Final Fantasy: 25 Greatest Villains 

If Rufus represents the threat of unchecked financial power, Hojo represents the threat of unchecked scientific power. Seemingly taking inspiration from twisted figures in history such as the ‘Angel of Death’ Josef Mengele, he is unbound by subjects such as morality or ethics, wishing to see his work come to fruition no matter what the impact.

Hojo could’ve easily been a lazy variation on the ‘mad scientist’ archetype, but his connections to Cloud, Sephiroth, Aeris and Vincent position him as a major driver of the plot. Referring to individuals solely as ‘subjects’ or ‘specimens’ exemplifies his inhumanity, as do reprehensible actions such as his murder of Professor Gast, shooting and sealing of Vincent and disturbing experimental suggestions regarding Aeris and Red XIII during their imprisonment.

Ultimately willing to condemn the planet in order to see Sephiroth succeed, purely on the basis of seeing his work prosper, his megalomania is boundless, detaching him completely from reality by the time he is dispatched, though he returns to physically and mentally torture Vincent elsewhere in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.

Science is normally painted as a force for good in Final Fantasy games (usually by a Cid, XII and XIII’s notwithstanding), but Hojo showcases the field at its worst, serving as both a warning against eugenics and as a formidable foe.