Best Villans in Video Game History?
Villains are best defined by how much we love to hate them, or how much we sympethise for them, or just how well written and complex they are. It's all a matter of prespective and filled with variables, much like everything in Video-Games I suppose. So anyway, here are some Villains I think are bloody fantastic... from best, to... well, 'less best' xD
1. The Nameless One. Planescape Torment.
"What?! You must be joking surely!" Said the innocent gamer at the back-row. "The Nameless One is the protagonist! How can he be a villain?"
The gamer is right of course, TNO is the main protagonist of possibly the best game ever made: Planescape: Torment. But gamer spoke to quickly and didn't remember what an asshole he was before.
(Major Spoilers here.)
TNO will always come back to life with a different soul using the same body over and over again. This cycle has lasted for hundreds of years, killing thousands of souls. Now, during the game, we learn about our previous incarnate, who was probably the smartest, but the most heartless bastard of them all.
TNO is an awesome villain, because of his fate, the thousands upon thousands of lives he had taken due to a wish of immortality. And the things he had done in his past really show what a bastard he could be.
The previous incarnates killed, cheated, lied, and did things that really make you think of his crimes. Of course, he has had good people too...and crazy. But at the end of the day, he remains the villain because of what I said before: his fate.
The protagonist and the antagonist put in one. How CAN you get a better villain than that?
2. The Illusive Man. Mass Effect 2.
And no. Not the ME3 bonkers crazy 'TEH REAPERS!' Indoctrinated fool he became. I'm talking about the ME2 man. The antagonist we have to rely on. The person who funds us, helps us, and saved us is also a potential antagonist with great ideals.
Why is he such a great villain? Because he brings out so many emotions at once: distrust; hate; gratitude; admiration... He is what his name suggests: illusive, and not only in action, but in personality too. You never know what he's about, and that's why he's such an awesome character as well as potential antagonist.
3. Irenicus. Baldur's Gate 2.
Yes, another BioWare character, I must be picking favourites no? Hehe. The reason I won't do any Witcher ones is because KnightOfPhoenix made an awesome blog about Letho and Jacques de aldersberg that I can never hope to match. I want him to find this thread and repost it, everyone should read it.
Irenicus is your typical villain I suppose. A badguy through and through, but the performance given by David Warner is just superb.
Irenicus has depth to him as well. A cynical, cold hearted and ruthless person, he also has motives and agendas that really flesh him out nicley. He's a person I think people would love to hate, and at times, agree with, depending on the person of course.
Even though the writing is good, and the character holds some sort of depth, David Warner's voice acting makes him almost godly to my eyes. His portrayal of the character gives it an edge. Irenicus is not just your evil dude wanting immortality, he is now an intelligent, cunning and souless person. Somebody who's very voice gives you goosebumps to how bloody well it's done. Almost like Athony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs. David Warner makes Irenicus who he is.
4. Loghain. Dragon Age: Origins.
Well shit on me and call me a Bio Drone! xD don't worry, this is the last BioWare character.
Loghain is the tragic hero I guess, so tragic that many people misunderstand him and call him a villain. And though they are right (his actions to brand him as an atagonist, he *does* try to kill you 3/4 into the game) there is so much more to him that meets the eye.
Loghain becomes the treacherous person who works with Howe to overthrow the throne, to a patriot and a hero in a matter of hours. His motives are what define this person, not his actions. This is why Loghain easily becomes one of my favourite characters and antagonists in video game history.
5. Dagoth Ur. The Elder Scrolls Morrowind.
A Bethesda Character? YOU MUST BE FUCKING JOKING!
Well no, no I'm not.
Dagoth Ur is Sauron incarnate. He doesn't show up at all until the last ten minutes of the game were you proceed to kick his ass (to my dissapointment.)
So why is he a good antagonist? Well, for one simple reason.
His lack of appearance.
Like Sauron, Dagoth Ur creates an auroa of malevolence that can be seen in his various minions. You don't see him, you only *hear* of him. Yet through out the game, all you do is get threatened by him.
In between his brothers and little plauge shits, Dagoth Ur is the shadow that is cast throughout the entire game, and that shadow is huge, despite his unwillingness for a stroll on the mountain.
So like Sauron, he is creates a great presence with no screen time. And that's what makes him a great atagonist.
The only dissapointing thing was the lack of choice at the end. Though you can expect that in a Beth game, the world is simply to big to create such variables. I would have loved joining him though, his goals were just.
6. GLADOS. Portal and Portal 2
You should have seen it coming! How can we not have GLADOS? Well, what makes her such a great villain? Nothing really. Just her amazing humour and Valves awesome writing make her so. Hell we even end up liking her most of the time. This is what makes her such a bloody great antagonist.
7. Mordirith. Lord of the Rings Online.
What? Who in God's name is Mordirith?
Well, he's a character from an MMO *waits for whispers and gasps of shock to halt* thank you.
Mordirith could be called the Steward of Angmar. He's second to the Nazgul and pretty much does what any LOTR villain does... be incredibley evil.
This alone shouldn't be enough to put him on my list, so why is he there?
Well for one. The story unfolds very smoothly (LOTRO being one of the only MMOs that is story oritentated) and we come to know Mordirith's past. He starts of as a typical LOTR villain, but soon enough, he's a badass with depth and a past.
He is also a cunt in ways the Nazgul aren't. The 'Champion of Angmar.' Is someone we accidently help to re-birth. She soon overthrows Mordirith and sends him into exile. What we don't know, is The Champion is also a badass with a past, and we end up sympethising for her at the end. The twist in both their stories and their general 'badd-assery' make them very awesome villains, and are a lot more deep than any of the 9 Nazugl were... well, expect the Witch King.
Well that's all I can think of for now. Plus, I don't want to carry on, you guys can make much better posts than I can hehe, and so some villains need love that I cannot possibly give.
Villains are best defined by how much we love to hate them, or how much we sympethise for them, or just how well written and complex they are. It's all a matter of prespective and filled with variables, much like everything in Video-Games I suppose. So anyway, here are some Villains I think are bloody fantastic... from best, to... well, 'less best' xD
1. The Nameless One. Planescape Torment.
"What?! You must be joking surely!" Said the innocent gamer at the back-row. "The Nameless One is the protagonist! How can he be a villain?"
The gamer is right of course, TNO is the main protagonist of possibly the best game ever made: Planescape: Torment. But gamer spoke to quickly and didn't remember what an asshole he was before.
(Major Spoilers here.)
TNO will always come back to life with a different soul using the same body over and over again. This cycle has lasted for hundreds of years, killing thousands of souls. Now, during the game, we learn about our previous incarnate, who was probably the smartest, but the most heartless bastard of them all.
TNO is an awesome villain, because of his fate, the thousands upon thousands of lives he had taken due to a wish of immortality. And the things he had done in his past really show what a bastard he could be.
The previous incarnates killed, cheated, lied, and did things that really make you think of his crimes. Of course, he has had good people too...and crazy. But at the end of the day, he remains the villain because of what I said before: his fate.
The protagonist and the antagonist put in one. How CAN you get a better villain than that?
2. The Illusive Man. Mass Effect 2.
And no. Not the ME3 bonkers crazy 'TEH REAPERS!' Indoctrinated fool he became. I'm talking about the ME2 man. The antagonist we have to rely on. The person who funds us, helps us, and saved us is also a potential antagonist with great ideals.
Why is he such a great villain? Because he brings out so many emotions at once: distrust; hate; gratitude; admiration... He is what his name suggests: illusive, and not only in action, but in personality too. You never know what he's about, and that's why he's such an awesome character as well as potential antagonist.
3. Irenicus. Baldur's Gate 2.
Yes, another BioWare character, I must be picking favourites no? Hehe. The reason I won't do any Witcher ones is because KnightOfPhoenix made an awesome blog about Letho and Jacques de aldersberg that I can never hope to match. I want him to find this thread and repost it, everyone should read it.
Irenicus is your typical villain I suppose. A badguy through and through, but the performance given by David Warner is just superb.
Irenicus has depth to him as well. A cynical, cold hearted and ruthless person, he also has motives and agendas that really flesh him out nicley. He's a person I think people would love to hate, and at times, agree with, depending on the person of course.
Even though the writing is good, and the character holds some sort of depth, David Warner's voice acting makes him almost godly to my eyes. His portrayal of the character gives it an edge. Irenicus is not just your evil dude wanting immortality, he is now an intelligent, cunning and souless person. Somebody who's very voice gives you goosebumps to how bloody well it's done. Almost like Athony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs. David Warner makes Irenicus who he is.
4. Loghain. Dragon Age: Origins.
Well shit on me and call me a Bio Drone! xD don't worry, this is the last BioWare character.
Loghain is the tragic hero I guess, so tragic that many people misunderstand him and call him a villain. And though they are right (his actions to brand him as an atagonist, he *does* try to kill you 3/4 into the game) there is so much more to him that meets the eye.
Loghain becomes the treacherous person who works with Howe to overthrow the throne, to a patriot and a hero in a matter of hours. His motives are what define this person, not his actions. This is why Loghain easily becomes one of my favourite characters and antagonists in video game history.
5. Dagoth Ur. The Elder Scrolls Morrowind.
A Bethesda Character? YOU MUST BE FUCKING JOKING!
Well no, no I'm not.
Dagoth Ur is Sauron incarnate. He doesn't show up at all until the last ten minutes of the game were you proceed to kick his ass (to my dissapointment.)
So why is he a good antagonist? Well, for one simple reason.
His lack of appearance.
Like Sauron, Dagoth Ur creates an auroa of malevolence that can be seen in his various minions. You don't see him, you only *hear* of him. Yet through out the game, all you do is get threatened by him.
In between his brothers and little plauge shits, Dagoth Ur is the shadow that is cast throughout the entire game, and that shadow is huge, despite his unwillingness for a stroll on the mountain.
So like Sauron, he is creates a great presence with no screen time. And that's what makes him a great atagonist.
The only dissapointing thing was the lack of choice at the end. Though you can expect that in a Beth game, the world is simply to big to create such variables. I would have loved joining him though, his goals were just.
6. GLADOS. Portal and Portal 2
You should have seen it coming! How can we not have GLADOS? Well, what makes her such a great villain? Nothing really. Just her amazing humour and Valves awesome writing make her so. Hell we even end up liking her most of the time. This is what makes her such a bloody great antagonist.
7. Mordirith. Lord of the Rings Online.
What? Who in God's name is Mordirith?
Well, he's a character from an MMO *waits for whispers and gasps of shock to halt* thank you.
Mordirith could be called the Steward of Angmar. He's second to the Nazgul and pretty much does what any LOTR villain does... be incredibley evil.
This alone shouldn't be enough to put him on my list, so why is he there?
Well for one. The story unfolds very smoothly (LOTRO being one of the only MMOs that is story oritentated) and we come to know Mordirith's past. He starts of as a typical LOTR villain, but soon enough, he's a badass with depth and a past.
He is also a cunt in ways the Nazgul aren't. The 'Champion of Angmar.' Is someone we accidently help to re-birth. She soon overthrows Mordirith and sends him into exile. What we don't know, is The Champion is also a badass with a past, and we end up sympethising for her at the end. The twist in both their stories and their general 'badd-assery' make them very awesome villains, and are a lot more deep than any of the 9 Nazugl were... well, expect the Witch King.
Well that's all I can think of for now. Plus, I don't want to carry on, you guys can make much better posts than I can hehe, and so some villains need love that I cannot possibly give.
