Capcom has some of the best and most recognizable characters on the market. Mega Man is probably not as recognizable to a random person compared to Mario. Still, video game fans certainly know who he is even if they don’t play the games.
As great as heroes like Mega Man from his titular series and Jill from Resident Evil are, they are only half of the equation. These heroes would not be as iconic if not for their villains. Those two series in particular have some great villains in them. Who are they and what other Capcom franchises are worth bringing up? Let’s dive in and find out.
8 Miles - Ace Attorney
Miles is the antagonist for a majority of the Ace Attorney games. He is the rival to the star, Phoenix Wright, as a prosecutor. He always thinks he has the upper hand but Phoenix always manages to one-up his moves. Miles is not so much a villain as he is only trying to do his job for what he believes to be right. Still, it’s great to see the two characters bash their heads against each other in court in this mystery adventure game series.
7 Virgil - Devil May Cry
Virgil is the brother to Dante from the Devil May Cry series. He’s both a villain and an anti-hero in these games as his side is never clearly defined. He seems to want to help Dante, but he’s also doing anything necessary to gain victory. Sometimes those ideals clash with Dante’s, creating some epic blade-on-blade fights. Their best rivalry is contained in the third game which is a prequel. The two demon hunters are still green behind the horns and each one thinks they are the superior fighter.
6 Dr. Wily - Mega Man
Dr. Wily is the mad scientist behind all of the evil robot invasions in the Mega Man series. He is at least the villain in the first eleven main games before things branched off into other spinoffs. He is the stereotypical Saturday Morning Cartoon villain complete with a maniacal laugh and an evil robot army.
All he wants to do is destroy society and 8-Bit games from this generation didn’t need villains more complex than this. Dr. Wily is a classic villain for all of video games and not just within Capcom’s history.
5 Sigma - Mega Man X
Sigma replaced Dr. Wily once the Mega Man X series started. He, unlike his 8-Bit counterpart, did have a robust backstory. Sigma was the leader of the Maverick Hunters which was a force of robotic humans that hunted likeminded robots that went rogue. He may have been good once, but throughout the course of the first game, it is revealed he had been turned into a Maverick too. Armed with a lightsaber equivalent, Sigma was ready to take on X and claim victory over all of mankind and robots.
4 Nobunaga - Onimusha
Nobunaga is a real-life Japanese lord that ruled during the era of samurai. He’s one of the most famous rulers in the country which is why he has made it into a ton of games albeit with some drastic changes. For example, in the Onimusha series, he has been corrupted by demons. The series is a lot like Resident Evil complete with zombies, puzzles, and fixed camera angles. Nobunaga now rules Japan with an iron fist and it’s up to players to stop the demon invasion with slick blade moves. Another great game series starring Nobunaga is Samurai Warriors, but that is not a Capcom property.
3 Wesker - Resident Evil
Wesker is the ultimate villain in the Resident Evil series. He is partly to blame for the zombie outbreak that erupts in Raccoon City. Wesker was a scientist for Umbrella and one of its founding members. It all began in the Spencer Mansion in the first game.
While he wasn’t responsible for the helicopter crash, he didn’t help Jill, Chris, and the others escape the zombie nightmare either. Eventually, he does get his comeuppance via Chris punching a rock for a solid few minutes.
2 Nemesis - Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Nemesis is another great villain from this series who appears in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. The game didn’t push the boundaries on PS1 at the time, but it did have one major factor that changed things up a bit: Nemesis. This colossal monstrosity would chase players throughout the game, popping up randomly. He could be downed momentarily but he could not be killed until the end boss fight. It was an evolution of Mr. X from Resident Evil 2 and the mechanics were more thought out. Jill certainly had her hands tied in this game as she tried to make sense of it all.
1 M. Bison - Street Fighter
M. Bison is the major reoccurring villain in the Street Fighter series. As cool as he is in the games with his ability to float, his flowing cape, and his electrified eyes, his best depiction is in the movie. As bad as that movie is, fans tend to at least like his portrayal by Raul Julia, which was his final performance. “For you, the day Bison graced your village was the most important day of your life, but for me, it was Tuesday.” That line he says to Chun-Li in the movie has become a meme that all generations of fans will remember from here on out.