Who are the best of the bad guys in gaming? There are hundreds of villains to pick, but this is our list of the absolute best video game antagonists ever made.
A hero is only as great as the villain they are up against, and you can’t find stronger antagonists than in video games. Only through games can you feel a true, personal rivalry and a drive to overcome a villain, as you become far more attached to the world and characters. The best villains aren’t just an ambiguous force or cartoonish monster doing evil for evil’s sake — they’re just as deep and complex as the hero. They have personality, goals, and agency within the narrative that inspires you to overcome all the challenges ahead to take them down. Some have been around for decades, while others made a single, powerful impression, but all the best villains stood out for one reason or another. It was a tough challenge to narrow it down, but here are the best video game villains of all time.Sephiroth
It could easily be argued that we wouldn’t have gotten all the expanded Final Fantasy 7 content and games if it weren’t for Sephiroth. Yes, Cloud and his buster sword are iconic, but when people think of FF7, they think of the man with long, silver hair and an absurdly long katana standing in the flames of a burning village. Being visually striking and intimidating is one thing, but this was many players’ first time experiencing a villain who actually impacted their game. We won’t spoil it directly since the trilogy of remake titles is ongoing, but Sephiroth cemented his place among the most love-to-hate villains partway through the adventure with a single thrust of his sword.Vaas
Sometimes a strong first impression is enough to fully invest you in a character. For Vaas, he manages to not only fully grip you with his insanity speech, but also tell you everything you need to know about this dangerous man. He sets himself, his mindset, and his morality up in a short but compelling sequence before kicking you off into the world to find a way to deal with him.
