Top Ten Video Game Bad Guys

Like it or not video games are now a permanent part of our culture. Every day millions of people both young and old spend hours a day making their way through a dizzying array of video games. One of the things that makes video games so compelling is that more often than not they pit you against a series of bad guys that you must vanquish in order to win. It’s a simple thing really, using bad guys in video games, but over time some truly memorable bad guys have shown up in video games. This list is a small selection of those bad guys but they are indeed some of the most memorable bad guys ever.

10. Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong)

Before he became a hero Donkey Kong was a bad guy in the arcade smash Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong was obviously who Bowser would later get his inspiration from as he kidnapped Mario’s girlfriend and situated himself on top of a series of platforms then began rolling barrels down on the racing Mario as the would be hero tried to reach his beloved. Since his appearance in Donkey Kong, this lovable ape and his son have been given the roles of heroes but if you look hard enough into those black eyes you can see the potential for villainy is still there.

9. M. Bison (Street Fighter)

There is probably not another bad guy in video game history who inspired kids to shovel quarters into a video game than M. Bison. M. Bison was the final fight in the game Street Fighter and you had to defeat him to learn the story behind why your selected fighter was in the tournament to begin with. The reason he ranks so highly on this list is because at one time, defeating M. Bison was the ultimate badge of honor among video game players and he holds a bit of a legendary status to this day.

8. Dracula (Castlevania)

Dracula was a cool bad guy way before he showed up in Castlevania to taunt both the Belmont family and generations of gamers. What makes hi stand out from the other bad guys is the mystique he carries with him through every game in the series. No matter what else you have to do in Castlevania, you know that at the end is the blood sucker himself, and that is what keeps you working to finish the game.

7. Bowser (Super Mario Brothers)

As a bad guy Bowser is actually without a lot of depth, he simply kidnaps Princess Peach then sends his hordes after the love struck Mario and friends. Bowser may not be the most complicated bad guy to ever show up in a video game, and he isn’t even the coolest looking, but he has been a part of gamer culture for decades and almost every gamer has a story or two about taking down this guy.

6. Gannon (Legend of Zelda)

Gannon is one seriously evil individual with the single minded goal of destroying/conquering the world. In each and every Zelda game Link is pitted against Gannon and his forces of evil as he tries to put the tri force together and use its power to banish/kill/weaken Gannon or Wake/Free Princess Zelda. While he wasn’t in a couple of the Zelda titles he has been in most of them and is one of the more memorable bad guys to show up in a video game. What makes Gannon work as a bad guy is that his goals are pretty straight forward. He wants to dominate/destroy the world and that’s just not okay with us so of course we have to stop him. It’s a simple hook into the game but it works every time.
 

5. Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII)

Sephiroth is almost a cliché in the world of video games now, but when he first showed up in Final Fantasy VII, he was one of the most sympathetic and complex villains to show up in any medium. Driven to destroy the world by a hatred for those who had created him Sephiroth blazed a path across the world of Final Fantasy VII and even killed one of the main characters during one of the most memorable moments in video game history. Since his appearance many other villains have showed up that are just as complex and compelling, but Sephiroth really was one of the first.

4. Nemesis (Resident Evil)

Nemisis is pretty much a zombie on steroids and his only purpose seems to be busting through walls and freaking the crap out of you as you play your way through various versions of Resident Evil. Nemesis doesn’t have motivation, doesn’t care about goals, his sole purpose is to destroy you and that is honestly a bit scary when you stop to think about it. Video games generally give their bad guys a reason for being bad, but not so with Nemesis, he is simply evil and that makes him scary, very, very scary.

3. Arthus (World of Warcraft)

World of Warcraft has so many bad guys that are worth talking about you could easily do a list with just them, but Arthus is the one on this list because of his influence through so much of the backstory. Every bit of the lands of Azeroth have felt the touch of the Lich King in some way and even though he was finally defeated, his legacy still remains. What makes Arthus worthy of such a high spot on this list is that his story is one of tragedy. He was an honorable hero possessed of all the qualities we strive to have within ourselves yet slowly he was corrupted until he turned into a monstrous force of evil. You don’t get bad guys who are like Arhtus very often, and that’s probably a good thing.

2. Claudia Wolf (Silent Hill)

Claudia Wolf is the insane leader of the strange cult that you must fight against but still use to your advantage in the Silent Hill games. She at first appears to be one of the good guys wanting to protect those around her but as you delve further into the story you realize that the reasons for the horrors you are facing are all because of her actions. What makes Claudia Wolf so compelling as a villain is that she honestly believes she is doing the right thing even though those things are truly evil.

1. Zombies, Nazis, and the Rest!

You can’t have the big bad guys unless you have a lot of small bad guys on the way to them and that’s exactly why these bad guys show up on the very top of the list. Without your various zombies, nazi’s, and other such things, video games would simply be a series of boss fights with no real purpose. Sure, the average zombie lasts about one second in a video game, but when you look at how many of them there are and the fact they will keep you occupied for hours you have to agree they are the best video game bad guys ever.