My Top 20 Villains of 2025

2025 Gaming Retrospective

This will be my countdown of my twenty favorite antagonists or villains of the year. Warning! There will be MAJOR SPOILERS in this list. Again, MAJOR SPOILERS.

Also, note that this will be based on the games I’ve played. I’m sure there are great villains in the games I didn’t get a chance to play, but I can only go by what I’ve seen.

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20 - Sylux

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

“Samus!”

Sylux has been teased as a major villain for the Metroid franchise for a while, and we finally got that in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Unfortunately, I was personally left a bit disappointed with him, as he only appears at the beginning and end of the game, with a couple of boss fights against android clones of himself. That being said, we did get some lore and backstory about him, such as him being a former Federation Trooper who ignored orders, which led to a failed mission and dead troopers, and he somehow blames Samus for it. The final boss fight against him is pretty awesome as well. I do think we are getting a new Prime trilogy, and 4 was just the start, so I expect to see bigger things out of this character.

19 - Two-Toed Tom

South of Midnight

“Angry clouds roll on the far horizon”

The mythological creatures in South of Midnight all end up having stories with trauma and are just looking to have their souls mended by a Weaver. However, while he does have a link to a traumatic story, Two-Toed Tom is just an angry giant gator that wants to feed on everything and anything nearby. There’s a barn littered with dead pigs to show just how insatiable his appetite is. The song and boss fight that accompany Tom add to how much I liked this monster, and he was a highlight of the game.

18 - Grandmother Silk

Hollow Knight: Silksong

“...They are ours... Bound forever...”

A higher being that is the primal source of Silk in the Hollow Knight universe, Grandmother Silk is the final boss of Act 2. She is also a surprisingly fun boss fight in a frustratingly difficult game. The Weavers are using this imprisoned goddess to control Pharloom. However, upon being reawakened, Grandmother Silk begins the haunting, trapping the citizens in silk and corrupting their minds to attack the land. She also has two children born from her silk, Lace and Phantom. The events of Silksong start because she seeks out Hornet for her ability to create silk. Silk’s presence looms large during most of the game, but by the time you face her, you realize there is a tragedy to her story.

17 - The Oni

Ghost of Yotei

“Do you think I enjoy setting fire to children?”

One of the first optional targets to go after in Ghost of Yotei, as you hunt the Yotei Six. The Oni is actually Lord Hyozo, a general who seeks personal glory. Interestingly, he does what Lord Saito tells him, as some of his dialogue hints that he doesn’t fully agree with Saito’s commands and goals. My guess is that he sees himself as the man who is making Saito’s plans happen, and therefore, that is how he will be remembered in history. Despite being a self-proclaimed proud general, he uses fire to tear down villages and has no problem being part of the Night of the Burning Tree massacre that sets our hero, Atsu, on her journey. Out of all the Yotei Six members that have long stories in the game, I found the Oni’s sections as the most fun, and it helps that there are some major revelations during as well. In the end, after a great boss fight, Atsu and Jubei make him crawl and then strike him down together, as revenge for the Oni killing their father.

16 - Void Kong

Donkey Kong Bananza

“Bring the brat to me!”

The central antagonist of Donkey Kong Bananza, Void Kong is the President of VoidCo, who seeks to dig down to the core of the planet to obtain the Banandium Root and grant a wish for all the gold in the world. The greedy, often childish Kong kidnapped Pauline to harness the power of her music, transforming her into a rock. He employs Grumpy Kong and Poppy Kong, who do his dirty work. But, don’t let his size fool you, as boss fights against this guy proved to be a bit more challenging than you expect. While Void Kong would prove to be the least of DK’s problems by the end of the game, he did set the events in motion and was one of Donkey Kong’s better new nemesis to go up against. Plus, the guy kidnapped a teenager!

15 - Prince Ahzrak

Doom: The Dark Ages

"I can never rule as king, so long as you are the only one they fear"

An ambitious demon that seeks the Heart of Argent to rule over the High Council of Hell, Ahzrak isn’t afraid of the Doom Slayer as other demons are. He doesn’t just attack; he's calculating and patient in getting what he wants. Ultimately, he proves to be a formidable opponent for the Doom Slayer as he imprisons him, kills his dragon-like companion Serrat, and obtains the Heart of Argent. The final battle with the demon prince, however, leads to his death, as the Doom Slayer uses a flail to decapitate him. Out of the villains in the modern Doom trilogy, I think Prince Ahzrak is the best one. He’s the most fleshed-out antagonist we got and proved to be one of the Doom Slayer’s most formidable adversaries.

14 - Inquisitor Lodwyn

Avowed

“I have scoured this island and face truths for which you cower”

In many ways, Inquisitor Lodwyn is a symbol of imperialism and a Manifest Destiny type of ideology. That’s what makes her such a strong villain. While Avowed’s writing had some weak spots, its main antagonist was a strong one in my opinion. In a story where you, as the Envoy, have to help explore a new land, the Inquisitor acts as a force that rather pillages and takes what she feels is best for the Empire, while you, as the player, can focus on the cultures and the people. Lodwyn isn’t just a crazed imperialist, however, as she’s essentially undead, making her extremely powerful.

13 - Kreed Maykr

Doom: The Dark Ages

“By decree of the Maykr Council, the Doom Slayer has been placed under the temporary charge of the Kreed, a blade to be wielded in the war against Hell and a shield to safeguard their dominion in the district.”

While Prince Ahzrak is the primary antagonist of Doom: The Dark Ages, the Kreed Maykr is the one villain that stuck with me the most. I love slimy, ultimately weak, villains who focus on others doing their dirty work because that’s how evil people are in the real world. The worst people in the world are those weak human beings who can get others to do what they want, but when they’re finally cornered, they reveal how pathetic they were the entire time. That is the Kreed Maykr. Initially having control over the Doom Slayer (which happens between the events of Doom 64 and this game), the control over the powerful former human begins to slip, which leads to the Maykr betraying and siding with Hell and Ahzrak. As expected, when finally confronted, he proves to be a sniveling coward, and seeing him get sawed in half is exactly what he deserves.

12 - The President

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

“The more we seek to unite the people with metaphorical ropes, the more essential sticks seem to become."

Kojima’s Death Stranding series is, at times, a little hard to keep up with story-wise. Still, the President of APAS and the United Cities of America is, in many ways, a reflection of the AI and digital world, which, if left unregulated, has the potential to poison the world and undermine human connection. At least, that’s how I saw that story arc. Initially helping you and funding the crew of the DHV Magellan’s journey through Australia, the President is the face of APAS. However, it’s later revealed that the President is more of a symbol of the 4000 souls who died in a voidout and merged with servers that lined the beach. This created an AI-like hybrid of souls and artificial intelligence that formulated a plan to end humanity's evolution to avoid the last stranding.

While their goals are admirable, they essentially wanted to kill human connection. The President (or APAS) proved to be the game's real antagonist, setting events in motion and seeking to attack human connection, a central theme in Death Stranding 2. I loved how Die-Hardman ultimately deals with APAS by doing a goofy dance, because it’s something only humans can think of, which shows what sets us apart from an AI.

11 - Roux

South of Midnight

“There’s a fine line between mercy and justice, ain’t that right, Hazel Flood? You chose a hard road for yourself.”

Roux is the caretaker of Kushma's Cabaret, a place of dreams and nightmares, where he tries to broker deals that help people cope with their traumas or failings. However, he’s a trickster and has his own self-serving goal to feed Kooshma's appetite for dreams and nightmares. Roux proved to be one of the more charismatic characters in the game, as he should be, considering his status. He even has a whole song and dance number, which I personally thought was such a cool and different thing to see in a game. In some ways, Roux does help Hazel by the end, but let’s face it, he does so for selfish purposes and obtains a new soul to feed their regrets and nightmares to Kooshma. It’s revealed that Roux has ended up with Hazel’s mother, and Hazel strikes a deal to break her mother out of Kooshma’s realm. Brought to life by actor Ahmed Best, he is one of the most charismatic and memorable characters I’ve seen in recent memory.

10 - Shroud

Dispatch

“You think you can beat the bad by being good, but there's no solving human nature. You can't stop evil. All you can do is control it"

A former part of Mecha Man’s group, Shroud is a classic hero turned villain story. Elliot Connors created the Astral Pulse to power the second Mech Man suit in hopes of becoming a member of the Brave Brigade. When he failed to win a vote to become part of the group, he confronted Astral, the second Mecha Man, and shot him in the chest, deciding to become Shroud. Shroud’s goal is to control evil rather than to beat it, or at least his excuse for what he is doing. He’s such a genius that he thinks of every possibility before doing something, which gives him a major upper hand. Shroud’s presence is a sore spot for Robert Robertson III, the third Mech Man, who Shroud successfully defeats at the start of the game. Ultimately, Shroud and Robert have one showdown, and it's up to the player’s choice on how to defeat Shroud, and if they prefer to kill him or choose justice over vigilantism. While he may not appear as much as other villains do, every time he does, he has profound effects, from destroying the Mech Man suit to almost killing Invisigal and Chase, to the final showdown.

9 - Lord Saito

Ghost of Yotei

“I’m sorry it came to this, little wolf”

Lord Saito comes across as a hero in his backstory. His goal is to fend off what he considers invaders of his homeland and to save his people. He’s also a loving husband and father. However, he also has ruthless tactics, setting fires to villages and is not afraid to kill innocent people to send a message. After Atsu’s parents leave him to start a new life, he blames her father for the death of his wife and only daughter. When he finds Atsu’s family, he and the other members of the Yotei Six massacre the family and leave Atsu to die, setting the stage for Ghost of Yotei.

Saito clearly has big plans and is patient, willing to fight a war for decades if necessary to secure victory for his people. There’s a lot to unpack on what his true motivations are, but I do think there’s a subconscious need for glory in there, as well as power, such as tormenting Oyuki until she left the Yotei Six after she showed mercy during the Night of the Burning Tree. Throughout the game, Saito is a scar in Atsu’s memory, constantly proving her need for revenge outweighs doing what’s right. As he watches his war fail, and the Yotei Six are taken out, he spirals and has one last fight with our hero, Atsu. Even when he’s dying, he takes one final verbal shot, showing how much anger and resentment poisoned him.

8 - Verso / Maelle

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

“It's gonna be ok..."

The end of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sparked a lot of debate over which ending is “the right one”. Even though it's been hinted that the writer prefers one ending, the developers have said there is no right one, and it’s up to the players. After you take out Renoir and convince him to leave the painting, Maelle and Verso find themselves at a crossroads. Verso sees the real Verso’s young soul imprisoned, and as he paints, Maelle doesn’t want to let her friends go, keeping the painting alive. I found myself seeing both Verso and Maelle’s feelings here as a significant point in how you can see both characters as villains. You can argue that Verso is a liar who promises to help but ultimately is okay with lying to get what he wants and destroying the painting once and for all. Still, I would also argue that Maelle can’t let the grief of losing her older brother go, and she’s willing to trap him as practically a slave to keep her friends she made in the painting alive.

Now the answers here are not in any way simple. There’s a pretty deep and tough conversation to be had here regarding the Act 3 revelations that the world is a painting. You can get wrapped up in philosophical debates around consciousness and whether the characters in the painting are sentient beings, for which I would argue there is more evidence than not that they are. I do think both endings are closer to bad than to good. I’ve been pretty vocal that I am not a fan of Expedition 33’s ending, and a big part of it is that I feel it’s giving you two crappy options, and the revelations in Act 3 make it feel (at least to me personally) that I wasted my time going on this adventure. Ultimately, I decided to go with Verso’s ending because I saw the overall story as the five stages of grief, with Verso providing acceptance at the end, allowing the family to move on from the real Verso’s death. But I do understand why people chose Maelle’s ending; her selfishness can also be seen as mercy toward the people we met on the journey through the painting, and there’s an argument to be made that Verso is careless about committing what some have called genocide. There’s a much longer conversation to be had here, and I’ve made my view known that I don’t like the ending, but the conversation on who was right between Maelle and Verso will go on for decades.

7 - Bunny Flood

South of Midnight

“Why should I borrow when I can just take”

Hazel’s grandmother slowly reveals herself to be a woman living in the past, willing to use her granddaughter to deal with her own trauma. Bunny Flood is a big part of the game’s version of Louisiana through multiple business ventures. When her daughter drowned in an accident, she blamed her son for her death. Her son, Trey, fell in love with Tracey, and they had Hazel. After Trey’s untimely death, her relationship with Hazel and Lacey got worse. After Hazel loses her mother during the night of the hurricane, Hazel is forced to go to Bunny for help. At first, Bunny seems to be an ally, but she reveals herself to have ulterior motives. Bunny watches as Hazel develops and matures into her Weaver powers so she can use the heart of Huggin Molly to help bring back Cherie, her deceased daughter. Bunny is the personification of sadness and grief bottled up into a poisonous form, where she’s willing to hurt others to get rid of her trauma, a parallel to Hazel’s way of healing trauma. Ultimately, Bunny’s grief is too much for her, and she accepts being in an endless dream to see her daughter, even if it’s not real. As Roux says to Hazel, Hazel picked the hard road to deal with her trauma while Bunny chose the easier, and more corrupted one.

6 - The Conductors

Hollow Knight: Silksong

“They who guard our history, our prayers, and our secrets, across the ages”

The Conductors are the real villains of Hollow Knight: Silksong, using not only the Citadel, but also the corrupted version of faith to get their way. The Conductors use the Citadel to enslave the pilgrims who make their way to the structure, to work for them, and help them live a life of decadence and richness. All the while, the pilgrims hold on to their faith, despite getting nothing in return. The Conductors are a strong villain for me, as they show the evil side of organized religion, used by its claimed leaders to attack and use lower-class citizens to get their way and do horrible things. They are okay with ensnaring the citizens, trapping Grandmother Silk, and taking advantage of the pilgrims' blind faith to live their own lives. They’ll beg for rosary beads and give nothing back but tell you that you’ve sinned and must atone. Ultimately, they run into issues with Silksong’s protagnost Hornet, who seems to lack faith and is more logic-focused, as well as the rise of the evolving faith from other pilgrims, such as Sherma. While they may not be as much of a presence as the other villains of the game, The Counductors prove to be a powerful message about the evils that organized religion can and has brought to the world.

5 - Lace

Hollow Knight: Silksong

“Climb higher, little spider. I want to savour your struggle just a little longer!"”

The loyal, but angry, daughter of Grandmother Silk, Lace is your main rival throughout Silksong, with three battles, including the final boss encounter. After her sister seems to lose herself, Lace becomes angry at the world and is okay with bringing down the Citadel and her mother. There’s nihilism to her actions as she seeks revenge for what she feels has been a bad life, emotionally abandoned by her mother. Lace grows to hate Hornet because she feels her mother prefers this stranger to her and constantly demeans Hornet and fights her. At the end of Act 2, Lace sacrifices herself to free Hornet from her mother’s grasp as she falls into the void. Lace enjoys being part of the Void and wants Hornet to join her, waiting as Pharloom crumbles. The final encounter has Lace, possessed by the Void, fight Hornet in a brutal battle that ends with Hornet rescuing Lace from the Void. In the end, Lace seems to be a little happier and more willing to accept life after the Knight rescues both Hornet and Lace. An argument can be made that Lace is a symbol of depression and that Hornet refuses to give up on her until the very end. Along with that, Lace is a pretty charming character, laughing and taking some shots at Hornet during their encounters, almost like she enjoys the doom the world is going through.

4 - The Spider

Ghost of Yotei

“His vision…”

Out of all the members of the Yotei Six, I really liked the story told around The Spider, the black sheep of Saito’s family. The Spider, or Sakichi Saito, is one of Saito’s sons, but one who is seen as a screw-up. There’s a scene in the game where it's hinted that The Spider has resentment towards his father and isn’t a fan of his vision and goals. Atsu eventually captures him and uses him as bait, which leads to his more successful brother, The Dragon, fighting her and dying. Abandoned by his father, Atsu confronts him to find out the whereabouts of her brother and niece. In a significant moment, Atsu chooses compassion and her family over revenge, letting The Spider live. While we didn’t get much from him, I found this character interesting for his obvious disdain for his father, yet his desire for his approval. There are similar family dynamics that have played out with many in real life, similar to this. I do wish we saw more of him once that dynamic was established, but the story of The Spider and Atsu’s decision to let him go does mark a turning point in Atsu’s character.

3 - King K. Rool

Donkey Kong Bananza

“King K. Rool is back in action!”

Surprise! One of the biggest shocks in 2025’s gaming story is the well-hidden revival and return of King K. Rool. One of the most requested characters to make a comeback. After we reach what we are led to believe will be the ending of Donkey Kong Bananza, Void Kong gets to the Banandium Root, or what he thinks is the Banandium Root, because it’s actually the belly of a trapped King K. Rool, Donkey Kong’s longtime but also missing nemesis. We haven’t seen K. Rool since 1999’s Donkey Kong 64 (not counting multiplayer spinoff appearances). From the moment he’s revealed, signature theme song and everything, we are then set to the final act, where the Kremlins make their first return as well! After a boss fight, we think we’re done, but K. Rool gives us a touch of nostalgia by repeating the infamous fake out from Donkey Kong Country, even with Gang-Plank Galleon playing. While I will admit the final battle with K. Rool drags on much longer than needed, this marks the official return of the character, and one I hope is followed up on in future Donkey Kong games. It’s good to have him back.

2 - The Dessendre Family

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

“We’re all hypocrites doing the same thing to each other”

I came close to putting Renoir, voiced by the awesome Andy Serkis, at this spot, but I realized that he’s part of the larger villain in this game - the Dessendre family. None of the tragic events that play out all the way to the divided ending of Expedition 33 happen without this family’s poor way of dealing with grief. There is a larger force happening here, with hints that the Dessendres are part of a powerful painters’ group that fights the writers. They can create worlds in paintings and spend time in them. When Verso, the family's son, dies in a fire, the mother, Aline, becomes obsessed with his painting as a way to hold on to him, even painting new versions of her family to interact with in it. She eventually begins to deteriorate and becomes the Paintress. Meanwhile, Clea is angry with Alicia and blames her for Verso’s death. Renoir seeks to free his wife, and the two fight. Alicia eventually ends up in the painting, reborn as Maelle.

The Dessendre family is selfish and uses others as playthings. It’s a family that fights each other, all the while disregarding how their actions affect the very life they create. The painting’s inhabitants have their own dreams and hopes, but it's all just part of a game; they are unwilling to accept their son's death, which leads to a cycle of tragedy and sadness in Expedition 33. The family is stuck fighting because of grief caused by their son, and the trickling effects of it have major consequences throughout the story. If the family was able to deal with their grief and understand the power they had in the creation of their paintings, you don’t end up with either of the bad or bittersweet endings the game has. They may not be evil, but there’s no doubt their inability to deal with sadness and loss leads to a whole lot more sadness and loss.

1 - Higgs Monaghan

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

“Well let’s just say that I’ve… died on the beach before”

Higgs was already a damn good villain coming out of Death Stranding. He may be a bit of a simp, but his actions and personality had a memorable villain all over it. As much as I loved that version of Higgs, he and Troy Baker really take it up to legendary levels in the sequel. This time around, Higgs possesses an android as he stays on the Beach, with a cult-like group of robots following him. Troy Baker is obviously enjoying himself as we get the personality that made Higgs famous, turned up to eleven. It’s a mix of Heath Ledger’s Joker with the original Higgs character and a little something new. He revels in the chaos he creates, and his hate for Sam and Fragile really flows through. The personality shown here, thanks in large part to Troy Baker, is just downright fun, which shouldn’t happen in such a chaotic character. The guitar he chooses as a weapon, the smile he has on his face, and singing when he has the chance. It's watching someone have fun while trying to burn down the world.

After being brought back by APAS to force Sam to connect Australia, Higgs secretly has his own plans to bring about the death stranding. After spending time trapped alone on the beach, he’s only become even more unhinged and nihilistic about life. Abandoned by Amelie, he sets his eyes on Tomorrow as the new extinction entity to bring the last stranding. When he’s giving a lengthy speech near the end of the game, Higgs offers a glimmer of what motivates and moves him. In a game about human connection, Higgs is the opposite. He wants life to end, and for him to bring down humanity with him. There’s a pessimism and nihilism about humans and the world that motivates him, that unfortunately motivates many in the world today. As someone who believes in optimism and life, Higgs represents everything that I’m not. Unfortunately, there are many (including people who agree with me on many things) who have that same pessimism and darkness in the way they see the world. It’s not just the guitar, the personality, or charm - Higgs is the embodiment of pessimism and hate of life. That’s why I love him so much as a villain. He is the very darkness that you, even good people, fight within yourselves. Sam chooses human connection, even after all he’s been through, while Higgs chooses oblivion and he’s going to force it on everyone, with a smile on his face.

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