The best way of challenging a hero is by giving them a worthy adversaryin the form of a villainous antagonist. Villains in video games have a unique way of getting under your skin and thwarting your earnest plans time and time again.
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Sometimes their presence is not so obvious, only revealing their evil intentions when you least expect it. Then there are the not-so-subtle foes that present themselves in a way that makes their villainous nature blindingly obvious. Whether it’s their manic wide-eyed demeanour, dark and menacing attire, orimposingly monstrous appearance, there’s a video game villain out there who is diabolically evil and wants you to know about it.
10Dr. Robotnik - Sonic The Hedgehog Series
In theSonicuniverse, Dr. Robotnik is an evil mastermind with a particular disdain for adorably cute and fluffy woodland creatures. As an archetypal mad scientist, he fits the bill remarkably well, with a concoction of gadgets aimed at inflicting the most amount of pain on impossibly fast blue hedgehogs.
He looks the part too, with a menacingly tall stature and a particularly rotund midsection that has earned his Dr. Eggman moniker. To make things a bit more evil, he also has a long archetypal twirly moustache and dons a pair of mad scientist goggles — presumably, for all those death-dealing contraptions he experiments with in all thosetense boss encounters.
9Bowser - Super Mario Series
You only need to take one look at Bowser to know he’s up to no good. This large fire-breathingturtle-like Koopaexudes punk rock with his fluorescent flaming red hair and spike-riddled choker and gauntlets. Let’s also not forget his dangerous swinging tail, spear-like claws, and impossibly razor-sharp teeth.
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He’s been around for pretty much all ofMario’sescapades, causing a right kerfuffle for everyone’s favourite Italian plumber and all the other lovable denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. It’s clear Bowser has an attitude problem, and it shows.
8The Illusive Man - Mass Effect 2
As soon as you step foot in a swanky luminescent office adjacent to a giant dying sun, you’ll know that something is up with the self-appointed leader of Cerberus inMass Effect 2.With a nickname like ‘The Illusive Man’, it won’t take having a college degree to realise that there’s something fishy about this seemingly unassuming gentleman.
Turns out, he’s an extremely slimy, conniving, and bigoted fellow that is plotting to ascend humanity above all other races. He uses Shepard and the unlimited resources of his human paramilitary group as a way of seeing to his own diabolical ends. Sitting in the middle of a giant, dark room in a swivelling chair should have probably given the game away.
7Vaas Montenegro - Far Cry 3
There’s just something in Vaas Montenegro’s eyes that tells you he wants to watch the world burn. FromFar Cry 3’s opening moments — anda lengthy, detailed speech about the nature of insanity— it’s clear that Vaas is a bit more twisted than your typical video game villain.
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He is so memorable for his unnervingly alluring charm and unpredictability. He’ll often wave his pistol about nonchalantly and abide by a “shoot first and forgo all the questions” kind of mentality. As a wide-eyed psychopath hell-bent on death and destruction, you never know what he is going to do or say next.
6The Joker - Batman Arkham Series
In theBatmanArkham series,Mark Hamill reprises his roleas one of the best iterations of the clown with a taste for anarchy. He brings unforgettably zany energy to one of the world’s most notorious bad guys.
From the moment you set eyes on him in Arkham Asylum, you know he’s up to no good when he’s excitedly cackling away while being incarcerated. When you see his wildly unkempt fluorescent green hair, pearly white bleached skin, big eyes, and unnervingly wide toothy grin, it begins to make sense that some of Gotham’s most chaotically inspired crimes come from the Clown Prince of Crime himself.
5Darth Malak - Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republicwas a groundbreaking video game and a spectacularStar Warsstory. It also producedone of the most exciting villainssince Darth Vader himself with Darth Malak.
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After suffering at the hands of his former Sith master, Revan, Malak took a lightsaber to the face and had half of it cut clean off. The metal prosthesis that covers his severed jaw echoes Vader’s broken body and will, and is simplycool as hell. The parts of his face that youcansee convey a weathered individual who has certainly seen their fair share of unpleasantness. To top things off, he wields an iconically red Sith lightsaber, which should signify his villainous nature to literally anyone in the galaxy.
4Dracula - Castlevania Series
Dracula’s appearance is iconic and has transcended generations of media and fiction. His appearance in theCastlevaniaseries is no different — he knows how to dress to impress with his lavish buckles, opulent wine-coloured silk robes and impossibly high pointy collars.
He has appeared in every iteration of Castlevania, from the sidescrolling 8-bit era to the more recent Lords of Shadow reboot, where he was the protagonist in the second game. In whatever form he has appeared in, this iconic villain gives the game away by just existing and for his iconic attire, blood-red eyes, endless lust for power, andinsatiable thirst for human blood.
3Mohg, Omen Of Blood - Elden Ring
Pretty much every NPC you come across inElden Ringhas done something grotesquely despicable and exudes villainy in some shape or form. One that stands out from a pretty egregious crowd is Mohg, Omen of Blood. He doesn’t take the title of “Omen” lightly, as he is a cursed demigod that is as treacherous and depraved as they come.
Mohg wields an extravagant multipronged spear that’s draped in gold and is generally a very well-dressed fellow. His demonic helmet is nightmarish and his luscious red and gold robes are sure to put any self-respecting cult leader to shame. Also, there’s the small detail that he has captured his royal sibling to become their eternal consort. Stealing your own flesh and blood for the pursuit of power and personal gain? That’s the mark of a true villain right there.
It has a blood-soaked pyramid for a head — need we say more?Silent Hill 2’s Pyramid Head is a fearsome unkillable foewho will silently stalk youuntil it has satisfied its desire for violent and bloody murder. This unnervingly terrifying creature wields a blood-stained spear that is almost as large as the creature itself, and it will stop at nothing to reach you and ruin your day.
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It turns out, this grotesque nightmarish beast is a manifestation of James Sunderland’s guilt and desire for punishment for his past actions. It’s safe to say he got what he wished for, although after taking one look at this thing, we can safely say that he probably didn’t wish for it at all.
1Ganon - The Legend Of Zelda Series
Ganon is the main villain from most iterationsofThe Legend of Zeldaand each game does a fantastic job of making that fact very clear to you as soon as possible. InOcarina of Time, Ganon (in the form of Ganondorf) has distinct dark greenish skin, long flowing blood-red hair, a permanent menacing expression on his face, and a badass suit of armour that justscreams"I’m the villain, please take me seriously."
InBreath of the Wild, this long-running bad guy has the prefix “Calamity” in front of his name, conveying his very obvious status as a big bad evil man. Except, in this game, he isn’t really a man at all, but rather a great gaping entity of evil that looks to engulf all of Hyrule in darkness. If a giant black mass of pure evil doesn’t scream villain, we don’t know what does.
