15 Best Villains in Video Games

Who are the best villains in video games?

Being a hero may be overrated, whether against devious masterminds, extraterrestrial powers, or enormous turtles. Why not rob a gardener’s radio or plan a heist instead? There can’t be a plot without a central figure or object causing conflict.

Besides, it’s no secret that “villains have more fun,” and villains frequently steal the show. Characters that people can’t help but love make the best villains in video games.

Who are the Best Villains in Video Games?

A villain’s hatred must be motivated by something, preferably an emotional link to the player. Because their nasty deeds are not easily forgotten, the best villains in video games will be remembered decades after the game they appeared in is over.

The following are the 15 best villains in video game history:

Pyramid Head- Silent Hill 2

Pyramid Head is a most well-known villain in Konami’s horror franchise.

He is a dangerous antagonist because of his hideous looks and violent disposition, which are believed to represent James Sunderland’s sorrow. The terrifying Pyramid Head emerges several times in the second Silent Hill game.

He’s also come to represent the entire series. His recent appearance in the multiplayer horror game Dead by Daylight is a testament to his status as one of gaming’s most formidable foe.

Also Read: Play Silent Hill 3 on Windows 10

Sephiroth- Final Fantasy VII

The brilliant villain of Final Fantasy VII appears to be nice and well-mannered, yet he is one of the vilest villains in video game history. Sephiroth is well-known for his long silver hair and even larger weapon.

He also has one of the greatest soundtracks ever given to a villain, and he is extremely deserving of being considered one of the top villains of all time based solely on his appearance and demeanor.

On the other hand, Sephiroth’s crimes are so heinous that he can only be classified as pure evil. Sephiroth’s enormous strength and master swordsmanship result from a failed experiment in which Sephiroth was injected with Jenova’s cells as a fetus. This granted him tremendous strength, making him a formidable opponent.

Sephiroth is one of the most despised villains and thus one of the best villains in video games, having murdered a party member at the climax of the first disk.

Ganondorf- The Legend of Zelda Series

Ganondorf returns after being imprisoned, determined to conquer Hyrule and become more powerful than ever. He is known as “The Prince of Darkness” & has tried to cast his dark power over Hyrule for years. He has an uncanny ability to change things.

Ganon is the name of his altered self, while Ganondorf is his human form. It’s for certain that his transformations will be a diverse range of formidable monsters with the help of the Triforce of Power.

Ganondorf exudes a frightening feeling of dread, and his relentless need for dominance is as smart as they are vicious. Ganondorf is one of the most talented villains in video games because of his ability to maintain freshness despite repeated exposure.

Also Read: Best Female Video Game Characters

GlaDOS- Portal

One of the very best video game villain in history is GlaDOS from Portal. GLaDOS, the Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System earned the hearts of gamers throughout the Portal trilogy with her cruel, humorous teasing.

Many of GLaDOS’ remarks stand out in a chock-full game of some of the finest lines ever spoken in a video game. She’s a witty, once-human computer personality who draws inspiration from HAL 9000 of 2001 and other rogue A.I.s.

“I’m afraid you’re about to become Being Alive Club’s immediate past president, Ha ha ha,” says Reynsla of Rivia, recalling another of GLaDOS’ most iconic comments.

Also Read: Midjourney Art: Artificial Intelligence

Albert Wesker- Resident Evil Sequels

Albert Wesker possesses all of the characteristics associated with the best foes. A fantastic physique, superhuman power and agility, and an undeniably appealing appearance. He’s worked as a double agent, reappeared and plotted constantly, and eventually sought to destroy the entire globe.

The Resident Evil series’ most recurring antagonist, Albert Wesker, has an impressive resume. His egotistical quest for world domination has made him one of the most reviled and best villains in video games history. In his ambition to become a living idol for others to worship, Wesker faked his own death and inherited superhuman abilities. The part of Wesker in the first Resident Evil will always be his most unforgettable.

Wesker fails to conceal his allegiance with the Umbrella Corporation by enticing his other team members into traps.

Wesker’s future appearances will be big and ambitious, cementing his status as one of the best recurrent villains in video games.

Also Read: The Last of Us Remake Release Date

Dr. Albert W. Wily- Mega Man Series

Dr. Albert is a mad scientist who uses a strong group of robots to try and take over the planet. Dr. Wily will return in short order, no matter how many times Mega Man thwarts his plans and defeats his elite leaders. He always comes up with new ideas and ways to improve his skill. While Mega Man continues to improve faster, no matter how many changes the doctor makes.

Dr. Wily has an outlandish physical appearance that perfectly encapsulates the crazy scientist cliché. He is a key nemesis in the games series featured on various consoles and handhelds. Fortunately for the gamers, Dr. Wily has more mayhem potential than his profile suggests.

Dr. Wily is entertaining because he can play a clichéd villain while still appearing threatening and powerful.

Bowser- Super Mario Series

Bowser, Mario’s arch-enemy, is the most frequently linked with video game villainy. When the term “video game villain” comes up, the Koopa King is likely the first villain that comes to mind, and his popularity can be traced to the sheer number of titles in which he has appeared. The huge Super Mario Bros. series and other spin-off titles means an astonishing number of appearances for him in these games.

Bowser’s personality shines brightest in RPG titles like Paper Mario when his villainy is on full show. Bowser’s appearances in the Super Mario Bros. series have become caricatures, with his storyline and story arc containing little substance. But this Godzilla-like villain can get away with it perfectly because of his famous status. Bowser commands respect and earns it rightly, backed by a massive militia of committed creatures.

Queen Slug for a Butt – Earthworm Jim

Earthworm Jim’s franchise did not fare well during the transition to 3D space. The franchise is now dormant, but it is important to take time and remember the two Earthworm Jim titles that appeared on the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. The Earthworm Jim was a breathtakingly fresh take on the platform genre.

This game was unlike any other and was incredibly funny. The resounding factor for the game’s excellence is the game’s final villain: Queen Slug for a Butt. This foe plans to take Earthworm Jim’s spacesuit and use it to take over the universe. Her plans are absolutely diabolical and include a quest for the universe’s domination.

Asides from having one of the funniest of names in video game history, it happens to be one of the meanest and most genuine villain to ever appear in a video game.

Giygas- Earthbound

Giygas is a scandalous alien who wants to plunge the entire universe into darkness. Giygas, known as “The Universal Cosmic Destroyer” and “The Embodiment of Evil,” appears to have the villain act down pat.

Giygas is only ever encountered as a background character. Therefore we never get to see his natural body. He’s lost his spatial form and is now nothing more than a chaotic spinning fog. This kind of “invisibility” only adds to his fear factor.

Giygas impacts every adversary encountered during Earthbound since he takes control of ordinary animals and transforms them into monsters. Giygas’ power on animals making them angry and distressed, is unrivaled in sheer wickedness.

Giygas is a formidable antagonist who is remembered for his final boss battle. To weaken him, the character “Paula” must start praying. Simple strikes are ineffective. Thus emotion must be employed to defeat him.

Lavos – Chrono Trigger

Lavos is the universe’s most heinous evil, terrorizing every planet he visits. Lavos has devised a cycle that entails landing on an uninhabited planet and nurturing it while feeding a large population. After millions of years, Lavos devours the entire World and all the life he produced. He creates spawns after he’s finished, traveling to other planets and repeating the process. Chrono and his companions travel through time and space to stop Lavos in Chrono Trigger.

Lavos is one of the most infamous villains in video game history for various reasons. The most important is his desire to wipe out humanity entirely. The fact that Lavos carries out his plan to kill humanity while having a long slumber adds to his villainy.

The Joker – Batman Arkham Series

Mark Hamill, who is best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movie, provides the voice of The Joker in the Batman Arkham games. You can’t miss that cackle of his. The Joker’s trademark laugh and demeanor assure that he will be one of the most memorable villains. In this incredible game, Hamill steals the show.

The Joker is infamous for overshadowing his actors, and Hamill’s performance in the Arkham series matches Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance. Superior voice acting and emotive (often insane) flair go a long way in deciding a villain’s identity as a video game villain.

The Joker is truly terrifying, and it’s terrifying to witness how much power he wields in every situation during the Arkham games. The Joker has a place among the greatest villains thanks to one of the best voice acting performances ever.

Mike Tyson- Mike Tyson's Punch-Out

One of the World’s well-known boxers, Mike Tyson, may appear a strange selection. He isn’t a malicious figure lurking in the shadows, nor is he an all-encompassing malignant power bent on world destruction.

Regardless, he was one of the most difficult video game bosses ever made for the N.E.S. Punch-Out!! With Mike Tyson!!; which was one of the most challenging games on the N.E.S. and one of the most demanding.

Furthermore, going toe-to-toe with Iron Mike in real life may be easier than in this 8-bit classic, which requires tremendous precision and a lot of practice.

Darth Malak- Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic

Knights of the Old Republic, a role-playing game from Bioware, is a Star Wars game. Among the numerous noteworthy villains in the Mandalorian universe, Darth Malak left an indelible impression on fans.

Furthermore, Malak was a Republic general before the Mandalorian Wars corrupted him and Revan (AKA the Sith Emperor).

“I remember seeing the cover of KotOR for the first time. A massive metal fake jaw defines Malak’s face, allowing him to speak after Revan severed his real one.” Stewedpickles said of the game, “He looked terrific.”

Sovereign- Mass Effect

The Mass Effect franchise is recognized for its memorable player choices, but gamers were equally intrigued by its terrifying, well-written antagonist.

Meanwhile, the first Mass Effect game devotes a significant amount of time determining who the Reapers are and what they seek.

When interacting with Sovereign, the Reapers’ speaker, gamers rapidly find they’re out of their depth.

Because Lovecraft’s horrors are unknowable, it might not be easy to bring them to life in games. “Rudimentary creature of flesh & blood, we are far beyond your comprehension,” Klassz echoes one of Sovereign’s remarks, emphasizing how powerful the Reapers felt in-game.

Frau Enjel- Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

Last on the list of our best villains in video games is Frau Engel from the second part of the game Wolfenstein. Being a Nazi instantly deems you the worst and deserving of eternal damnation. Despite this, Frau Irene Engel is the most heinous character in a game starring Adolf Hitler.

In Wolfenstein: The New Order, she’s a sociopathic but unimportant character until you meet her with a gigantic robot.

Her ruthless streak affects all interactions in Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, not just her deformed appearance, which is the outcome of your last encounter with her; seeing her with her daughter Sigrun is especially frightening, as a touch of compassion adds to her authenticity and makes her even more terrifying.

Conclusion

Now you have a list of bad guys to look forward to. So, put on your scariest cloak, twirl your mustache, and play your favorite video game villains. Add any classic antagonists that we overlooked, and rank the list if you’ve faced all of these villains! You might also want to read about the 15 Best Female Video Game Characters.