5 scariest video game villains of all-time

A story is only as good as its villain; such has been an age-old adage that holds true for games as well. Many games are made better and elevated as a result of the inclusion of iconic and memorable villains.

The objective of a survival/horror game is to really bring the horror to the game, and they accomplish it using various methods, the most important of all is a scary villain.

Here we look at some of the scariest villains in video games.

Five scariest video game villains of all-time

5) Alma Wade

(picture credits: wallpapercave)

Alma Wade is a testament to the fact that to be scary; you don't need to have a giant, towering stature or tendrils for arms. Alma is terrifying in every sense of the word. She is a crucial figure in the F.E.A.R. games, and her presence is always felt throughout each game.

Every time Alma makes an appearance, it takes a toll on the player. Her presence is marked by paranormal activity in the surroundings, and the ending to F.E.A.R. is enough to keep players awake for days.

4) Mr. X

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Although Nemesis was also quite the tough contender, Mr. X has a slight edge over its Resident Evil monster brethren. A giant, hulking skyscraper of a man, Mr. X is relentless in pursuit, and sure as heck, he will find you and possibly brutally murder you.

His footsteps alone in the Resident Evil 2 remake is enough for players to shut down the game. The beast is an absolute force of nature, and the Resident Evil games were elevated as a direct result of his presence.

3) Vaas

(image credits: ign)

Not all scary and intriguing villains are mutated monsters, paranormal figures, or aliens with 39 arms. Some of them are the most deranged and unpredictable humans pushed past the point of sanity.

Vaas might not even be the most physically menacing villain on the list, but his presence is always palpable. The unpredictability of Vaas is what makes him such an interesting character.

Vaas will go down in video game history as the character who made villains the major selling point of a franchise like Far Cry.

2) The Xenomorph

(image credits: pcgamer)

What is scarier than an alien-hunting after you in a space station? An alien with a keen sense and the intelligence to back up its massive physical advantages. The Xenomorph is a terrifying creature to look at in Alien: Isolation, but he is just as intelligent as he is scary.

Alien: Isolation was one of the best horror/survival games of the last decade, and the Xenomorph was simply one of the most advanced A.I.'s ever developed for games.

There is no resistance that you can put up against the Xenomorph in the game, and the best you can do is duck and hide in cover, hoping its footsteps to go away.

1) Pyramid Head

(image credits: Kaijumatic - Wikidot)

Red Pyramid Thing, more colloquially known as Pyramid Head, is the stuff of nightmares in video games, quite literally. Pyramid Head has terrorized game audiences and fans of the Silent Hill franchise for years.

The franchise might be on ice now, which is good news for players traumatized by the game and Pyramid Head. A representation of the broken psyche of the protagonist, Pyramid Head, appears throughout Silent Hill 2, and his sight alone is enough to send shivers down players' spine.

It is a crying shame that players never got to play Silent Hills, a game developed by Hideo Kojima and Guillermo Del Toro.