Summary

• Not all video game villains are purely evil - some have motives that raise questions about traditional hero-villain dynamics.
• Characters like Abby from The Last Of Us Part 2 and Vayne Solidor from Final Fantasy 12 blur the lines of right and wrong.
• Understanding the backstory and motivations of these antagonists can help you sympathize with their actions despite their villainous roles.

In plenty of video games, the forces of good and evil are clearly divided as what the hero does is just while what the villain does is unjust. Things in real life are often not that black and white, and the same is true in a few select video games. Sometimes, even the most despicable villain makes a pretty good point, even if the end doesn't always justify the means.

Here we take a look at a compelling sample of such antagonists, giving them something of a reprieve - however brief - to point out that, in the broad scheme of things, maybe they weren't entirely wrong in their ambitions.

There will be major spoilers in several entries!

Updated on May 9, 2024, by Dennis Moiseyev: Video games are not aimed at making you sympathetic toward their villains. In fact, most of the time, you'll find it's just the opposite, and the whole objective becomes taking them down. However, not all antagonists are created equally, thanks to excellent character writing and story direction. Below are a few more such villains whose actions blur the lines of right and wrong and have some reasoning behind them.

14 Abby Anderson - The Last Of Us Partᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ 2

Joel Got What He Deserved

As much as you may hate to believe it, neither Abby nor Joel are good people in this, but it's really Joel who destroyed Abby and shaped her into this vengeful person after carrying out the brutal massacre of the Fireflies, including Marlene and Abby's father. Isn't it only fair that Joel would meet a similar brutal end to pay for what he'd done? He orphaned and traumatized a young girl, lied to Ellie to cover it up, and ruined any chance of the world having a possible cure.

When you consider how truly messed up and selfish Joel's actions were, and that he had no remorse for who he was slaughtering or how his actions would affect others, Abby's response is pretty valid. He took her father from her, a surgeon trying to do things for the betterment of the world, and Abby so deserved that moment to take it all out on him by beating Joel to death with a golf club.

13 ▨ The Hacke🔜tt Family - The Quarry

Good Intentions That Came With Tragic Consequences

While you may be misled into believing that the Hacketts are the bad guys throughout the events of The Quarry, it's really the manipulative Eliza Vorez, who's a true villain in both what she's trying to get players to do to the Hacketts and the kind of person she was before the tragedy that befell the Harum Scarum freaks show.

Everything only goes to show that Chris Hackett raised his children right, because they couldn't stand seeing a young boy caged and exploited for his unnatural condition and decided to take action. Starting a fire as a distraction to free Silas was a desperate attempt and far from the best idea, which unfortunately led to many deaths, but it was never the children's intention, and neither was what happened after Silas was free. What the Hackett family covered up was done to protect their children and eliminate Silas quietly to end the werewolf curse, who should've never been at Harum Scarum to begin with.

12 🐻 Bode Akuna - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

How Far Would One Father Go To Protect His Daughter?

Bode Akuna was a grieving widower and father to a young child stuck between a rock and a hard place in a situation that would've eventually led to his own death and his daughter's, so who could say they would do anything differently? He's not an evil man and even formed a true friendship with Cal that wasn't so easy for him to betray. His killing of Eno Cordova was unforgivable, but his goal was never to🍌 have Ceဣre also perish as a result of his actions.

Bode did everything he could for himself and Kata Akuna to see that they survived together under the Empire's rule since he was a former Jedi and had a target on his back, which already resulted in his wife's death. He struck a deal with his former colleaജgue Lance Devik, now an ISB higher-up, to inform on Cal and the Jedi, which he wasn't proud of. He never wanted what would happen in the end, just a peaceful life in hiding with his daughter on Tanalorr.

11 A🌊ndrew🎉 Ryan - BioShock

An Underwater Civilization Free From Global And Political Conflict Had The Right Idea

You just can't blame Andrew Ryan anymore for what he tried to accomplish, especially given the tensions in the geopolitical climate of the modern 21st century and what's taking place in America, which might seem an even scarier time than the Cold War era. His efforts can be considered more sound and admirable than ever before. You also have to understand he comes from a background where he fled Bolshevik rule in Russia and is anti-war and anti-atomic bomb.

A reset of society is definitely much needed, and that's what he hoped Rapture would be, free of outside influence and a utopia where ♍science and people could thrive. However, he didn't go about it in the most unifying or just way, and enabling Frank Fontaine and the genetic exploitation of ADAM certainly made matters worse, but, hey, who wouldn't want an opportunity to leave the world behind and begin anew?

10 🎶 Vayne Solidor - Final Fantasy 12 🍬

All For The Fate Of Humanity

We'll begin with a villain from one of a huge franchise's relatively unsung darlings. Final Fantasy 12 hardly dominates FF discourse, but there's no denying the passion its dedicated fans have displayed through the years. Vayne, ostensibly the game's primary antagonist, isn't exactly a sheep in wolf's clothing - he does have plenty of blood on his hands. But not only does he firmly believe he fights for the greater good; we even come to sympathize with his perspective.

When you grow up as a capable cutthroat politician with the family name to command respect, only to learn that in ages past, your ancestors served so-called gods - gods who still wish to direct the course of mankind - you might decide to take drastic steps toward the defense of human liberty. Vayne's villainous machinations are the result of precisely that set of circumstances, and while he's undeniably a threat to the heroes of FF12, we totally get where he was coming from.

9 🧸 Kessler - Infamous

Efforts That Even The Flash Would've Understood

The main villain in the game Infamous is Kessler, a powerful Conduit with a number of abilities, including the ability to manipulate electricity. Kessler is the cause of main character Cole MacGrath's powers and the havoc that plagues Empire City. Eventually, it's revealed that Kessler is a future version of Cole.

In Kessler's timeline, he didn't stop a powerful Conduit known as the Beast, who caused mass destruction to the world. Kessler went back in time to force his past self to fight the Beast and not make the same mistakes he had. We salute you. Sort of.

8 🍃 Le🤪tho - The Witcher 2

The Assassin Of Kings But The Preserver Of Witchers

The Witcher 2 follows Geralt as he tries to track down a fellow witcher named Letho to clear his name after being accused of assassinating the King of Temeria. Throughout most of the game, Letho is considered to be the main bad guy unt𝔍il the player le💫arns more about him.

Given an option he couldn't refuse, Letho is told to assassinate a few of the kings in the Northern Realms in exchange for the revival of the School of the Viper, by Emperor Emhyr himself. He also takes care of Yennefer after Geralt gives himself to the Wild Hunt.

7 🦹 Scorpion - Mortal Kom🎃bat

A Misunderstood Character In The MK Universe

Scorpion was one of Shao Khan's most sinister minions and a sub-boss 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:in many Mortal Kombat games. A literal hell-spawn bent on vengeance against the one who destroyed his family, he becomes the puppet of both Shao Khan and Quan Chi, all so he can kill Sub-Zero, who killed him in the first place.

But Scorpion actually turns out to be a fairly decent guy, outside his quest for revenge, as he ultimately joins the forces of good. He even spares the original Sub-Zero's younger brother, Kuai Liang, in the second tournament, vowing to protect him.

6 ꩲ Edgar Ross - Red Dead Redemption 🦂

A Strategic Lawman Who Trapped A Not Too Bright Outlaw And Did What Needed To Be Done

Moral ambiguity is the name of the game in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Red Dead Redemption, but since the player takes on the role of former outlaw John Marston, Agent Edgar Ross definitely comes off as the bad guy. Ross kidnaps Marston's family and forces him to hunt down the members of his old gang. He even backstabs Marston and kills him later in the game.

As awful as this sounds, Ross didn't do this to an innocent man. As an outlaw, John Marston set himself up to be pursued by lawmen like Edgar Ross, and while Ross surely crosses the moral line into straight-up Machiavellianism, he's hardly a blight upon the whole world.

5 𝔍 ♒ King Logan - Fable 3

Sometimes Ruling With An Iron Fist Can Be Justified

Fable 3 takes place after the events of Fable 2 and follows the sons of the player's character. The oldest of the two sons, Logan, is king and rules tyrannically through corruption, slavery, and high taxes. Players take on the role of the younger brother and lead a coup against Logan to take over the throne.

Eventually, the player learns that Logan's reason for being such an "evil" tyrant was to raise money for the war fund to protect Albion from a Crawler invasion that would nearly wipe out all of its civilians. It doesn't exactly excuse the guy's rougher doings, but at least there's cause for all the concern.