There would be no superheroes without super-villains. One thing I have learned over the years is that the antagonists often hold all of the power in their hands in making a story, a movie, or, in this case, a video game worthwhile. After all, they are the engine that has led our protagonists into their journeys, and they are the singular motivation for the protagonists to fight harder, move faster, and be more resilient up until they can have that final confrontation they have always wanted.
Even when you may not want to believe it, a good villain is the one that can make you fall in love with them. Desperately wanting to know the new heartless, cruel plot and once again hear their irksome threats and rants that you secretly enjoy. Good enough and you will even come to love them even more than the main characters.
But what are these villains in video games? Most bad guys are relatively cliche, and more annoying than they are entertaining. Here is a list of all of the villains we think are on the top of their games (Quite literally). Of course, everyone has got different tastes in things and we could have missed out a couple of names that you think are the best. In that case, we’re sorry! But for others, it’s a pretty good place to get started if you’re trying to find a bad guy/gal who actually has substance.
Dormin - Shadow of the Colossus
There aren’t a lot of villains that are like Dormin. In fact, I haven’t seen anything quite like the demon just yet. At first, it is a mere voice that spoke in an ominous, bizarre mix of both male and female voice. Then you discover its house, which is actually a grand temple filled to the brim with outlandish, creepy statues. Lastly, knowing that the devil holds the magic to reverse death in its hand and you just know that there’s definitely no benevolence to be found on Dormin’s doorstep.
Not until the game is near its conclusion that you finally realize the true scope of Dormin’s evilness. I mean, why else would it push you into eliminating a bunch of colossi first? In hindsight, the malevolence was plain… but the great thing about Dormin is that you wouldn’t know the entirety of his plan until it’s far too late.
Dracula - Castlevania
There are plenty of Draculas over the years, starring in different movies, video games, and even books. Dracula has haunted the popular psyches for centuries now. Every kid growing up must hear at least once the tale of the ancient bloodsucker that can drain his victim’s dry of their essences in mere seconds. That’s part of the reason why Castlevania became such a hit when it first came out in 1986: A convenient character that doesn’t require much introduction, but the way Konami built up the image of Dracula was beyond spectacular.
Just like every video game villain ever, he prided himself in making your journey as perilous as possible as you make your way deeper into the bowels of his castle chocked-full of booby traps and blood thirsting monsters. Dracula is the presentation of everything that you do not want to bump into in the middle of the night. Plus, he’s night impossible to put down. To make matter worse, once you fail, he will subject you to a fate that’s worse than even death itself: An eternity as an undead.
Dr. Willy - Mega Man
The mad scientist trope is pretty overused at this point and the most you will ever get out of me is a disinterested yawn as you introduce me to your diabolical plans. But there’s something about Dr. Willy from Mega Man that actually makes me interested for once, he has a certain way of adding his flairs into it. He really proves from his craftiness why he got the honorific title of ’Mad Scientist’. Aside from popularising his lair with an army of killer robots, building elite bosses for the heroes to kill at each of his many bases, Dr. Willy, somehow, still found the time to design and construct his multi-level headquarters and his personal super-vehicle. You really got to give it to him for his dedication. Sliding into the shoes of Mega Man, you will destroy one by one Dr. Willy’s creations but every time, he always came back with a vengeance, behind him a fleet of even better machines to pitch against you.
He was also the creator of Zero, a super-advanced android whose sophistication rivals, and even excels, that of Mega Man’s models. This, of course, put him as one of the top evil geniuses of the futuristic 2XXX years.
Olivia Pierce - DOOM
When id rebooted the DOOM series with its 2016 remake, they built a completely new menace for the Doom Slayer (Main character) to take on. Olive Pierce is the mirror opposite of what the player represents, and that’s the reason why she’s so interesting a character. Doom is the pinnacle of the shooter genre mostly because it allows the player to go through each level with unbridled rage, monstrous brute force, and massive weapons steaming from the barrels as you cyclic fire magazines after magazines into the hordes of Hellspawn. Olivia is different from all that: Soft-spoken, unassuming, and a character with an intellectual dynamic as she firmly believes the demons were to be harnessed instead of exterminated. They are, in another word, the key to unlimited power.
The plot with Olivia is more or less the same as Doom 3, with the debacle surrounding Dr. Betruger: Opening a rift to Hell, Olivia tried to make a deal with the devil with the hope that it would go well. It obviously didn’t. Her mistake led to her brutal fate as the host of an iconic boss from the original Doom series, a Spider Mastermind. Skittering around the floor on a multitude of arachnid legs, with the brain fully exposed. As always, sharing the same fate as anyone who sought out unlimited power, Olivia found a painful end for it. But at the same time, she also solidifies herself as one of the best villains in the hearts of Doom players.
Sarah Kerrigan - StarCraft
Growing up with StarCraft, the grotesque image of the Queen of Blades is the most iconic image of the real-time strategy game. Betrayed by her allies and left to the mercy of the Zerg Swarm, she found herself being transformed and corrupted into its leader. Luscious red hair congealed into thick dreadlocks of tentacles, a pair of bone-like wings sprouted from her back that could rip anything to shreds, and an army of lethal, flesh-eating bugs.
Kerrigan returned and let the blood of the galaxy that turned its back on her with ghastly brutality. Kerrigan played the role of the mastermind behind the Swarm well: Driven by nothing but war and annihilation of her enemies. Although Kerrigan flipped from good to evil back and forth throughout the entire series, there’s no denying the dark regality she had wielded so effortlessly as the Queen of Blades.
Dominus Ghaul - Destiny 2
No matter what you want to say about Destiny 2, it’s got a pretty good cast of characters on its end. Taking about Ghaul, on the surface, there aren’t a lot of things to talk nor be interested in. A hulking from a man enclosed in battle armor befitting that of 40K’s Space Marines, pronouncing his style of combat being blind charges and the atomization of anything standing in his way. Ghaul came across, at first, an atypical meathead of a villain.
Yet, once you have dug deep into the character, you will eventually find that there are a lot of intriguing things about him. There are more than meet the eyes of Ghaul. Inside of him is a swirling rage that’s severely misdirected, coming from jealousy that’s almost childlike. You will find in him a perspective of the world that’s just broken from top to bottom, insecurity, and his position of being stuck in an imagined sense of unfairness in the world. If the story of Destiny 2was told from his point of view, Ghaul would pop up as the atypical superhero: Embarking on a journey that he believed would help his own people, meanwhile, the motivations behind the journey have been completely skewed by resentment and hatred that haunted him for as long as he had lived. He’s focused, disciplined, and ultimately, resilient. While these attributes would serve the galaxy well, he was misled into the wrong path from the moment of his birth, bred purely for the purpose of serving others.
The developers have provided a lot of opportunities to see the person underneath the thick layers of armor. And once you have unraveled the puzzle behind Ghaul, you will find a fair bit of sympathy for his strife in spite of the things he did.
Bloody Mary - The Wolf Among Us
Although Bloody Mary is not the final and the biggest antagonist of The Wolf Among Us, she plays the terrifying role of her namesake quite well. First is her cool and sub-zero cold demeanor that’s laced in with a snide remark. She also has the kind of strength that can crumble the bones of Bigsby. Bloody Mary was the muscle that held up the Crooked Man’s empire and the pillar of his power. A sadist who finds joy in inflicting pains of the highest degrees, Bloody Mary often drags out fights to torture her victims as much as possible before she goes in for the kill. This tendency along with the ability to teleport through reflective surfaces like mirrors (Which explains her name) creates a lethal combination.
There isn’t much to love about her appearance, either. With serrated teeth that are shark-like in appearance, tears of blood drawing haunting trails from her lids, and mirror shards peppering her skin like a messed-up, occult effigy. Bloody Mary is neither a sight to behold, nor is she something you want to cross path with.
The Illusive Man - Mass Effect
The most distinct about the way Illusive Man acted as the bad guy is that he didn’t underestimate the forces on the side of good like many other. He knew exactly what Commander Shepherd is capable of, that’s one of the reasons why he pulled together the vast resources at his command to bring Shepherd back to life in Mass Effect 2. Although he fully understood that Shepherd is a loose cannon that can turn against him in a heartbeat, like the shrewd businessman he was, he accepted the risks in the belief that his final plan would succeed. Although Mass Effect 3’s ending ultimately screwed up all of the character development in the previous game and revealed him to be just another one of your run-of-the-mill villain wanting unlimited power and was (Surprise, surprise) indoctrinated by the Reaper.
You can take consolation in the beautiful voice acting of Martin Sheen, though.
Shao Kahn - Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombathas plenty of bad guys for you to bust their guts open with graphic fatalities. The greatest threat of all must definitely be Shao Kahn - the Emperor of Outworld.
His type of evilness is such that although having an all-powerful army at his beck and calls, Shao Kahn pushed the inhabitants of the world he wanted to enslave into his cruel, bloody games first. Shao Kahn showed up taunting the weakness of humanity, speaking on that if the champions of Earthrealm could win his tournaments, he would leave the world in peace. However, the tournament is of such caliber that in history not a single world has managed to triumph. Even in the case that a fighter won out over all of his powerful champions, in the end, they would have to face Shao Kahn personally. Which, of course, considering the merciless shoulder bashes and his massive Warhammer that materialized out of thin air, defeating him is a feat no one had managed before. And thus, no realms have ever escaped from his balls and chains.
Captain LeChuck - The Secret of Monkey Island
In the rolling waves of the Caribbean in The Secrets of Monkey Island, there are no pirates as ruthless and feared as LeChuck. The thing about LeChuck is that he’s not even alive. He was already dead, yet he still returns to haunt the very water he sails on. LeChuck also finds joy in capturing and torturing the living sailors of the unfortunate ships that fell to his clutch, condemning them to a life of eternal slavery under him. Every sailor who lives fear the name LeChuck, and will disappear into safe harbors when they even remotely hear that he’s roaming the water.
Although LeChuck appearance varies with each game in the series, one detail remains consistent: His lust for power and the obsession he held over Elaine Marley. It was clear from the very start that LeChuck is not the type of guy to take no for an answer. In spite of Elaine’s multitude escapes, often with the aid of Guybrush Threepwood, LeChuck always comes back to try and get her to marry him. No matter the case, LeChuck is not one you ought to trifle with for sure.
Kane - Command & Conquer
Command & Conquer (C&C) is a classic real-time strategy game that came also with a cult following of fans ever since its original release in 1995. Though the game has its fair share of notable villains, probably the best out of all of them is Kane.
Kane got everything laid out for him. Armed with potent intellect in the form of a sky-high IQ score. Kane is also immortal, apparently, and he also had the power of the Brotherhood of Nod wrapped tightly within his enclosed fist. No, really, his minions are expected to die for him, and if they were to fail in whatever tasks that he set out for them, they would find themselves at the wrong end of a gun pretty quick. Needless to say, he was as ruthless as a super-villain could be.
All in all, he is the smart, stylish, and charming villain that we can’t help but love. Although he manages to plunge the world into crisis several times, with the brilliant execution of his FMV appearances, we can’t help but love the bald guy.
Alma - F.E.A.R.
Horror movies have taught me that small children are dangerous and often times are literal spawns of Satan. That knowledge is put to drastic use in my time playing F.E.A.R.It’s not always the masochistic, nefarious crime lords, the arrogant and delusional mad scientists, or even the ungodly, atrocious monsters who can make for great villains. Alma is a beloved antagonist because she stood in the middle of the thin line that separates good from evil. To get to Alma and truly understand her as a character, you can’t do that with a full magazine and an assault rifle. You have to try and understand her.
Even though her actions can hardly be said as forgivable. In fact, the entire game revolves around her horrific acts and atrocities. Alma has a very good reason to come around and find vengeance in blood and severed burnt flesh.
Alma was the subject of awful abuse and negligence in her childhood simply because she has unnatural powers within her. Even when she was young, her life was nestled in the palms of morally bankrupted scientists that are, arguably, even more, nefarious than her. That’s the reason why although Alma remains a very substantial supernatural threat as you advance through the game, she’s just one part of the entire horror that the game is trying to portray. You will eventually find yourself, much like others, sympathizing with her as you try and dodge all of her unearthly attacks.
Handsome Jack - Borderlands 2
Handsome Jack follows the classy villain stereotype. You know, the well-spoken, well-versed type that can talk you into doing his bidding if given the chance to? He’s also quite intelligent to boot, and that’s just layering upon his already natural, seemingly effortless charm.
But unlike Alma, everything about this guy is just pure evil. Most noticeably, he lives in a Death Star-esque space station fashioned into an H shape that, from the ground up, will always appear imposing as ever on the skies no matter if it’s day or night. The H is a tactless homage to his Hyperion Corporation, and no one would have any problems with a rich and powerful guy flexing his wealth in this rather ostentatious and obviously narcissistic way had it not pounded the surface below with destructive and deadly lasers every once in a while.
The H-shaped space station isn’t the only thing that he does just to show people how rich he was. A pony made entirely out of the diamond is another way to portraying just how self-obsessed and horribly insecure this guy is.
Arthas - World of Warcraft
Just like Anakin Skywalker, the thing about Arthas Menethil that makes him quite an interesting character is that he once trod upon the path of the righteous. Up until his fall from grace and into madness that we ourselves witness, powerless all the while.
Arthas was originally raised and served the good citizens of the kingdom as a Paladin of Lordaeron. Yet, Arthas was so attached to his vows that his fervor to fulfill it at any costs, even at the cost of his own humanity, turns out to be the very thing that transformed him into a menace. Under the belief that he could tame the cursed rune sword of Frostmourne, he wielded it and eventually was consumed by the sword. Turning him from a righteous protector of the weak into the greatest threat from the forces of evil the world of Azeroth has ever seen.
Arthas eventually found the weight of a dark crown on his head as he became the new Lich King. Rallying dark forces under his banner, monstrous entities from ghouls, to zombies, and more, Arthas struck down and bathed in the collective blood of thousands on his crusades as his cursed sword reveled in the souls that he reaped in its name. Millions were also felled by the dark forces under his command. The tragic turn in Arthas’ story is the reason why he’s managed to still be a captivating character to read of up until now.
Kefka - Final Fantasy VI
The list of games and books about Final Fantasy is plentiful enough to make a small booklet about. But Kefka is quite possibly the best thought out, developed, and delivered antagonist in the entire series. He neither has the raw, brutish power of a genetically modified and grossly enhanced super-soldier nor was he a sorcerer with seemingly limitless power that can twist and warp the fabric of space and time at will. Paradoxically, that’s the reason why he’s such a terrifying villain.
Kefka could be a prime patient for study into psychosis as the very personification of the frailties and vulnerabilities of human beings. Kefka spent his time stringing together every piece of power he could get out of pure rage alone. Final Fantasy has seen quite a lot of good bad guys, but none of them were able to be as effortlessly cruel as Kefka. For example, the guy scattered poison into the water supply of a besieged town even when the battle’s won and the town have capitulated.
In his path to collecting the kind of power clearly not meant for a man to hold, he subjected the world to an apocalypse of his own making. After that, Kefka spent his days torturing and eliminating the survivors one by one for his own amusement. In spite of the fact that Kefka is a macabre vision of a man trying to play God, he was, in fact, just a petulant and scared toddler not understanding the meaning of control, the meaning of his power, and his place in life.
Revolver Ocelot - Metal Gear Solid
If Solid Snake kept a list of all of the bosses he defeated, it would be about a football field long. He was directly involved in battles against not only of the greatest antagonists ever created, but also one of the best action sequences to be featured in a video game. No matter if it’s the rant of Sniper Wolf or a trippy plus creepy encounter against Psycho Mantis, Hideo Kojima really doubled down on his ability as a game director on MGS.
But the best enemy Snake has ever encountered didn’t match him in term of skills but in term of deception. Revolver Ocelot or Liquid Ocelot has his own way with deception. It’s difficult to work quietly in the background in the world of MGS where the brokerage of secrets and intelligence is the norm and nothing can stay a mystery for long. Revolver Ocelot’s ability to deceive was such that he could work as a double, triple, and even quadruple agent from the 60s and well into the 21st century. Where there were secrets to be found and actions to be had, Revolver Ocelot was there.
In his prime years, he worked under one President who turned out to be traitorous and treasonous, and he was also a prominent name in the limited roster of the mythical Patriots (La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo) organization. Casting off the mask to reveal his true allegiance (To no one but himself) to everyone he had managed to dub, uncovering his plan to stand atop of civilization, Revolver Ocelot really made the opportunity count.
One thing that stands out about him is that he’s rather proud, up to the point that it’s possible to consider him as being conceited. But he has good reasons to be prideful, one thing is his expertise in deception, another is his excellent marksmanship and pretty slick moves in revolver juggling.
Flowey - Undertale
How can anyone, at first glance, say that this unassuming and innocent flower as the greatest threat and enemy of the entire game? It winks at you, and it smiles at you, it makes you feel good about yourself, and on top of all, it’s rather adorable.
But the deeper you dive into the plot of Undertale and the more layers you uncover out of Flowey, you will see the dark intents behind the mask of purity. The first friend you made in the game and by the end of the game, it’s turned out to become the greatest monster of all. Worse, it literally held the power over you as a player. Flowey can remember everything you have done in the game, every decision you have ever made and with that, it broke down the fourth water effortlessly to address you, the player in the most horrifying way possible.
Its final form is also a work carved out of the developers’ grandest nightmares, as well. But maybe you can find solace in the fact that, since nearly everything could be befriended in Undertale … there’s a redeeming point underneath all that unadulterated malice?
Bison - Street Fighter V
There have been plenty of new names for this one guy through the years. Master Bison, Dictator, e.t.c. But the name is far from being the important part, as anyone who wields the Psycho Power must not be the personification of good news. M. Bison, the head of Shadaloo, must be one of the greatest, and most malicious villain in the history of videogames. Aside from finding sick pleasure from stepping onto his enemies’ skulls with the soles of his boots, in his downtime, instead of investing in a healthy sport or pastime, M. Bison schemed for world domination instead.
That’s too big a scale of evil, he also did well on the small front, too. Capturing and torturing Ryu halfway to death is one thing, murdering Chun-Li’s father, or kidnapping teenage girls in order to brainwash them into his personal assassins were just one of the few crimes that he committed. Re-read the entirety of the list again if you have the patience to, and you’ll find that all of the previously mentioned villains (And I’m sure everyone else on the list) won’t do several of these things in their entire life. M. Bison, however, it’s casual Friday.
The Joker - Batman: Arkham Knight
There are little that can be introduced about Joker, considering how iconic the Clown Prince is to everyone, whether they even play video games or not. His permanent facial painting that creates a horrendous mask that can strike fear into the souls of the frightful beholders is the tamest thing about him. It was his complete psychosis, lacking even the faintest hint of genuine sympathy and regard of people’s lives, along with his utter belief in a world where chaotic anarchy is the norm: That’s frightening. The Joker is such an emblematic enemy of Batman not because they’re so different from one another, but because they are, in a sense, are similar.
The Joker and Batman have a twisted symbiotic relationship, wherein the Joker gives Batman a purpose - a villain to fight against. Without him, there would be no Batman at all. This is a philosophy that the developers behind Arkham Knight dove deep into by exploring the darker, lesser walked corners of the Bat’s psyche.
Sephiroth - Final Fantasy VII
Relatively similar to Alma from F.E.A.R., Sephiroth was the result of a scientific experiment. And the result more or less turned out the same as the world burned. Sephiroth was injected with the cells of aliens when he was just a fetus, giving him godly powers that predictably messed with his mind, planting seeds of arrogance in his mind up until he thought of himself as a true god amongst men. His swordplay was masterful, plus the strength he derived from the experiment makes him an enemy to be reckoned with. But unlike the type of villain who holds in his hand great power, Sephiroth was strangely calm. Yet, his demeanor is one of the things that had made him so terrifying to players. Especially when you eventually come to know the monster fuming underneath that calm mask.
His atrocities were laid bare to players’ eyes as they progressed through the game. From the razing of Nibelheim to the attempted assassination of Tifa, down to the heart-rending murder of Aerith. But his crime reached its climax as he influenced for a meteor on a collision course with Gaia. No sympathy for him there, and with each time his crime was made clear, it just gave us further incentives to lay him low once and for all.
SHODAN - System Shock 2
1999 was an exciting time in history as humanity came near the verge of a new millennium. But SHODAN in System Shock 2 gave us something to fear amidst the festivities. Her disembodied voice wafted through every crooks and cranny of the von Braun spaceship, her presence almost palpable anywhere within the cramped ship that it felt almost impossible to escape from her scrutiny and ever-watchful eyes. SHODAN also found purpose into transforming her into her lapdog, meanwhile attacking you with boiling taunts.
The great thing about the character was that you are her creator and that even in the times where an alliance was briefly made, she still attempted to kill you. SHODAN found purpose while The Hacker was in cryo-sleep by conducting bone-chilling biological experimentations to create parasitic monstrosities that eventually infected or murdered the crew members. You were the lucky one to survive.
Or were you?
Dr. Robotnik - Sonic the Hedgehog
Dr. Robotnik was the arch-nemesis of our blue, mischievous hedgehog. And for a game that’s aimed primarily at kids with its cartoonish graphics and bright color palettes, Dr. Robotnik - behind the scene - is such a grim character that I was surprised now as an adult how I never noticed the gravity of his crime. Other than being the atypical evil genius with a plan for world domination, Dr. Robotnik also held a grudge for adorable, fluffy things of the Sonic’s world.
His deadly machines weren’t actually ran using gasoline or any sorts of mythical fuels. Instead, he captured and enslaved rabbits, squirrels, birds, and animals of all sorts and trapped them within his contraptions in his never-ending struggle of eliminating the speedy hedgehog. To think what PETA would do if they were to be pushed into this world was an entertaining thought.
Pyramid Head - Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2 is as much a journey into darkness and eldritch horrors as a philosophical, introspective journey into the mind of the main characters. But the threat of Pyramid Head was considerably more heavy on the heart than any other denizens of the Fog World. Although Pyramid Head only appeared sporadically throughout the entire game, every time you hear the tell-tale noise of his great blade dragging through the soiled floor, the panic can easily paralyze you in place.
His great sword was imposing indeed, but the gigantic, bloodied pyramid-shaped helmet was the thing that hit the hardest on your will. He is the embodiment of everything debauch and disgusting in Silent Hill, and it’s not wrong for you to want to turn tail and run at the sight of him.
Not like you can do anything else, either way.
Vaas Montenegro - Far Cry 3
Vaas is such a big deal that for anyone who ever heard of Far Cry but never got the chance to play it, most probably they would remember the series by with the flamboyant look of Vaas Montenegro. He exudes insanity like no other, and with the brilliant performance of his voice actor Michael Mando and a psychotic monologue inspired by Albert Einstein, it all gave rise to an icon.
Vaas holds the title of every scummy job under the Sun: Kidnapper, murderer, drug and arms trafficker. He also turned his island into a personal empire by enslaving its inhabitants and went on a campaign of murder against all dissidents. That’s when he got his hands onto the group of youngsters heading off on a dream adventure for their gap year. Throwing everyone into his own prison camp, including our protagonist Jason Brody. We eventually learned to love him as a villain and would rather play as him rather than the boring hero, even if he shot off people’s kneecaps for fun.
Andrew Ryan - BioShock
Villains got their title mostly by instilling fear and awe in us. But none of them quite managed the feat that Andrew Ryan from the BioShock series was able to: Commandeering our respect. It takes a special kind of man to be able to gather the resources to build a sprawling city-scape underneath the sea. And although Rapture eventually failed and brought thousands with it, there is no doubt at all that Andrew Ryan was one of the few, rare people who are ambitious enough to turn it that close into reality. His dream could only be said before it was turned into reality by Ryan, as insane. The fact that he paid it no mind and pulled it off is worth our complete respect, already.
But the greater the passion, the greater the vice. Ryan is - was- dangerous, and he spent the entirety of the game up until you pummelled him to death reminding you that he is a man, and you are just a mere slave. You will do anything you were told just as long as that person holds a radio and utters the phrase: “Would you kindly?” Meanwhile, he is a man free of any constraints and can tell you to do anything, including beating him to death with a golf club.
And you did.
In a sense, his own pride ultimately led to his death. But the way he reached it made him one of the most psychologically complex characters to ever be starred in a video game.
Albert Wesker - Resident Evil
Wesker is cool as a cucumber in his dark suit and a pair of sunglasses. Gifted with superhuman strength and physique, he’s a rather cartoonish character in such a grim and serious series. However, instead of hating him for breaking the immersion, people turn out loving him for all of these things and a megalomanic complex that he visibly held through each game. Originally a ’good guy’, in a sense as the commander of the elite S.T.A.R.S. force, but was later revealed to be a double agent for the insidious Umbrella Corps.
Wesker eventually turned on his employers also to become his own agent, appearing once or twice throughout the series with new plots and schemes. In Resident Evil 5, Wesker reached the climax of his evil career by finalizing the steps to unleashing a global viral outbreak and carrying out plans to kill off his former teammates Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine. Although the steps to actually putting him down for good was strenuous: Hundreds of bullets, several rockets, and an active volcano. But in the end, the world of Resident Evil was rid of a bad guy.
Ganon - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Ganon is nondescript and there are zero interesting things about him as a character. His dossier is rather rudimentary for a villain: He’s just really bad, want to conquer the world, and on top of all, only our fated heroes Link and Zelda can stop his plan. The thing that makes him great is that he mutates and adapts throughout the entire game. In Ocarina of Time, he was attempting to seize power in Hyrule by becoming a Gerudo king. But by the time of Breath of the Wild, he has become the malignant power that haunts the castle as Calamity Ganon.
He was never meant to be any particular character, nor was there ever any deep philosophy behind Ganon as a character. Ganon is just pure, unadulterated evil. Evil does not take a shape, nor any form just like in real life and can never be truly depressed or defeated. But when those in the light unite to push back against him, he will reveal himself and be banished in an endless cycle of good versus evil.
Frau Engel - Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus
In a game where Nazis can be seen wandering at every street corner and that Hitler actually exists, saying that Frau Engel is the worst creature roaming in this bleak, alternate world is quite a strong statement.
But indeed, the sociopathic streak of Engel along with the murderous derangement she had no qualm in displaying with gory enormity can drive even the softest hearts to wish for blood and make her pay. You eventually got that chance via the drill of a powerful robot, but she somehow survived to live another day in the sequel. In Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, Engel returned with a horribly deformed and scarred face as a result of her encounter with you.
You’re quickly introduced with greater details into the life of the depraved Nazi officer through her treatment of her daughter Sigrun. It was an unnerving and disturbing relationship, but at the same time, a humanizing touch for the sickening villain laughing upon the pain and misery of all those she deemed as inferior.
Bowser - Super Mario Bros
Who else can compete with Bowser in term of staying power within the mind of gamers? Bowser has existed for as long as Mario, just like Joker versus Batman, Bowser gave our friendly Italian plumber a purpose, acting as the source of every trouble big and small in the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser is almost omnipresent. Even within games that he doesn’t star as the main villain, he still found a way to make himself known.
Bowser - true to his nature as a cartoonish, kid-friendly villain - is neither violence nor is he atrocious. His goals change with every game. Sometimes he just wants Princess Peach to marry him, and sometimes he wants to rule over the Mushroom Kingdom. Either way, his look as a simple, but still very much intimidating buffed turtle still impressed quite a lot of people, young and old alike, today.
GLaDOS - Portal
GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System) is probably the best villain to ever exist, hands down. With her dry as desert jokes (She won’t ever admit that they are jokes) and one-liners delivered in a robotic, artificially generated voice, you will be one part entertained and the other part scared of the one-eye AI as she throws everything she could at you just to try and kill you in both Portal and Portal 2. We’ll be more than happy to see her return, but we know that Valve is allergic to the number 3 so there might never be a chance of it happening at all.
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