Why I think Rockstar Games has the best video game villains Readers FeatureGameCentralPublished January 12, 2025 1:00am Rockstar do write a good bad guy (Rockstar Games)A reader complains that video game villains lack depth and proper reasons to hate them, while praising the bad guys in Rockstars GTA 4: The Lost And Damned.I dont think video game villains hit as hard they should. Many of them appear to be evil for the sake of being evil and to give the protagonist an almighty foe to face off with, come the endgame. The best antagonists are irredeemable pieces of excrement, who you longingly wish to shut up and vanquish from ever invading your eyesight and ear lobes.Sometimes though, its the secondary antagonists that can be more entertaining in how they obediently carry out their masters bidding, and their personalities can be so smug and righteous, that they make a bigger impact than the main antagonist.Of all the video game villains Ive encountered in my 25+ years of video-gaming, Brian Jeremy from GTA 4: The Lost And Damned has to be the most snivelling brown-noser of a secondary antagonist I ever saw. The right-hand man to central antagonist Billy Grey, Brian Jeremy is quick to take sides with Billy anytime protagonist Johnny Klebitz has a problem with the way Billy is running The Lost biker gang.Brian Jeremy is a tremendously arrogant, goofy little wretch, who may as well be Billys pet because he is nothing more than a subservient ass, who waddles along like the nerd Algie from another of Rockstar Games mega hits Bully. Brian is proof positive that some of the most despicable characters in games are unflinchingly loyal pests who always side with their masters no matter what.I suppose one little complement Brian should have, if anything at all, is that he is extremely loyal, even if hes treated like a piece of mud gripped to one of Billys biker boots hell still slavishly agree and follow his lead.I think you can tell from my descriptions thus far how loathsome I find Brian Jeremy to be, and thats a testament to how unbelievably strong Rockstars characters are. Ive never felt the way I do about a video game villain before, and Rockstar gives us all the reasons in the world to keep us yearning to track him down and finish him off.Billy Grey might be a psycho, who at one point smashes a hammer into a bike mechanics face after the latter had his face grated against the moving wheels of an otherwise stationary bike while under interrogation, but hes just a ruthless and delusional boss the way a main villain ought to be and he doesnt quite make me froth with disdain as much as Brian does.Brian Jeremy is a constant nuisance youve no choice but to put up with, until you get the chance to silence this subordinate little weasel which makes it more satisfying when you get the chance to punish him. Nothing is worse than someone who blindly follows somebody else, regardless of what is right and abandoning all pretences of individual thought and opinion.One amusing little moment comes in a cut scene where Johnny Klebitz remarks that Brian is dumber than he thought, before Brian mocks what he said with a goofy face and voice, which actually proves Klebitz right. Again, youve got to give it up to Rockstar for creating a secondary antagonist like Brian because he is nothing but an obedient tool. He reminds us of the inherent toxicity of unquestioning followers, which in a deeper way demonstrates what our culture is reduced to when we dont question things.I dont often find video game villains interesting enough, but Brian Jeremy is one that is so incessant and boot-licking that hes so easy to despise. He typifies for me why Rockstar is my favourite video game developer, because he forces me to pay attention to him, even though his sliminess forces me to go and wash my hands.More TrendingNo other developer besides Rockstar makes an impact on me like them, because they always develop games that they want to make. In a video game landscape that constantly chases trends, Rockstar has always had faith in themselves due to the legions upon legions of fans who play their games.By reader James Davie Brian Jeremy is a real piece of work (Rockstar Games)The readers features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you wont need to send an email.GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy