Video games are all about death: if we're not jumping on the heads of Goombas in Mario, we're mowing down innocent pedestrians in Grand Theft Auto, blowing soldiers away in Call of Duty and ripping harpies apart in God of War. Whatever game you decide to play, there's a fair chance you're going to rack up an impressive body count, and though most enemies we encounter are nameless goons, it's our battles against bosses and, eventually, the main antagonist which generally stick in our minds the most. And of course, why not? These characters have names and personalities: their voice actors help sell their villainy, and following their heinous acts, we just can't wait to see them put to death, whether by our own hand or not. These 12 video game villains were so loathed by gamers that their deaths had no choice but to be epic, as any less would have been a huge let-down. We've got fiery projectiles, more than one bad guy getting ground into meaty chunks, fantastic knife action, one solemn goodbye, and the most tense quick-draw in video game history. These games come from entirely different quarters, but they all have one common feature: each gave gamers a tremendously satisfying end to their antagonist. What more could we ask for? Did we miss any of your favourite villain deaths? Let us know in the comments!
12. Albert Wesker - Resident Evil 5
Cause of Death: After an epic final battle against Chris Redfield inside a volcano, Albert Wesker makes one final ditch effort to bring down a helicopter carrying Chris and Sheva using his tentacles. However, they've got other ideas, firing a pair of RPG rounds right at Wesker's head, exploding him into a gory mess as the game comes to an end. Why It's So Satisfying: Because Wesker is that pesky, bothersome fly who just won't ever die. The blonde-haired, sunglasses-wearing S.T.A.R.S. Captain has been around ever since the first Resident Evil game, where he's ultimately revealed as the series' ultimate antagonist, and throughout subsequent games develops superhuman abilities, building him up as the franchise's most fearsome villain. For him to finally meet a relatively unambiguous end was a brave move by Capcom, and true to that end, they didn't magically resurrect Wesker in Resident Evil 6, instead introducing his son, Jake Muller. We've got our fingers crossed that, given the clear temptation to bring Wesker back following RE6's critical failure, Capcom does the right thing and lets him rest in peace. Still, we wouldn't be surprised if some of his DNA ends up being swabbed off the inside of that volcano and we get a Wesker clone in Resident Evil 7.