Sega is a popular video game company that needs no introduction. While it has dabbled quite a bit in console development, a string of failures led to Sega reigning in its ambitions to become more of a publisher instead. This venture has turned out to be quite successful for the series, with many Sega games being riveting for numerous reasons.
This company has dabbled in several genres with varying degrees of success, with many people loving the titles they release. No matter what interests a player may have, they can rest assured that Sega will have their bases covered. It helps that the majority of their games have some excellent antagonists that players can find really easy to hate!
7 Chaos (Sonic Adventure)
Sonic Adventure was the first proper attempt by the series to transition to a fully 3D environment, which reaped some pretty mixed results indeed. While players loved the idea of zooming around vast levels as their favorite blue hedgehog, the lack of technical polish really pulled this game back a peg.
Regardless, the game tried some unique things, including the addition of an entirely new antagonist who was pretty mysterious in its own right. Chaos is a malicious figure who looks pretty intimidating, and it's only until much later that his origins are brought to light.
6 Tohru Adachi (Persona 4)
Persona 4 is a game that is so beloved by the fanbase that many people still consider it to be the greatest title in the series, despite the immense success of its sequel. The small town of Inaba made for a cozy setting that fans loved, despite the oppressive nature of the fog and the looming threat of a serial killer.
After an investigation that takes players down a wild rollercoaster ride, players finally figure out the true identity of the person who was terrorizing this town — Tohru Adachi! Ryotaro Dojima's partner ended up being a deranged maniac who got the power of the Wild Card and killed many people before his crimes were finally brought to light.
5 Akira Nishikiyama (Yakuza)
When the first Yakuza game was released, Nishiki was a pretty decent antagonist... but with one major flaw — there's really no reason to be invested in the friendship that he and Kiryu supposedly shared once. This changed with the advent of Yakuza 0, which allowed players to see this friendship blossom before it crashed and burned in this entry.
To make things even more engaging, Yakuza Kiwami added cutscenes that fleshed out Nishikiyama's descent into villainy, with the death of his sister triggering a rapid transformation. All of this adds to the weight of their final encounter, which is a spectacle when players have all the context.
4 Lan Di (Shenmue)
Shenmue is a legendary title that cost a bomb to make and arguably popularized the notion of QTEs in the industry. The idea of living out a virtual life while trying to hunt down the man who killed Ryo's father makes for a great gameplay loop that may be rough around the edges right now but is still worth exploring.
It helps that Lan Di is a riveting antagonist whose mere presence elevates the series to new heights. It's a shame that Shenmue 3 allows players to fight this man once again only for the encounter to be extremely underwhelming in every way, and fans can only wait and wonder if Shenmue 4 will correct this atrocity.
3 Doctor Eggman (Sonic The Hedgehog)
One of the most legendary villains in gaming history. Dr. Robotnik has been a thorn in Sonic's side from the very first game in the series. His cartoonishly evil look is iconic in every way, with his mechanical monstrosities hounding Sonic every step of the way.
It's the simplicity of Eggman's villainous nature that makes him such an easy villain to battle against. In fact, he's such a huge part of what makes Sonic so great that there are times when the games actually manage to make players empathize with him!
2 Goro Akechi (Persona 5)
Persona 5 is one of the greatest JRPGs of all time, featuring a cast of lovable characters, a striking art style, and a narrative that will keep players hooked until the very end. Of course, one of the biggest reasons why this game was such a huge hit stems from its cast of memorable villains, with characters like Kamoshida and Shido doing a great job of being as hateable as possible.
Out of all the villains in the game, Akechi is easily the most likable of the lot. Players loved that they could control this maniac during the extra semester added in Persona 5 Royal, and the boss fight against him is easily one of the highlights of the game by a country mile.
1 Ryuji Goda (Yakuza 2)
Yakuza 2 was a massive improvement over its predecessor in many ways, even if the narrative did end up being a bit too confusing at times. One of the best parts of this game is undoubtedly Ryuji Goda's presence, with the Dragon of Kansai serving as a great foil to Kiryu's noble antics.
His powerful presence makes it clear that he's just as powerful as Kiryu, with their final battle being truly incredible in every way. This cinematic clash ends with a heroic sacrifice, and fans can only wonder how Goda could've evolved if he'd had a change of heart and ended up becoming a memorable side character like Daigo and Majima.