Discuss: Who is your favorite video game villain?

[Karlston]

Discuss: Who is your favorite video game villain?

A couple of weeks ago, we discussed the massive effort that goes into creating a likable video game protagonist. You let us know of some of your favorite heroes including Commander Shepard, Master Chief, Kassandra, Geralt, Nathan Drake... and the left paddle in Pong.

 

Today, we're taking a look at another daunting task that game developers, designers, and narrative writers have to tackle: creating a popular video game antagonist. This task is arguably as difficult as designing a protagonist, particularly because you have to get the audience rooting for the dark side, per se. The villain's motives have to be somewhat understandable, and ideally, the character itself should be charismatic enough to justify whatever screen time they get.

 

Unlike protagonists - which can sometimes have non-speaking roles -, voice acting always plays a crucial role in the villain's character. No one wants to hear a drab voice acting performance during a Bond-esque monologue. Furthermore, a villain who shows up sparingly is often more effective as it leaves more to the imagination and has you waiting anxiously on the edge of your seat, wondering what the character is up to in his off-screen time, making his rare on-screen appearances all the more worthwhile.

 

All of this factors into making a truly memorable villain and we have had a range of evil video game characters in the past few decades, spread across this spectrum of character traits. These include over the top villains like Vaas and Pagan Min from Far Cry 3 and Far Cry 4 respectively, a truly fantastic performance from GLaDOS in the Portal series, the mysterious Albert Wesker from the Resident Evil series, classics like Bowser from Mario, the Joker from Batman Arkham games, and the menacing and titular Wild Hunt from The Witcher 3, among many others.

 

Now, we would like to know: Who's your favorite video game villain and why? Is it any of the aforementioned characters or someone else? The right paddle in Pong? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

 

Discuss: Who is your favorite video game villain?

[BimBamSmash]

I said the same there. For me it is Kane from Westwood studios' Command & Conquer series. Loved the character's portrayal by Joe Kucan. Vile, charismatic, mysterious. Had a strong "Leadership Presence" vibe about him every time a cinematic cut-scene was underway too.

 

Kane remains my top pick, but LeChuck (from LucasArts Monkey Island series) also deserves some recognition. He has all the traits of a villain; he has all the visual trademarks of a villain (especially in his demon form: "beards of flames", anyone?), he is feared by everyone in that game, and yet he is always outwitted by Guybrush Threepwood (the series' protagonist) in the most humorous way possible.

 

It is also amazing to me that even though he is undead and, by definition, he cannot be killed, each game in the series wraps up in a way that sort of implies that he is. Still that doesn't stop the devs from finding a new form and excuse to bring him back for the subsequent installments, and so far it's always worked! "The evil of LeChuck is always evolving in new and terrifying ways, Sheepwood."

 

The concept of life and death is ridiculed so well in that franchise really.

 

Earl Boen did an amazing job voicing the character too. Le Chuck wouldn't be the same without him. That became clear to me in the early incarnations of Tales of Monkey Island, where the character was briefly voiced by someone else.

Edited December 14, 2020 by BimBamSmash

[RiverPollard]

There have been so many iconic villains in gaming history, but if I had to choose one, it would be GLaDOS from the Portal series. Her combination of humor, malevolence, and sheer unpredictability makes her a standout character. Plus, those witty one-liners are just unforgettable.

Edited November 17, 2023 by RiverPollard

[RiverPollard]

There have been so many iconic villains in gaming history, but if I had to choose one, it would be GLaDOS from the Portal series. Her combination of humor, malevolence, and sheer unpredictability makes her a standout character. Plus, those witty one-liners are just unforgettable. Who's your favorite game villain? It's always interesting to hear different perspectives on what makes a villain truly memorable. 🎮😈By the way, speaking of CS2, have you ever explored the world of CS2 skins? It's a fascinating way to add some uniqueness to the game.

Edited November 17, 2023 by Karlston
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