Top 10 Video Game Villains; # 6 Sephiroth

True evil knows no bounds. Betrayed, misguided and filled with merciless rage, Sephiroth remains one of the most terrifying villains in all of gaming history. Some will assuredly disagree with his placement on the list, but the grading process contains more variables than popularity alone. Either way, none can dispute his awesome reign as one of the most twisted characters ever created. The fear is so palpable not because of its magnitude, but because it emanates from a human being so believable in his wrath that not even the bravest dare to stand before him. A true devil, indeed.

Top 10 Video Game Villains; # 7 Bowser

Don’t mess with an overweight turtle possessing the capability to shoot fire. It’s standard advice, as far as any true Nintendo player is concerned. Bowser can hide his intentions under the guise of world domination or dictatorial rule, but none can deny that his truest goal is the capture of a certain princess. Look at his domain! He’s got a giant castle in almost every world, and a plethora of minions to do his bidding. Easily a shoe-in for number seven.

Top 10 Video Game Villains; # 8 Ganon

Beast or human form, they don’t come much meaner than this. Ganon paints his ambitions in different lights, but his usual, truest goal remains the same: complete domination of Hyrule and the beyond. Once again, his motives ring of the trite, and there are other characters that play the whole “take over the world” card a little better, but I can in no way downplay his evident popularity. I wouldn’t get in his way… certainly not.

Top 10 Video Game Villains; # 10 SHODAN

What can I say? Mechanized demon computers bent on destruction hold a very special place in my heart. Shodan, of System Shock 1 and 2, is no exception. Anyone who has played the second installment will remember the moment where she reveals her true form to the player… and will subsequently have the nightmares return. The protagonist is forced to fight against her devious motives, all the while suffering constant belittlement from a wavering, glitch ridden voice with a god complex... Good luck with that.

(Image used from Looking Glass Technologies and Irrational Games under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 License. More information here.)

Upcoming Series; Top 10 Video Game Villains

Though this blog definitely has a more D&D driven attitude, I intend to have constant lists such as this on frequent update. I intend to release the placement, one at a time, over the course of a month. Hope you enjoy!