Favorite and Least Favorite Antagonists in Video Games - Because every protagonist thread needs a foil.

[Overcast]

For me personally, I really liked:

Volgin from MGS3. Just a very fun guy to watch. Over the top, sadistic, and fun to fight.

Kuja from Final Fantasy IX. The kind of guy you just love to hate, while at the same time is actually somewhat sympathetic.

King of Sorrow from Klonoa 2. A nice different take on a villain. Less of a villain and more so a victim of both the world and himself. If that makes sense.

Lavos from Chrono Trigger. Less so a character and more of a parasite trying to feed off the Earth, but it’s design and screams are very memorable to me.

TTO from Planescape Torment. Pretty brilliant counter part of the main character, also Tony Jay’s voice is magnificent.

Clockwerk from Sly Cooper. A guy who hates the family and blood line of the MC so much he made himself into a robot in order to keep stalking and murdering them until the whole family is dead. Blew my 10 year old mind.

Least favorite is kinda tough for me as I haven't played many games where the antagonist was outright terrible.

Le Paradox from Sly 4 kinda comes to mind I suppose. Basically a wannabe Clockwerk with an retarded time travel plan.

 

[OhGoy]

I don't know about specific villains, though I do have some "types" that I can think of.

Most of the time, villains that appear at the last minute are almost always shit. Building up their arrival can help... but a lot of the time the person that shows up just fails to live up to the hype and they end up becoming even more disappointing. An example being the main villain of Danganronpa.

Spoiler: Danganronpa Spoilers

Throughout the entire game, you learn more and more about "The Tragedy," which was essentially the end of the world. Eventually, you find out the identity of the person who caused it.

I want you to take a minute and think about something: What kind of person would have the power and the ability in order to do something on that scale? ...yeah, that's probably nothing close to what the game would have you believe. The true mastermind behind the end of the world was a teenage fashion model.

I don't care if your game is an "anime bullshit" kinda' game, that's just fuckin' stupid.

Another thing I hate is when villains are built up to be one thing, only to be revealed that they're something else entirely. It's almost as if they flip a switch the moment you take off their (literal and figurative) masks. Examples being the Arkham Knight from... well, Batman: Arkham Knight and Zant from TLoZ: Twilight Princess.

Spoiler: Arkham Knight/Twilight Princess spoilers

They're not exactly the same, though they are somewhat similar. They're both serious, straight to the point, and pretty cool dudes all around. There's an air of mystery around them (more so with the Arkham Knight since it's implied that he personally knew Batman at some point) that makes you curious about their intentions. However, all that shit goes out the window the moment they take off their (literal and figurative) masks. After which, they act like whiny little bitches that are mad that they can't get their way.

That being said, I really love antagonists that still affect the world around them even though they died long ago. It just feels rather hopeless that, despite the fact that the big bad is dead, he/she was so powerful in life that they still have an impact on the world. ...ironically, I can't think of any examples of this. It's still a concept that I really like, though (and I wish more games would do it).

 

[Penguino]

Favourite? hm... i'd have to say Ripto from Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage (Gateway to Glimmer in Europe)- mostly due to childhood bias.
Honourable Mention to Vaas from Far Cry 3... need i say more?

Least Favourite? - im half tempted to say bowser- its the same plan with minor tweaks game after game.

 

[Bob Page]

My favorite would have to be well... My username's namesake: Bob Page. He's a cold and calculating villain that managed to one-up The Illuminati with that of his own, complete with the metaphorical blackjack and hookers. He was also a pretty sneaky bastard that rose the ranks of the illuminati in such a way that it could've gotten him killed but he managed to accomplish his goals. Plus, he had the balls to have troops so out in the open in Paris and merge with an A.I. to become what the catholics believe god to be. Plus, his dialogue was nicely written and he was wonderfully acted in a way that he seemed somewhat believable.

Zoltun Kulle from Diablo 3 wasn't compelling or intimidating, pretty bland.

 

[Telomayonnaise]

Kefka Palazzo.

Albert Wesker.

ETA: Honorable Mention to the fucking FLOOD from Halo 2 for both spots.

 

[Frogasm]

my least favorite is a tie between the z and s blocks in tetris. I hate those fuckers

most favorite is probably wario. what a dick.

 

[The Shadow]

Most favorites:

Gilgamesh from FFV. Not a full blown villain really, but he's entertaining, has a great theme song, and the GBA translation makes him hilarious.

Revolver Ocelot is just great all around. He's kind of this great puzzle put together slowly over the course of the MGS games.

SHODAN- It's clever how the character is pretty much disembodied and taunting you the whole time. And isn't by herself a physical threat, but plotting your doom anyway.

Konstantin Brayko from Alpha Protocol, by virtue of having a really memorable boss fight.

Kane- Does he count? Since technically you answer to him in Nod campaigns.

Least favorites:
GladOS: Always saw her as a cut rate SHODAN with cringey attempts at humor. But Portal's hype and all the jokes being worn out by internet autists before I got to play it probably soured me on the experience. But then the second game wasn't much fun either, so I don't know.

Saarevok- much as I enjoy Baldur's Gate, I always felt his character was lame and boring looking and despite running into him the second you leave Candlekeep I never felt he had much presence looming over the game's events.

Dr Wily/Albert Wesker- A twofer here because they're both part of Capcom series and because they evoke "PALPATINE'S BEHIND IT ALL!"

Seymour Guado- He looks like a cosplay mashup of the previous 3 games' archvillains and I hate FFX in general.

In a meta sense, every appearance of Pyramid Head/The Butcher/The Bogeyman after Silent Hill 2. They represent laziness and a lack of creativity in the series and a desire to repeat the success and popularity of SH2 by copying almost everything about it.

Tomb Raider 2013's cult leader, whatever his name was. The game was generic tripe and so was the robed and hooded villain.

 

[Emperor Julian]

I've always enjoyed Kane from Command and conquer. Least favourate would be EA,

 

[MembersSchoolPizza]

Favorite... Either Kefka or GladOS for different reasons. Kefka is just... an absolutely pure antagonist. He's malice and evil and wickedness all mixed up, and he's effective to boot. GladOS is just fun, in an evil frenemy sort of way.

Least favorite is easy. Catalyst, from Mass Effect 3. Because fuck Catalyst, Fuck EA, Fuck Bioware, and Fuck Mac Walters.

 

[Jarilo182]

That's two people saying Wesker was a bad villain. I honestly really liked him and hated how his character was ultimately "dealt with" in RE5.

 

[Duncan Hills Coffee]

My favorites:

Liquid Snake from MGS1. He's not exactly the most complex villain in the series, but definitely the most memorable, and in large part thanks to Cam Clarke's performance.

AM from I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream. The game really brings forth a lot of depth to the character that the short story didn't really give. It's a computer designed to kill but with the imagination and intuition to do so much more. My favorite description is when its subconscious says that AM is a quadriplegic, unable to escape its prison in the center of the Earth. And that's why it tortures the protagonists. It's just enough so you understand why AM is so horrible, but not enough to make you feel sympathy.

Nicole Horne from Max Payne 1 is special in that she doesn't have a lot of screen time, but she has such a commanding presence when she does appear. The last few levels are so memorable because she's directly taunting you over the intercom. That, and since this is Max's story, we feel his rage towards her for causing his family's death.

Deathshead from Wolfenstein: The New Order is quite possibly one of the most evil bastards in gaming. He's so goddamn scary and every scene he's in sends chills down my spine. It makes that final fight all the more satisfying.

Least favorites:

Ripto from Spyro 2. The Spyro games don't really have strong villains, but Ripto is downright laughable. He spends the whole game fumbling over his minions and getting his ass kicked in cutscenes. It defangs a lot of the story in Spyro 2 when he's supposed to be this evil wizard but ends up being more pathetic than Gnasty Gnorc. Weirdly, he's also got the best final boss in the original trilogy.

Vladimir Lem from Max Payne 2 never made a lot of sense to me. It kind of ended up looking like an ass pull, especially since he's basically a completely different character than when we saw him in the first game. Maybe that was the point, but it's probably the one aspect of Max Payne 2's story I never cared for.

Hot Coldman from MGS: Peace Walker is a shockingly boring villain in a series with bombastic and larger-than-life antagonists. The guy's got no interesting backstory besides hating the Boss and his motives are a confusing, jumbled mess.

Sigma from the Mega Man X games. He gets points for having a cooler design than Dr Wily, but by the time you get to the middle of the series, he's barely threatening anymore since you've kicked his ass so many times. It wouldn't be so much of an issue if the X series weren't trying to be story-driven.

 

[LN 910]

Ripto's really funny in the worst Spyro game tho. Gregg Berger is a national treasure.

 

[QB 290]

Spoiler: Favourite

Provident from Bravely second. What other kind of boss is more or less a sentient virus that tries to erase your save data mid fight after having to consciously glitch your way to the final battle.

Spoiler: Most hated

The head scratch from game dev tycoon, happens by complete luck, always manages to screw up a contact and there's not a damn thing you can do to stop it.

 

[Bob Page]

Deathshead from Wolfenstein: The New Order is quite possibly one of the most evil bastards in gaming. He's so goddamn scary and every scene he's in sends chills down my spine. It makes that final fight all the more satisfying.

I second that. He's the first villain to legit scare me, just from his presence.

My other favorite antagonist is Colonel Mael Radec from Killzone 2. He's the evil military commander that isn't a political zealot but cares for his people and is a capable warrior as he is a commander. Plus, he's also crazy because he'll execute his own men for not being up to his standards, including uniform violations. He also killed himself in the end so the ISA won't get any pleasure of killing him or taking him prisoner, a badass.

 

[The Shadow]

That's two people saying Wesker was a bad villain. I honestly really liked him and hated how his character was ultimately "dealt with" in RE5.

I like most of his appearances- probably Code Veronica the most- but he got old. Although as much as I was tired of seeing him, RE6' villains were lamer.

 

[Y2K Baby]

Favorite: A fucking goomba.

 

[SauceRyuKen]

Favorites... Let's see.

Big Smoke. Not just for the memes, either. He dies saying "Everyone will remember my name!" I just like that it was oddly prophetic for a plethora of reasons. Not exactly the most complex villain around, and the story is wrapped up in a bit of a rush, but I'd say it works pretty well.

Senator "Steal your fucking show" Armstrong from Metal Gear Rising. I'm not super big on that game, but really, finishing up on Armstrong made the experience at least 10 times better. I don't know if Kojima wrote him, but damn, what a Kojima style character. He gets ten minutes of screen time and he's funny, insane, trying to shape the world in his image, a badass like you wouldn't believe, a meme fountain, and just really memorable. He even sets up some lines that make Raiden look cool, which is a rare sight.

Tony Umeda, the purple-clad afro black ninja from Bushido Blade 2 will always hold a special place in my heart, I believe. Everyone gets a lot of screentime in that game, but god damn, Beau Billingslea's goofy voice is just delightful. Both sides of the conflict are villains to some degree, so I guess he fits. It also helps that he's a ridiculously fast runner and one of the best characters to play as in that game.

The ones I don't like much.

Scott "Insane person" Shelby from Heavy Rain. David Cage's games are usually just good to point and laugh at, (Cage thread when) but Shelby just comes off as fucking exceptional every step of the way. He works to uncover the trail of the arigurmi keeler (him) by killing an old friend of his, rescues a lady hooker who might end up killing him, and tries to kill our squinty eyed hero even if he admits he's happy to have finally found a father who'd sacrifice everything for his child. Irrational, stupid, and just plain dull.

2 hit combo! EVERY SINGLE FUCKING HUMAN in Detroit: Become despondent to David Cage titles. Now this one I've just seen played by people, but why the fuck would you first buy very expensive electronics and then beat the crap outta them? Nobody in that game treats the androids as things, which I believe would have worked JUST as well as treating them like slaves, but would have made about 3 million times more sense. Players would still feel it's wrong! You can walk down the street and get beat up. Why? You're supposed to be a thing! You can feel no pain or suffering! THE FUCKING HUMANS ARE HUMANIZING THE ANDROIDS! JUST TO BE DICKS! ARGHHHHH!

Excluding Resident Evil 7, which I think is pretty well written, the villains are usually the most memorable part of the older games. That said, I really really hate god damn Umbrella. They're like crappy anime villains. At this point I'm just hoping to see the head honcho revealed, and he's a top hat and monocle wearing, mustache twirling animu pretty boy who transforms into a virus scooter, a virus angel, a virus king kong, and for his final form a virus Frieza ripoff. Then Chris sends him to the moon in one glorious uppercut or something. It's the sendoff the classic series deserves! Anyway, I'm glad they mended their ways with seven and hope they can keep the trend with REmake 2.

 

[Kyria the Great]

Perhaps my favorite villain of all time is Handsome Jack for he is so crazy, deluded, and personable and truly believes he is the hero in his own story.

A close second would be Pagan Ming, truly love villains who aren't afraid to casually chat with the protag while knowing they are horrible monsters.

 

[SeaPancake]

Vaas from Far Cry 3 is a pretty strong villain, but unfortunately he was killed off way too early in the game.

Albert Wesker is just a fun "uber-intelligent, too cool for you" kind of villain that I like to see in action every once in awhile.

Handsome Jack was pure genius lightning caught in a bottle. He was a perfect blend of charisma, superficial charm, ego, ruthlessness, comedic sociopathy, and delusions of grandeur that made him equally fun to hate and love.

I would say the same for Pagan Min, except Pagan Min has a very interesting facet of being genuinely concerned for Ajay's well-being. He is played exactly like an estranged uncle who has been corrupted by Heart of Darkness Syndrome. Plus he's very metrosexual.

 

[Sable]

I'm unsure whether Lucien from Fable 2 falls under Best or Worst antagonist (probably somewhere inbetween). On the one hand, you don't fight him, but on the other hand you see him go from someone who really doesn't want to kill you but will anyway, to someone entirely driven by their goals and is willing to do anything to achieve their goal. Plus he shoots your dog.

I'll definitely echo Handsome Jack, he's just to charismatic even when telling a story about how he murdered a guy who tried to kill him with a spoon.

Damien from some of the Divinity games is pretty cool, although he loses villain points because he was prophesized to doom the world and then was able to because the protagonist of the first game is a slow-in-the mind.