Video games have had their fair share of infamous villains, from distant cryDr. Robotnik, constantly expelled from it, is completely terrifying Vas Montenegro Sonic the Hedgehog. It’s important that every video game with a villain gets it right, because an adventure is just as compelling as its primary counterpart. Fortunately, while there has been some mischief here and there, for the most part, there have been some truly iconic and memorable baddies throughout video game history.
Naturally, the list is incredibly long and not every villain will earn a spot. So, General Shepherd, Ridley, Pyramid Head and iconic villains as always From the irresistible Lady Dimitrescu Resident Evil 8 Can’t make the cut, they’re absolutely worth mentioning. Fortunately, those considered the greatest villains in all of gaming deserve their place.
10 Dr. Robotnik (Sonic the Hedgehog)
A rotten egg of a villain
Dr. Robotics, also known as Dr. Eggman, his blue-haired arch nemesis, feels as timeless as Sonic. From his iconic bulb design to his ridiculously long mustache, Dr. Eggman has easily cemented himself as one of the best in gamingAt least when it comes to bumbling baddies. His appearance in other forms Sonic the Hedgehog Media, like movies, have given him more exposure, making him more memorable.
Perhaps what truly cemented his status as a legendary villain was Mike Pollock’s portrayal. Dr. Eggman has one of the most recognizable voices in gamingExcept maybe Geralt and Sonic, and that’s largely thanks to Pollock’s incredible talent. when sonic Couldn’t reach the same height as it did marioDr. Robotnik will still be remembered as one of the greatest villains in gaming history.
9 Bowser (Super Mario)
Best comic relief villain
Bowser doesn’t really need an introduction, appearing as Mario’s greatest enemy in most of the games, and as a playable character in multiple spin-offs. There is something uniquely special about BowserWith his cuddly design, the whimsical family that pops up from time to time, and the love of peach abduction, did not avail, giving him so much charm and personality. It really seems no one else has come close to matching Bowser in all his glory.
Bowser has naturally appeared some the best mario The game is never madeEach and every one of them is being highlighted. Whether it is as a playable racer mario kart or as the main villain Super Mario Odyssey, Bowser brings something special to the table every time he pops up. There’s a good reason fans never tire of Bowser.
8 Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7)
The most feared JRPG villain
Sephiroth is a villain that Bowser and Dr. Robotnik, the moment it appears on screen, truly strikes fear into the heart of every player. The moment his blood-curd theme song “One-Winged Angel” starts playing, fans know things are about to get super messy. Sephiroth was just as terrifying as the original Final Fantasy VII As he has been remadeHis terrifying face is one The best part of it 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 that the better. Sephiroth is also a great villain thanks to the sheer amount of effort put into fleshing out his incredible backstory and relationship with Cloud, which was expanded upon in the remake. when Final Fantasy You had plenty of great bad guysNone came even remotely close to defeating Sephiroth’s superiority.
7 Dutch van der Linde (Red Dead Redemption)
In complex modern villains
Dutch van der Linde is one of the first’s many opponents Red Dead Redemption game, and proves to be a formidable foe for John Marston to face. however, This is his face Red Dead Redemption 2 And his incredibly complex descent into a truly terrifying villain is what he is most remembered for. Red Dead Redemption 2 It makes the most of being a prequel to truly solidify Dutch as the biggest and baddest villain in all of video games.
The Dutch are not the main opponents of the first
Red Dead Redemption
game, but plays a major role in John Marston’s story. Marston is tasked with hunting him down and it ends with the two clashing on a cliffside before Dutch commits suicide.
It also helps that the Dutch have some All the best quotes Red Dead Redemption 2Several of his lines have become incredibly iconic and memorable to this day. This, and the rest of his well-written dialogues Red Dead Redemption 2All are brilliantly portrayed by Benjamin Byron Davies, who brings a certain charm and gravitas to the role that makes Dutch’s transition from friend to foe all the more heartbreaking. Dutch proves that video game villains can be much more complex Rather than stupid dinosaurs and egg-shaped men.
6 Handsome Jack (Border)
The pinnacle of Borderlands villains
D Borderlands The franchise has always had its fair share of memorable characters, from the playable Vault Hunter to the infamous Claptrap, but by far its biggest and best character is Handsome Jack. This scheming, manipulative, charming and endlessly funny bad guy is one of its best aspects Border 2And probably a huge reason why it remains a classic FPS title to this day Everything about him is villainous, from his creepy character design to his overall attitude towards the player.
related to
The 10 Best Borderlands Characters, Ranked
With multiple games of content making up the universe of the Borderlands franchise, there’s no shortage of great characters to find in Pandora.
Handsome Jack is finishing a race Borderlands franchise though, since he was so memorable and so compelling that subsequent villains struggled to live up to him. like a lot distant cry series, Handsome Jack became such a defining part of the franchise that it was hard to do without him. That goes without saying Borderlands 3’s The villain was bad, but one more proof of how good Handsome Jack is.
5 Diablo (Diablo)
It’s so creepy the series is named after it
Unlike other great villains in gaming history, Diablo has an entire series to his name, which qualifies him as one of the best villains by default. However, beyond that, Diablo has proven himself to be a truly formidable foe throughout the first three i speak games, as well as his appearances in other Blizzard titles. The various bosses he fights against create his overall arcs in each game the devil The franchise and its growing lore is so impressive.
Diablo’s quiet and cunning nature makes him a more complex villain from something Diablo’s other enemies. Similarly, his ever-changing design, largely thanks to his various hosts, makes him feel fresh and unique with each entry. when the devil Games have a plethora of amazing villains, it has to be the titular bad guy that takes the cake.
4 Ganondorf (The Legend of Zelda)
A true legendary bad guy
Ganondorf, not to be confused with Ganon, his beast form, is one of many villains The Legend of Zelda Franchise Although its design has changed little throughout the history of the series, as well as its varying degrees of intensity, Ganondorf has proven time and time again that Link is an incredible opponent to face. Unlike Bowser and Mario, who are far more light-hearted rivals, Link and Ganondorf have feuded for decades. Zelda The games are as scary and intense as they are compelling.
his face Tears of the kingdom Prove how terrifying Ganondorf isShowcasing a side of the legendary villain fans have yet to see. Ganondorf is constantly evolving and changing between games and retains much of what makes him so special, essentially what makes him such a memorable villain. Suffice it to say, The Legend of Zelda It wouldn’t be the same if Ganondorf was completely absent.
3 Andrew Ryan (Bioshock)
The villainous mastermind behind Rapture
Much like the Dutch, Andrew Ryan is one of the most complex villains in video game historyCreated the Rapture and watched its fall before dealing with Jack and all the messy consequences that came with it. He may not be responsible for one of the most quoted lines, though BioshockHe uses it to the sickest degree in his final moments in the game. His dominant presence in the first BioshockAs well as his presence throughout the rest of the series, essentially what makes the horror franchise memorable in the first place.
Like all of them of bioshock Incredibly deep knowledge, Andrew Ryan has a long and storied history. This is revealed through both his story in the game, his audio diary, and his appearance in the novel. He is a hard act to follow, and another time Bioshock The games featured twists on the series’ impressive lore with new villains and old ones. Andrew Ryan remains a constant reminder of why Bioshock It became such a beloved series in the first place.
2 GlaDOS (Portal)
The worst robot in all of gaming
GLaDOS is unequivocally one of the best villains in video game history, coming very close to being the best His overall coolly detached attitude lends itself brilliantly to moments of both dire tension and hilarious humorAnd the lore and aperture facilities around it are incredibly interesting. However, it’s easily Ellen MacLaine’s voice work as GLaDOS that cements her as an incredibly memorable bad guy.
Ellen MacLaine also sang several songs for it
portal
series, incl
of the portal
The incredible and catchy last song, “Still Alive.” She also got some reps for her role in GLaDOS
Cyberpunk 2077
As one of the rogue Delamain AIs though.
when Portal 2 Wheatley did a pretty amazing job following in GLaDOS’s footsteps, Manipulative AI has no comparison. Valve has an almost flawless track record of creating memorable characters, and GLaDOS is at the very top of that list. surprisingly, GLaDOS almost didn’t appear portalWhich would make the game feel completely different and ultimately a less compelling experience overall.
1 Vaas (Far Cry 3)
Ubisoft’s most quoted villain
No best villain list would be complete without a mention of perhaps the biggest: Vas Montenegro. Perfectly played by Michael Mando, Vaas is the endlessly quoted pirate antagonist who sends Jason Brody down a path of self-destruction and death. Far cry 3. His wonderfully delivered monologues and moments of genuine horror are what make Vaas such a compelling villain to begin with.
Naturally, Ubisoft has done its best to emulate the brilliance of Vaas, but only really from Joseph Seed. Cy 5 headlights came close, and yet he was far away, engrossed as Vaas. Fortunately, Bhas returns as a bad guy Far cry 6Its DLC, once again proves how talented he is. you create Far cry 3 Not just one The best open world FPS game everBut one of Ubisoft’s most memorable experiences, all of its subsequent villains failed to live up to the high bar he set.