Highlights
- Some video game villains have motivations that make players feel guilty for trying to stop them, even though it's necessary.
- The true intentions of villains like Marlene, Kessler, Letho, and Edgar Ross reveal complex and morally gray motivations.
- Ludwig, the Illusive Man, and other video game villains challenge players with their formidable power and deluded beliefs.
Villains in video games have a unique allure of their own, with most players directing all their energies in a bid to try and stop this person from making their plans a reality. This involves numerous confrontations, a lot of chasing, and some really powerful moves to prevent said villains from accomplishing their heinous actions in the majority of cases.
There are moments when some villains aren't outright terrible — in fact, their motivations are perfectly sound and make it clear why they're putting everything on the like to achieve their goals. In these instances, most players feel a twinge of guilt for trying to stop their enemy... although the game demands the same, so it must be done regardless of one's personal feelings about this matter.
6 Marlene (The Last Of Us)
The Fireflies were labeled as the saviors who would help humanity seek a cure while fighting against the oppression of FEDRA for the entirety of The Last of Us Part 1. However, near the end of the game, it's revealed that Marlene and her friends forgot to give Joel one vital piece of information — Ellie would die in the surgery that could possibly devise a cure against the spores.
This causes Joel to go on a rampage, ending in Marlene's death. It's a powerful moment that shows just how selfish Joel was, especially since Marlene was also torn up over Ellie's demise but decided to put the interests of humanity over her own feelings.
5 Kessler (Infamous)
It's a shame that Infamous hasn't seen a mainline entry in the longest time, especially since the first two games were incredible and did a great job of portraying electrical superhero powers in a dark world that was facing the threat of impending doom. The first game focuses on Cole McGrath as he slowly comes to terms with his own powers.
On the way, he is hounded by a mysterious foe called Kessler. It's only after Cole defeats him in the final battle that Kessler reveals his true identity — he was Cole from a future that was destroyed by a destructive Beast. His real reason for going back to the past was to help Cole from this timeline get powerful enough to be ready for this incoming threat.
4 Letho Of Gulet (The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings)
Letho is one of the most complex characters in The Witcher. Throughout the second game, he's portrayed as nothing more than an antagonist who kills kings without any care in the world. However, it's not until much later in the game that the driving force behind his assassinations comes to light.
He was contracted by none other than Emhyr var Emreis himself to dispose of any threats that could challenge him before trying to invade the North. In return, the Emperor would help him rebuild the School of the Viper, one of the many witcher schools that had fallen to ruin.
3 Edgar Ross (Red Dead Redemption)
Many people view Edgar Ross as one of the most disliked characters in video game history, and it's easy to see why this is the case. His actions led to the Van der Linde gang meeting their demise one by one, and the cold-blooded manner in which he killed Marston after using him like a puppet makes for one of the most shocking twists in any video game to date.
However, most people forget that the Van der Linde gang comprised a bunch of outlaws who'd committed many crimes and were fighting on the wrong side of the law. Sure, Ross' actions were horrid... but they also made sense since he was a lawman who wanted to preserve peace and order in a time when the world was transitioning to a new age.
2 Ludwig, The Accursed/The Holy Blade (Bloodborne)
It's unfair to call Ludwig a villain when he'd technically lost his mind during the events of The Old Hunters DLC. However, it's hard to empathize with a character who serves as one of the most challenging bosses in Bloodborne and never fails to wallop players who aren't ready to deal with his relentless barrage.
In the middle of this battle, Ludwig regains his sanity and uses the Moonlight Greatsword in battle, completely switching up his behavior as players have to deal with a man with years of battle experience under his belt. Talking to his severed head after this conflict is truly eye-opening, with Ludwig still operating under the delusion that the Healing Church was fighting against the scourge of the Nightmare instead of actively fueling it after its members lost their minds.
1 The Illusive Man (Mass Effect 3)
The leader of Cerberus saved Commander Shepard from his imminent death when the Normandy was blown up by an unknown vessel. While this may seem like he's a good man, the truth is that the Illusive Man was well aware of the threat of the Reapers and decided to prioritize humanity's survival over any other race.
However, in his goal to save his own race, the villain was eventually indoctrinated by the Reapers and turned into a tool to help this invasive race destroy all of humanity. If Shepard manages to convince this man of this fact near the end of the game, then he finally realizes that the best way to save humanity is to end his own life in a moment of redemption for one of gaming's best villains.