Where there are villains, there are always monologues. It's the classic Phineas & Ferb formula; the antagonist captures his/her archenemy in a convoluted trap, only to waste precious time with a condescending and elaborate speech. Often times, not just in video games but in all modern media, villains are 'caught monologuing', which is a phrase that describes the process of delivering rehearsed dialogue, only to drone on for so long that it buys enough time for the hero to escape and inevitably foil their evil scheme.
In the instance of video games, this usually occurs during a boss fight, wherein the villain believes themselves to be winning and therefore gloats excessively.
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Dr. Robotnik (Sonic The Hedgehog)
Sonic the Hedgehog's Doctor Robotnik is one of the longest-standing antagonists to ever grace our consoles. Dr. "Eggman" (as Sonic refers to him) made his debut in 1991's Sonic the Hedgehog and has appeared in almost every Sonic the Hedgehog title ever since. It's arguable that Dr. Eggman doesn't talk much in the games, so he's an out-the-box choice, but besides the earlier 8-bit Sonic games, he's vocal and loves to drone on and on about how he's superior and their demise is imminent, et cetera, et cetera.
Eggman is a lot more grounded than he seems; he bares some serious intonation and the manner in which he expresses himself is oddly professional and well-balanced, such as how he refers to Sonic as his admirable adversary. Here's an example of a Dr. Eggman monologue straight from Sonic Adventure 2: "Hahaha! Citizens of earth, lend me your ears and listen to me very carefully! My name is Doctor Eggman, the world's greatest scientist and soon to be the world's greatest ruler. Now witness the beginning of the greatest empire of all time! Hahahaha."
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Albert Wesker (Resident Evil)
Any self-respecting Resident Evil fan would have known to expect Albert Wesker to make an appearance, especially when he's always at odds with the likes of Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield. Wesker first appeared in the original Resident Evil (1996), but it wasn't until subsequent sequels that his backstory, motivations and purpose within the narrative were explored even further. He started out as the captain of the Raccoon City Police Department's S.T.A.R.S. unit, but soon began manipulating other corporations — namely Umbrella — behind-the-scenes.
Wesker is one of the more articulate and profound villains; there have been ample boss fights wherein Albert Wesker appears far too confident in his own abilities. Whenever one thinks about a particularly over-the-top Wesker monologue, the Jill Valentine and Albert Wesker versus Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar in Resident Evil 5. Wesker spends half the time plotting his evil scheme and the other half thinking of witty one-liners to deliver in an effortless spiel. Halfway through the aforementioned fight, Wesker even pauses his own monologue to answer the phone.
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Joker (Arkham Asylum/Arkham City)
Perhaps one of the most instantly recognizable faces in pop culture history, Joker made his debut in the first-ever issue of the comic book Batman on April 25, 1940, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The Joker has appeared in comic books, graphic novels, live-action, animation and video games, but one of his most notable iterations came in the Batman: Arkham series, wherein he was portrayed primarily by Star Wars star and the undisputed 'voice' of the Joker, Mark Hamill.
Throughout the Batman: Arkham series, the titular Dark Knight goes toe-to-toe with the majority of the Rogues Gallery, including Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Penguin, Two-Face, Riddler and more. In Batman: Arkham Asylum, Bruce Wayne faces off in the climactic battle against a Titan-infected Joker, thereby subjecting himself to one of Joker's most iconic lines: "Hysterical! But you still spoiled my fun! And for that, I'll paint Arkham with your blood." Joker drops some taunting comments and revels in his soon-to-be victory throughout, which is the sort of cockiness that begs to be taken down a notch.
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Doctor Neo Cortex (Crash Bandicoot)
Creator of Crash Bandicoot (the mutant bandicoot himself, not the game), Dr. Neo Cortex is a mad scientist hellbent on world domination. He has appeared in every single mainline Crash Bandicoot game, either as Crash's archenemy or a playable character in spin-offs. Cortex was conceived by Naughty Dog founders Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin, Inevitably, Cortex's scheme to brainwash Crash backfired, thus resulting in an ongoing feud between them as Cortex seeks to rule humanity and recapture Crash in the process.
There are too many examples of tiresome Cortex monologues in the Crash Bandicoot series. Almost every cutscene, every boss fight and every encounter entails Cortex rambling on about his insatiable need for world domination, all while Crash, who doesn't talk, undermines his authority by acting childish and ruining his plans more with happy accidents than actual skill. There's a prominent monologue in the boss fight for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, where Cortex — all while Crash is foiling his plans — continues to jeer at him.
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Flowey (Undertale)
Flowey, otherwise known as Asriel Dreemurr, appears in the role-playing game Undertale, created by Toby Fox. While Asriel's true form is a goat, much like his biological parents Asgor and Toriel, he interacts with Fisk as a sentient sunflower with a hostile and manipulative personality. Flowey — during the boss fight against Fisk — undergoes one of the greatest transformations in gaming history, becoming a photoshopped monster born from an unassuming flower.
Flowey has some stand-out lines in Undertale and doesn't shy away from a monologue or two. After obtaining all the human souls, Flowey fights Fisk, often pausing to mock their plight with a condescending sneer. "Did you really think you could defeat me? I am the God of this world. You're hopeless. Hopeless and alone." In the end, Flowey's narcissism is his own downfall, as Fisk manages to come out on top using no tool other than perseverance as opposed to Flowey's brute force, thereby literally killing him with kindness.
3 Alexander Of Brennenburg (Amnesia: The Dark Descent)
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Amnesia: The Dark Descent's Alexander of Brennenburg is the epitome of monologuing villains. When Daniel encounters Alexander (or at least the ghostly entity resembling him), there isn't an actual fight, unlike most games. In fact, more fitting for the story-driven Amnesia, Daniel enters the Orb Chamber, wherein Alexander awaits to execute the ritual that will send him "home." All Daniel needs to do to defeat him is topple some pillars — that's it. It all seems pretty clear-cut, but one of the biggest selling points for Amnesia's boss fight is Alexander's dialogue throughout.
He will make comments such as "Tell me, is everything nice and clear now? Am I the villain? Good and evil, such comforting concepts — but hardly applicable." Alexander doesn't attack Daniel, nor does he possess any weapons during the boss fight. In fact, his sole purpose is to stand there and deliver lines of dialogue while Daniel (the player) decides which course of action to take. All the while, he's practically begging for Daniel to intervene and ruin his ritual.
1 Andrew Ryan (Bioshock)
Jack Jack, whom the player controls throughout Bioshock, finally encounters antagonist Andrew Ryan in the game's final moments. Ryan is an idealistic, manipulative and egotistical typhoon who ordered the construction of an underwater city known as Rapture. Most of Ryan and Jack Jack's interactions occur through radio transmissions and audio diaries, so the player only meets Ryan face-to-face once, which just so happens to be his death scene; Andrew Ryan's entire backstory, history and motives are revealed at this time.
Much like Alexander of Brennenburg, Andrew Ryan doesn't attack the player in Bioshock, so his presence only serves to provide context to the story, which results in an almost five-minute-long monologue about his childhood. It's a hugely significant moment, especially since it resonates with the theme of domination, slavery and decision-making. Andrew Ryan literally hands Jack Jack the gold club that would be his demise, taunting him with the line: "A man chooses. A slave obeys."