Most games see players control the good guy who is steadfast and has a noble goal that they want to fulfill. This is especially true for iconic video game characters who are often the main protagonists who serve as the major foil to their antagonists and their plans of varying villainy.
But in alternate realities, there have been games where such infallible video game heroes have turned into the dark side and let those villainous tendencies loose. But which video game characters have exceptionally dark or evil versions of themselves? These are some iconic video characters whose dark versions are equally memorable.
10 Evil Ryu/Kage – Ultra Street Fighter 4, Street Fighter 5
Ryu is synonymous with fighting games. He is the poster boy for the Street Fighter titles and is often depicted as the unshakable good guy whose goal is to master his martial arts style. But in Ultimate Street Fighter 4, he has an evil version aptly named Evil Ryu.
This evil version is Ryu who has been consumed by the Satatsui No Hadou, the similar rage that Akuma is fueled with. As such, Evil Ryu plays a much more aggressive style and combines his zoning from his normal form along with Akuma: he uses the Raging Demon for his Ultra Move which devastates enemies if it connects.
9 Devil Jin – Tekken Series
Jin Kazama was introduced back in Tekken 3 as part of the new blood of fighters: he has gained much acclaim as one of the franchise's popular characters and has become pivotal in the games’ narratives. His evil version, Devil Jin, first appeared in Tekken 3, but only in a cutscene: he only became playable in Tekken 5 and has become a high-tier, staple character as well ever since.
Similar to his father, Kazuya, Devil Jin is a more aggressive character with powerful and unique moves available only to him. He reverts to the Mishima fighting style and incorporates flying attacks and laser beams, thanks to his devil gene powers.
8 Dark Samus – Metroid Prime Series
Dark Samus is the main antagonist in the second and third Metroid Prime games. Made from Phazon, Dark Samus is a doppelganger of Samus, copying her armor and attacks, but tweaking it to fit her nefarious deeds. She possesses almost all of Samus’ abilities, with the inclusion of Phazon beams that she shoots to further pressure her targets.
In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Dark Samus can create clones of herself, called Dark Echoes, and has also seemingly brainwashed the Pirates without much trouble, further stacking the odds against Samus.
7 Dark Pit – Kid Icarus: Uprising
Pit from Kid Icarus: Uprising is the fearless hero who is loyal to Palutena and the captain of her royal bodyguards. But as with most heroes, Pit’s repressed dark side manifests itself to become a formidable and ruthless adversary.
Dark Pit exhibits a more brash demeanor and is more aggressive compared to Pit. He engages Pit in multiple encounters: Dark Pit possesses the same skills as Pit, but he is more deliberate with his attacks. This includes First Blade, EZ Cannon, Silver Bow, and his trademark Dark Pit Staff to strike at Pit from close and long range, respectively.
6 Dark Prince – Prince Of Persia: The Two Thrones
Also referred to as the Sand Prince, the Dark Prince is one of the main villains in Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. The Dark Prince is the culmination of all the negative thoughts and feelings of the Prince, particularly his pride, anger, and selfishness. He is cunning and lusts for power. He’d stop at nothing to gain control of the Prince’s body for his own so that he could sit on the throne and have dominion over all.
Skillswise, the Dark Prince has all the abilities of the Prince. He is exceptionally deadly when wielding Daggertail and the Dagger of Time. Highly agile and more physically powerful than the Prince, the Dark Prince is always jockeying for position to wrest control of the Prince’s body.
5 Evil Crash – Crash Twinsanity
Evil Crash is the more devious version of Crash in the Crash Twinsanity game. Hailing from the Tenth Dimension, Evil Crash is a more impulsive and aggressive version of the zany and unassumingly heroic marsupial, showing more savage tendencies, especially when he’s trying to knock Crash out.
Evil Crash is said to be a carnivore. This explains why he kidnaps Nina since he intends to eat her. As far as skills, Evil Crash seems to be immune to object hazards compared to Crash since he brushes off TNT and Nitro crates. His attacks are even more erratic than Crash, often utilizing his sharp claws to get to his target.
4 Liquid Snake – Metal Gear Solid Series
Liquid Snake is the archenemy of Solid Snake in the Metal Gear Solid games. He, along with Solid Snake and Solidus Snake, was a clone taken from Big Boss’ DNA: Liquid was fed information that he was the inferior clone of Big Boss while Solid was the superior version. This led to Liquid resenting Solid Snake and doing whatever it took to prove that he was the better clone.
Liquid Snake possesses genius-level intelligence on top of his clone physiology that grants him enhanced endurance and agility, as well as exceptional special forces and combat training. But his most dangerous trait is his drive to prove that he is the best clone of Big Boss. This drive has led him to exhibit megalomaniacal tendencies, which included the events that happened during the Shadow Moses incident.
3 Metal Sonic – Sonic The Hedgehog
Metal Sonic is the mechanized badnik version of Sonic who was created by Dr. Eggman for the sole purpose of destroying the hedgehog. He is programmed by Dr. Eggman to be cold, calculated, intelligent, and ruthless. These traits, along with a superiority complex against Sonic, make Metal Sonic a deadly foe.
Metal Sonic mirrors most of Sonic’s abilities. He can more than match Sonic in the speed department and has shown to be more durable thanks to his metallic body. He is also armed with various weapons such as plasma lasers and force fields. When he pushes himself to the limit, he can also cause his circuits to overdrive, just to ensure he beats Sonic.
2 Dark Link: The Legend Of Zelda Series
Considered to be one of Link’s more mysterious enemies, Dark Link is the dark reflection of the eponymous Hylian champion in various Legend of Zelda games. Dark Link is often a sub-boss in most titles and is often the ultimate challenge since he fights just like Link.
Looks-wise, Dark Link is the spitting image of Link, except for him seemingly made up of shadow and malice. His eyes are strikingly red, which is prominent on his shadowy visage. As far as abilities are concerned, Dark Link can perform any move that Link does and wield any weapon deftly, which is apt since Dark Link mirrors Link’s skills and abilities.
1 Evil/Dark Mario: Various Mario Games
Mario is often at odds with Bowser and his Koopa Troop, but in some Super Mario games, the plucky plumber has encountered various dark or evil versions of himself. These Dark or Evil Mario variants are made up of ooze or other malevolent material that form a warped version of Mario and often show up to wreak chaos on Mario and his friends.
Some notable Evil or Dark Mario variants are Shadow Mario in Super Mario Sunshine, Metal Mario in Super Smash Bros, and Cosmic Mario in Super Mario Galaxy. These Mario versions often stand in the way of Mario from clearing a level. Players have to beat them using Mario’s patented Ground Pound after leaving them open to the attack.