Gaming has evolved from its early days, where a simple gameplay loop was all it required to wow players all over the world. As technology has progressed, the gaming industry has evolved by leaps and bounds. Modern titles are now expected to have stellar graphics, amazing combat, and memorable characters that make the narrative feel all the more immersive.
Given that most games need a central conflict, villains have become quite popular in gaming. In fact, some games are so great at writing their villain that this character becomes a highlight of the experience, at times. While most people would assume that these villains have tear-inducing backstories of their own, the truth is that some of gaming's most memorable villains are evil for the sake of being evil... although that's not necessarily a bad thing.
10 Bowser (Super Mario Bros.)
Sometimes, villains don't need to have amazing backstories — especially in games where the story doesn't really matter. This is the case in Super Mario Bros., with the iconic Bowser serving as its antagonist since time eternal.
Bowser doesn't really have a reason to be bad... not that he needs it. His motivation to want to marry Peach and deceive Mario is enough for players to try and thwart his plans with some smooth platforming.
9 Doctor Eggman (Sonic The Hedgehog)
Doctor Robotnik is another villain who has served as a thorn in Sonic's side for the longest time (no pun intended). He doesn't need a backstory, especially since the story has always taken a backseat to Sonic's gameplay, barring a few special occasions.
The Sonic franchise might be going through a bit of a weird time right now, but there's no denying that the games were pretty rewarding in their own right. Doctor Eggman's need to get the Chaos Emeralds made him an easy villain to hate and fight against.
8 Vaas Montenegro (Far Cry 3)
Sometimes, insanity doesn't need a motivation of its own. While Vaas' feelings for his own sister might've played a role in his damaged psyche, it isn't anywhere near enough to justify his crazy actions.
He's one of the most riveting and iconic video game villains of all time, elevating Far Cry 3 to a whole new level. The entire game just feels hollow once players are done taking care of him.
7 Gary Smith (Bully)
Teenagers can be extremely mean at times. This seemed to be the only statement that led to the creation of Gary Smith, a disgusting character who betrays Jimmy after pretending to be his friend and takes over the entire school.
It takes a Herculean effort to finally beat Gary down and clear Jimmy's image. While Gary might not have had the best motivations around, his memorable performance and hate-able character made him a great antagonist for this brilliant title.
6 Big Smoke (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas)
Speaking of Rockstar Games, it's impossible to not mention Big Smoke from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The manner in which he and Ryder betrayed GSF was simply horrifying, and hunting them down throughout the entire game made for a great time.
Beating Big Smoke was especially rewarding since his body armor felt downright impervious at times. That, coupled with the escape from the burning building and the chase that followed afterward makes for a legendary final mission indeed.
5 Shao Kahn (Mortal Kombat)
Mortal Kombat is one of the most legendary fighting games of all time, released around a time when its gore caused waves of controversy. Since games at that time required simple premises, the main antagonist of Mortal Kombat had simple motivations as well.
Shao Kahn is a villainous emperor of the Underworld and one of the hardest opponents in almost every Mortal Kombat game. Fighting him is not an easy task in the slightest, with his powerful moveset and massive health pool making him an incredibly annoying opponent to deal with.
4 Ultimecia (Final Fantasy 8)
Final Fantasy 8's story takes some wild turns indeed, with its ultimate antagonist coming out of nowhere. For what it's worth, Ultimecia's strong presence and amazing final boss fight make her a memorable villain in her own right.
She's nothing more than a sorceress obsessed with the idea of compressing all time and space. It's an idea that sounds positively nightmarish, so it's easy to see why the main characters decide to fight her and save the entire universe from her dastardly plans.
3 Lavos (Chrono Trigger)
Chrono Trigger is one of the greatest and most revolutionary games of its time. The sheer number of amazing ideas in the game were brilliant, and the fact that players could fight the final boss at any time in the story made this title even more memorable.
Lavos, the antagonist of the game, is apparently an alien parasite whose plan is to suck out all life from Earth. It's a horrible thing to fathom, and players travel all throughout time to defeat this threat once and for all.
2 Illusive Man (Mass Effect)
The Mass Effect series still stands strong as one of the greatest sci-fi western RPGs of all time. The original trilogy is still a blast to play through, with BioWare showing why they are — or at least were — the master of their craft.
Commander Shepard's journey leads to him encountering the Illusive Man, who is one of the most mysterious and insidious characters in the game. His presence basically marks humanity's obsessive need to survive at all costs, to the point where he's completely fine with discarding other races as well.
1 SHODAN (System Shock)
The System Shock series features an iconic villain whose nightmarish mechanical ramblings have become the stuff of legends. Obviously, the person being talked about here is SHODAN.
A rogue AI with no regard for human life, SHODAN is a hauntingly amazing antagonist that players will love to battle. Her presence might be more prominent in the first game than the second, but she still has her moments in the latter.