10 Great Video Game Villains Who Were Totally Wasted
3. The Black Hand Of Sauron – Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
There's no denying that The Lord of the Rings' Sauron is one of the greatest villains in the history of pop-culture, and so many were eager to see his depiction in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.
Sauron himself doesn't actually have much presence throughout the game, though, with the heavy lifting instead being done by his three captains - the Hammer, the Tower, and the Black Hand of Sauron.
The Black Hand is the game's overarching antagonist, killing hero Talion's wife and son at the start, speedily establishing him as a hellacious force to be reckoned with.
The Black Hand ends up being the game's final boss, though "final boss" is a rather generous description here. Instead, the battle is a mere quick-time event (QTE) that lasts all of about 30 seconds before he perishes.
It's painfully clear that Shadow of Mordor's climax was rushed to meet an optimistic release date, and in turn this otherwise terrifying villain was made to look like an absolute jobber when it mattered most.
Thankfully the game's final DLC, The Bright Lord, gave players a far more entertaining boss fight against Sauron himself.