George W Bush Jr is the world's fourth most evil person, beating Stalin and Mao, while Albert Einstein is the number one hero, pipping Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa and even Jesus Christ to the post.
This is according to 7,000 students from around the world who took part in research to determine the significance of historical figures.
Although Stalin and Genghis were "responsible for innumerably more deaths", George Bush is a far more recent figure, authors of the study, conducted at University of the Basque Country in Spain, said.
The students were asked to give their opinions on 40 figures and significant events throughout world history, and rank on a scale from one to seven how positive or negative the figures and events were.
"There is greater disparity of opinion about the villains,' said Darío Páez, a lecturer at the university. "The same figure may be very negatively rated in one country, or not very negatively or even very positively in another part of the world.
"That would be the case of Osama bin Laden, for example."
The top five most popular figures were Einstein, Mother Theresa, Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Jesus came in at 7th place, followed by Nelson Mandela, Thomas Edison and Abraham Lincoln. Buddha took 10th place with Princess Diana coming in at 11th. Margaret Thatcher was the 25th most popular.
Mao, Lenin and Genghis Khan all came in the top 10 list of villians.
