The 20 Greatest Video Game Villains Ever Created


The 20 Greatest Video Game Villains Ever Created


For many video games, it's the villain that truly makes it a masterpiece. They help drive the story, adding incentive and excitement to your adventure. The better a villain the deeper, memorable, and the more you can't wait to take them down. We've compiled a list of the 20 greatest video game villains that helped build the backbone of the gaming world and given us amazing battles and triumphs.


1. Bowser from Super Mario Series

The famous King Koopa Bowser from the Super Mario series is one of the most well known antagonists in video games. Known for his spiky shell and fire breath, his relentless pursuit of Princess Peach has been a mainstay in the games for years.


Ryan-Quintal--3Kyz9Spqwk-UnsplashPhoto by Ryan Quintal on Unsplash

2. Ganondorf from The Legend of Zelda Series

Ganondorf from the Zelda series, is the evil and sole male Gerudo in a relentless pursuit of the Triforce. Link has faced off and defeated Ganondorf in many iterations of the games yet he continues to come back to time and time again.


Tp Ganondorf By ScreamingrhapsodyPhoto by Mid-suave on Wikimedia Commons

3. GLaDOS from Portal Series

GlaDOS is the evil Ai controlling the players world. Known for her sinister intelligence and deadpan humor, she keeps the player entertained with her vindictive tests and traps throughout the game.


Glados (9650842618)Photo by Dave Monk on Wikimedia Commons

4. The Joker from Batman: Arkham Series

The Joker is Batman’s greatest nemesis. His chaotic nature, clever schemes, and memorable one-liners in the Arkham games perfectly capture his role as a crazy bad guy genius.


Ryunosuke-Kikuno-Cqtw4Qcfbqg-Unsplash(1)Photo by Ryunosuke Kikuno on Unsplash

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5. Dr. Eggman from the Sonic Series

Dr. Eggman the genius technological weirdo is always after sonic and the chaos emeralds. Known for his huge orange mustache and egg-shape body, he is always finding ways to ruin sonic's day.


Robotnik (29303355930)Photo by Zak on Wikimedia Commons

6. Ridley from the Metroid Series

Ridley is a badass evil dragon creature that terrorizes Samus across the games. Ridley has no real pursuit other than just being a terrifying dragon that will stop at nothing to end the protagonist.


Mcm 2013 Cosplay (8979450342)Photo by Roger Murmann on Wikimedia Commons

7. Kefka Palazzo from the Final Fantasy Series

Kefka Palazzo is a brilliantly creepy villain from the Final Fantasy games. While both powerful and successful in taking over the world, it’s his lack of empathy, and nut job nature make him a true symbol of evil.


New York Comic Con 2013 - Kefka Palazzo (10275457064)Photo by Richie S on Wikimedia Commons

8. Arthas Menethil from the Warcraft Series

Arthas Menethil the former prince of Lordaeron, let himself be corrupted and transformed into the Lich King. His unjustified horrible deeds eventually lead him to becoming a death knight, shreading his last bit of nobility and becoming his true powerful evil self.


C2E2 2016 Contest - Arthas The Lich King (33359220233)Photo by GabboT on Wikimedia Commons

9. Vaas Montenegro from the Far Cry Series

Vaas Montenegro is the archenemy of the main characters. Known for his role of intimating and pushing the player towards embracing the monster within. His spooky monologues and wild daring nature make him an interesting and memorable villain.


Far Cry 3 At Igromir 2012Photo by Sergey Galyonkin on Wikimedia Commons

10. Dracula from the Castlevania Series

The fearless vampire god Dracula has been a mainstay in the Castlevania series for years. The villain has evolved overtime becoming quite a complex character full of both sympathy and ruthlessness.


Dinu-J-Nair-6Zdpoer8So0-UnsplashPhoto by Dinu J Nair on Unsplash

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11. Albert Wesker from the Resident Evil Series

Albert Wesker is a badass narcissistic superhuman, well known for his shades and black outfit. His role in the controversial Umbrella Corporation has solidified him as a fan favorite villain in the survival horror genre.


Albert Wesker Cosplayer At Fanimecon 2010-05-30Photo by BrokenSphere on Wikimedia Commons

12. Handsome Jack from Borderlands Series

Handsome Jack is an antagonist whose humor and malevolence make him a uniquely entertaining villain in the Borderlands series. He is known for his sarcastic comments and dark humor which have given him his charm.


640Px-Handsome Jack123Photo by Bojankralj95 on Wikimedia Commons

13. Liquid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid Series

Liquid Snake is the cloned brother of the main character. He is the nemesis of the series known for his sophisticated intellect, military prowess, and intense grudge against his brother.


Solid Snake Cosplayer At 2010 Nccb 2010-04-18 1Photo by BrokenSphere on Wikimedia Commons

14. Dr. Neo Cortex from the Crash Bandicoot Series

Dr. Neo Cortex is a longtime villain known for his distinctive N-marked forehead and his relentless desire for world domination. His comedic sarcasm while being a true challenging foe has kept him a mainstay in the Crash Bandicoot series.


Doctor Neo Cortex Cosplay Pax East 2015 (16863019165)Photo by uniquelycat (Cathy) Smith on Wikimedia Commons

15. Micah Bell from the Red Dead Redemption Series

Micah Bell is the main antagonist in Red Dead Redemption 2. Known for being a no good, lying, disloyal, jerk. His presences and consistent manipulation of everyone around him make him a truly evil but brilliantly written character.


Red Dead Redemption 2 LogoPhoto by Rockstar Games on Wikimedia Commons

16. Andrew Ryan from the BioShock Series

Andrew Ryan is the creator of the underwater city Rapture, and known for his extremist philosophical ideals. He is quite the complex and thought-provoking villain.



Bioshock-Logo.svgPhoto by 2K Games on Wikimedia Commons

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17. Baldur from the God of War Series

Baldur is a unique antagonist in that his first appearance comes unexpectedly and completely changes the game-play of previous adventures. He is quite a deep character due to the amazing voice actor who brings out the nuances in the characters issues.


Cosplay Of Kratos (God Of War), New York Comic Con 2017Photo by istolethetv on Wikimedia Commons

18. The Illusive Man from the Mass Effect Series

The Illusive Man (voiced by actor Martin Sheen) is a complex character. Known for his cigar and calm attitude, it’s his questionable motivations and charismatic nature that make him a villain who genuinely believes he's doing the right thing.



Logo Mass Effect2BioPhoto by Ware and Electronic Arts on Wikimedia Commons

19. Queen of Blades from the StarCraft Series

The Queen of Blades is the end result of Sarah Kerrigan’s transformation and lust for power. She is quite the tragic yet brutal antagonist whose endless desires drive the story along.


Sarah Kerrigan Statue At Blizzcon 2014 EntryPhoto by Kevin Chang on Wikimedia Commons

20. Makarov from the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Series

Makarov is a ruthless strategic villain whose lack of remorse makes him quite the evil person. It’s his actions that spark a third World War in the series.

Fabio-Magalhaes-Nmtm7Knunqs-Unsplash(3)Photo by Fábio Magalhães on Unsplash