A lot of video games live and die by their antagonists, who either act as foils to the main characters or do most of the heavy lifting when put up against silent protagonists. Villains like Bowser, GLaDOS, or Sephiroth stand the test of time, sometimes appearing outside the constraints of their own games.
The industry has been in a state of flux with 2021 still feeling the COVID-19 pandemic as titles roll out for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Next year promises to have huge releases like Elden Ring, Horizon Forbidden West, and Breath of the Wild 2, which should offer strong villains. However, 2021 also has a good crop. Major spoilers ahead for all games included, with the list being ordered alphabetically by title.
Ardo - Cris Tales
Cris Tales is a JRPG made in Colombia that turned a lot of heads for its art style. It follows Crisbell and her friends as they travel the world to seek power and stop the Time Empress from destroying everything. Though she is an intimidating foe, all her efforts are in pursuit of stopping Ardo: a member of the ancient Rena who seeks revenge on humanity for wiping out his people. Ardo happens to spend the game disguised as the lovable companion Matias the talking frog, which clever fans may pick up on given he's based on the Colombian golden poison frog.
Julianna Blake - Deathloop
Despite it being one of the most-nominated titles at The Game Awards 2021, Deathloop has a long way to go before it's held up as positively as a series like Dishonored. Still, many would agree Julianna Blake is a high point. She appears frequently enough, using her role as head of security protecting the Blackreef timeloop to kill Colt as often as possible. Players also come to find Colt is her father, and the two have a great chemistry as she antagonizes him with fun dialogue at every turn.
At the same time, Julianna can be controlled by other players, making her an interesting feat of game design. People can choose to "protect the loop" instead of breaking it, at which point they invade other players' worlds to stop Colt. It brings an idea popularized by the Dark Souls franchise into a more complex, living world to great effect.
Anton Castillo - Far Cry 6
When a studio hires Giancarlo Esposito to play its villain, everyone knows what they're getting into. Esposito's experience is evident through roles such as Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian and Gus Fring in Breaking Bad. He brings a similar gravitas to Far Cry 6's dictator Anton Castillo, and was heavily used to promote the game. His relationship with Diego and somewhat grey presence as a brutal ruler who has some good "side effects" - trying to cure cancer - offer a good amount of depth in any game but elevates Far Cry 6 to the next level. The franchise has always been known for its great villains, and while Anton is a little more detached than past villains, he carries on that tradition well.
Escharum - Halo Infinite
Halo Infinite's open multiplayer beta excited fans who waited an extra year following its delay, but the story campaign in which Master Chief explores the open-world Zeta Halo really made Infinite special. War Chief Escharum, leader of the Banished, has been built up since his organization was introduced in Halo Wars 2.
While Halo Infinite establishes him as an archetypical gruff and xenophobic warrior leader, one whose terminal illness has him excited to get one last match with a legend like Master Chief, the execution is well done. It's clear by the end of Halo Infinite that both Chief and Escharum have a strong mutual respect for one another, despite being caught on other ends of a conflict.
Toshi - Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Kena: Bridge of Spirits follows its titular protagonist as she travels to a sacred Mountain Shrine that will help her become a spirit guide, following in the footsteps of her father. The village at its base fell into famine long ago, and its leader Toshi lashed out against the Rot God to try and restore his homeland - splitting it into the Rot that Kena meets, and spreading corruption that blocks the shrine. Kena's journey is as much about finding Toshi's anchors to the human world and helping him find peace as it is her learning to move on from her father's death. Toshi's story is a tragic fall, having only wanted to help his people, and overcoming these obstacles is what truly helps Kena be a better spirit guide.
Grand Unifier Raker - Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
Although MCU fans may not recognize him, Grand Unifier Raker leaves a strong impression in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. His devotion to a faith that prides itself on assimilating other cultures makes for an easily detestable villain, especially as he joins forces with Adam Warlock's corrupted alter-ego Magus to spread The Promise, which brainwashes people for the Universal Church of Truth. However, a decent amount of pathos is there as it becomes clear one of Raker's driving motivators is a desire to bring his son back to life. He's not evil or manipulative for evil's sake, but acting out of simple human desperation and feeling of incredible loss—much like the Guardians, Nikki, and others.
Raven Beak - Metroid Dread
The Metroid franchise has lore to dive into, but few entries are narrative-driven. Raven Beak, the main antagonist in MercurySteam's Game of the Year contendor Metroid Dread, stands out for offering Samus a difficult multi-part boss fight while tying up loose threads teased across all five mainline 2D Metroid games. That an outside developer was able to give this 35-year-old franchise such closure is impressive, and Samus tearing Raven Beak apart with her newly awoken Metroid powers is likely something fans won't soon forget.
Maligula - Psychonauts 2
Double Fine's Psychonauts franchise is renowned for its handling of mental health, and Psychonauts 2 antagonist Maligula is one example whose story recontextualizes everything the player experienced thus far. Maligula is the alter-ego of Lucrecia Mux, one of the original Psychic Seven who started the Psychonauts organization. Born when Lucrecia snaps after accidentally killing her sister while stopping protests in her homeland, her psyche is already weakened by experiments with the Psychonauts.
The character is a bloodthirsty incarnation of Lucrecia's instincts, locked away by Psychonauts founder Ford Cruller who reprograms her into protagonist Raz's adoptive grandmother Nona. She avoids water because it would reawaken Maligula, though is conditioned to believe her family suffers from a curse, and is revealed to have covertly sent Raz on his journey as a sort of subconscious cry for help. Ultimately though, after Maligula is awoken and stopped, Psychonauts 2 recognizes Lucrecia's traumatic experiences, leading to an opportunity for all to heal.
Emperor Nefarious - Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
Dr. Nefarious has been a staple of the Ratchet & Clank rogues' gallery since Up Your Arsenal in 2004, even appearing in the 2016 film adaptation. His shrill voice by Armin Shimerman and goofy malfunctions are immediately recognizable, and his egomaniacal schemes are always foiled. That's what makes Emperor Nefarious a great tonal shift. When Dr. Nefarious drags Ratchet and Clank into an alternate dimension where he always wins, he finds his counterpart to be a nigh-perfect ruler of the entire universe; one with a regal design, an English accent, and a truly intimidating presence for a Ratchet & Clank villain. He's a threat who needs two Lombaxes to defeat.
Mother Miranda - Resident Evil Village
Mother Miranda is not Resident Evil Village's break-out star; that title undoubtedly goes to the vampiric Lady Dimitrescu, whose sheer presence captivated audiences. However, while Dimitrescu will likely live on alongside characters such as Nemesis in pop culture infamy, she only appears in the first quarter of Village's runtime.
By contrast, Mother Miranda's presence is felt throughout the game after she abducts Ethan Winters' daughter in the opening. Every boss works under her, and Mother Miranda is a huge player in Resident Evil lore. She discovered the Mold that has characterized Resident Evil 7 and 8's overarching narrative, while also inspiring Umbrella Corporation founder Oswell E. Spencer, inadvertently setting most of the other Resident Evil games in motion.