For a story to be compelling and engaging, a great villain is mandatory in most cases – be it a novel, movie, or video game. Of course, there’s a multitude of wonderful, brilliantly written villains in video games. Do keep in mind that this is our opinion. So, here’s our list of the best villains in video games, ranked in no particular order. We’re limiting our list to games since 2005.
Andrew Ryan – BioShock
Andrew Ryan is the creator of the utopian underworld city of Rapture. Even though he is considered to be a vile character, there are a lot of times when the player can’t help but think that Andrew Ryan’s philosophies really do have a point. Ryan is an incredibly intelligent, pragmatic, and ambitious man. As you progress through the beautiful journey which is BioShock, you will uncover more information about this unique and powerful man.
Check out this incredible artwork of Mr. Ryan by “Pirate-Cashoo” on DeviantArt.
Dutch van der Linde – Red Dead Redemption series
Both Red Dead Redemption games were able to tell such philosophical and meaningful stories. Dutch van der Linde is a complex character that made the cinematic experiences of the RDR games all the more compelling and interesting.
Red Dead Redemption 2 being the prequel, Dutch is not as vile as he is in RDR1. Going through the masterpiece story of RDR2, you’ll witness how Dutch evolves into the man he is in the first game.
RELATED STORY: Five things to do after completing Red Dead Redemption 2’s story
Alma Wade – F.E.A.R.
Alma Wade is the main antagonist of the psychological horror FPS franchise F.E.A.R. She’s a little girl, but don’t let that fool you because she’s very intimidating and horrifying. I’ll refrain from explaining more than I should about her because it will be so thrilling and interesting if you uncover her tragic story by yourself.
Try listening to this beautiful and atmospheric track from the first game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvJqQUSUDKI
Owl, the Great Shinobi – Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
You may not have expected a villain from an action-focused game like Sekiro to be on this list, but there are a lot of interesting villains from the Souls games. Owl is a great example.
Aside from being a master combatant, Owl is a cunning trickster that isn’t afraid to use underhanded tactics to win every battle he encounters. A machiavellian through and through.
Yoshitaka Mine – Yakuza 3
Yoshitaka Mine is the main antagonist of Yakuza 3. He’s quite an intelligent and strong man. He is well known for his ability to earn nigh-impossible sums of money in a short time. He’s a quiet but very intimidating man who admires the strength and policies of the protagonist. Mine is a complex and tragic character who’s well-liked among Yakuza fans. We rank him as one of the 10 strongest characters in the Yakuza games.
Emperor Emhyr – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Emhyr var Emreis is the Emperor of Nilfgaard, that continues to conquer the lands of the Witcher 3, piece by piece. He’s a powerful individual, not only because of his social standing but also because of his confident personality. His hunger for power is insatiable and he’s willing to take extreme measures in order to get everything he wants. Also, he was voiced by Charles Dance, the actor who played the role of Tywin Lannister in HBO’s Game of Thrones.
