The evil stepmom trope has been around for centuries, first widely circulated within the cautionary tales published by the Grimm brothers in 1812. It’s the classic tale of a woman who waltzes into a family void of a motherly figure, who then makes the lives of the children a nightmare, unbeknownst to the love-stricken father who thinks his new wife can do no wrong.
While video games have delivered some truly despicable female antagonists, such as Jacqueline Natla from Tomb Raider or Faith Seed from Far Cry 5, none are as cold as the women who wouldn’t think twice about sacrificing their stepchildren for personal gain. Having a villain who fixates on the destruction of the player is commonplace in games, but when the threat comes from your own home, that is an entirely different matter. What makes things worse is that the one person many people turn to in times of trouble, their mother, is no longer around to help them.
7 Commissioner Catherine Kane (Gotham Knights)
One caped crusading hero that is missing in Gotham Knights is Kate Kane, the wealthy heiress who becomes Batwoman. While Kate is only mentioned in a phone message, her stepmother and father, Catherine and Jacob Kane, certainly make their presence known.
In Gotham Knights, Commissioner Catherine Kane sets out to portray the Bat Family as villains in return for good press. While it is unknown whether Kate has donned the pointed ears at this point, when she inevitably takes up the mantle, it will be her own stepmother fueling hate toward her.
6 Brigid Tenenbaum (BioShock)
While Bioshock’s Bridgid Tenenbaum is taking care of the Little Sisters by the time Jack arrives in Rapture, her maternal role is more likely out of guilt rather than love. In her heyday, Tenenbaum was a brilliant geneticist who first discovered ADAM, a DNA-altering substance that could give those using it incredible powers. The only downside was that business was booming and Fontaine Futuristics, who funded her work, couldn’t keep up with the demand.
Eventually, Tenenbaum came up with the twisted concept of the Little Sisters. By implanting an ADAM Slug in the stomach of little girls stolen from their biological mothers, the production of ADAM was increased tenfold. After mentally conditioning the children and leaving them a shell of their former selves, she sent them out to harvest the valuable substance from corpses.
5 Lady Tremaine (Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep)
One of the most infamous stepmoms in fiction is that of Cinderella, portrayed as Lady Tremaine in Walt Disney’s classic. This overbearing, jealous and cruel matriarch is also an antagonist in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, which was released on the Sony PSP in 2010.
In Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Lady Tremaine treats Cinderella as poorly as she does in the original Disney movie. Cinderella is forced to be a house servant, running every errand for Lady Tremaine and her daughters, Anastasia and Drizella. Fortunately, one of the game’s main protagonists, Aqua, manages to free Cinderella from the tyranny of her stepmom with a little help from Fairy Godmother and the adorable Jaq. Enraged, Lady Tremaine turns Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage into the nightmarish Cursed Coach; a plan that explosively backfires.
4 Mother Brain (Metroid)
While not being the most orthodox of motherly figures, Mother Brain from the Metroid series was created by the Chozo. This advanced AI was tasked to look over the bird-like race and their adoptive daughter, Samus. After Space Pirates invaded the planet Zebes, the AI turned on its creators and became the leader of the pirates instead.
Mother Brain tries to persuade Samus to join her side in the galactic conquest, even creating the iconic Power Suit to help in the mission. Samus refuses the offer and defeats the artificial abomination. In Super Metroid, Mother Brain and Samus face off again, this time modifying herself with a gigantic body to easily overwhelm the woman she watched grow up.
3 Queen Umbra (Child Of Light)
After the untimely death of Aurora’s mother in Child of Light, a new woman was keen to step into her shoes and steal the affections of the Duke. Less than two years later, Aurora is found dead in her bed after suddenly falling ill.
Death isn’t the end of Aurora’s tale in Child of Light, as she is transported to the mystical land of Lemuria to retrieve the sun, moon, and stars stolen by the Queen of the Night. Aurora eventually finds out that her new stepmother was the evil Queen Umbra all along. She also discovers that it was Umbra that poisoned her mother and was the one responsible for Aurora’s sudden illness.
2 Evil Stepmother (Dark Parables - Rise Of The Snow Queen)
Dark Parables is a series of hidden object games that retells and intertwines classic fairy tales, returning them to their bleak origins. The third installment in the series, Rise of the Snow Queen, tells the story of Snow White and her transformation into the ruthless Snow White. During the game, players learn of the mysterious stepmother who married Snow White’s father, King Edric, following the death of the Queen.
Despite only having a minor role in the Rise of the Snow Queen, the Evil Stepmother clearly lives up to her title. After discovering that her beautiful daughter is the “fairest in the land” and not herself, she bewitches her husband and orders him to execute his daughter along with his son, Ross Red. Luckily, Prince James arrives to save the day.
1 Lady Annabelle Comstock (Bioshock Infinite)
Lady Comstock was utterly devoted to her husband leading up to the events of Bioshock Infinite. She was so loyal, in fact, that she agreed to raise the heir of Zachary Comstock under the guise that the child was her biological daughter. After two years, however, Lady Comstock grew suspicious of Elizabeth. She believed that she was the illegitimate child of Rosalind Lutece, who was forced to explain that she and her twin had taken the child from an alternate reality. Refusing to have the child in her home any longer, Elizabeth was locked away in Monument Island.
Feeling betrayed, angry and confused, Lady Comstock threatened to share Elizabeth’s true identity with the citizens of Columbia. The Prophet Comstock swiftly had the First Lady murdered and framed the scullery maid, Daisy Fitzroy, for the crime. During Bioshock Infinite, Comstock uses a siphon to raise the spirit of Lady Comstock from the grave. Still holding a grudge, the tormented siren attacks Elizabeth and Booker, fueled by resentment and rage.