SerpApi.Org
After the 2000s firmly established villains as complex figures who serve a purpose beyond simply being defeated, the 2010s homogenized the importance of having an equally well-developed counterforce for the protagonist.
While many games from the past decade stand out for having memorable main characters, they also excel at presenting equally iconic adversaries, capable of justifying the enjoyment of a campaign just to experience their stories.
Although this coincides with an era in video games where many foes repeat patterns, a product of the interactive medium's shift towards more standardized and casual market dynamics, the truth is countless malevolent entities of impressive quality were created within this period.
Therefore, in order to continue celebrating the industry's history through those who motivate us to pursue an adventure, I invite you to read this list of the best video game villains of the 2010s.
Irene Engel – Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus
The Ideal of Absolute Horridness
Nazis always make good villains in video games because, especially with the rise of ambiguous antagonists that you can empathize with, it's always good to have the opportunity to destroy someone without remorse, as is the case with Irene Engel in Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus.
Rarely in my life have I felt such a genuine desire to literally dive into the screen and punch a bunch of pixels, but the Obergruppenführer is so well-characterized as a despicable being that it made me wish the game were in virtual reality.
There's no complex backstory, justifiable motivations, or charismatic personality, just a stripped-down version of humanity that serves as perfect fuel for a B.J. Blazkowicz who lives for and by inflicting violence on beings of said ilk.
While Irene Engel is not the typical antagonist in this kind of compilation, I would say she's among those who most perfectly fulfills the role of villain in the context given to her, replacing the common trope of the time of relativizing the actions of all the bad guys.
Raul Menendez – Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
Very Close to Home
It's no coincidence that numerous villains in the Call of Duty franchise are so positively positioned in the collective imagination, as the franchise used to produce such memorable figures as Raul Menendez from Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.
Like everything else in the franchise, it follows the established Hollywood clichés regarding power dynamics between the Global South and North, though when you look beyond the political propaganda, you find the Nicaraguan to be an extremely fascinating figure.
With a woeful backstory that you experience firsthand, and through stellar and cinematic performances that truly convey his conviction and consummate madness, he does a titanic job of making you find him fascinating despite being a cult terrorist.
As a product of systemic oppression and imperialism, Raul Menendez feels very close to numerous stories in our modern history, making connecting with the campaign surrounding his character unique and difficult to match.
Wheatley – Portal 2
Another AI, Another Liar
Valve's fixation with manipulative and deceitful AIs was truly ahead of its time, as they not only captivated us with GLaDOS but also replicated that antagonistic excellence with Wheatley in Portal 2.
The way the studio manages to deceive you throughout much of the story, making you think you finally have an ally in Aperture Science, when in reality it's an entity even worse than your original adversary, works wonders to make the betrayal feel even more vivid.
It perfectly replicates the comedic characteristics of its predecessor, yet presents a more lamentable aura stemming from its design-driven stupidity, complementing it and creating a tragicomic tandem that works wonderfully.
Perhaps it's somewhat overshadowed by GLaDOS, though the responsibility of setting the mood for our journey through the various trials is once again fulfilled prodigiously, providing you with an emotionally unstable companion with whom you simultaneously empathize and loathe.
Baldur – God of War
A Painless Prison
Kratos' first Norse adventure in God of War boasts the franchise's best narrative, characters, and worldbuilding, leading us to a Baldur whose villainous nature permeates numerous layers while never ceasing to be an exceptional adversary.
The transformation from a mysterious and imposing entity, capable of rivaling our Spartan's power with ease, to a god tormented by his inability to suffer and, consequently, to connect with life, leaves a bittersweet aftertaste.
Without redemption or a second chance, he stubbornly persists in his unfortunate course of action, stemming from an overprotective nature that serves as a mirror for Kratos, who will potentially lead Atreus down the same path if he replicates Faye's mistakes.
The entire story surrounding his pursuit and eventual outcome is among the most heartbreaking Santa Monica Studio has ever told, and the fact that Baldur is denied a happy ending makes his anguished existence all the more impactful.
Higgs Monaghan – Death Stranding
An Abandoned Psychopath
Hideo Kojima is responsible for numerous memorable antagonists across his entire catalog, but what he achieved with Higgs Monaghan in Death Stranding is entirely unprecedented, even considering his extensive experience.
We've already seen him create characters with catastrophic pasts, the ability to break the fourth wall, unbridled malevolence, supernatural powers, and a glorious aura of death, but the leader of Homo Demens brings all these characteristics together in a single, impressive package.
A terrorist with maternal issues, portrayed by the incomparable Troy Baker and designed by the master Yoji Shinkawa, is a fusion destined for greatness, fully realized through an in-game force as enigmatic as it is fascinating and chilling.
Every time Higgs appears in Death Stranding, you feel a sea of emotions of all kinds, and if we were to include his role in the sequel, he could easily take the top spot on this list.
Gwyn, Lord of Cinder – Dark Souls
A Shell of His Former Self
There is immeasurable merit in FromSoftware's ability to tell us everything about Gwyn, Lord of Cinder without him uttering a single word, as the main antagonist of Dark Souls is nothing more than a sad remnant of what he used to be.
The transition from the epic introduction that portrays him as an imposing deity to fighting an empty shell, lacking even the will to converse, just capable of mindless combat and allowing his body to be consumed by flame, constitutes one of the decade's most poignant tragedies.
As you progress through Lordran, you see statues of Gwyn and read about his mighty deeds, only to find him as broken as the very cycle he stubbornly and cowardly clings to, accompanied by one of the most iconic melodies in video game history.
Despite having only a small fraction of the development and prominence of many other villains, Gwyn perfectly embodies Dark Souls by conveying himself through everything but the direct, allowing him to permeate its world from architecture to music in a way that few have.
Senator Armstrong – Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Nanomachines, son!
Astonishingly, even the most satirical stories in the video game industry have been surpassed by our improbable reality, but that doesn't diminish the fact that Senator Armstrong from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is among the most memorable characters of his generation.
This vehement political figure strikes a perfect balance between unbridled personality and histrionic ideas that almost completely make you forget he's a lunatic with a nanomachine-enhanced body who wants to profit from war, even if it means the end of the world.
This colossus of Darwinism delivers a memorable boss fight, though he also shines in both the cutscenes and his dialogues with Raiden for his ability to transform the ironies of our current existence into a futuristic vision of what awaits us.
Even if he weren't a blatant exaggeration of the political class, his charisma and interactions alone would earn him a place on this list, but his willingness to go beyond mere theatrics and express his ideals with conviction imbues him with a frankly enviable naturalness.
Vaas Montenegro – Far Cry 3
Delirium of Madness
So much has been said about Vaas Montenegro from Far Cry 3 that including him on this list feels cliché, but credit where credit is due, and he truly is among the most distinguished villains in history.
When it comes to lunatics, this violence-addicted sociopath wonderfully exemplifies that you can do and say the most inexplicable atrocities if you have enough charisma to make players overlook that you should be in a psychiatric ward.
Michael Mando delivers a performance worthy of canonization, presenting the most twisted individual in fiction I can remember, capable of making you forget Vaas isn't even the game's main antagonist and doesn't even have 20 minutes of screen time.
That practically divine talent for immortalizing a character with such a fleeting presence in the collective mind of gamers is not only unattainable for mere mortals, but also the strongest argument for including him on this list.
With no other justification than being a power-hungry drug addict, Vaas Montenegro has already become synonymous with the notion of who the best antagonists in the interactive medium are, to the point that not including him is considered sacrilege.
Handsome Jack – Borderlands 2
Generational Danger
While he may be slightly less unhinged than Vaas, Handsome Jack compensates for his comparatively reduced psychosis with an omnipresence throughout Borderlands 2 that makes you develop a strange kind of Stockholm syndrome.
He's a criminal who seeks to eradicate you in inhuman and inexplicable ways, though you can't help but get excited every time he communicates with you, delivering the most disrespectful yet charming lines of dialogue imaginable.
By exposing yourself to his eccentricity for dozens of hours, you forget his sadistic genocidal desires, especially when his human side surfaces, revealing the layers Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel further develops.
His unfortunate past fuels a present that alternates between unprecedented comedy and untold crimes against humanity, showing us a traumatized character you end up caring about even when you're holding a gun to his head.
Gaunter O’Dimm – The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone
The True G.O.D.
Divine appearances in video games often leave something to be desired, whether because the gameplay isn't consistent with the narrative or because you simply never feel a sense of sacred nature, but Gaunter O'Dimm's case in The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone is truly unique.
Never in my life have I witnessed a villain so utterly beyond his universe's power scale, making you feel genuinely terrified in his presence, even though Geralt is also a powerful being and the game isn't even from the horror genre.
The ease with which G.O.D. backs up his riddles and threats convincingly establishes his supremacy, turning you into a mere ant before a cosmic being who doesn't make you disappear simply because it would go against his amusement.
Entire franchises have dedicated long-running mythologies to supporting their deities, though CD Projekt only needed one expansion to leave you so mesmerized by his presence that he becomes impossible to forget, despite appearing infrequently and letting you know almost nothing about him.
His story is brief, his design standard, his performance subtle, and yet he leaves a deeper mark than entire fictional worlds, as if he were doing justice to his legend and directly bewitching the player so they feel what the Witcher himself experiences.
