10 Video Game Good Guys You Knew Were Villains All Along
1. Lord Ganabelt/Meneck - Tales Of Arise
Arriving in the second realm in 2021's Tales of Arise, it becomes clear that the people of the snowy Cysloden are suffocated by severe trust issues and a harsh authoritarian regime. Sitting atop the hierarchy is Lord Ganabelt, a sinister lord who uses his trickery to turn the people against one another.
Across town is the resistance group known as the Silver Swords that's bravely fronted by a slender, sharply dressed chap known as Meneck. Immediately, he looks far too shifty to be leading a rag-tag band of rebels. Sporting an evil-looking face resting on a razor sharp jawline, it was obvious that he wasn't to be trusted, and sure enough Lord Ganabelt's 'good guy' alter-ego, Meneck, wasn't fooling anybody, except the party, I guess.
It's the first significant twist to the otherwise formulaic JRPG story, and while it opens up several narrative threads that continue throughout, it falls flat simply because the villainous appearance of Ganabelt couldn't be hidden in plain sight.
Unveiling the leader of the plucky resistance as the realm's biggest baddie could have been a critical, memorable moment, but unfortunately fades into the background of an otherwise superb story.