Top 10 Video Game Villains

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 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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

Although Shepherd had a stupid reason for being a villain, he was still good at doing it.

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.

Probably the funniest villain on this list. Once Hades shows up, it's both a sense of "great, there's more game?" and "grab the popcorn, what's this guy gonna say next?"

This guy is a huge troll, but a likeable troll. You just can't help but love him. He is hilarious, snarky, and just a great villain.

I just love his theme and the fact he is both a doctor and a zombie.