Topic: VG Villians

[dragontamer272]

Sometimes games just like cartoons need a cool, mean, badass villian. Now, good guys are always cool too but sometimes the villians have to be recognized too... and oh they do. From murderous to insanely crazy... talk about these Video Game Villians, any villian.

My favorite villians follow as... Ganon/Ganondorf (Zelda), Liquid Snake (Metal Gear Solid), Dracula (Castlevania), Prometheus (MM ZX), Death (Castlevania), Dr. Weil (MM Zero), Dr. Wily (Mega Man),  Dr. Eggman/Robotnik (Sonic), Albert Wesker (Resident Evil), and Sigma (MMX)

[Hypershell]

Kinda depends on what you're looking for in a villain...

Most lovable villains to me are tied between Bowser (SMB) and the Bonnes (MegaMan Legends).  The Bonnes used to have that hands down, but the ending to Bowser's Inside Story gets me every time.

Now for a TRULY evil villain, Copy X MK1 (MegaMan Zero).  That guy is dangerous.  Anybody else who corrupts people generally does so by driving them crazy.  Copy X had the heroes of humanity, and hell the better part of humanity, honestly believing his crap.

The villain who best got his "just desserts", would be Sigma in X6.  What's that, you just got killed three weeks ago and you can't even see straight?  Too bad, we are NOT waiting for you to hatch another scheme, and you are damn well getting your ass kicked again right now.

Overall most badass appearance, Bowser gets another honorable mention (the NSMB roar was perfect; a shame Nintendo insists on the distorted voice in Galaxy and NSMBW).  But OoT's beast Ganon is unforgettable.

Most badly misguided would probably be King Dheginsea (Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn).  Here you have someone who panicked in the face of controversy and rewrote history in ways that would only draw racial hatred against children of mixed relationships for centuries to come.  Having done that, not to mention lying to the world about his own deity, he sat on his ass hoping the problem would work itself out, and then demands the entire world pay for the resulting sins.  Seriously, you just want to smack the bastard.  But the fact that he's the most ludicrously powerful thing alive doesn't make that easy.

[Tickle Buffalo]

do you join the unity

or do you die here

join
die
join
die

[HokutoNoBen]

Gotta give it to Bowser here.

I can't think of too many characters, much less villains, who are able to flow between two main archetypes (imposing, menacing badass, as well as the lovable oaf) so well, from game to game. Hell, in the recent M&L3, you could argue he did just that within the context of ONE GAME.  

The best thing is, it just "works" and is seen as something that works well with the character. For example, I couldn't see the likes of Wario and Dedede being "bad-ass threats", any more than I could see Ganon(dorf) or Ridley being relegated to "comic relief". If you were like me, trying to imagine such would likely make your head hurt. The notion of such would likely cause a conflicted image of what you perceive the characters as. Yet, Bowser is able to walk this thin line of "believe-ability" and do it well.

Plus, you gotta give it to a guy who runs a highly industrial Empire with efficiency, and seemingly has enough charisma-inspiring loyalty that his minions follow because they WANT to, not because of the usual "you know the price of failure...!" type of thing that can be so normal for a lot of villains in any medium. Even his brat pack (canonically, in the games, at least) don't seem to have any interest in trying to usurp his throne, seemingly content to let Pops stay in charge. The fact that Junior went through the trouble of resurrecting his Pops, instead of taking the throne for himself (when he certainly could have) speaks to me a lot.  

So, for him being in the business almost as long as Mario himself, I think that Bowser deserves just as much credit as the man himself. Because after all, a hero only remains as great as the villain(s) he combats, right?      

Runner-up: POKEY/PORKY (Mother series). From being the annoyance in Mother 2/EB, to a megalomaniac that made me actually love to HATE the guy in M3. This guy caused a lot of strife for many people in the Mother-verse, and did it in a way that just showcased what kind of guy you were REALLY dealing with all along. Bravo to Itoi for excellent writing regarding this guy.

[Protoman Blues]

Ninja Lou in MK64.

You think you know video game evil, but you know nothing.

[Gaia]

Ninja Lou in MK64.

Ah, had a hard time against him while playing the game?  

Best bets have to be K. Rool here, when I began to start getting better at DK64, you just gotta love that oaf. If you want quotes, this guy's your lizard. Nintendo just could have stuck with this version of K. Rool the rest of the series (after seeing the boxart of King of Swing, he is a bit of a little jealous nervewreck).

To quote K. Rool:

“I've been waiting a long time for this moment. Soon, Donkey Kong and his pretty little island... will be no more.”

[Protoman Blues]

Ah, had a hard time against him while playing the game?  

LoL, you don't understand.  I don't have any problem, but it doesn't change the fact that he is evil in the game.

IE: He once got a former friend to hate the game, and it was his favorite game of all time.

[Flame]

Now that's evil.

[Protoman Blues]

Heh, at least Lou had the common decency to warn the sap before playing him.

[Solar]

This guy is one of my favorites. He's evil, badass, and he can easily kick your ass without you being able to do anything about it.

[HokutoNoBen]

This guy is one of my favorites. He's evil, badass, and he can easily kick your ass without you being able to do anything about it.

See, I would have liked this guy a lot more, if he did more than just basically copy Geese and Krauser's swagg. As it stands right now, he's still a memorable boss in his own right. But Geese is the REAL deal! 

[Solar]

True he did copy their Repukken and Kaiser Wave, HOWEVER, GENOCIDE CUTTAH is all he needs. That and the Rugal Spin, can Geese or Krauser do that? No? I thought so. Don't get me wrong though, Geese is still one of the most badass characters in a fighting game ever.

[Ninja Lou]

I don't know what you are talking about. I am a honorable player.

[Ike-Mike]

"MY PSYCHO POWER KNOWS NO LIMITS!!!"

[Rin]

Elder God...

"The Wheel of Fate must turn; all are redeemed in the cleansing agony of birth, death and rebirth.  This is the Engine of life - the purifying rhythm of the universe - to which all souls are irresistibly drawn."

[Mirby]

Kinda depends on what you're looking for in a villain...

Most lovable villains to me are tied between Bowser (SMB) and the Bonnes (MegaMan Legends).  The Bonnes used to have that hands down, but the ending to Bowser's Inside Story gets me every time.

Now for a TRULY evil villain, Copy X MK1 (MegaMan Zero).  That guy is dangerous.  Anybody else who corrupts people generally does so by driving them crazy.  Copy X had the heroes of humanity, and hell the better part of humanity, honestly believing his crap.

The villain who best got his "just desserts", would be Sigma in X6.  What's that, you just got killed three weeks ago and you can't even see straight?  Too bad, we are NOT waiting for you to hatch another scheme, and you are damn well getting your ass kicked again right now.

Overall most badass appearance, Bowser gets another honorable mention (the NSMB roar was perfect; a shame Nintendo insists on the distorted voice in Galaxy and NSMBW).  But OoT's beast Ganon is unforgettable.

I have to agree with you completely on all those points!

Gotta give it to Bowser here.

I can't think of too many characters, much less villains, who are able to flow between two main archetypes (imposing, menacing badass, as well as the lovable oaf) so well, from game to game. Hell, in the recent M&L3, you could argue he did just that within the context of ONE GAME. 

The best thing is, it just "works" and is seen as something that works well with the character. For example, I couldn't see the likes of Wario and Dedede being "bad-ass threats", any more than I could see Ganon(dorf) or Ridley being relegated to "comic relief". If you were like me, trying to imagine such would likely make your head hurt. The notion of such would likely cause a conflicted image of what you perceive the characters as. Yet, Bowser is able to walk this thin line of "believe-ability" and do it well.

Plus, you gotta give it to a guy who runs a highly industrial Empire with efficiency, and seemingly has enough charisma-inspiring loyalty that his minions follow because they WANT to, not because of the usual "you know the price of failure...!" type of thing that can be so normal for a lot of villains in any medium. Even his brat pack (canonically, in the games, at least) don't seem to have any interest in trying to usurp his throne, seemingly content to let Pops stay in charge. The fact that Junior went through the trouble of resurrecting his Pops, instead of taking the throne for himself (when he certainly could have) speaks to me a lot. 

So, for him being in the business almost as long as Mario himself, I think that Bowser deserves just as much credit as the man himself. Because after all, a hero only remains as great as the villain(s) he combats, right?     

And those ones too.

Bowser is my favorite villain. Especially now because of Bowser's Inside Story. Before, he was just a stubborn jerk who wanted Peach for some odd reason. Sure, his reasons were slightly fleshed out in Sunshine, but not really. In BIS, it shows his side of things. He's loved and respected by his troops, who know they'll be saved by him if captured. He's goal-oriented, and doesn't stop until that goal is accomplished. He won't let ANYTHING stop him from his ultimate goal of conquering the Mushroom Kingdom, not even a purely malevolent force bent on world destruction! And he's just so stubborn about things.

Bowser's Inside Story is the reason why Bowser is my favorite villain.

[HyperSonicEXE]

I'm just going to list some.

Bowser: King of Awesome, and probably the only real challenge to the powerhouse that is Mario. Often uncharacteristically adorable, minions included. Oh, and don't forget his 8 kids!

Andross: Only he has the brains. House-sized, exploding brains. Was that exile to Venom such a good idea, or has he always been that awesome? Either way, Star Fox has gotta fire up the Arwings and take him down!

Wolf O'Donnell: A true rival. This no-nonsense leader will see to it that the mission is accomplished with the utmost performance. There is no method too unorthodox for his mercenary jobs, wars, and personal vendetta against James and Fox McCloud!

Dr. Wily: One heck of a pest! But he'll wiggle his eyebrows at you, taunt, and flaunt for all eternity, and apparently there's nothing you can do to stop him!

Dr. Robotnik: How the heck a guy with an IQ and BMI of 300 beat Sonic in a race to the Egg Walker in Sonic 2 is beyond me! An evil genius not to be underestimated.

Bass.EXE: Once a benevolent science project, he was misunderstood by his own creators and betrayed by the internet. Now he wants REVENGE. Hope you saved.

Sigma: So what's it like when a military-commanding, war machine android goes berserk? This guy! Rub his head for good luck!

Vile: Wouldn't be worth a mention except for the fact that he is also quite the survivor, plays host to some of the greatest songs in the series, and is evil on his own terms. Vile to the core!

King Dedede: Yeah, this mallet-packing bird is greedy, but he's not even as friendly as Wario! When he wants something, he'll trample all over Kirby to get it! Food included! Talk about lame duck!

Dark Matter: Sick of the happy-go-lucky feel of the Kirby universe? So is this guy! One-eye here has stuck out in people's minds with his sudden appearances at the end and his 0^2 form.

Gruntilda: If it's a rhyming witch that you should seek, Banjo-Kazooie deserves a peek! Gruntilda's not afraid to mix magic and science for devastating results like some stodgy villains!

Ganondorf: You know a villain's doing his job the right way when people have to stop and ask if they are actually the villain. But the road to oblivion is paved with good intentions; Ganondorf's abuse of power in an attempt to help his desert people leads him to lunacy and ruin every time!

Alpha: ...who? The final boss of Megaman Battle Network 3! You know how everyone jokingly speculates who the final boss of the internet is? Well, this guy IS the internet! The prototype internet! And now it has taken form! Go bust it!

Omega: Just when you think you're the hero, you find out your consciousness has been stored in a bad replica of yourself, and your actual, capable body is completely evil! Megaman X fighting Zero was iconic enough, and now this unexpected faceoff will also hit the history books!

Thanatos: A constant thorn in Mike Anderson's side, the alien Thanatos killed Mike's father and will stop at nothing to destroy Mike and the Standing Tank FALCON to try and rule the Earth like he has many other galaxies!

Wild Dog: V.S.S.E. has their hands full with this guy. This one man army in glasses and a business suit always seems to keep coming back, causing massive political upheavals and military strikes! Stick it to him with your trusty handgun!

Albert Wesker: When you look up Machiavellian in the dictionary, you'll see this man's face pop up. Beyond having super-strength, Wesker has overseen more region-destroying, mind-controlling viruses than you may care to know about. Monsters, too.

Sephiroth: Love him or hate him, Sephiroth's bloodthirst and manipulation garners him a top spot. An ancient, destructive alien from deep space has turned this and many other war heroes into raving mad puppets.

The Shredder: Last and certainly not least, I am not leaving out a villain that has appeared in a number of console and handheld games. You know him, you love him, it's the totally ripped master ninja Shredder! If the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles want to save Manhattan Island, they'll have to face his blades! He's got a nasty habit of turning the turtle boys back into their previous pet-ready forms! Go kick shell!

[HokutoNoBen]

Bowser is my favorite villain. Especially now because of Bowser's Inside Story. Before, he was just a stubborn jerk who wanted Peach for some odd reason. Sure, his reasons were slightly fleshed out in Sunshine, but not really.

If you go by the VERY limited array of details that were in the Japanese instruction manuals, Bowser ALWAYS wanted Peach for marriage. Not only because that would "legally" give him the Mushroom Kingdom, but because he always had a love jones for "dat white girl". 

The Super Mario OAV ("The Great Adventure to Rescue Princess Peach) that was released in Japan back in 1980s, utilized this same ethos that was established by Ninty canon.

Americans would have a chance to get this same info for the first time...if they bought the Official Nintendo Strategy Guide for Mario RPG. In that same book, it confirmed what was always the case: Bowser would continue trying to get up in Peach's life and make her his wife, no matter how many times she said "No!".

So yeah, it goes without saying that the Mario-verse is not exactly a thing where story line is important, and everything is made clear. But if you look closely at what IS, things become a bit more clear. 

[Mirby]

Well that's also kinda what he was doing in Sunshine (except under the false pretense that she was Junior's mom)... Thanks for that info!

[HyperSonicEXE]

I guess SPM concretes that, too, with the formation of the Chaos Heart, which is what would have happened if that had ever occurred at any time.

Still, it's not like Bowser would ever have treated that marriage the same way he would one with a BBK (big beautiful koopa).

[Mirby]

It's about time Ninty introduced a BBK for Bowser!

[Solar]

I guess SPM concretes that, too, with the formation of the Chaos Heart, which is what would have happened if that had ever occurred at any time.

Speaking of that, they haven't gotten a divorce yet have they? I guess Peach is still pretty much Ms. Koopa right now

[ViperAcidZX]

M. Bison. I don't think I need to explain this guy from SFII...

Other villains I could point out...

Mithos Yggdrasil - Tales of Symphonia
Iris Zeppelin - Rosenkreuzstilette (to me, she's the pen-ultimate definition of a "b*tch")
Dracula - Castlevania series
Sigma - Mega Man X series
Sho Minamimoto - The World Ends with You
Aichi - Sin and Punishment
Eve - Parasite Eve
Metroid Prime / Dark Samus - Metroid Prime series
Albert Wesker - Resident Evil 5 (this guy has a serious god-complex problem)
Dr. Wily - Mega Man series
Ganondorf, of course - Legend of Zelda series

That's all I got for now...

[TDOMMX]

Viper, pardon the nitpicking, but you might want to look up what "penultimate" actually means before using it.  It means "second-to-last" (ie: Eve is the penultimate boss of Parasite Eve; her son, "The Ultimate Being", is the final boss).  Also, there's no hyphen in the word.

As for my not-by-any-means-comprehensive contributions:

Count Vlad Tepes Dracula (nearly every Castlevania title)
- The Prince of Darkness who makes his opponents question if they're really doing the work of God as they claim with an unshakable air of dignity and class surrounding him.  Ironically, his awakened human form is far more dangerous than his many, many demonic incarnations.

Ganondorf / Ganon (every odd-numbered The Legend of Zelda title)
- Needs no introduction.  The Ocarina of Time version is one of the few final battles for which the word "epic" can be used without hyperbole.

Kefka Pallazzo (Final Fantasy VI)
- Face it: when was the last time you saw a villain try to destroy the world, and SUCCEED!?  Every single one of your party members must recover their nearly-non-existent will to live and tattered resolve to fight before even thinking of taking this "clown" down.  A batshit insane sociopath, and he's loving every minute of it.  Basically, Square's answer to The Joker.

Galbalan / Galvaran (Ys ~The Oath in Felghana~)
- Synthetic lifeform loses his sanity and swears vengeance against his creators, turning himself into a God in the process.  Easily has one of the best battle themes in all of gaming this side of Castlevania (slowly builds up before hitting full throttle at 0:40).

Meta-Knight (nearly every Kirby title since Kirby's Adventure)
- Only a "villain" in the sense that he opposes the protagonist.  When the "hero" a greedy, shoot-first-ask-questions-later glutton who beats the crap out of you if he so much as thinks you stole his strawberry shortcake, it takes a sword-wielding masked protector-of-the-peace to put him in his place.

Wolfgang Krauser (Masami Obari version, Fatal Fury II: The New Battle)
- A young, charismatic nobleman just looking for a good fight, and doing a damned fine job of making enemies to get it.  Paul Dobson's voicework makes the character just that much more classy ("Joe, once again you are being far too loud.  Die quietly, please, or I shall have to ask you to leave.").

[Archer]

Kefka is more overrated than Sephiroth these days.