In the vast world of video games, some villains don't get the recognition they deserve. For this list, we're highlighting the most underrated antagonists who brought depth and challenge to our gaming experiences. From the eerie Walter Sullivan in "Silent Hill 4: The Room" to the enigmatic Higgs from "Death Stranding," these characters left a lasting impression despite flying under many gamers' radars. Join us as we count down the Top 20 Underrated Video Game Villains!
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00:00Your wish is granted.
00:11Welcome to WatchMojo and today we are looking at the often forgotten but undeniably phenomenal Baddest of the Bad.
00:17These are 20 underrated video game villains.
00:21Dung Eater.
00:30When the opening cinematic starts in Elden Ring, it's easy to forget the Dung Eater alongside names like
00:35The Ever Brilliant Gold Mask, Thea the Deathbed Companion and Sir Gideon Ophnia the All-Knowing.
00:41So we wouldn't blame you for ignoring someone who is essentially called Poop Chewer.
00:45But if you give him a chance, he is deeply compelling as a villain,
00:48explaining how he would tear you limb from limb if you faced his corporeal form,
00:52while giving you the keys and processes to find him.
00:54He is without a doubt, deeply upsetting to be around.
00:57I mean, he eats poop for poop's sake.
01:01Let me out. Let me out of here.
01:11Defy me.
01:13Tony Redwood.
01:20Until it was translated by fans, this game was not available outside of the Japanese version.
01:25But thankfully, now we get the opportunity to see this brilliant game,
01:29and experience a criminally underrated villain.
01:32As a member of the police force, Tony Redwood is an artificial human
01:35that was designed to excel at police work beyond anyone else.
01:38He blatantly reveals his malevolent intentions to the player,
01:42fully aware that you are powerless against him due to his superior strength.
01:45Always one step ahead, he is truly intimidating to be around.
01:49Colonel Raddack.
01:51I'm not very patient.
01:54Do you understand why I'm here?
01:56I guess your mom got drunk with the guys one night.
01:58You are next.
02:01With ruthless efficiency, tactical brilliance, and unrelenting aggression,
02:05Colonel Raddack in Killzone 2 is not to be messed with.
02:08His combat skills are unmatched, making him a formidable adversary in any encounter.
02:13Raddack's intimidating presence is amplified by his strategic cunning,
02:17always staying one step ahead of his enemies.
02:19His unwavering loyalty to the Helghast cause,
02:22and his willingness to employ brutal methods further enhance his vibe.
02:26He is the definition of looked over when you get the chance to truly analyze him.
02:32Oh, you make a very poor liar, Colonel.
02:36Now give me the codes.
02:39Without authorization from high command, those codes are going nowhere.
02:45Do not toy with me.
02:49Higgs.
02:57The name's Higgs.
03:00From Joel in The Last of Us to Higgs in Death Stranding,
03:03Troy Baker is no stranger to playing characters who will do whatever they think is best.
03:08Higgs is a terrifying villain due to his god-like powers and sadistic tendencies.
03:13He manipulates the destructive BTs and wields apocalyptic abilities, instilling fear and chaos.
03:18His unpredictable actions and philosophical musings make him a threat.
03:23His unpredictable actions and philosophical musings on the nature of life and death
03:27create a haunting psychological presence.
03:30Higgs' deep connection to the game's central mysteries and his ability to traverse dimensions
03:34makes him an omnipresent threat.
03:37Throw in a chilling demeanor and you've got yourself a villain who would have been talked about
03:40a lot more in a game that didn't confuse its players beyond comprehension.
03:44Dr. Exevolt.
04:15Dr. Exevolt's role in the game's dark and narrative elements and his relentless pursuit of domination
04:20highlight his complexity and his depth, making him a compelling and often-overlooked villain in the gaming world.
04:26This is possibly the game's fault, especially considering it has often forgotten itself.
04:30Due to its brilliant yet twisted intellect, Dr. Exevolt poses a significant threat
04:35as the mastermind behind the Evil Mill Army, and his technological genius drives the game's central conflict.
04:41Despite his lack of widespread recognition, Exevolt's menacing robotic design, cunning strategies and cold,
04:47calculating personality make him a formidable antagonist.
05:02Gary.
05:12Gary.
05:17From the start of the game, Bully, we're led to believe that good old Gary is destined to become one of our best friends.
05:22He assists us throughout the entire game, pretending to be our right-hand man, but we couldn't have been more mistaken.
05:28He reveals himself to be a backstabbing, insecure boy determined to destroy Bullworth Academy.
05:34The build-up to this character becoming an antagonist is so beautifully executed that it's surprising Gary doesn't end up
05:39in more great villain tea lists.
05:53Walton Simmons.
05:57I wasn't exaggerating. He's our best agent.
06:00We don't need him. We've got his brother and more on the way.
06:04He knows nothing.
06:06Walton Simmons is terrifying due to his cold, calculating demeanour, vast political power
06:11and unwavering commitment to a dystopian agenda.
06:14His ability to manipulate and control others, combined with his advanced nanotechnology,
06:18makes him a formidable and relentless adversary, embodying the pervasive fear of unchecked authority.
06:25Walton doesn't receive the recognition he deserves, as players are often preoccupied with praising other aspects of this game.
06:30He is fiercely ruthless, willing to go to any lengths to safeguard private information.
06:35Which is a bad thing to do.
06:44Darth Nihilus.
06:55There are many Darths, but Nihilus may well be the most overlooked.
06:59Which sucks, because his character design and voice is one of the scariest, perhaps even scarier than Vader.
07:04With a backstory rich in trauma, complete with losing his friends, family and his will to live,
07:09he turns to the dark side seeking to engulf the world in darkness.
07:13His seemingly easy defeat causes him to be underestimated and undervalued,
07:17yet this nuance is what makes him so fascinating.
07:20After all, he is just a man.
07:23Let me die.
07:34Now, this next slide shows our new, more aggressive corporate strategy.
07:53Hello there!
07:54There is nothing scarier than a sadistic CEO.
07:57Someone who walks into a room and says,
07:59I'll give $200 to the first person to hit that man over there.
08:02For no reason at all.
08:04With money and masochistic tendencies, evil is born.
08:07In a lesser known point and click adventure,
08:09Adrian Ritberger is a CEO eagerly awaiting his partner's death to seize control.
08:14Corrupt and formidable, he intimidates his way through the game,
08:17using his wealth to keep his hands clean.
08:20He is an exceptionally evil man who does exceptionally evil things,
08:24like paying to kill people.
08:26Did I make that clear enough at the start?
08:33Magus.
08:34Magus wreaks havoc throughout the first half of the game, Chrono Trigger,
08:38but after discovering his backstory, he becomes a much more compelling villain.
08:42Due to his complex backstory, tragic motivations and formidable power,
08:46combined with his evolving character arc,
08:48he has become a standout antagonist for JRPG fans.
08:52Understanding his true motivations makes the player ponder whether
08:55collaboration with this deeply complex enemy might be possible,
08:59which makes following this story so easy to do.
09:03Galleon.
09:18Galleon.
09:19Galleon.
09:20Galleon.
09:21Galleon.
09:22Galleon.
09:23Galleon.
09:24Initially celebrated as one of the four heroes, Galleon from the Luna series
09:27is highly regarded at the start of the first game.
09:30However, his jealousy becomes apparent when he encounters the White Dragon,
09:34forcing players to spend the rest of the game
09:36trying to put this arrogant character in his place,
09:39but boy, do we wait a while.
09:42While not particularly nuanced or complex,
09:44his straightforward antagonism makes him the perfect villain for this series,
09:48driving players to confront and defeat him,
09:51and if I may repeat myself, put this d*** in his place.
09:55Fortunately, I now have a chance to surpass it.
09:59The world will once again be mine on a delicious half shell.
10:03Calypso.
10:06My name is Calypso.
10:08Exactly one year ago on Christmas Eve,
10:11my Twisted Metal contest destroyed the City of Angels.
10:14Calypso is the man behind the game,
10:16the one who oversees the Twisted Metal competition
10:19with an omnipresent presence.
10:21As a young man, he accidentally killed his sister in a car accident,
10:24and later his parents as well,
10:26providing the perfect recipe for a vehicle-focused antagonist.
10:29Not the most inventive backstory, we grant you that,
10:32but it's his rewards to the winners of Twisted Metal
10:35that makes him so compelling to follow.
10:37Although he grants winners any wish they desire,
10:40his villainous twist lies in ensuring that every prize
10:43comes with a hidden catch or negative consequence, often ironic.
10:47One highlight is an actor who wants the world to see his face,
10:50so he tears his face off, spreading it across the Earth's circumference,
10:54blocking the sun and terrifying every citizen on Earth.
10:57Cool.
10:59With this game being banned in the UK, Australia and New Zealand,
11:03it makes sense why most people never even saw this terrifying villain.
11:07In Rule of Rose, Wendy,
11:09the founder of the Red Crayon Aristocrat Club,
11:12befriends a group of people who claim
11:14that the Red Crayon Aristocrat Club
11:16is a group of people who want to destroy the world.
11:19Wendy is one of them,
11:21but she's also a member of the Red Crayon Aristocrat Club,
11:24Wendy, the founder of the Red Crayon Aristocrat Club,
11:27befriends Jennifer, and they fall in love.
11:29Tragically, Wendy's jealousy
11:31over Jennifer's growing affection for her new dog, Brown,
11:34drives her to orchestrate Brown's brutal death.
11:36This leads to a series of events
11:38resulting in the brutal murder of Wendy and the Aristocrat Club members,
11:42leaving Jennifer alone and devastated.
11:44Really, anyone that kills a dog
11:46is worth mentioning as a truly, truly devious villain.
11:55Lionel Starkweather
12:11Voiced by the legendary Brian Cox,
12:14Lionel Starkweather was once a renowned filmmaker,
12:17but a string of flops led him down a dark path,
12:20culminating in the creation of elaborate snuff films.
12:23A Serbian film meets the human centipede.
12:26In Manhunt, Starkweather releases
12:28convicted murderer James Earl Cash
12:30to star in his latest grotesque project.
12:32After Cash dispatches gangsters,
12:34hate group members, deranged psychopaths,
12:36and a man in a pig suit,
12:37he ultimately carves his way through Starkweather's empire
12:40and decapitates him with a chainsaw.
12:42Starkweather succeeds in turning Cash
12:44into an even colder killer,
12:46making his intentions as a villain
12:48truly, truly terrifying,
12:50and unfortunately, very compelling.
12:57Earl
13:04The true villain of the Jak series is Earl,
13:06the henchman of Baron Praxis,
13:08and the only antagonist to appear in multiple games.
13:11He is among the first characters players meet
13:13once Jak 2 moves the game's location,
13:15and is notably one of the nastiest.
13:18His sole mission is to outdo and destroy Jak at every opportunity,
13:22creating a one-sided rivalry based on nothing.
13:25Over time, his role shifts from secondary henchman
13:28to primary antagonist in the third game,
13:30where he remains consistently unpleasant from start to finish.
13:34Think of him as your Pokemon rival,
13:36but with an added masochistic twist.
13:38Daniella
14:08Onto Ground is one of the most disturbing games ever created,
14:11tackling dark themes such as voyeurism and incest
14:14that deeply unsettle players,
14:16and like Rule of Rose, it may not even be available in your country.
14:19Among the four villains, Daniella stands out as one of the most chilling,
14:23due to her unnerving, almost inhuman perfection.
14:27I can relate. Stupid.
14:29As the castle maid our protagonist Fiona is trapped,
14:32Daniella initially appears to be the epitome of human grace.
14:35However, this comes at the expense of her ability
14:37to experience emotions or pleasure,
14:39driving her to act out with jealousy and malice
14:42towards us and our protagonist.
14:57Scissorman
15:07Scissorman, the main antagonist from the first two Clock Tower games,
15:10is uniquely terrifying,
15:11and were it not for the borderline goofy weapon choice on paper,
15:15he would be remembered alongside Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger.
15:18Similar to the xenomorph in Alien Isolation,
15:21Scissorman can appear unexpectedly
15:23and attack the protagonist Jennifer Simpson at any time,
15:26a cool concept for the SNES generation.
15:28Both versions of Scissorman derive sadistic pleasure from their murders,
15:32lending them a frightening presence
15:34that compensates for their small stature and weapon choice.
15:37Unfortunately, Pencil Boy and Stapler Lady
15:39were left on the cutting room floor.
15:41Malcolm
15:53Devious, deranged, and a grotesque clown jester,
15:56Malcolm from Legend of Kyrandia stands out as a top-tier villain
16:00whose name totally undermines their terrifying presence.
16:03His vengeful nature drives him to eliminate anything that obstructs his path,
16:07and even went so far as to blow up a squirrel.
16:09That's right, he blew up a squirrel.
16:12His pettiness, paired with his bizarre and unpredictable behaviour,
16:15make him scary to follow,
16:17as you never truly know what he'll do next.
16:19Walter Sullivan
16:21It's him!
16:22You've done well to make it this far.
16:28Let me tell you something about him,
16:31Walter Sullivan.
16:33A troubled orphan who occupied the same apartment
16:35our protagonist now does in Silent Hill 4 The Room,
16:38Walter Sullivan will go to any lengths,
16:40including murder, to clear out the space.
16:42After killing over 19 people, including two children,
16:45some might even call him a serial killer.
16:47Despite his relatively normal appearance compared to actual monsters,
16:51he is far more terrifying than any other villain
16:53because he's just an ordinary person.
16:56It's similar to a zombie apocalypse.
16:58Who's more frightening, zombies or humans?
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17:34A.M.
17:36Based on Harlan Ellison's novella,
17:38I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream
17:40is a skillful reimagining of a grim story.
17:43A.M., voiced by Ellison himself,
17:45is a supercomputer created by America, Russia and China
17:48that gained sentience, annihilating all life on Earth
17:51and left only five survivors.
17:53A.M., known for its cruelty, made them immortal
17:55and tortured them for 109 years
17:58before trapping them in a nightmarish game.
18:00Each person faces a scenario tailored to their personal flaws,
18:04making A.M. a chilling portrayal of a dystopian future.
18:08For everyone else, it must be hell.
18:10But it must be heaven for you, eh, my good friend?
18:15We're so much alike.
18:17We enjoy the same pleasures.
18:19Mein good brother.
18:21Did you enjoy this video?
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