10 Best Video Game Villains, According To Reddit

Some games are memorable because they let players step into the shoes of interesting protagonists, but others thrive by giving the player someone great to battle against. Antagonists give the hero something meaningful to overcome, and they come in many different styles.

Some bad guys are so purely evil and unlikable that players can’t help but revel in their eventual defeat. Some are so charming and funny that it’s almost hard to root against them. Either way, a good foe is a necessary measuring stick for any good guy worth remembering, and for that, they deserve recognition.

General Shepherd (Modern Warfare 2)

The Call of Duty games may be known more for their bombastic action and twitch gameplay than memorable antagonists, but Modern Warfare 2 gave players a fantastic baddie in Lieutenant General Shepherd. While he may have seemed like a non-descript military tough guy at first, it is eventually revealed that he is a traitor to his country that has been intentionally pushing conflict between Russia and the U.S. to start World War 3.

RevengencerAlf recalls how good it felt to take Shepherd down, saying, “[Killing him] was to me one of the dumbest, hammiest, way-beyond my suspension of disbelief scenes in a video game but I still loved it because I hated him that much.”

Vault Tech (Fallout)

Each Fallout game has a unique set of enemy factions and antagonists, but Vault Tech’s nefarious practices run through them all. A company that sells nuclear fallout bunkers may seem like the good guys in a post-nuclear setting, but it becomes more clear with each vault players visit that Vault Tech was up to seriously shady business.

Instead of protecting the people inside, most vaults housed horrifying physical or psychological experiments. Wiringguy89 expresses this position bluntly, saying each Vault is evidence of “corporate greed and immoral, non-consensual, violent, and sick human conditioning/testing.”

Handsome Jack (Borderlands 2)

Handsome Jack is the perfect definition of a villain that players love to hate. While he’s antagonistic and taunts the player characters, his quick wit and sly humor have elevated him into the upper echelon of video game villainy.

Despite being the dictator of Pandora, Jack is somehow one of the most likable characters in Borderlands 2. NeroWolff agrees, explaining that Jack is so memorable because ” The portrayal and acting was top notch.” After Borderlands 2, Jack also played a large role in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel.

Sovereign (Mass Effect)

The Mass Effect franchise is filled with memorable player choices, but the game also grasped fans with its intimidating, well-written antagonist. Much of the first Mass Effect game is spent trying to figure out what the Reapers are and what they want, and players quickly discover that he or she is way over their head when they speak to Sovereign, the mouthpiece of the Reapers.

It can be challenging to bring Lovecraftian horrors to life in games since they are, by definition, unknowable. Klassz repeats one of Sovereign’s quotes that showcases how powerful the Reapers felt in-game, saying, “Rudimentary creature of flesh and blood, we are far beyond your comprehension.”

Kerrigan (StarCraft)

It may not have seen a new mainline game in over a decade, but the StarCraft franchise is still worth playing today. The real-time strategy franchise is known for its competitive scene and deep gameplay, but it’s also host to some characters with surprising depth.

Kerrigan sports a unique look, but jejcicodjntbyifid3 points out that “Her origin is pretty heartbreaking too.” Sarah Kerrigan was once a psychic human spy/assassin, but she was eventually captured and mutated by the alien Zerg into a servant under their overmind. She eventually raises up to be the leader of the entire Zerg army and becomes an enemy of the entire galaxy.

Dutch Van Der Linde (Red Dead Redemption 2)

Many were skeptical that Rockstar could repeat Red Dead Redemption‘s success with a prequel. Fans had already seen Dutch Van Der Linde before playing Red Dead Redemption 2, but few expected his descent into antagonism to be as interesting as it was.

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As This-is_NOT-funny exclaims, “It’s so hard playing RDR2 and watching his downfall.” While he’s always been an outlaw in the gams, his issues with the government are initially based on a somewhat reasonable desire for personal freedom and agency. Eventually, threats and failures push him further into extremism until he barely resembles the principled, if flawed, man he once was.

Frank Fontaine (Bioshock)

Andrew Ryan may be the more well-known antagonist in the original Bioshock, but he isn’t the only one. Before the fall of Rapture, Fontaine was the leader of Ryan’s opposition and was directly involved in the conflict that saw the underwater city-national devolve into chaos.

One might think that being the enemy of the player’s enemy would make Fontaine a friend, but that isn’t the case. CarterS20884 explains how this would-be ally’s turn felt, saying, “That betrayal felt horrible and I couldn’t wait to kill that dude. That final fight felt personal.”

Darth Malak (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)

The Star Wars franchise is famous for its multitude of memorable villains, but Darth Malak carved out a place in fans’ memories as the antagonist of Bioware’s RPG Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

Malek was originally a commander for the Republic, and after the Mandalorian Wars, he and Revan were corrupted by Vitiate (AKA the Sith Emperor). Stewedpickles says about the game, “I remember the first time I saw the cover art for KotOR, he looked so cool.” Malak’s unique look is anchored by his large metal faux-jaw that lets him speak after Revan severed his real one.

GLaDOS (Portal)

The Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System, more commonly known as GLaDOS, won over the hearts of players with her cruel, hilarious taunts throughout the Portal franchise. A humorous, formerly-human digital personality that takes inspiration from 2001‘s HAL 9000 and other rogue AIs, many of GLaDOS’ insults stand out in a game filled with some of the best quotes in video game history.

Reynsla_of_Rivia remembers one of GLaDOS’s best lines, quoting, “I’m afraid you’re about to become the immediate past president of the Being Alive Club. Ha, ha.”

The Director (Left 4 Dead)

Left 4 Dead is filled with terrifying undead enemies, but the player’s greatest antagonist is actually an entity they never see. Both Left 4 Dead games are designed to be played repeatedly with friends, so the developers were challenged with avoiding predictability that would help players “game” the enemy types and spawns.

The answer was the ominously named Director. The Director controls enemy spawns, visual effects, resource drops, and more in real-time by analyzing player ammo, health, abilities, and skill. As Feshtof explains, any times players face dramatic success or failure in Left 4 Dead, “It’s not luck. It’s the Director.”

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