Everyone remembers the hero. Kratos, Nathan Drake, Lara Croft,Sonic, to name a few. These heroes are the face and backbone of their series. They breathe life into their games by providing interesting character development, and a personality you cannot help but root for. However, villains tend to display depth and, ironically, humanity in a way heroes cannot.
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You can unpick a villain’s motive, justifications, and morality. Where the hero puts up a wall, the antagonist tends to bear it all. Sometimes, the villain, who was supposed to be a foil for the protagonist, outshines them. Certain antagonists have become the shining star of their series with their witty voice lines and sardonic personality.
6Ghirahim - The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
The main antagonist ofThe Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Ghirahim is the recurring villain you will fight before reaching the final boss, Demise. With no disrespect to Link, he is a rather easy hero to outshine. Barely a character with no voice lines and limited facial expressions, Link acts more like a vessel for you to play through. The Hylian hero is thus easily outshone by the snarky, theatrical Ghirahim who puts on a show for every fight.
Ghirahim is the definition of flamboyance as everything from the flick of his hair, to his hand gestures exudes a flair unlike no other. He is overly-confident and conceited telling Link after their first fight that he chose not to murder him, out of pity. Ghirahim is one of the highlights of Skyward Sword, becoming a villain you look forward to fighting because he is so entertaining.
“How dull. I was expecting more of a challenge.”
Pyramid Head is iconic to theSilent Hillseries. Easily the terrifying faceless ‘face’ of the game, fans await in frightful anticipation for his arrival. First appearing in Silent Hill 2, Pyramid Head’s red helmet and butcher’s attire echoing the executioners of the town’s past, became a staple to the series.
This fearsomeantagonist is a manifestationof James Sunderland’s guilt and desire to be punished. Pyramid Head exists to keep James human and hold him accountable of his past deeds. Wielding the Great Knife and Great Spear, instruments of James' inner torment, Pyramid Head outshines James not solely because of his terrifying exterior, but due to what he represents.
4Sephiroth - Final Fantasy 7
This entry may be a little controversial toFinal Fantasyfans who hail Cloud as the stand-out character of the series. Though Sephiroth may not completely outshine Cloud, he is a star of his own. As the main antagonist ofFinal Fantasy 7, Sephiroth is ruthless, intimidating and regal. Also referred to as One-Winged Angel, with his flowing icy hair, Sephiroth truly looks like a fallen angel.
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Fallen angel he is indeed, as prior to his fall from grace into insanity, Sephiroth was one of the most lauded success stories of Shinra Electic Power Company’s Soldier program. Despite not being a people person himself, everyone loved Sephiroth and regarded him as celebrity war hero. This villain lives up to his celebrity image as everything from his appearance to his cold demeanor screams intrigue in a way that a hero cannot do.
“Those who look with clouded eyes see nothing but shadows.”
3The G-Man - Half-Life
Half-Lifeplayers will immediately recognize the enigmatic and elusive villain of the series, G-Man. Though he may appear human, G-Man is anything but displaying reality-bending powers. There is a reason this antagonist appears in nearly every title of the series and has a fan base of his own. Where Gordon Freeman, the protagonist, rarely speaks and is never seen, the G-Man commands the room and attention of everyone with few words.
No one knows his true identity or name, only that he and his Employers are enemies to the Combine. Playing the role of an overseer, the G-Man pulls the strings from the shadows, occasionally aiding or hindering Gordon. His motives are not known, making him a villain that you just want to unravel.
“Well, it looks like we won’t be working together.”
2The Joker - Batman: Arkham
This will be a surprise to no one as The Joker is an antagonist who outshines Batman in every medium be it video game or film. Appearing inArkham Asylumand inArkham Cityas the main antagonist, The Joker and Batman were a match made in superhero heaven. With his lively movements, expressive face, and the excellent voice acting by Mark Hamill, The Joker comes to life in this series, truly being the face of it.
A homicidal super villain, The Joker routinely is a menace to Batman, going out of his way to mess with the hero. His infamous clown makeup and green hair are synonymous with the series.
“Take a hint o’boy. We may have had our differences, but you and me, we’re made for each other!”
1Lady Dimitrescu - Resident Evil Village
This villain stole the show before the game launched. From the moment the trailer and demo forResident Evil Villagedropped, all eyes were on the Countess Alcina Dimitrescu. This statuesque and vivacious Lady was one of the four mini bosses in the game, the first one Ethan would encounter at Castle Dimitrescu.
A mutant human aristocrat due to the experimentation of Mother Miranda, Lady Dimitrescu wreaks havoc and instills fear into the villagers by performing vampirism on them. Maggie Robertson gives a deep timber yet sophisticated elocution to Lady Dimitrescu’s voice. She is the antagonist that left disappointment in people’s hearts once her story was completed.
“You ungrateful, selfish wretch! You come into MY house, you lay your filthy man-hands on MY daughters, and now you even try to steal my property?”
