will open only with an innocent's blood, so he needs a drop of her brother's blood. Ofelia refuses to harm her brother, and eventually Vidal finds her, seemingly talking to herself as the faun is not visible through his eyes. The faun leaves Ofelia to her choice, and Vidal takes the baby away from her, shooting her immediately after.

When he leaves the labyrinth the rebels and Mercedes are waiting for him. Knowing that he will die, he calmly hands Mercedes his son. He takes out his pocket watch, ready to break it, and tells Mercedes to tell his son about his exploits, reflecting on his own father's death. Mercedes refuses, telling him that his son will never even know his name. Pedro draws his gun and shoots Vidal in the right cheek, killing him. Vidal died in retribution of not only the safety of the boy, but also the murder of his loving sister, Ofelia.

Personality
Captain Vidal was a sadistic madman who killed, tortured and defiled for sheer enjoyment or revenge, whether it's beating a man to death with the base of a champagne bottle or shooting Ofelia. Obsessed with fathering a son, he cared little for anyone or anything and was rarely depicted as anything other than a force of pure, raw evil.