10 Gaming Villains We Were Emotionally-Invested In Defeating

Sometimes defeating a final boss is just a logical conclusion, but other times we NEED to serve them some comeuppance in the most satisfying of ways.

Being a villain must be hard at times. Sure, you probably have your own evil lair with high-tech gadgets and weaponry, but it must be a lonely existence for some villains, especially when they're constantly being defeated by the 'hero' and a mysterious entity known only as the 'player'. Some villains deserve their comeuppance far more than others too. There are some thoroughly evil characters out there; willing to abuse their powers to destroy the lives of people everywhere (or at least, try to). It's these villains that we, as gamers, especially love to see defeated; the narrative incentive of revenge is a great carrot-on-a-stick to keep us going towards that final showdown. Revenge isn't the only way to get us emotionally invested in a story though. We might simply like the hilarious personality of our hero and want to see them succeed; sorry Mr. Villain but you just weren't entertaining enough. Games without that emotional attachment (however it's developed) tend to be less memorable too, making it a key concept for developing successful games. These ten games in particular featured villains that we wanted to see pulled from their metaphorical podiums and crushed under the boots of our heroes; it seems harsh to say but we loved ruthlessly ending the nefarious activities of these guys.
Contributor
Contributor

I have an addiction to achievements, a craving for new bands and a dream to become Captain America. I once finished second in a Mario Kart 7 tournament so I'm kind of a big deal.