10 Gaming Villains With The Best Motivations

Though his motivations are as ludicrous as he is, the Joker's plan of taking over Arkham Asylum perfectly serves his character unlike any other villain on this list.

Mirroring Grant Morrison and Dave McKean's chilling graphic novel, A Serious House on Serious Earth, Arkham Asylum presents the player with one of Joker's most ambitious plans yet: to take over the institution.

The character's motivations are so often puzzling, rarely logical and never justifiable, yet the theatrics of taking control of Gotham's psychiatric hospital are perhaps at the centre of his motivations all along. To him, Batman is merely a dance partner, with the two destined to continue the routine for the rest of their days.

Upon Batman's arrival at the final encounter between the two, Joker cites Batman's 'grim facade' as reason for his actions. He wanted to break down the stoic front that the Dark Knight relies so heavily on and allow him to see the world as he does.

The startling lack of complexity in his motivations are the very reason why they are so fresh and exciting. The mystery of the Joker has but another layer of intrigue, and it's achieved through a distinct lack of any justifiable motivation.