10 Video Game Villains Who Were Secretly Your Ally All Along
2. Karliah - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Most of the faction questlines in Skyrim tend to be on the boring and predictable side. The Thieves’ Guild story missions are one of the exceptions, and it’s partially due to its antagonist-turned-ally, Karliah.
Karliah serves as the main villain of the first half of the Theives’ Guild story. She undermines the Guild’s, operating from the shadows and never revealing herself. Eventually, your leader, Mercer, discovers her true identity and tells you that she’s responsible for the murder of the previous head of the Guild, Gallus.
It isn’t until you and Mercer chase after Karliah that a completely different truth emerges. It turns out Mercer was actually Gallus’ killer, and he was secretly stealing the guild’s riches.
Karliah, on the other hand, was simply trying to expose Mercer to the Guild and get revenge for her murdered lover. After she saves your life and you realize you have the same goals, the two of you band together to bring Mercer down.
This switcharoo is a refreshing change of pace from some of the more linear and one-dimensional questlines, like those of the College of Winterhold and the Companions.