Video games have had their fair share of infamous villains, from Far CryIt’s absolutely terrifying WAAS Montenegro to the constantly outwitted Dr. Robotnik of Sonic the Hedgehog. It’s important that any video game with a villain gets it right, because an adventure is only as compelling as its primary antagonist. Fortunately, while there have been a few duds here and there, for the most part, there are some truly iconic and memorable baddies throughout video game history.
Naturally, the list is incredibly long and not every villain will deserve a place. So, while iconic villains like General Shepherd, Ridley, Pyramid Head and the ever-irresistible Lady Dimitrescu of Resident Evil 8 Couldn’t make the cut, they are absolutely worth mentioning. Fortunately, those who are considered the best villains in all of gaming absolutely deserve their place.
10
Dr. Robotnik (Sonic the Hedgehog)
A rotten egg of a villain
Dr. Robotnik, also known as Dr. Eggman, feels as timeless as his blue-haired cunning nemesis, Sonic. Dr.At least when it comes to bumbling baddies. His appearances in other forms of Sonic the Hedgehog Media, like the movies, pushed him further into the zeitgeist, and made him more and more memorable.
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Perhaps what really cemented his status as a legendary villain was Mike Pollack’s portrayal of him. Dr. Eggman has one of the most recognizable voices in gamingPerhaps out Geralt and Sonic himself, and this is largely all thanks to Pollock’s incredible talent. While Sonic could never have reached quite the same heights as MarioDr. Robotnik will still be remembered as one of the best villains in gaming history.
9
Bowser (Super Mario)
The best comic relief villain
Bowser really needs no introduction, as he was Mario’s greatest enemy in the majority of his games, and was a playable character in multiple spin-offs. There is something uniquely special about BowserWith his cute design, weird family that pops up from time to time, and love of kidnapping Peach, without help, give him so much charm and personality. It really feels like no one else has ever come close to matching Bowser in all his glory.
Bowser naturally appears in some of the best Mario Games ever made, being a highlight of each and every one of them. Is it like a playable racer in Mario Kart Or as the main villain in Super Mario Odyssey, Bowser brings something special to the table every time he pops up. There’s a good reason why fans never tire of seeing Bowser.
8
Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7)
The most feared JRPG villain
Sephiroth is a villain who, unlike Bowser and Dr. Robotnik, really manages to strike fear into every player’s heart the moment he appears on screen. The moment his blood-curdling theme song “One-Winged Angel ” Begins to play, fans know that things are about to get extremely messy. Sephiroth was just as terrifying in the original Final Fantasy 7 As he was in the remakesWith his menacing appearance is one of the best parts of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
He is also responsible for one of the most heartbreaking deaths in all of video game historyAlthough, frankly, the less said about this the better. Sephiroth is also a phenomenal villain thanks to the sheer amount of effort that went into exploring his incredible backstory and relationship with Cloud, which was further expanded upon in the remakes. While Game Final Fantasy Had a lot of big bad boys, none came even remotely to sleep the excellence of Sephiroth.
7
Dutch van der Linde (Red Dead Redemption)
A complex modern villain
Dutch van der Linde is one of the many antagonists of the first Red Dead Redemption game, and proves to be a formidable foe for John Marston to face. however, It is his appearance in Red Dead Redemption 2 and his incredibly complex descent into becoming a truly terrifying villain for which he is best remembered. Red Dead Redemption 2 Makes the most of being a prequel to really cement Dutch as one of the biggest and baddest villains in all of video games.
It also helps that Dutch has some of the best quotes of all Red Dead Redemption 2With some of his lines becoming incredibly iconic and memorable to this day. These, and the rest of his well-written dialogue in Red Dead Redemption 2are all superbly portrayed by Benjamin Byron Davis, who brings a certain charm and gravitas to the role that helps make Dutch’s shift from friend to foe yet More hearty. Dutch proves that video game villains can be much more complex Like goofy dinosaurs and egg-shaped people.
6
Handsome Jack (Borderlands)
The pinnacle of Borderlands villains
The Borderlands The franchise has always had its fair share of memorable characters, from the playable Vault Hunters to the notorious Claptrap, but by far its biggest and best character is Shane Jack. This conniving, manipulative, charming and endlessly funny bad guy is one of the best aspects of Borderlands 2And is likely a huge reason why it remains a classic FPS title to this day. Everything about him oozes villainy, from his creepy character design to his overall attitude towards the player.
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Handsome Jack was a curse on the Borderlands franchise though, as he was so memorable and so compelling, that the subsequent villains struggled to live up to him. Much like these Far Cry series, Handsome Jack became such a defining part of the franchise that it struggled to continue without him. This is not to say that Borderlands 3s Villains are bad, but more a testament to just how good Handsome Jack is.
5
diablo (diablo)
It’s so terrifying the series is named after it
Unlike the other great villains in gaming history, Diablo has an entire series named after him, which qualifies him as one of the best villains by default. However, even outside of that, Diablo has proven to be a truly menacing foe in the first three Diballo games, as well as his appearances in other Blizzard titles. The various boss fights against him, as well as his overall arcs in each game are what make these Diablo Franchise and its ever evolving lore so fascinating.
Diablo’s calm and cunning nature makes him a much more complex villain Like some of Diablo Other enemies. Likewise, his constantly shifting schedule, thanks largely to his various hosts, keep him feeling fresh and unique with each entry. While the Diablo Games have an abundance of amazing villains, it has to be the titular bad guy that takes the cake.
4
Ganondorf (The Legend of Zelda)
A truly legendary bad guy
Ganondorf, not to be confused with Ganon, his beast form, is one of the many villains at the heart of The Legend of Zelda Franchise. Although his design has shifted slightly throughout the series’ history, as well as his varying levels of intensity, Ganondorf has proven time and time again to be a formidable antagonist for Link to face. Unlike Bowser and Mario, who share a much more lighthearted rivalry, Link and Ganondorf’s decades-long feud in the Seldom Games are as terrifying and intense as they are compelling.
His appearance in Tears of the kingdom Proves how menacing Ganondorf is, showing a side of the legendary villain fans have not yet seen. The fact that Ganondorf is constantly evolving and changing between games and retains a lot of what makes him so special is largely what makes him such a memorable villain. suffice to say, The Legend of Zelda Wouldn’t be the same if Ganondorf was completely gone.
3
Andrew Ryan (BioShock)
The villainous mastermind behind Rapture
Like Dutch, Andrew Ryan is one of the more complex villains in video game historyHaving created Rapture and watched its fall before dealing with Jack and all the messy consequences that came with it. Although he may not be responsible for one of the most quoted lines of BioShockHe uses it to the sickest degree in his final moments in the game. His dominant presence in the first BioShockAs well as his appearances throughout the rest of the series, is largely what makes the horror franchise so memorable in the first place.
Much like all BioShock’s An incredibly in-depth study, Andrew Ryan has a long and storied history. It was extended through both his narration in the games, his audio diaries and appearances in the novels. He’s a hard act to follow, and while the others BioShock Games continue the captivating story of the series with new villains and twists on old ones, Andrew Ryan remains a constant reminder of that BioShock Became such a popular series to begin with.
2
GlaDOS (Portal)
The most evil robot in all of gaming
GLaDOS is unequivocally one of the best villains in video game history, coming extremely close to being the best. Her overall chillingly detached demeanor lends itself brilliantly to both moments of horrifying suspense and hilarious humorAnd the study around you and the Aperture facility is incredibly fascinating. However, it’s easily Ellen McLain’s voice work as GLaDOS that cements her as an incredibly memorable bad guy.
While gate 2s Wheatley has done a pretty phenomenal job following in the footsteps of GLaDOS, There is simply no comparison to the manipulative AI. Valve have an almost flawless track record of making memorable characters, and GLaDOS is at the top of that list. Surprisingly, GLaDOS almost didn’t appear in GateWhich would have made the game a completely different, and ultimately less compelling experience overall.
1
Vaas (Far Cry 3)
Ubisoft’s most quotable villain
What best villain list would be complete without a mention of perhaps the greatest: Vaas Montenegro. Done flawlessly by Michael Mando, Vaas is the endlessly quotable pirate antagonist who sends Jason Brody down a path of self-destruction and death in Far Cry 3. His wonderfully delivered monologues and genuinely intimidating moments of horror are what made Vaas such a compelling villain to begin with.
Naturally, Ubisoft has done their best to emulate the brilliance of Waas, but only really Joseph Seed from Far Cy 5 came close, and even then he was miles away from being as engaging as Vaas. Fortunately, Vaas returned as a bad guy in Far Cry 6s DLC, prove again how brilliant he is. Waas makes Far Cry 3 Not only one of the best open world FPS games of all time, but also one of the most memorable Ubisoft experiences ever, with all the subsequent villains never managing to live up to the high bar he set.