Summary
There are many, many factors that need to come together to make a good story. Thesetting needs to be strong, the characters likable, all things players will have seen in their favorite titles across the years. However, one thing that can always lead to a standout title, even making up for other faults, is a good villain.
JRPGs have featured some of the best villains ever put into the video game format, but the question that remains is:howdo these villains become so compelling? Are theyjust a hard-won fight?Are they sympathetic? For these characters in particular, their reputation as some of the best villains in history is based on one thing: the fear they inspire.
A Ruthless Sociopath
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht
THOUSANDS OF YEARS INTO THE FUTURE, MAN EXISTS ONLY IN DEEP SPACE.BRUTALLY OPPOSED BY A MERCILESS ALIEN RACE, HUMANITY FACES AN UNCERTAIN DESTINY AS IT UNLOCKS THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE IN SEARCH OF THE ULTIMATE TRUTH.• An epic adventure delivering over 80 hours of game play• Stunning graphics, breathtaking cinematics and beautifully rendered 3D environments• Music performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra• Four exhilarating mini-games• Innovative battle and control systems
Albedo is a cruel and uncaring despot, a man whose immortality has changed him, and not for the better. He views his inability to die mostly as other peoples' problem. InXenosaga, if he’s onscreen, he’s probably talking about how much he relishes torturing others.
He’s misanthropic and has the worst kind of god complex, viewing all human endeavors as futile distractions against morality — a mortality he will happily providethe main cast, if they’re not careful.
A Cunning Strategist And Foe
Suikoden II
Experience An Epic Tale of Warfare, Magic Friendship and Betrayal- New Tactical Map Battles Add A Whole New Level Of Strategy- Fantastic Spells With Stunning Animation Sequences And Specialized Attacks- Over 108 Different Characters Can Join Your Party And Help You On Your Quest- Unlock Hidden Storylines Using Your Memory Card Data From The Original Suikoden- Build Up Your Castle During The Course Of The Thriving Virtual Community
Luca is one of the most terrifying villains in the video game medium. His sheer enjoyment in bloodlust and his unslaked desire for violence make him one of the most potent threats in the game, and a contributing aspectof how influentialSuikoden 2is.
To boot, he’s also an incredibly difficult boss, and will test all the Stars of Destiny in their battle. The upcoming remaster of this game is sure to bring this terrifying foe to an entirely new audience.
Final Fantasy 6isone of the best gamesin the entire franchise, and that is in no small part due to this truly frightening foe. Kefka Palazzo is a court mage who has lost his mind to magic and madness both.
Kefka’s court jester appearance hides insidious levels of intelligence. He’s not a force to be reckoned with for most of the game, until the party are at their most powerful. Kefka’s flamboyant disregard for life was a strong departure from the more stoic villains of olderFinal Fantasytitles, bringing something fresh for longtime fans of the series.
Shin Megami Tensei 4isone of the hardestin the series, in no small part due to the sheer scope of its story. Players begin the story fending off pitiful demons and mercenaries, and they finish the story by battling the Abrahamic conception of God.
This character whose name is unutterable by mortals, YHVH, stands between the player and remaking the world for good. YHVH commands all the angelic and certain demonic creatures in the game, which act as part of what is essentially a divine hive mind. This is a terrifying extent of power that no otherSMTantagonist has been able to match before or since.
When people talk abouthow difficultAlliance Aliveis, there is one boss fight in particular that will always come up. Grossa battles the players at the midpoint of the story - and this is already after players have seen this cold, unflinching general wax poetic about the rule of law, and blind one of the party members.
A tool of the Daemons, Grossa’s sheer power is telegraphed early on in the player’s experience, and it sends shock waves throughout the story and how they’re perceived. Both mechanically and narratively, this is a terrifying boss fight.
The hugely popularDragon Quest 3remake has reignited a love for this older title and, on top of that, reignited a fear of a supremely powerful foe. Zoma’s whole design conveys to the player that he is a supremely evil character.
At the intersection of a dark wizard and an evil tyrant, Zoma is a mystical force of oppression and mayhem for most ofDQ3’s story. This culminates in one of the most atmospheric and engaging final boss fights of the series.
Ghetsis has an additional bonus over other villains on this list. His supremely terrifying aura comes through in not just one, but two games. However, it’s in the second title that players see this villain at his most candid.
Pokemon Black & White 2owes much of its reputation as one ofthe best mainline gamesto this character and his signature Pokemon, Hydreigon. Ghetsis' ruthless plan of dominion struck real fear intoPokemonplayers for maybe the first time in the whole series.
Like some other titles on this list, what definesDragon’s Dogma 2is its antagonist. They are a singular and perpetual part of the story that every other event is fixed upon. It’s even the namesake of the series itself.
The Dragon’s cosmic and at times even personal relationship with the Arisen doesn’t stop them from being such a terrifying fight. Indeed, if anything, the more players gain insight into this foe, the more reason they have to fear him.
