Top 10 Video Game Villains

The Top Ten

Bowser - Super Mario Bros.

Bowser is the main antagonist of the Super Mario franchise. From kidnapping Princess Peach to causing trouble in the Mario Party spin-off series, the King of the Koopas has become one of the franchise's most recurring enemies. He first appeared in the 1985 video game Super Mario Bros., in which he kidnapped... read more

Bowser is not just my favorite villain but also probably my favorite character, period. Every time I think of him, I instantly get at least a bit happier. Fanboy stuff aside, I love Bowser because of what he is - a power-hungry king who is also well-regarded by his men, a loving father, and a nigh-unstoppable force to anyone whose name isn't Mario or Luigi.
He's egotistical, yes, but he makes sure that he lives up to it every single time, especially in Bowser's Inside Story, in which it could be considered his own game plus Mario's. The day he gets a *true* game of his own without sharing the spotlight is the day I demand Nintendo to have all of my money. He *deserves* his #1 spot - he's earned it!
Ganondorf - The Legend of Zelda

Ganon, referred to as Ganondorf in his human form, is a fictional character and the central antagonist of Nintendo's Legend of Zelda series. He is a power-hungry Gerudo who possesses the Triforce of Power and seeks to conquer Hyrule by obtaining the remaining pieces of the Triforce.... read more

Ganondorf is definitely one of the more iconic villains in video games, and with good reason. Starting out in Ocarina of Time as the reincarnation of a demon's hatred, Ganondorf grew envious of the land of Hyrule for its peace and serenity while his people were tormented in the desert. He manipulates many characters, such as the King, Zelda, and even Link, so he can obtain the Triforce and take over Hyrule.
However, the Triforce divided into three different pieces when he found it, and he was left with only Din's part, the Triforce of Power, which amplifies the strength of his magic and transforms him into the demon, Ganon, when it consumes too much of his hatred at his defeat. Finally, even when he's defeated, he always manages to return thanks to the link (see what I did there?) with the hero.
GlaDOS - Portal

GLaDOS is a fictional artificial intelligence system appearing in the video games Portal and Portal 2. The character was created by Erik Wolpaw and Kim Swift and voiced by Ellen McLain. GLaDOS is known for her dark humor, manipulative personality, and iconic presence in the series.

Bowser, Ganondorf, etc., are fine, but they're boring. They're just generic "I'm the bad guy who wants to take over the world" villains. GlaDOS is so much more. Out of these villains, she's the most interesting because, despite her being a robot, she's the most human. She has motivations for her actions, but they're different than "I want to take over the world."
Her character is complex. Sometimes she hates the player, other times she is amused by the player, and sometimes you can even catch a bit of sympathy. Her character has a level of depth unmatched by the generic "TAKE OVER THE WORLD!" villains that plague video games today.

GLaDOS is most DEFINITELY supposed to be on this list! She's a snarker, she's manipulative, she lies, she insults you, she forces you to (SPOILER!) incinerate your Companion Cube, and most of all, she takes delight in murdering people, going so far as to kill scientists just SECONDS after she's awakened!
But at the same time, she has a good side and is sympathetic. The perfect villain! She's most CERTAINLY my #1 video game villain of all time!
Sephiroth - Final Fantasy VII

Sephiroth is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the role-playing video game Final Fantasy VII, developed by Square. He is a former member of Shinra's elite SOLDIER force who turns against humanity after learning about the experiments surrounding his birth. Sephiroth is considered one of... read more

One of gaming's most evil villains. While not as purely evil as Kefka, anytime Sephiroth appears, there's always a sense of dread, especially from the game constantly hinting at his strength. Whenever Cloud and crew encounter him, it's safe to assume that nothing good is about to happen.

He is just too badass not to be number one. With that long sword that can cut anyone down and that charismatic air he has, you can't help but like him even if he is a little diabolical.

Nobody is more badass than Sephiroth. Everything he does and says is awesome. He has the coolest sword ever, too.
Anyone who doesn't think he should be number one either hasn't played FF7 or is an idiot.
Handsome Jack - Borderlands

Handsome Jack is the main antagonist of both Borderlands 2 and Tales from the Borderlands, and the deuteragonist of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. He is the CEO of the Hyperion Corporation and seeks control over the planet Pandora. Known for his dark humor and manipulative tactics, Jack is considered one... read more

This guy mocks you every step of the way, is hilarious, and everything he does makes you want to kill him. His origin as a hero turned villain is excellent. He's hilarious, unpredictable, and thinks he's the hero the entire time, mocking you by calling you the "bad guy" (seriously!) and doing a lot of terrible things, including killing off certain people whom I won't name! He's in my top 5, for sure!

He sticks around the entire game rather than showing up at the start and again at the end like a lot of villains. Even after a very well-done boss fight, he's not done because, as he's bleeding out in front of you, he has one last trick up his sleeve to ruin your day. "Never pick a fight with a man who has nothing left to lose."
Eggman - Sonic the Hedgehog

Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik is a fictional character created by Naoto Ohshima for Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series. He serves as the primary antagonist, often clashing with Sonic in his quest for world domination. Eggman is depicted as a brilliant but mad scientist who leads the Eggman Empire and creates... read more

He is the E.G.G.M.A.N. Before saying that he has now turned into a joke, remember the Scrap Brain Zone in 1991. He has the potential to take over the world.

Bowser is iconic and all, but compared to what Eggman has actually achieved, he is nothing.

He is the most evil out of all of them. His big arms could toss Bowser.
Albert Wesker - Resident Evil

Albert Wesker is one of the central characters in Capcom's Resident Evil series. He first appeared in the original Resident Evil game, released in 1996. A former captain of the Special Tactics and Rescue Service unit S.T.A.R.S., Wesker is known for his betrayal and transformation into a recurring antagonist... read more

How can you not vote for him? Badass. Enough said. He's also a pain in the ass to beat if you don't have an infinite rocket launcher. I looked at my stats, and he got the most kills off of me. He killed me exactly 52 times. So yeah, get an infinite rocket launcher.

Wesker is just awesome as a villain. To find him at number two is just a mistake. He's evil, manipulative, and just a great character.

He deserves to be on this list. He wanted to be the ruler of a race of superhumans using a virus that he himself could barely control. Plus, he's difficult to kill.
Super Dimento - Super Paper Mario

Alright, he might not be the best, but he is better than Bowser! He literally kills Mario, Peach, Luigi, and even Bowser (you play as Bowser). He commits universal genocide. Even when he dies, he has a shadow of his power to continue the destruction of worlds.
Vladimir Makarov - Call of Duty

A man who detonated a nuclear weapon in the Middle East, killing 30,000 US troops and God knows how many civilians.
A man who caused a massacre in a major Russian airport and made it look like the USA was responsible.
A man who unleashed chemical weapons throughout Western Europe.
A man who put the video game world on the brink of World War Three.
Vladimir Makarov never gave up on his ideology.

You guys are all crazy. Makarov killed more people in one airport massacre than the rest of the villains on this list combined in their lifetimes.
Ridley - Metroid

Ridley is a recurring villain in the Metroid series and also appears as a fighter in the Super Smash Bros. series. He is Samus Aran's lifelong nemesis, first appearing in the original Metroid game released in 1986. Ridley is a high-ranking member of the Space Pirates and is responsible for the deaths... read more

While Bowser and Ganondorf try to take over the world like it's an average Monday, Ridley is an absolute monster, the very definition of a murder machine. Somehow, even after incidents that would most likely result in death, Ridley always comes back. If Samus is on a mission, it's almost always guaranteed that Ridley is after her or vice versa.

Best villain ever! Besides, having a woman in armor with extremely harmful laser beams and an alien space dragon with more laser beams makes a pretty suspenseful match.

The Newcomers

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Dr. J.S. Steinman - BioShock
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Sir Raleigh - Sly Cooper

The Contenders

Kefka Palazzo - Final Fantasy

Kefka Palazzo is a character in the Final Fantasy series of video games. Visually designed by Yoshitaka Amano, he appears as the main antagonist of the sixth installment in the series, Final Fantasy VI. Kefka is widely regarded as one of the most memorable and maniacal villains in the franchise's history... read more

Kefka is far better than any Call of Duty villain, I know that for a fact, and better than Sephiroth. It is a shame this guy isn't number one, or at least higher on the list. He's like the Joker of the video game world. At the time that Sephiroth was killing Aerith, Kefka was destroying the world.

This guy is pure evil. His only reason for living is his sick love of destruction. He manipulates many characters in his quest for godhood and causes an apocalypse when he succeeds in becoming the new God of Magic!
Andrew Ryan - Bioshock

Andrew Ryan is a fictional character in the BioShock video game series developed by Irrational Games. He is the main antagonist during the first half of the original BioShock and appears as a minor character in BioShock 2. Ryan is portrayed as the visionary founder of the underwater city of Rapture,... read more

The best kind of villain is one who is evil but is humanized, and that you can sympathize with. Nobody fits that description better than Andrew Ryan.

He is an amazing character who is so twisted that he almost convinces you he's right. He's a dominating and charismatic personality, indeed.
Vaas Montenegro - Far Cry 3

Vaas Montenegro is the secondary antagonist of Far Cry 3 and serves as the main antagonist during the first half of its storyline. He is portrayed by actor Michael Mando, who also provided his voice and likeness. Vaas is regarded as one of the most iconic villains in the Far Cry series due to his unpredictable... read more

Vaas is such an amazing villain. The way he parallels with Jason is fantastic, from their actions to their clothes. Yet throughout the game, you can see Jason becoming him. Even after I killed him, I felt sorry for him. Citra and Hoyt are the real villains who put him on this path.

Vaas was the best villain in any game. The first time I played Far Cry 3, the beginning was a twist. I thought it was real, but it was Vaas showing me a video. If Vaas was real, I think he would be about the same as Hitler in evil.

One of the greatest mo-cap performances for a video game. Michael Mando kills it (literally) in Far Cry 3. Not to mention a great overall game!
The Joker - Batman Arkham Asylum

The thing that makes the Joker so difficult to defeat, and so awesome, is his unpredictability. He causes destruction for the sake of destruction. Will he target one guy? Will he target a whole city? You'll never know. If that doesn't make a villain, what does?

The Joker is a villain who has been around since the 1940s. He is one of the most iconic and consistently popular characters in popular culture ever. Mark Hamill has provided the character with the best voice possible for nearly 20 years.

Mark Hamill gave life to this character. It was chilling how realistic it was!
Fawful - Mario and Luigi

Fawful, known in Japan as Gerakobits, is a fictional character from the Mario & Luigi series of role-playing video games developed by AlphaDream. He first appeared in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga in 2003. Known for his eccentric speech and memorable quotes, he became a recurring villain in the series... read more

He wants to take over the world. Big deal. If only that were all there was to this villain! This is THE funniest character in history. Period. Just listen to these lines:
"Snack on my wrath, fink-rats!"
"You inhaled like the hungry syrup pig at the all-you-can-eat pancake buffet."
"All who resist will be beaten like naughty little eggs."
"The mustard of your DOOM!"
"I have chortles!"
"I HAVE FURY!"
He's much more than just memorable lines, too. He's a genius and, like Gruntilda, a green, cackling, btchy chatterbox. He gave Cackletta the power to live on... inside Bowser... with boobs.
He found the Dark Star and almost destroyed the Mushroom Kingdom with it. HE NEEDS TO COME BACK! Come on, he's survived exploding. TWICE!
Bowser Jr. - Super Mario Bros.

Bowser Jr., sometimes simply called Junior, is a video game character in Nintendo's Mario franchise. He is depicted as the son of Bowser, the primary antagonist of the series. Bowser Jr. first appeared in Super Mario Sunshine in 2002 and has since become a recurring character in both mainline and spin-off... read more

Much better than those garbage koopalings. Bowser Jr. builds and uses different machines against Mario. The koopalings have done that projectile fling and shell spin routine in four different games. They're boring, repetitive, and predictable.

Bowser Junior is way better than his dad. His dad should be second. Bowser Junior should be number one. Bowser Junior is the one laughing in your face for the entire adventure, ever since Super Mario Sunshine, not Bowser! Bowser is just there to steal away the final boss battle!
Dr. Wily - Mega Man

Doctor Wily, whose full name is Albert W. Wily, is a video game character and the main antagonist of the original Mega Man series. He is a brilliant but mad scientist who frequently builds armies of robots in attempts to take over the world. Wily is Mega Man's archenemy and was first introduced in the... read more
Porky - Earthbound

Without a doubt, the jerkiest villain out there.

I hate this guy so much. He manipulated Ness, killed Lucas's mom and brother, and wreaked havoc on the whole world.

He was pretty twisted for a kid with no supernatural powers, but he ended up causing much havoc.
Rudolf von Sturmgeist - Medal of Honor

Rudolf Ulbricht Sturmgeist is way more dangerous than Ganondorf. Sturmgeist was based on a real-life SS Nazi officer who spearheaded the 3X1000 project, which involved the production of a new kind of combat aircraft known as the HO-IX jet fighter. If that plane had entered the war, the Allies would have lost air superiority.

Baron Rudolf Ulbricht von Sturmgeist would easily defeat Sephiroth. A stupidly long kitchen knife versus an STG44 assault rifle? STG44 wins.

Immortal god-like being my ass. Ganondorf has no chance against a Luftwaffe aircraft spearheaded by Sturmgeist, an SS officer who is probably sick enough to want to get in Ganondorf's face.
Nikita Dragovich - Call of Duty

Yeah, Call of Duty rules. Nothing is better than it, and if you didn't try it, try it. I'd recommend MW3 or Black Ops.
General Shepherd - Call of Duty

Although Shepherd had a stupid reason for being a villain, he was still good at doing it.
Dracula - Castlevania
Dr. Nefarious - Ratchet and Clank

Doctor Nefarious is a fictional character and a main antagonist in Insomniac Games' Ratchet & Clank video game series. He is a robotic mad scientist who frequently clashes with the titular heroes. Dr. Nefarious is known for his eccentric personality and comedic breakdowns.

Dr. Nefarious is probably the only villain who is so bad that he will make you roll on the floor laughing your head off. And that's a good thing.
Asriel - Undertale

Asriel Dreemurr is a character in the 2015 video game Undertale, created by Toby Fox.
He is the biological child of King Asgore Dreemurr and Queen Toriel, but he died before the game's events. In the True Pacifist Route, where the player completes the game without killing monsters and befriends... read more
Infinite - Sonic Forces