• 15

    Frank Fontaine

    Bioshock

    The titan of industry in Rapture, Frank Fontaine earns a worthy spot on our list of the 25 Best Video Game Villains. The old adage, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” does not apply to Fontaine. Even though he was the arch nemesis of Andrew Ryan, he still had it out for you in the original Bioshock. This savvy and merciless man was only in Rapture for the power and money. He had no ideals and that made him even more dangerous than Andrew Ryan and his misplaced objectivism.

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  • 14

    Donkey Kong

    Donkey Kong

    Quite possibly the first video game villain to be treated with any sort of love had to be Donkey Kong. When he snatched Pauline from Mario, he set in line a chain of events that would lead to millions of people in search of that high score at the arcade. But, what makes DK even more interesting, besides the red necktie, is that he is one of the few baddies to make the moral jump over to being the protagonist in his own game franchise. Even if you loved him in Donkey Kong Country, you still had memories of the frustration he caused with those damn rolling barrels.

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  • 13

    The Joker

    Batman Arkham Series

    Without the Joker, Batman could never rise to his full potential as a crime fighter. The Joker was the perfect antithesis to the caped crusader and it shows every time the make up wearing madman made an appearance in a video game. His cackle is unmistakable and his demeanor made sure you knew something horrendously theatrical was about to happen. Voiced by Mark Hamill in the Arkham games, the Joker became more than your everyday video game villain, he became one of the most memorable villains in history.

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  • 12

    Dark Link

    The Legend of Zelda Series

    Whenever your enemy knows your every thought and can mimic your every move, they become a frustratingly effective roadblock on your quest. When they look exactly like you, then it begins to get creepy. Shadow Link is one of the more ethereal characters from the land of Hyrule, but he is nonetheless deadly. His residence in the much chagrined water temple seems appropriate for his mirror like ability to deflect all but the most forceful of Link’s attacks. If you projected the best of yourself onto Link, then Shadow Link was the embodiment of everything your were scared or ashamed to admit. But eventually he would fall, like the rest of those damn water bugs in the water temple.

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  • 11

    Dracula

    Castlevania Series

    The true Prince of Darkness resides in some far flung place in eastern Europe and has a more convoluted family tree than medieval royals. Dracula is one of the most iconic villains in history. His fangs and cape are well known, but the Castlevania series introduced us to a very different bad guy. Through the eyes of the Belmont family, we got to explore the history and tragedy of this horrific monster. Simply making it to the end of the first Castlevania game was a feat in and of itself and you were rewarded with one of the best video game villains ever.

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  • 10

    Team Rocket

    Pokemon Series

    This villainous organization is the constant foil for any of the Pokemon protagonists. They don’t want to catch, train, and care for the wild monsters, Team Rocket is only concerned with exploiting them for their own megalomaniacal means. While forcing Pokemon to fight is sort of evil itself, Team Rocket performs experiments on the adorable creatures in an effort to make them more valuable and powerful. This team of organized miscreants dog your step in almost every Pokemon adventure and sending them blasting off is one of the joys of playing the game. That, and collecting them all.

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  • 9

    Shao Kahn

    Mortal Kombat Series

    This Skeletor look alike was one of the most imposing bosses when he was introduced in Mortal Kombat II. As the Emperor of Outworld, he exacted cruelty and doled out violence like they were candy. His dabbling in black magic and soul sucking only made him even more of a horrific figure. In a game where many of the characters were brutal and violent, Shao Kahn stands above the rest as the most evil figure in the Mortal Kombat franchise. And that is saying something considering some characters chop people in half with a spinning blade.

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  • 8

    Doctor Wily

    Mega Man Series

    Doctor Wily looks like Albert Einstein if Albert Einstein dropped some bad acid and came out of his trip with a predilection for evil. This former partner of Dr. Light was jealous that the world had not given him what he thought he deserved, and sought to right this perceived wrong through force. He helped to create Mega Man, but it would always be Mega Man that brought him down every time. For living up to his name and providing someone for Mega Man to blast with his buster, Doctor Wily lands a spot on our list of the 25 Best Video Game Villains.

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  • 7

    Andrew Ryan

    Bioshock

    Nothing could be more dangerous than a misguided idealist with a lot of power and wealth. Andrew Ryan created Rapture so that man could be free of restriction. He created it as a place for humans that honored hard work and a lot of genome reconstruction. There is a fine line between idealist and madman and Ryan plays hopscotch over it. While he may not be the final villain in Bioshock, he is by far the most memorable. You almost feel bad putting him out of his misery with a nine iron. Would you kindly accept his place on our list of the 25 Best Video Game Villains?

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  • 6

    Doctor Robotnik

    Sonic Series

    It has got to be that mustache. Dr. Robotnik is another one of those villains that, while cartoony, are a menace to everyone on Earth. He’s another megalomaniacal doctor with a PhD in evil deeds. He may be a bit bumbling and can easily be beaten by a hedgehog with running shoes, but Dr. Robotnik always comes back for more. Whether it's blowing up bits of the planet, or turning Sonic into a Werehog, the bad doctor has earned his way into our favor.

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