Video games have had their fair share of infamous villains, fromFar Cry’s absolutely terrifying Vaas Montenegro to the constantly outwitted Dr Robotnik fromSonic the Hedgehog. It’s important that every video game with a villain gets it right, as 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 earn a spot. So, while iconic villains like General Shepherd, Ridley, Pyramid Head, and the everirresistible Lady Dimitrescu fromResident Evil 8might not make the cut, they’re absolutely worth mentioning. Fortunately, those that are considered the very best villains in all gaming absolutely deserve their spot.
10Dr. Robotnik (Sonic The Hedgehog)
A Rotten Egg Of A Villain
Dr. Robotnik, also known as Dr. Eggman, feels as timeless as his blue-haired arch nemesis, Sonic.From his iconic bulbous design to his laughably long mustache, Dr. Eggman has easily cemented himself as one of gaming’s greats, at least when it comes to bumbling baddies. His appearances in other forms ofSonic the Hedgehogmedia, such as the films, have pushed him further into the zeitgeist, making him all the more memorable.
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Perhaps what really cemented his status as a legendary villain is Mike Pollock’s portrayal of him.Dr. Eggman has one of the most recognizable voices in gaming, perhaps outside Geralt and Sonic himself, and that’s largely all thanks to Pollock’s incredible talent. WhileSonicmay never have reached quite the same heights asMario, Dr. Robotnik will still be remembered as one of the best villains in gaming history.
9Bowser (Super Mario)
The Best Comic Relief Villain
Bowser really needs no introduction, having appeared as Mario’s greatest foe in the majority of his games, and appearing as a playable character in multiple spin-offs.There is something uniquely special about Bowser, with his cuddly design, bizarre family that pop up from time to time, and love of kidnapping Peach, to no avail, giving him so much charm and personality. It really feels like no one else has ever come close to matching Bowser in all of his glory.
Bowser has naturally appeared in some of thebestMariogames ever made, being a highlight of each and every one of them. Whether it’s as a playable racer inMario Kartor as the main villain inSuperMario Odyssey,Bowser brings something special to the table every time he pops up. There’s a good reason why fans don’t tire of seeing Bowser.
8Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7)
The Most Feared JRPG Villain
Sephiroth is a villain that, unlike Bowser and Dr. Robotnik, genuinely manages to instill fear into every player’s heart the moment he appears on-screen. The moment his blood-curdling theme song “One-Winged Angel” begins playing, fans know that things are about to get extremely messy.Sephiroth was just as terrifying in the originalFinal Fantasy 7as he has been in the remakes, with his menacing appearance being one of thebest parts ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
He is also responsible for one of the most heartbreaking deaths in all video game history, although, frankly, the less said about that the better. Sephiroth is also a phenomenal villain thanks to the sheer amount of effort that went into fleshing out his incredible backstory and relationship with Cloud, which was further expanded upon in the remakes. WhileFinal Fantasyhas had plenty of great bad guys, none has come even remotely close to beating Sephiroth’s excellence.
A Complex Modern Villain
Dutch van der Linde is one of the many antagonists of the firstRed Dead Redemptiongame, and proves to be a formidable foe for John Marston to face. However,it is his appearance inRed Dead Redemption 2and his incredibly complex descent into becoming a truly terrifying villain that he is best remembered for.Red Dead Redemption 2makes the most of being a prequel to really solidify Dutch as one of the biggest and baddest villains in all video games.
Dutch is not the main antagonist of the firstRed Dead Redemptiongame, but does play a big role in John Marston’s story. Marston is tasked with hunting him down, and it ends with a confrontation between the two on a cliffside before Dutch commits suicide.
It also helps that Dutch has some of thebest quotes in all ofRed Dead Redemption 2, with several of his lines becoming incredibly iconic and memorable to this day. These, and the rest of his well-written dialogue inRed Dead Redemption 2, are all excellently 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 all the more heartbreaking.Dutch proves that video game villains can be far more complexthan goofy dinosaurs and egg-shaped men.
6Handsome Jack (Borderlands)
The Peak Of Borderlands Villains
TheBorderlandsfranchise 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 Handsome Jack.This conniving, manipulative, charming, and endlessly funny bad guy is one of the best aspects ofBorderlands 2, and 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 toward the player.
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Handsome Jack ended up being a curse on theBorderlandsfranchise though, as he was so memorable and so compelling, that the subsequent villains struggled to live up to him. Much like theFar Cryseries,Handsome Jack became such a defining part of the franchise, that it struggled to go on without him. That’s not to say thatBorderlands 3’svillains were bad, but more a testament to just how good Handsome Jack is.
5Diablo (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 himself to be a genuinely menacing foe across the first threeDibalogames, 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 theDiablofranchise and its ever evolving lore so fascinating.
Diablo’s calm and cunning nature makes him a far more complex villainthan some ofDiablo’sother enemies. Similarly, his constantly shifting design, largely thanks to his various hosts, keep him feeling fresh and unique with each entry. While theDiablogames have a plethora of amazing villains, it has to be its titular bad guy that takes the cake.
4Ganondorf (The Legend Of Zelda)
Ganondorf, not to be confused with Ganon, his beast form, is one of the many villains at the heart ofThe Legend of Zeldafranchise. While his design has shifted slightly across the series' history, as well as his varying levels of intensity,Ganondorf has proven time and time again to be an incredible antagonist for Link to face. Unlike Bowser and Mario, who share a far more lighthearted rivalry, Link and Ganondorf’s decades-long feud in theZeldagames is as frightening and intense as it is compelling.
His appearance inTears of the Kingdomproves how menacing Ganondorf is, showcasing a side of the legendary villain fans had not yet seen. The fact that Ganondorf is constantly evolving and changing between games while retaining a lot of what makes him so special is largely what makes him such a memorable villain. Suffice it to say,The Legend of Zeldawould not be the same if Ganondorf was entirely absent.
3Andrew Ryan (BioShock)
The Villainous Mastermind Behind Rapture
Much like Dutch,Andrew Ryan is one of the more complex villains in video game history, having created Rapture and watched its downfall before dealing with Jack and all the messy consequences that came with that. While he might not be responsible for one of the most quoted lines fromBioShock, he does use it to the most sickening degree in his final moments in the game. His dominating presence in the firstBioShock, as 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 ofBioShock’sincredibly in-depth lore, Andrew Ryan has a long and storied history. It has been fleshed out through both his story in the games, his audio diaries, and appearances in the novelizations. He’s a hard act to follow, and while the otherBioShockgames continued the series' captivating lore with new villains and twists on old ones,Andrew Ryan remained a constant reminder of whyBioShockbecame such a beloved series in the first place.
2GlaDOS (Portal)
The Most Evil Robot In All Of Gaming
GLaDOS is unequivocably one of the best villains in video game history, coming extremely close to being the very best one.Her overall chillingly detached attitude lends itself brilliantly to both moments of horrifying tension and hilarious humor, and the lore surrounding her and the Aperture facility is incredibly fascinating. However, it is easily Ellen McLain’s voice work as GLaDOS which cements her as an incredibly memorable bad guy.
Ellen McLain also sang a number of songs for thePortalseries, includingPortal’sincredible and catchy ending song, “Still Alive.” She also somewhat reprised her role as GLaDOS inCyberpunk 2077, albeit as one of the rogue Delamain AIs.
WhilePortal 2’sWheatley did a pretty phenomenal job of following in GLaDOS' footsteps,there’s simply no comparison to the manipulative AI. Valve have a near flawless track record of making memorable characters, and GLaDOS is at the very top of that list. Surprisingly,GLaDOS almost didn’t appear inPortal, which would have made the game an entirely different, and ultimately less compelling experience overall.
1Vaas (Far Cry 3)
Ubisoft’s Most Quotable Villain
What best villain list would be complete without a mention to perhaps the very greatest: Vaas Montenegro. Performed flawlessly by Michael Mando,Vaas is the endlessly quotable pirate antagonist that sends Jason Brody down a path of self-destruction and death inFar 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 its very best to emulate the brilliance of Vaas, but only really Joseph Seed fromFar Cy 5has come close, and even then he’s miles off being as engrossing as Vaas. Fortunately, Vaas returned as a bad guy inFar Cry 6’s DLC, proving once again how brilliant he is. Vaas makesFar Cry 3not just one of thebest open world FPS games of all time, but also one of the most memorable Ubisoft experiences ever, with all of its subsequent villains never managing to live up to the high bar he set.
