The video game medium is home to some of the greatest villains to ever grace fiction. Unlike most entrainment forms, video games allow a player to spend a baffling amount of time with their characters and form a connection with them as a result. It is because of this structure that a villain can appear much more threatening and thus make their eventual demise feel that much more satisfying.
The primary goal in most video games is to vanquish a villain, but not all antagonists get what they truly deserve. Even if they are defeated, the story may permit them a somewhat hopeful ending by implying redemption or simply brushing over their evil actions. Though the player will usually devote a great deal of time to vanquishing a video game's opposing force, some villains get away with it.
5 Wander - Shadow Of The Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus follows the story of a young named Wander on a quest to rid the world of the goliaths that occupy it. The majority of the narrative paints Wander as a noble hero in an empty world, but the climax of his heart-wrenching story reveals his motivations to be far more sinister than what was originally thought.
The defeat of each Colossus marks a shift in Wander's appearance. His skin grows pale, his hair turns dark, and his face becomes littered with darkened veins. Though his quest is designed to appear heroic, his change in appearance implies otherwise. Wander's quest to rid the land of these seemingly evil entities results in the awakening of Dormin, a shadowy entity hellbent on plunging the world into chaos. Lord Emon opens a vortex in an attempt to conceal the unleashed evil, resulting in both Wander and Dormin being absorbed. Emon flees shortly after and remarks that Wander may one day be able to atone for his crimes if he happened to survive the battle.
4 9S - NieR: Automata
9S begins his journey in NieR: Automata as a charming and intelligent young man in servitude to YoRHa. He is described to be one of the most inquisitive androids in YoRHa's ranks, making him an invaluable asset, but only so long as he follows his orders. 9S is never supposed to discover YoRHa's true purpose so, to ensure this, an extermination unit known as 2B is tasked with monitoring him and ending his life if he ever comes too close. Since 9S is an android, however, he has been revived and murdered multiple times.
9S is eventually freed from his circular destiny when 2B is killed by A2. As a result, he is permitted to make his own investigations without being monitored, but his discoveries fracture his mind. Driven by hatred for A2, 9S learns that YoRHa was designed to end once its goal had been achieved. Upon realizing this, he refuses to contribute his talents any further and instead devotes the remainder of his life to avenging his fallen comrade. Though he is eventually bested, NieR: Automata's post-credit scene suggests he can return, absolving him of his crimes and subsequently brushing over his actions.
3 Gabranth - Final Fantasy 12
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Before donning the armor of a Judge, Gabranth was already a loyal servant of the Archadian Empire. His allegiance began when Basch, his brother, set off to fight for Dalmasca, leaving his home of Landis vulnerable to attack. It was because of Basch's absence that Grabranth, then known as Noah, grew bitter and began directing his anger for his home's destruction at his brother. Years passed and Noah decided to stand with Archadia in its quest to control all of Ivalice.
His position as a Judge allowed him to unleash his hatred on the empire his brother abandoned him for, but it never fully satisfied him. One day, he got the chance to directly hurt his brother and he took it. He used his appearance to impersonate Basch and thus frame him for the murder of King Raminas. Rumors of Bacsh's betrayal and subsequent death spread like wildfire, tarnishing his name and leaving Dalmasca in ruin. Basch eventually came to forgive Gabranth and even chose to honor him by wearing the Judge's armor after his death. Though he was somewhat humanized by the game's climax, he got away with too much to truly deserve forgiveness.
2 Xehanort - Kingdom Hearts
The original Kingdom Hearts depicted Ansem as the primary antagonist of the story, but certain revelations in Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance revealed that he was only a pawn to the body he abandoned. Xehanort has been pulling the strings throughout each installment and has nearly purged the galaxy on multiple occasions.
Xehanort, believing himself to be the prophesied child of destiny, devoted his whole life to summing Kingdom Hearts. Though his intentions were eventually revealed to be somewhat noble, the route he took to achieve them was questionable. He ruined countless lives during his endeavors and spared no sympathy for his victims. The climax of Kingdom Hearts 3 saw him accepting defeat and fading away with Eraqus and, though it seems he got what he deserved, he faced no consequences for the horrendous crimes he committed.
1 Abby - The Last Of Us: Part 2
The Last of Us: Part 2 begins on a relatively happy note. Five years have passed since the events of the first game and Ellie has finally found herself a place to call home. Though it isn't initially made obvious, her connection with Joel has weakened, leaving fans to speculate on what happened in these past five years to impact it so.
Matters are made even more confusing when the player takes control of Abby, a brand-new character whose sole goal is to reach Jackson and find Joel. Upon accomplishing these tasks, she murders Joel to avenge her father. Devastated by Joel's death, Ellie sets off on a journey to Seattle to punish Abby for her actions but never gets to do so. The climax of the story sees the two engaged in a visceral battle in which Ellie maintains the upper hand and, instead of dealing the finishing blow, she releases her grip and tells Abby to leave.