Great storytelling in a video game, more specifically an RPG, usually boils down to how great the writing and characters are. Where graphics and gameplay mechanics can age, a great story will always remain a great story. These stories are often backed up by memorable characters comprised of heroes and villains. However, it can be argued that the villains or antagonists are more important because they are the driving force behind the hero's motivations.
In Western RPGs, these villains are often less black and white than their JRPG counterparts, and memorable for an entirely different set of reasons. Whether the 🔯opposing force is morally complex or pure ev🀅il, these characters need great writing to motivate the player to push through a huge 50-100 hour quest. This list focusses on the best and most memorable villains and antagonists in Western RPGs.
7 Saren
- Game: Mass Effect
- Released: 2007
- Platform: Android, iOS, PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
The original Mass Effect is a fantastic opener to the trilogy. It proved that 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a space opera aki♒n to Battlestar Galactica can work in video game form as well as it does on TV or film. Mass Effect also features one of the most memorable antagonists in the saga, Saren. As a sympathetic villain, Saren is a credit to how great BioWare's writing can be - or at least was at some point.
His motivations for turning against the establishment are plausible to the point of almost making him just in his actions. As Mass Effect's story unfolds, Saren proves himself to be a formidable foe, outsmarting Shepard at almost every turn until the game's conclusion.
6 Letho
- Game: The Witcher 2
- Released: 2011
- Platform: PC and Xbox 360/Xbox One and Series X/S backward compatibility
Just like BioWare, CD Projekt Red's writing and character development have always been on point. The studio, however, really came into a league of their own with The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. This excellent writing also extends to the cast of villains and antagonists.
Fans are introduced to a Witcher known as Letho, as he wipes out a ship full of soldiers before killing a king in one of gaming's coolest opening scenes. That "it" factor doesn't fade throughout the game's tale and Letho's role as the "Kingslayer" proves to be more complex in its motivations than one realizes. Letho and the protagonist are played out like two sides of the same coin in their outlook of the world and its corruption. After a memorable final boss fight, you'll be given a choice between killing or sparing him. Depending on one's choice, Letho will make an appearance in The Witcher 3.
5 Loghain
- Game: Dragon Age: Origins
- Released: 2009
- Platform: macOS, PC, PS3, and Xbox 360/Xbox One and Series X|S via backward compatibility
As with Mass Effect, BioWare created a brand-new universe of its own with Dragon Age: Origins. The dark medieval fantasy is another credit to BioWare's writing and world-building.
Much like Saren, Loghain is a complex character whose motivations a💃re morally gray and not without sympathy. He is a character that views himself to be honorable and just, but his actions are often brutal and without hesitation.
4 The Illusive Man 🌸
- Game: Mass Effect Trilogy
- Released: 2007
- Platform: Android, macOS, PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
The Illusive Man is only one of the main overarching villains of the Mass Effect trilogy. The character is seemingly inspired by The X-Files' "Smoking Man", and just like that character, his presence is both ominous and intriguing.
With voice work by Martin Sheen, every appearance is memorable and significant to Shepard's decisions and actions. The Illusive Man is another credit to BioWare's outstanding script, with his actions being both morally gray and unwavering from his twisted belief system.
3 Caesar
- Game: Fallout: New Vegas
- Released: 2010
- Platform: PC, PS3, and Xbox 360
Where BioWare's characters are morally gray and complex, Obsidian Entertainment's Caesar is a fantastic character for entirely different reasons. Caesar whose real name is Edward Sallow is something of a fantasist trying to recreate the Roman Empire in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:the post-apocalyptic worl🃏d of Fallout: New Vegas.
Sallow is a narcissistic villain with a self-serving ideology, but he's also highly intelligent. Thanks to Obsidian's writing, he's a likable and often funny antagonist that's consistently entertaining to watch despite his despicable views and motivations. Fallout: New Vegas is still considered by many to be the best game under the Bethesda label thanks to its smart writing and voice acting.
2 ♕ Henry Leland
- Game: Alpha Protocol
- Released: 2010
- Platform: PC, PS3 and Xbox 360
Released in 2010, Alpha Protocol is considered to be something of a diamond in the rough thanks to its on-point writing and characters. It was developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Sega, but much of its qu🌜ality was compromised by the time constraints the developers faced while making it.
Alpha Protocol's antagonist, Henry Leland is a clever and scheming character that uses his contacts and intelligence to create worldwide conflict for profitable gain. Leland is a believable character with terrifying motivations that don't seem too farfetched in today's political climate.
1 Jon Iꦗrenic💖us
- Game: Baldur's Gate 2
- Released: 2000
- Platform: Android, iOS, Linux, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. Backward compatible with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Twenty-two years on and BioWare's Baldur's Gate 2 is still regarded as one of the greatest RPGs of all time. This is thanks to an immersive and dynamic world, superb writing, and an amazing cast of characters.
This also extends to the game's main antagonist, the mage known as Jon Irenicus. BioWare's talent for writing morally gray characters is never more evident than it is in Baldur's Gate 2. However, Irenicus' ambitions of becoming a god are fueled by 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:pure narcissism and evil intentions. As a villain that you will love to hate, he's often seen as being one or two steps ahead of the heroes, and thanks to the writing it's portrayed believably.