As BioWare prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary, it's worth remembering that this legendary studio has crafted some truly spectacular RPG experiences. Running the gamut from traditional fantasy fare with Baldur's Gate and Neverwiner Nights, all the way to science fiction adventures in the form of Star Wars and Mass Effect, BioWare has also remembered a key aspect of RPG design, which is having a great collection of nasty villains to fight.
5 Best BioWare Villains With Heroic Tendencies
BioWare's history of excellent video game writing means that some of their most iconic villains could have been heroes in a different story.
Whether it's a rogues' gallery of evil wizards and warlocks or an alien race determined to destroy humanity, BioWare has a knack for crafting fantastic groups of antagonistic forces for the player to fight. And over the past 30 years, not only have they been creating some of the industry's greatest RPGs, but they've made sure that the villains featured in these games have ranked up there with some of the best villains of all time.
6 Jade Empire
Hand-To-Hand Action RPG Features Impressive Gallery Of Villains
Jade Empire was a game described within BioWare as a "dream project", a title that the founders of the company had wanted to make since the company's inception. Taking strong influence from Chinese history, drawing from the Han and Ming dynasties, Jade Empire casts the player as the Spirit Monk, putting them into direct conflict with the forces that have abducted their Master. Leading this parade of villains is Sun Li, the ruler of the eponymous Jade Empire.
Backed by Death's Hand, the leader of the Lotus Assassins, and the Emperor Sun Hai, the antagonistic forces of Jade Empire are easily some of BioWare's best creations. Each of them have their own distinct motives, personalities and inherent flaws. It's a game that is in dire need of a remake, as contemporary technology could bring these already fantastic villains to life even more.
5 Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows Of Amn
Iconic CRPG Pits Players Against Outstanding Cast Of Enemies
After developing a mech combat game known as Shattered Steel for their debut title, BioWare found their true calling by adopting the Forgotten Realms setting as the foundation for their first rpg, Baldur's Gate. And in the sequel that launched two years later, BioWare surpassed the original in every single way, and especially when it came to the villains. With Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn, BioWare introduced a collection of absolutely spectacular villains.
Every Baldur's Gate Game, Ranked
The Baldur's Gate series is a collection of fantastic games, but which one is the hero among them all? Here are all Baldur's Gate games, ranked.
Jon Irenicus, voiced by the late David Warner, is introduced alongside Bodhi, voiced by B.J. Ward. After being exiled from an Elven city, and being stripped of their power, the two embark on a quest to restore themselves by any means necessary. Their lack of empathy towards the party is truly haunting, as they see nothing wrong with experimenting with dark magic not only on themselves, but on the party, in an effort to save themselves.
4 Dragon Age: Inquisition
Third Mainline Entry In Action RPG Series Showcases Incredible Villain Roster
While Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights were built around adapting and expanding the Dungeons and Dragons rule sets, Dragon Age was BioWare's attempt at creating a wholly unique fantasy IP. And it worked out in their favor, as Dragon Age has become one of their most popular franchises, not the least of which due to its incredible cast of villains. With Dragon Age: Inquisition, BioWare continued the tradition, weaving in a host of both new villains and returning favorites.
Returning from Dragon Age 2's Legacy DLC is Corypheus, the powerful darkspawn that broke from his seal, as well as newcomers like Solas, the Dread Wolf. Other, more ambiguous antagonists populate the world, such as Flemeth and her daughter Morrigan. It is a truly remarkable collection of villains, each of them coming from radically different perspectives, and all of them are a joy to watch.
3 Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
Classic Star Wars RPG Boasts Phenomenal Villain Roster
After spending extended time in the world of Dungeons and Dragons, BioWare looked to a new IP for inspiration and teamed up with LucasArts to create a Star Wars RPG exclusively for the Xbox known as Knights of the Old Republic. But rather than relying on already proven villains like Darth Vader or Emperor Palpatine, BioWare opted to create a whole new cast of agents from the dark side to torment the heroes.
Best Star Wars Games Ever, Ranked
On top of many successful movies, the Star Wars franchise has also seen a whole host of incredible games that have brought its universe to life.
Leading them is Darth Malak, the sinister Sith Lord who was an apprentice to a fallen Jedi named Revan during the Jedi Civil War. This diabolical dark lord is assisted by Saul Karath, a devious traitor who defected to the Sith Empire under Malak. And as players come to find out, their character is actually the former Darth Revan, the fallen Jedi who nearly brought the Order to its knees. It's a unique set of villains, and one that the player has an indirect hand in.
2 Mass Effect
Classic Scifi RPG Features Fabulous Collection Of Villains
Leaving the swords and fantasy trappings behind them, BioWare ditched their turn-based affairs for a real-time, third-person action RPG called Mass Effect in 2007. This sprawling, science fiction epic was designed to be told over the course of a trilogy, and BioWare brought their trademark flare for amazing villains to the first game in spectacular fashion.
Saren Arterius is a cunning, deceptive mastermind working behind the scenes and a magnetic lead villain. Brought to life with incredible voicework and an incredible sense of dread, Saren is backed up by the tragic and complicated Matriarch Benezia. And lurking ominously in the background are the Reapers, an ancient evil that adds a bit of gravitas and scale to everything. Mass Effect 1 succeeds in many ways, but its villains still resonate today.
1 Mass Effect 2
Sequel To Sci-fi Epic Produces Even Better Roster Of Villains To Fight
After an explosive opening scene that sees Commander Shephard blown out of an airlock attempting to save their crew, Mass Effect 2 sees the arrival of several improvements and upgrades over the first game. This sequel is darker, much more complex and is filled with some terrific new and old villains for Shephard and the crew of the Normandy to tackle.
6 Darkest Mass Effect Characters
These dark and devious Mass Effect characters have proven that they aren't afraid to cause a little bit of pain and suffering if it benefits them.
Headlining is the Illusive Man, a mysterious figure from an organization known as Cerberus. This group seems to control the ebbs and flows of the Mass Effect universe, as the Illusive Man's dark hand has a wide reach. The Reapers return, their impact on the greater story increasing, as the end result of their experimentation on Protheans leads to the birth of the Collectors. It's an all-star group of nasty villains, all of whom are exceptionally well-executed.
7 Best BioWare Villains
BioWare is known for producing some beautiful games and characters, but also creating believable and terrible villains.
