Highlights
- Kefka from Final Fantasy 6 is remembered as one of the greatest villains in gaming, thanks to his evil actions that bring about the end of the world.
- Dalton from Chrono Trigger is a small villain with a great design who hounds the main characters and gets a satisfying defeat.
- King K. Rool from Donkey Kong Country is a hilarious and unexpected villain with a gold-plated chest and crown, making players question the sleeker villain tropes of the 90s.
Some of the greatest villains in gaming came from the SNES era or were celebrated with new appearances in this generation. For example, Kefka from Final Fantasy 6 is a downright evil piece of scum. Thanks to his treacherous ways, he brings about the end of the world and players had to rectify this atrocity by getting the team back together.
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It was a bold move for an RPG in 1994, which is why Kefka is remembered so fondly, along with many other reasons. What about villains that were not main antagonists, or bigger villains that came from smaller games? Surely there are others worth celebrating beyond Kefka, so let’s dive in and find out.
8 Dalton
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger
- Platform(s)
- SNES , PlayStation (Original) , PC , Nintendo DS , Android , iOS
- Released
- March 11, 1995
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Magus is the villain most tend to associate with Chrono Trigger. Dalton, however, is a small villain who appears during the 12,000 B.C. arc. While it seems like nothing but cavemen exist in this wintery era, Crono and the others discover a futuristic society in the sky called Zeal.
Dalton is the head of the Zeal army and immediately starts to hound Crono and the others for interfering with some coup d'etat shenanigans. His design is great with the cape, flowing hair, and eyepatch. Watching Dalton get smoked even though he was so sure he had the upper hand was a great joy.
7 King K. Rool
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country
- Platform(s)
- SNES , Game Boy Color , Nintendo Game Boy Advance
- Released
- November 24, 1994
- Developer(s)
- Rare
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
King K. Rool is an ever-looming presence in Donkey Kong Country. Players don’t get to truly interact with him until the final boss fight of the game though. The reveal of a thicker Kremling with a gold-plated chest, cape, and crown was hilarious.
This was the villain that was behind everything? It was a great reversal of expectations in a time when 90s villains were sleeker and more cool looking. Those who watched the cartoon that came after this game know how fun King K. Rool could truly be, even though he was quite pathetic.
6 Ultros
Final Fantasy 6
Kefka ranks up there as not just one of the best villains on the SNES, but one of the best of the entire series. There are a lot of other villains to highlight in Final Fantasy 6, but the only good reccurring one has to be Ultros.
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Players first meet him as he tries to destroy a raft they happen upon after they leave The Returners' hideout. It was a good debut, but what really cemented his presence happened later at the Opera House. Accompanied by a full-on orchestra, players went toe-to-toe with this goofy-looking tentacular freako.
5 Booster
Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars
The main villain of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is Smithy and his gang of anthropomorphic weapons who want to destroy wishes. Like King K. Rool, players don’t get to meet him until the end of the game, and he is formidable and memorable, but not as fun as another villain.
Booster is the only villain in the game with a large, continuous arc that players interact with. It begins in his tower as players try to rush up to save Princess Peach. This then continues with a mini-game race followed by the wedding of the century with some hilarious results. Booster has some real Wario energy, and in the remake, players get to fight him directly for the first time.
4 Kamek
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Yoshi's Island
- Platform(s)
- SNES , Nintendo Game Boy Advance
- Released
- October 4, 1995
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
In the main Mario games, Bowser is typically the villain to beat, and he is a great one. However, this was changed in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, as this was a prequel to all Mario games that came before it. Bowser was just a baby, as was Mario.
Players instead played as Yoshi, who had to protect Mario from a cavalcade of baddies. Who was controlling them all? The grand hooded Koopa himself, Kamek. He is quite the formidable foe in many entries, even in the latest movie, but Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island felt like his biggest moment.
3 Vile
Mega Man X
Vile is the first boss players will face in Mega Man X. It’s one of those boss fights that cannot be won, as Zero has to come in and save the day. While his mech is ruined, Vile retreats to Sigma’s lair where he awaits a rematch. Once again, Zero has to step in and save X, and in the process, he dies, as does Vile.
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Both get resurrected later in the series though, as they are robots. Of the many villains in this series, besides the main villain Sigma, Vile proves himself to be quite resilient. The love for him was highlighted in the PSP remake of the original as he became playable.
2 Bear Hugger
Super Punch-Out!!
Bear Hugger is one of the earliest opponents players will face in Super Punch-Out!! He debuted in the arcades first before coming to consoles via this SNES reimagining. He also joined the roster in the 2009 Wii game, which was itself sort of a reboot.
He’s not a particularly hard opponent to read, but his large build, yokel outfit, and syrup-loving background made him stick out. Hopefully, this eccentric boxer will return if Nintendo ever decides to revisit this franchise once again.
1 Agahnim
The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Platform(s)
- SNES , Nintendo Game Boy Advance , 3DS
- Released
- April 13, 1992
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
Ganon is the ultimate villain in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. However, without Agahnim, his resurrection would not have happened. It seems like there is often a wizard behind Ganon’s or Ganondorf’s resurrections, and Agahnim ranks up there as one of the most memorable.
Also, it’s a bit unclear, but it seems like Agahnim is also Ganon, but not. Fans know by now that this franchise can be a bit convoluted, especially when trying to piece timelines together. Ganon or not, Agahnim has enough strength to send Link to the Dark World even after he is defeated, which kicks off part two of the adventure.
