Most Effective Video Game Villains?

[Xanadu84]

Well, best villain and most evil villain are probably 2 different things. Dmitri Rascolov, from Grand Theft Auto 4, was always the most evil, in my opinion, because he was a despicable rat, who always put himself first and was willing to hurt or kill anyone close to Niko in order to see him hurt.
Best villain is different, because they make you think about yourself and philosophical stuff. That award goes to Andrew Ryan, from Bioshock.
Btw GLaDOS doesn't count as a villain unless you ignore the 2nd portal game.

Nah, GLaDOS should count even in 2. It's just that the thrust of the narrative is that she does a

Spoiler

heel-face turn. Insofar as she decides that killing you is too annoying.

 

[Pink Gregory]

Not a villain as such, but a character who incited the most rage: Larry, from the Walking Dead.

In episode 1,

Spoiler

he punches you (Lee) in the face when you're trying to escape from the pharmacy, if you chose to try and defend Kenny and his family when you enter, and after you find some heart pills for him.

From the time between that and playing episode 2, I was just going "Fuckin' Larry...rrrgh" quite a lot.

I agree that Larry is a total douche, and I will definitely feed him to the zombies given the chance (I'm part way through chapter 2) because he is totally a liability, but I did learn to have a little appreciation for the guy. In one conversation he is threatening me because he thinks I'm dangerous, and he basically threatens me if anything bad happens to his daughter...or Clemintine. I was like, "Wait a second, he cares about the well-being of a complete stranger, a kid, and one that I happen to have affection for? Well... I can't HATE him now". It definitely made me see him as less of a cartoonish bad guy, and more like a nuanced character that I have to respect.

He's still zombie chow if I have the chance, but thats not because I want to see him dead so much as his attitude puts the whole group in danger. If that happens, Ill be sad to see him go, but also relieved.

So what do you think now (presumably) episode 2 has concluded?

 

[LordLundar]

I would say Kain from the Legacy of Kain series as he managed to do everything he had planned out, but I don't think he really qualifies as a villain.

 

[Quijiboh]

"You walk as a mortal, taking no advantage from your heritage, from your talents within. So many things of flesh are greater than you. Walk among them, these beasts that are less than you are. See their strength; see how easily you fall to their muscle and skill. Why do you stand for this? Why do you submit to the flesh, when death is bred in your bones? Do you realize the power you might hold? When the world of flesh is beneath you, even creatures mysterious and magical will fall!"

Yeah. Irenicus does it for me too, like no other. Sometimes I wonder if he'd been quite so excellent with a different voice actor - David Warner was pitch perfect all the way through.

Prince Arthas in Warcraft 3 comes a close second though. Following his fall from grace all the way to the end was definitely a powerful experience.

A bit more from left field I'd say Anna Navarre, if only for that moment. That moment where you realise the game is far more non-linear than you ever imagined. Speaking of Deus Ex, I also couldn't shoot Walton Simons a million times in the face fast enough.

 

[CoffeeBoy]

GlaDOS is tops because she is unforgettable, which is not the way we should be describing the villain of a physics-based puzzle game.

For the same reason, this adventure game baddy:

I gotta say... Le Chuck!

Hogger, because that guy's kill/death ratio is legendary.

Finally, I'll add Commander Shepard (as played by my friend in his first play-through) who mistook Nihlus for an enemy and killed him from afar, which meant he had to spend the majority of the game lying to the council while framing Saren for the murder. Driving a fellow Spectre to the point of instigating a galactic war in an attempt to clear his name belongs way up there in the villainous hall of fame.

 

[8bitlove2a03]

The Creeper.

Uncaring.
Unflinching.
Incredibly destructive.
Infinitely spawning.

 

[Xanex]

Officer Pulaski from San Andreas. Wanted to kill him sooooo bad.

 

[alik44]

Dr. Nefarious from the ratchet and clank series

The narrator from Sam and Max TDPH

Kane From command and conquer series

 

[Starbird]

Arthas. Not the fucking retarded walking glacier from WoTLK. The guy from Warcraft III and Frozen Throne. Blizzard did quite an amazing job with him, I have to say.
Other favorite is, of course, Ravel Puzzlewell. I mean, come on. She is one of the best written villains I ever came across, and is pretty funny besides that at times, while remaining downright menacing all the goddamn time.

I enjoyed WOTLK Arthas too. His final fight was a bit odd, but for the most part he was pretty awesome. *Far* better than freaking Deathwing, anyway.