Willy Wonka is one of my favorite fictional characters of all time and it’s really hard for anybody to even come close to rivaling the performance of Gene Wilder. Johnny Depp had an interesting take on the character in the remake, but he doesn’t hold a candle to the true master of the role.

Willy Wonka is everything you would expect a hermit of a candy factory owner to be. He’s wacky, intelligent, clever, and you really just don’t know what’s up his sleeve.

This is only in the movie and not the book (or the remake) but that boat ride was pretty darn intense. And for the most part, probably should have been cut from the movie entirely.

I will say his ingenious inventions (despite their danger) were always very fabulous. The movie even inspired a real candy brand called Wonka and some of the stuff in the movie (such as Everlasting Gobstoppers) eventually became real candy that I enjoyed as a child myself.

Always loved how he was low-key and caring about the fates of the bad children. His very quiet yet sarcastic humor is absolutely hilarious.

Even though it was part of his test, I always hate when he gets to that point where he yells at Charlie and Grandpa Joe for the fizzy lifting drinks episode.

Luckily it was all a test that Charlie passed so he could get the Chocolate Factory, and be Willy Wonka’s successor when the candy maker passes away or retires. Willy Wonka said it was because it would be impossible to teach an adult the way he likes to make candy, but that didn’t necessarily mean that Charlie would be a good candidate for the Wonka Legacy. For all we know, Charlie Bucket in the future made some awful chocolate, LOL.