11 Video Game Villains That Were Way Cooler Than the Good Guys

This article was adapted from our video, 11 Video Game Villains That Were Way Cooler Than the Good Guys.

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Bad guys come in all shapes and sizes, from the monstrously big boned El Gigante to the pint-size Warcraft Gnome; evil permeates every corner of the video game universe. No tale would be quite complete without them, and here are 11 of the spiciest, coolest, memorablest bad guys in video game history.

Vergil (Devil May Cry)

Vergil from Devil May Cry stands out as one of gaming’s most stylish and memorable antagonists. As Dante’s twin brother, he serves as a perfect foil-while Dante embraces his humanity and fights for the good of others, Vergil willingly taps into his demonic heritage, driven by an unwavering desire to claim the power once wielded by their father, the legendary demon Sparda.

It’s a bit cliché, but it’s always cool when the big baddy is related to the good guys. Probably one of the most infamous pop culture moments of all time belongs to Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker.

The DMC writers decided the twin brother thing wasn’t enough family relation, so the secondary protagonist of the series, Nero, who appears in DMC 4 and 5, is Vergil’s son. Certainly not going to win any father of the year awards after he rips off his son’s arm for its power.

Gwyn (Dark Souls)

There’s really no such thing as a black and white traditional “villain” in Dark Souls, but as far as memorable video game antagonists go, Gwyn the Lord of Cinder from the first Dark Souls is absolutely up there.

Gwyn started as a good guy. He was the strongest of the four Lords who ended the tyrannical Age of Ancients and ushered in the Age of Fire, which is considered a time of prosperity. As time went on, the Age of Fire was due to give way to the Age of Dark, but Gwyn was so afraid of letting this happen that he sacrificed himself to artificially keep the Age of Fire going.

Gwyn has now become Hollow and is essentially a zombie, a husk of his former self, and it’s this shell you have to defeat to complete the game.

Lu Bu (Dynasty Warriors)

If this were a list of the most badass antagonists in video games, then Lu Bu would be much, much higher. Not only is Lu Bu cranked up to the max as far as difficulty goes, he’s also just so damn cool it’s impossible not to envy him. 

What makes him a great villain is his mix of raw, indomitable strength with relentless cruelty. This man literally murdered his adoptive father not once, but twice! First for a horse, second for a bride. Lu Bu does not mess about.

In certain entries, Dynasty Warriors literally tells you NOT to engage Lu Bu as he’s too strong. I don’t know how many games put in a bad guy and then say “yo, you might not wanna do this”, but it’s certainly a compelling indication of Lu Bu’s dominance.

The really cool thing about Dynasty Warriors lore is that it’s based on real people and historical events, albeit heavily romanticised and exaggerated, and if you read Lu Bu’s Wikipedia entry, you’ll see he is just one erratic, crazy, paranoid warmonger whose allegiances flip-flop more than a beach day boot. It’s certainly a cool read, and you can see why he was the perfect foundation for a perfect villain.

Shao Khan (Mortal Kombat)

Fighting games aren’t exactly the canvas you’d expect for the brush strokes of storytelling, but there are a multitude of really cool villains looking to beat down on the good guys in gaming. You’ve got M.Bison in Street Fighter, the Mishimas inTekken, but the absolute best and most iconic for me, at least, has to be Shao Khan from Mortal Kombat. 

He is truly the epitome of a villain through his actions. In one of the realms he invaded, he killed the king, enslaved the king’s daughter and raised her as his own personal assassin, and forced the queen to marry him. When the queen was so overwhelmed with grief that she took her own life, he trapped her soul and resurrected her to carry out his evil bidding.

Handsome Jack (Borderlands)

Borderlands might be known for its chaotic tone and absurd humour, but it wouldn’t work half as well without a genuinely great villain to anchor it – and Borderlands’ best villain has to be Handsome Jack. 

You might think he’s just another corporate tyrant, but what makes him so cool is the way he really redefines that role. He doesn’t just want to rule Pandora in the standard cliché way; he honestly believes he’s the hero. He’s insulting, arrogant, hilarious, and disturbingly relatable all at once.

It also helps that he’s just always there… From the very beginning of Borderlands 2, he’s in your ear, mocking you, bragging about his achievements, and casually describing horrendous acts as if they’re minor inconveniences: like blowing up an entire city just to make a point. It’s eventually revealed that he murdered his own daughter and used her as a literal power source for his plans.

Albert Wesker (Resident Evil)

We’re first introduced to Resident Evil’s Albert Wesker as the captain of the S.T.A.R.S. unit, a special police-ish task force of the greatest brawn and brains to counter the greatest domestic threats of the time. Eventually, we learn that this good-guy act was all a façade and that he orchestrated some of the most egregious and evil biochemical research, including testing on humans.

His legendary status as a villain starts from the very first game, where he leads the STARS squad into a recent outbreak site. Unbeknownst to the other team members, he was behind the whole thing and actually wants to scrub the evidence, kill off all of STARS, and collect some samples to sell on the black market.

His boss fight in Resident Evil 5, which ultimately leads to his death, is as iconic as it is ridiculous. Juiced up on Resident Evil roids, he inherits superhuman powers, he survives an overdose, being shot in the head, falling from a helicopter, landing in lava, being infected with a demon virus, and only eventually dies when two synchronised rockets blow him up.

Ganon (Zelda)

When it comes to legendary villains, The Legend of Zelda has arguably the undisputed king of recurring evil- Ganon. Sure, you’ve got Majora’s Mask and Zant causing chaos in their own corners of Hyrule’s history, but the actual main villain of the series has always been the Gerudo warlord turned Demon King.

It’s not just that he’s the final boss in the majority of Zelda games. It’s what he represents. In a world built around courage and wisdom, traits that Link perfectly embodies, Ganon is the literal embodiment of power, reborn over and over again, specifically to conquer and dominate. The antithesis of not only Link, but the world itself.

Every time Link and Zelda finally defeat him, he just returns in another era with a new form and a new scheme to plunge Hyrule into darkness all over again.

Glados (Portal)

I suppose puzzle games aren’t usually where you go to find legendary villains… but Portal not only pulled it off, it did it in spectacular style with GLaDOS, one of the most brilliantly written antagonists in gaming history. 

GlaDOS forces you through a series of increasingly dangerous “tests” – all in the name of science. But you know, there are nice ways to do science, and then there are Glados ways to do science.

From the very beginning, GLaDOS speaks to you in that calm, sarcastic monotone, offering ironic encouragement that somehow feels more threatening than any death threat ever could. Her voice lines are pure gold: she congratulates you, lies to you, gaslights you, mocks you, and even casually threatens to incinerate you.

Arthas (Warcraft)

Warcraft has set the bar for fantasy universes in gaming. From the strategy games of the 90s and early 2000s to the MMO phenomenon that is World of Warcraft, there’s plenty to love. A lot of that comes from its lore and storytelling, and few story lines are as impactful and iconic as that of Athas Menethil, aka the Lich King. 

Arthas started as a paladin, prince to the throne, a noble protector of his people, but his obsession with defeating the undead Scourge slowly consumes him. He murders his own mentor, his people, and his own dad, the king. Eventually, he abandons his kingdom and ultimately takes up Frostmourne, a cursed runeblade that steals the souls of all it kills and, by wielding it, Arthas’s soul itself.

In World of Warcraft, Arthas’ influence only grows. He’s the primary villain of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, which is often considered the peak of WoW. Eventually, players fight him in the epic Icecrown Citadel raid, which looks like the Gates of Mordor all frozen over. The raid itself is again being considered one of the greatest of all time, with its boss fight sitting in that category too. 

Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7)

Final Fantasy is a legendary game series characterised by gripping storylines, industry-defining turn-based combat, and, most importantly, its unforgettable characters. Few are more memorable than Final Fantasy 7’s primary villain, Sephiroth.

He spreads terror and ultimately plans to cast the most destructive spell in existence to all but destroy the earth. Every act of his, from slaughtering innocents to psychologically tormenting the heroes, screams calculated malice.

His signature Masamune Sword, flowing silver hair, and black coat make him one of the most instantly recognisable characters in gaming, not just villains, a figure of elegance and terror rolled into one, that has undoubtedly influenced countless character designs since.

Vaas (Far Cry 3)

And for our most iconic, coolest villain in video games, it’s going to be Vaas Montenegro from Far Cry 3.

From the moment he’s introduced, Vaas exudes an unhinged, psychotic energy that makes every encounter with him terrifyingly unpredictable. While the protagonist of the game, Jason Brody, can sometimes feel like a blank slate, Vaas utterly steals the spotlight with his intense presence and charismatic menace. It’s not easy for a game to succeed with an utterly forgettable named playable character, but Vaas fills these shoes and then some.

Instead of a generic antagonist, Vaas became an unforgettable embodiment of madness and brutality. His “definition of insanity” speech is still quoted by fans today and has become an iconic pop-culture moment. Vaas’s legacy also lives on outside Far Cry 3 – he appeared in a live-action prequel web series, the Far Cry VR experience, and even returned a decade later as the focus of a DLC in Far Cry 6.