10 Video Game Villains With The WORST Motivations

Such an aggravation.

Far cry 3
Ubisoft

They say a hero is only as good as his villain, so the perfect yin to the iconic video game hero's yang would, naturally, be an evil counterpart that matches the lofty stature of the hero.

While this can be true for a smattering of exceptional titles (see, Final Fantasy VII, Spider-Man PS4 and Metal Gear Solid), there are a handful of games who's villainous presences are far worse than they have any right to be. The hero's journey so often relies on defeating the bad guys and restoring peace to the land, and when the sudden reveal of the villain's intentions falls flat, the journey to stop them feels all the more pointless.

Whether they're capturing the princess or the perfect photograph, there's no mistaking that when the villain's true motivations become clear, the story suffers drastically if they're not as logical or engaging as the hero's reasons for stopping them.

Though there are surely hundreds more, we've taken the liberty of finding ten villains who have thoroughly lacklustre motivations for their deeds proving that, when the curtain is raised on their actions, it's all just a waste of time in the end.

10. Dr. Neo Cortex - Crash Bandicoot

Far cry 3
Sony

Cortex' lengthy backstory is perhaps more than the character deserved, as his one-note presence as a mad scientist is the only aspect of his character that is explored in 1996's Crash Bandicoot. The iconic villain is as recognisable as some of the all-time great bad guys, yet his motivation behind his actions are less than deserving of his name.

When his botched creation of Crash causes the bandicoot to flee, Cortex' motivation lies in using Crash's girlfriend as a lure to dispatch the bandicoot for good. The remainder of the story in the 1996 original is a cookie-cutter 'save the princess' storyline, with Cortex' holding fellow bandicoot, Tawna, captive.

When each of Crash's journeys seem to be that of foiling the plans of the evil Dr Neo Cortex, the villain's own motivations are simply born from Crash's efforts to stop him. The never-ending cycle of conflict between bandicoot and baddie seems to be a result of one stopping the other, so there's seemingly never any room for interesting villain motivations.

The Crash Bandicoot series surely cares more about perfecting the platforming genre than it does about character development, and considering Cortex' puzzling motivations, that's probably for the best.

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Contributor

Fan of ducks, ice tea and escapism. Spends much of his time persistently saying 'I have so much studying to do' before watching Zoey 101 for the millionth time. Thinks Uncharted 3 is the best one.