Non-RPG General News - 25 best Video Game Villains

[HiddenX]

Den of the Geek made a top villain list:

25 Best Video Game Villains Ever

They're the characters you love to hate, but which video game villain is the best of the best?

Villains are more often than not the difference between a good game and a great game. They represent everything the protagonist is fighting against, and when they're done really well, they're the special sauce in an otherwise merely serviceable gaming experience.

All of the characters on this list are fun to hate in their own way, and truth be told, most of them completely steal the show from their do-gooder counterparts.

Before we reveal the best (worst?) of those villains, keep in mind that we are utilizing a "one character per franchise" rule for this list in order to discuss and celebrate as wide of a collection of evildoers as possible.

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Thanks Soola!



More information.

 

[Zloth]

Handsome Jack, Kefka, GLaDOS, and SHODAN are on the list. Legit.

 

[JDR13]

Handsome Jack, Kefka, GLaDOS, and SHODAN are on the list. Legit.

No Jon Irenicus though which is somewhat mind-boggling.

Also, Albert Wesker should be higher.

 

[Shagnak]

I'm surprised they didn't choose Sephiroth over Kefka, given the massive cross-platform success of FF VII, but I guess this choice reflects their geek credentials.

Far Cry 3, 4, and 5 all had great villains, whatever the criticisms anyone might have of the other aspects of the games.. Vaas is a good choice, but I wouldn't have been disappointed in Pagan Min or Joseph Seed being chosen.

 

[Carnifex]

I'm pleased to see Shodan on the list, certainly a most respectable villain. No Werdna though, that's an error. Have to admit at least half of these blokes I'd never heard nor read about.

 

[Shagnak]

I'm pleased to see Shodan on the list, certainly a most respectable villain. No Werdna though, that's an error.

I would have chosen The Dark Savant over Werdna for my personal list. But yeah, Werdna would have been good.

 

[borcanu]

i would put lazarus from diablo, and kain from soulreaver. thats only cause my memory worked then, and the recent ones are all a fog

 

[JDR13]

Far Cry 3, 4, and 5 all had great villains, whatever the criticisms anyone might have of the other aspects of the games.. Vaas is a good choice, but I wouldn't have been disappointed in Pagan Min or Joseph Seed being chosen.

Yeah, I found Joseph Seed more memorable than the average villain. There aren't a lot of games I like from Ubisoft, but he's a big part of why I enjoyed FC5.

 

[Tony]

The only villains that even come to mind when I think of this is Sovereign from Mass Effect, the guy that lets the king get killed from Dragon Age 1, the demon thing from Ultima, and the Master from Fallout 1. Thinking about it, most of my favorite games I replay a lot don't really have a villain that bothers you throughout the game. The main villain in Tyranny isn't in the game. A lot of games let you side with the villain, like New Vegas or Wasteland 3 (and Tyranny). I beat Dragon Age 2 but can't remember the main villain, same with Skyrim, Morrowind, Oblivion, and every other game I can think of. I don't think I ever beat a Final Fantasy game. I can't remember the final boss or villain in either pathfinder or pillars game. I think it's the tree lady that visits in the beginning for Kingmaker, but I'm also pretty sure you can side with her.

 

[JDR13]

Thinking about it, most of my favorite games I replay a lot don't really have a villain that bothers you throughout the game.

You really need to play System Shock.

 

[pibbuR]

Where's the Guardian?

pibbuR who based on the list has met (with a few exceptions) only good game bosses.

 

[Lucky Day]

It needs to be said: There is no Mario without Bowser. No iconic legacy, no zillion copies sold, no blockbuster movie

A certain Donkey named Kong? I mean, if you can have Dracula on that list you can certainly take a giant monkey - a big leap up in video games compared to other space ship and invader from space. I'm trying to think if he's the first boss in a video game? Maybe not because he's on every level. Nevertheless he's the first really good antagonist.

Ohhhhhhh, that would be Sinistar. "Beware coward! I hunger!"

Also, Blinky, Clyde and Sue. I mean, where are the femme fatales? If the fans of the game give your characters nicknames that everyone in the world can recite from memory, that says something.

I was told the only way to defeat the final boss for good in Ghosts and Goblins was to use the worst weapon: fire. I think that alone ranks the boss for innovation - like something out of Beowulf.



Sweet Tooth from Twisted Metal is also one I think is missing.
The Guardian from Ultima is about the best villain in the series. It might have been interesting if you, the Avatar, had to defeat Lord British to claim the throne because of growing paranoia and dementia. Alas, that plot of Ultima 9 didn't make it in.

 

[soola]

The only villains that even come to mind when I think of this is Sovereign from Mass Effect, the guy that lets the king get killed from Dragon Age 1, the demon thing from Ultima, and the Master from Fallout 1. Thinking about it, most of my favorite games I replay a lot don't really have a villain that bothers you throughout the game. The main villain in Tyranny isn't in the game. A lot of games let you side with the villain, like New Vegas or Wasteland 3 (and Tyranny). I beat Dragon Age 2 but can't remember the main villain, same with Skyrim, Morrowind, Oblivion, and every other game I can think of. I don't think I ever beat a Final Fantasy game. I can't remember the final boss or villain in either pathfinder or pillars game. I think it's the tree lady that visits in the beginning for Kingmaker, but I'm also pretty sure you can side with her.

Thaos is the main villain in pillar’s of eternity. He was a pretty good villain all things considered. The pacing of the rivalry was a little off but

Spoiler: what he did is pretty notable

ie knowing the “gods” were actually humans that fed off of people and he sided with one of (if not THE) worst of them. Pretty despicable behavior.