Final Fantasy: 25 Greatest Villains 

Though Final Fantasy XV’s rushed release did underserve the likes of the aforementioned Ravus, one of the things that the game got near perfectly right was the showcasing of its villain.

Ardyn Izunia’s plot comes to a hugely emotional climax at the end of the game, accentuated by the tear-inducingly poignant final campfire scene where Noctis knows that he will die facing him and thanks his friends for their undying loyalty.

First introduced as a seemingly flamboyant traveller, Ardyn never comes across particularly threateningly and this makes him more effective given that he never has to resort to tired superhuman tropes to pose a challenge. Darkly humourous and ruthlessly calculating, his manipulation of the party to do elements of his bidding, building on from his insertion of himself into the upper echelons of the Niflheim Empire and daemonification of Ifrit, is masterfully composed.

Despite horrendous moments such as his stabbing of Lunafreya, Ardyn is also painted somewhat sympathetically, having been shunned by society for succumbing to the Starscourge he sought to rid it of and isolated, alone and immortal, for thousands of years.

His pursuit of revenge against the Gods and the Caelum line for their part in his downfall is somewhat justified, if massively twisted, and the destiny-fuelled rivalry between him and Noctis gives the series its best hero/villain relationship in a long time.