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Antagonists in video games play an equally crucial role as the protagonist in making the title's narrative more memorable. A good villain always spices things up for the player, and they are often the most misunderstood character in the game, as the title does not exactly do a good job of showing things off from their perspective.
Over the years, video games have created some of the most incredible villains that one can hope for. Their personalities are quite complex, and their magnetism sets them apart from the rest of the antagonists that one can come across in other popular titles.
Hence, today’s list will cover five amazing video game antagonists who deserve their own spin-off games.
Note: The catalog of villains mentioned below is subjective and reflects the writer’s personal opinions. In no way is it a universal consensus that reflects the feelings of the wider community and should not be taken as such.
Video game villains who deserve their own game
1) Vaas (Far Cry 3)
Intelligent, impulsive, and outright psychotic, Far Cry 3’s Vaas is often hailed by many as the best antagonist the franchise has ever created. While the game’s narrative does not exactly delve too much into his backstory, there are some things from his past that are mentioned in the video game. Players get to learn that the antagonist was worn into the Rook Island’s native Rakyat tribe and that he is also the brother of their leader, Citra.
Vaas was put through the same warrior training as Jason Brody, however, Citra then wanted him to have an inbred baby with her in order to continue the warrior line. In light of the proposition, Vaas fled the islands, only to come back later as a pirate to terrorize all the people living in it.
There indeed seems to be enough material in Vaas’ past that will allow him to enjoy a standalone video game all to himself.
His warrior training as a child and then his time away from the islands, only to return as a pirate, will make for some interesting gameplay and narrative, which a lot of Far Cry fans would love to explore.
While the Far Cry 6 Insanity DLC allows players to pick him as the protagonist, the story of Vaas, as fleshed out by voice-overs and occasional cutscenes, is rather short from a narrative perspective. Hence, the developer could have done much better with his character if he had got an entire game to himself.
2) Liquid Snake (Metal Gear Solid)
Liquid Snake’s backstory is something that the Metal Gear community has been wanting to do for some time now. In the video game, it was revealed that at the age of 12, Liquid escaped into the African wilderness to become the leader of a community of child soldiers.
He has one of the more interesting backstories in the franchise, and his adult self comes off as somewhat of an unpleasant personality, and his colorful past has always drawn players to him.
His standalone title can then portray his story from how he was able to lead a group of children, then work as part of the Secret Service, join FOXHOUND with Psycho Mantis, build a private militia of his own, and then go on to hijack Metal Gear REX.
His motives and ideologies are not something the franchise has aptly explored, which is why many feel that this antagonist deserves his own standalone game.
3) Handsome Jack (Borderlands 2)
As a megalomaniac who is constantly looking to plot and scheme, Handsome Jack is still one of the most likable villains in the Borderlands series. Players often sympathize with him based on the amount of backstory the video game provides about his past.
Handsome Jack’s parents had died when he was still a child, and under the care of his grandmother, he had to go through a lot of physical and mental abuse that turned him into who he was in the game.
He is a master manipulator who is constantly looking to use those around him to further his own ideals. However, the antagonist was not all talk, as players can see in the final boss encounter where Handsome Jack does have some gunslinging skills up his sleeve.
Hence, his own video game can look to trace his backstory, from the abuse at the hands of his grandmother to owning the Hyperion corporation, ultimately becoming Pandora’s self-made despot.
4) Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII)
Sephiroth is one of the most misunderstood villains in Final Fantasy, whose backstory is not something that Square has delved into all that much. However, from what was exposed from all the dialogs he exchanged with Cloud, Sephiroth’s intention of killing “Mother” was not a desire he had since birth.
He was once a great hero, but soon he descended into madness, which turned him into one of the most memorable villains in Final Fantasy history. Infused with cells from Jenova, Sephiroth was taken away at birth and raised as a soldier so that he could one day become a War Hero.
This is where his psyche towards the world turned for the worse. His mind slowly corrupted and was steeped further into madness.
During his ideological shifts, Sephiroth was forced to face off against his former friends. Hence, his very own game can look to deal with the inner turmoil and the experiences that led him to become an antagonist.
5) Bowser (Super Mario)
The princess kidnapping Bowser is yet to have a standalone game to his name, even when Wario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, and even TOAD have got their own spin-offs over the course of the years.
While he does appear as a playable character in some of the other titles, he is yet to have a video game where he is the protagonist of his own story.
Bowser is one of the most popular characters in Nintendo history. He is almost as infamous as his rival enemy Mario, while at the same time boasting a tremendous amount of power.
Bowser commands the entirety of the Koopas race and, in his very own game, can look to deal with his past and how he came to command the race, ultimately facing off against Mario and Luigi, culminating in the kidnapping of the princess.
It’s indeed about time that Nintendo finally cooks up a Bowser video game, as Mario fans have been looking forward to one for a very long time.
