Table of ContentsTable of Contents7. Dr. Wily6. Bowser5. Ganon/Ganondorf4. Vaas3. Albert Wesker2. Sephiroth1. Senator ArmstrongWe always establish some level of connection with our player character in games, but it is usually the villain who gets the most time in the spotlight. In many series, it is the villain who remains the constant while the hero changes, building up a rivalry that extends beyond the game itself. What makes a good villain can be a lot of things. They can be especially hard boss fights, have sympathetic goals and motivations, or are just so comically evil that we just love to see them on screen. Weve been thwarting some villains since the NES generation, while others are more modern. No doubt we will find even more fantastic villains in upcoming video games, but for now, this is our ranking of the best video game villains of all time.CapcomDr. Wily deserves a spot on this list for being one of the first recurring villains on the NES. Each Mega Mangame featured a unique cast of robot masters to fight, but the same mad scientist was always behind them going rogue. In the end, we always bested his robots, stormed his castle, and captured him (except for that one time when Mega Man was fed up with it all and tried to murder him). It was always world domination with Wily, and only because his partner got all the glory for their work in robotics. Neither his motivation or goals changed much from game to game, but fighting him at the end was always a treat with all the powers youd coallected.Recommended VideosNintendoOkay, calm down everyone. Yes, Bowser is only number 6 on the list, but we have to be honest with ourselves here. How good of a villain is Bowser, really? Hes iconic, no doubt, but hes just a cartoon villain at the end of the day. He either wants to kidnap Peach, take over the Kingdom, or just get rid of Mario with rare exceptions. The only game to give him some depth was Super Mario RPG,but he wasnt even the villain in that game. Bowser is fun to fight and is so well-established that we dont want to see him go away forever, but at this point, hes basically Marios friend most of the time.RelatedNintendoMeanwhile, Ganon is never friendly or funny even in the slightest. This is arguably Nintendos strongest long-running villain who only seems to get better with every game hes in. Ganon began as just a weird pig-monster not all that different from Bowser in the grand scheme of things, but has evolved in amazing ways across the Zeldagames. Ganondorf was a menacing figure who succeeded in turning Hyrule into a wasteland, but there are plenty of other instances where Ganon has essentially won and all you can do is try and save whats left. Ganon still gets just slivers of screentime, but theyre used to convey his power and instill fear and intimidation. Mechanically, facing off with Ganon in his various forms is always the highlight of the game.UbisoftAll it took was one trailer for fans to become fully invested in Vaas. That single line that bookended the trailer of did I ever tell you what the definition of insanity is? showcased just how dangerous and unstable this guy is. But a villain being fully insane isnt good. Like the Joker, Vaas is insane but has his own moral code. The problem is that code is impossible to decipher so we can never be sure how he will react to anything. We just wish Vaas was the real villain of Far Cry 3and the game hadnt dragged on after his final confrontation.CapcomEven before we knew he was a traitor, there was something about Weskers face that made us want to punch it. Those sunglasses, slicked-back hair, and smug attitude almost gave away his evil side. As the main antagonist of the Resident Evilseries up until 5, Wesker was a physical and intellectual force that no one character could overcome. He had grand plans to pull the strings on a global scale with various viruses and weaved a massive web of conspiracy that was satisfying to untangle. It isnt often that you get to actually fight Wesker, and there is the rediculous boulder punching moment right at the end, but shooting him with RPGs in a volcano was very cathartic.Square EnixThere are some differences between the OG Final Fantasy 7and the new remakes in terms of how Sephiroth is portrayed, but that gets kind of complicated with those technically being sequels, so were just going to bundle it all together. Competition was still high for picking aFinal Fantasyvillain, but theres a reason Sephiroth is the one everyone remembers. What made him so terrifying in the first game was how long it took to actually seehim. For the first several hours you only hear his name and see his path of destruction. His figure is just as imposing as the buildup lead you to believe, and you get to see what pushed him over the edge into villainy. Like the best villains, Sephiroth believes he is doing the right thing.KonamiMetal Gear and Kojima games have been predicting the future for decades, but it might never be more on the nose than Metal Gear RisingsSenator Armstrong. This corrupt politician speaks exactly like one in the real world, spouting about how the strong should be free to do as they please and that theyll make America great again. He fights for a philosophy of might makes right and is a fierce nationalist who wants to spark a new revolution. Thats scary enough, but it only becomes more terrifying in hindsight as this video game villains evil plan seems to be coming to life right before our eyes. At least in the game you get an awesome fight with a sick soundtrack.Editors Recommendations