Many video games offer alternate endings shaped by your decisions and performance throughout the story. Most often, these include a canon ending, which is the intended official conclusion, and a bad ending. However, there are times when the bad ending feels more satisfying than the canon one.
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Bad endings typically spell doom for the protagonist, whether through loss, failure, death, or even the destruction of the world. Yet, depending on the characters’ development or the story’s trajectory, a bittersweet or tragic conclusion can sometimes resonate more deeply than the writers’ vision.
Beware story spoilers.
8
Ennard Makes A House Call
Five Nights At Freddy’s: Sister Location
In Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location, you play as Michael Afton, son of serial killer William Afton. Michael uncovers his father’s underground facility, where the animatronics, possessed by murdered children’s spirits, seek to escape by merging into a single entity, Ennard.
Their plan is as gruesome as it is straightforward – merge into a single entity known as Ennard, use the facility’s “scooper” machine to remove all of Michael’s internal organs, and wear his body like a human disguise, which unfolds into the canon ending.
Alternatively, if you ignore the game’s instructions and make it through the grueling final night in the Private Room, you are rewarded with a scene of Michael relaxing in his living room, accompanied by a basket of exotic butters. Just as he seems to be enjoying a moment of peace, Ennard appears from the shadows, shuffling across the carpet towards Michael. While the logical assumption is that Ennard is about to drag Michael back for their twisted plan, one can’t help but imagine that Ennard simply wants to share the couch, enjoy some TV, and snack on those delightful exotic butters.
7
Become The New Boss Of The Crime Syndicate
Streets Of Rage
Streets of Rage
- Released
-
September 18, 1991
- Engine
-
Guard Crush Games
- ESRB
-
E For Everyone due to Animated Violence
Streets of Rage is a classic side-scrolling beat ’em up where you step into the shoes of an ex-cop turned vigilante, fighting to free Wood Oak City from the grip of a powerful crime syndicate. With its iconic gameplay and co-op mode, the game lets you team up with a friend to punch, kick, and throw your way to justice.
When playing in two-player mode, the stakes rise even higher as you approach the game’s finale. After battling through waves of enemies, you’re faced with a tempting proposition from the mysterious crime boss, Mr. X: join the Syndicate. If both players refuse, you team up to defeat Mr. X and restore peace to the city.
But if one player accepts the offer and the other refuses, the game takes a dramatic turn. Instead of uniting against Mr. X, you’re forced to fight each other in an intense duel. If the player who joins the Syndicate wins, they’ll move on to battle Mr. X alone. Defeat him, and you seize control of the Syndicate, claiming the city not as its savior, but as its new overlord.
6
Ardyn Defies Bahamut, Only To Be Tortured By The Shade Of His Fiancé
Final Fantasy 15: Episode Ardyn
- Released: March 26, 2019
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Windows, Google Stadia
- Genre: RPG
Final Fantasy XV expanded its story with DLC episodes, including Episode Ardyn, which explores the antagonist’s tragic backstory. Once the heir to the throne, Ardyn dedicates himself to healing Eos from the Starscourge plague, absorbing others’ ailments into his body. However, the disease corrupts him, turning his noble mission into a curse.
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In the DLC’s climax, the god Bahamut offers Ardyn a choice: submit to becoming the Starscourge’s vessel, ensuring the True King’s eventual triumph, or refuse and face the consequences. Submitting leads to the events of the main game, condemning Ardyn to millennia of suffering and betrayal.
An alternate ending explored in Final Fantasy 15: The Dawn of the Future builds on the bad ending of Episode Ardyn, featuring a redemption arc for Ardyn, saving both Noctis’s and Lunafreya’s lives.
If Ardyn refuses, Bahamut summons a vision of his late fiancée, Aera Mirus Fleuret, who forces him into submission. In a heartbreaking scene, Aera stabs Ardyn with the Trident of the Oracle, emphasizing the inevitability of fate. Though neither ending is happy, the defiance ending gives Ardyn a bittersweet sense of closure, deepening his character as a tragic, sympathetic villain.
5
Corvo The Black Becomes A Tyrannical Emperor
Dishonored 2
- Released
-
November 11, 2016
- Engine
-
Void
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
Dishonored 2 takes place fifteen years after the events of the first game, with Emily Kaldwin ruling a prosperous Dunwall, and Corvo Attano transitioning from loyal bodyguard to seasoned assassin. The game allows you to play as either Emily or Corvo and gives you the freedom to decide how chaotic your actions will be.
If you choose to play as Corvo, kill indiscriminately, fail to save Emily and eliminate Delilah Copperspoon, you’ll unlock the High Chaos ending. This dark conclusion sees Corvo seize the throne as a tyrannical emperor, earning the title “Corvo the Black.” His reign becomes one of vengeance and bloodshed as he ruthlessly hunts down anyone connected to Delilah’s coup, plunging Dunwall into fear and tyranny.
While this ending paints a bleak future for both Corvo and Dunwall, it delivers a satisfyingly dark narrative for players who enjoy embracing the role of a merciless killer.
4
Cole MacGrath Becomes The Beast
InFAMOUS 2
inFAMOUS 2
- Released
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June 7, 2011
- Engine
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REDengine 4
- ESRB
-
T For Teen due to Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
Infamous 2 continues Cole MacGrath’s journey as he helps New Marais prepare to face the terrifying Beast. Throughout the game, your choices shape Cole’s path, tracked by a Karma system. This system influences how people react to Cole, which powers he can access, and the story’s progression… including its ultimate conclusion.
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If you choose the path of heroism, Cole sacrifices himself for humanity. On the flip side, choosing the villainous route allows Cole to embrace selfishness, join forces with the Beast, and wreak havoc across New Marais. In this ending, Cole inherits the Beast’s powers and becomes a force of destruction.
While Cole’s heroic sacrifice is undeniably moving, the villainous path offers a climatic twist that’s been built up throughout two games. Watching Cole embrace his darker nature and transform into a catastrophic force is not just epic, it’s a powerful payoff to a story you deliberately shaped through your choices.
3
Become The Emperor’s Wrath
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars: The Old Republic is an MMORPG set during a fragile peace between the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic. You can align yourself with either faction, but morality in the game is shaped by individual choices rather than faction affiliation, and your character’s journey is shaped by their class and moral decisions, leading to vastly different experiences.
For Sith Warriors, the story charts a journey through the ranks of the Sith Empire; by the end, you confront the scheming Darth Baras. In an epic duel before the Dark Council, you prove your strength by defeating Baras. Afterward, you face a pivotal decision: kill Baras and end his legacy or spare him, forcing him to live in exile and humiliation.
Regardless of your choice, the Dark Council recognizes your power, and you have bestowed the title of The Emperor’s Wrath. This moment solidifies your place as one of the most feared and respected figures in the Empire.
2
Complete The Genocide Route And Awaken Chara
Undertale
In Undertale, your choices shape the story and how characters perceive you. A Genocide Run, where Frisk kills nearly every monster, leads to one of the darkest endings. Your actions resurrect Chara, the first human to fall into the Underground, who offers a choice: erase the world or spare it.
If you complete a second Genocide Run and choose to save the world, Chara will initiate a second jumpscare as they destroy the world again. However, since Chara already has your SOUL from your first Genocide Ending, you will not have the choice to save the world by sacrificing your SOUL.
Choosing to destroy the world earns Chara’s promise of eternal togetherness, though they destroy it regardless. Sparing the world results in a chilling jumpscare. Afterward, you have the option to restore the world by sacrificing your SOUL. However, doing so permanently alters subsequent playthroughs, leading to long-lasting ramifications for both the True Pacifist and Genocide endings.
1
Chill On The Beach
Far Cry 6
- Released
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October 6, 2021
- Engine
-
Dunia 2
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mild Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
The Far Cry series is famous for its non-canon endings, where the protagonist is whisked away from danger to some far-off corner of the world. Far Cry 6 is no different. As Dani Rojas, you’re knee-deep in a rebellion against the ruthless dictator Antón Castillo, fighting across the island of Yara. It all builds up to a dramatic face-off with Castillo.
But before you charge into the final battle, you’re handed a golden ticket… or, in this case, a set of boat keys. This boat can take you straight to Miami, far away from Castillo and the chaos.
Stick around, and you might save Yara and your friends, becoming the hero everyone needs. Or hop on the boat, sail into the sunset, and leave the whole mess behind. Sure, you’ll hear about your friends’ deaths as Castillo wipes out the rebellion, but you’re on a beach in Miami, far from all that noise. Sometimes, a little sun and sand beat saving the world, right?
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