Best Human Villains From Horror Games

Horror games are all about crafting a threatening environment, as without any sense of danger, there is no tension, and therefore no fear, rendering the game rather ineffective and failing to live up to the genre. There are numerous ways the developer can do this, either with physical threats such as hostile monsters, or danger in a more intangible sense.

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In some cases, there might even be one evil mastermind behind the scenes, the true evil villain of the game. As the dark star of the horror game, one might expect them to be outwardly monstrous, their very face scream-inducing. But there are cases where the true big evil is human on the outside, their monstrous nature hidden within.

8

Serial Killer X (Condemned: Criminal Origins)

A Killer of Killers

Systems

Released

November 22, 2005

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

Developer(s)

Monolith Productions

The fictional city of Metro has fallen to a plague of evil influence that has managed to bend the minds of many inhabitants, including that of Leland Vanhorn, the true name of the murderer dubbed Serial Killer X, and the culprit of the case main character Ethan Thomas has been assigned to.

As it turns out, Serial Killer X is following Ethan Thomas’s investigations, as he wants to vent his new-found aggression and violent tendencies on those he deems deserving, in this case, other killers. Though his methods are indeed taking things too far, Vanhorn is a more understandable villain, as he is ridding Metro of some other truly despicable human beings, but has fallen into being one himself. It is a unique way to portray a serial killer, as most don’t target other killers.

7

Josh Washington (Until Dawn)

A Red-Herring Killer

Systems

Released

October 4, 2024

ESRB

m

Developer(s)

Ballistic Moon

OpenCritic Rating

Fair

Supermassive debuted their horror games with Until Dawn, a choice-based interactive movie that saw a group of friends reconvening at a mountain lodge one year after the hosts twin sisters vanished, thought to have perished. The characters return to be visited by all sorts of horror, from apparent ghosts, a gangly-limbed creature, and a masked killer. The characters can get picked off one by one if players are not careful.

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The masked killer eventually reveals himself to be Josh, as part of a prank to get back at his friends whose mean-spirited prank killed his twin sisters, though it is quite clear Josh is not quite in his right mind. As the masked killer, he is coherent and fearful, whereas Josh is clearly unstable, hallucinating gruesome visions and treating the torment he put his friends through as a joke. It is a clever diversion from the much more ominous threat that dewells on the mountains.

6

Eddie Gluskin (Outlast: Whistleblower)

If Eddie Can’t Find the Perfect Bride, He Will Make One

Released

November 4, 2013

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

Outlast introduced players to Mount Massive Asylum, where it seems the inmates have taken over, as well as been subjected to rather gruesome mutilations. It starred Miles Upsher, an investigative reporter who received a tip about strange activity surrounding the place. But before Miles, there was another protagonist armed only with a camera, as detailed in Outlast: Whistleblower.

This protagonist, by the name of Waylon Park, has the misfortune of encountering Eddie Gluskin, also known as the Groom. As one might expect from someone with that particular nickname, he is looking for the perfect bride, which he has attempted to make out of several male victims in the past, and all of them suffered a brutal death after enduring bodily mutilation. This makes Eddie one of the most effectively creepy villains in the Outlast universe, and maybe even throughout the entirety of modern horror.

5

Aureolus Lorenzo Belli (Haunting Ground)

The Enigmatic Helpful Guide Reveals His True Intentions in the End

Systems

Released

May 10, 2005

ESRB

m

A classic gone but not forgotten PS2 horror title, Haunting Ground welcomes players to Castle Belli, where main protagonist Fiona awakens after a car crash rendered her unconscious. She soon meets the few unsettling characters populating the castle, such as Daniella and Debilitas, who are intent on hurting Fiona, but also Hewie, a friendly and adorable four-legged companion.

There is one other helping hand to help guide Fiona through the horrors she endures, and that is the old and frail Lorenzo, who is bound to a wheelchair. But in typical horror game fashion, Lorenzo has his own reasons for aiding Fiona, and none of them are altruistic. He merely wanted Fiona to bring herself to him so that he could obtain Azoth to achieve true immortality. While his motivations may not be truly original, Lorenzo is still a truly creepy and unsettling villain who seems to be unstoppable as he keeps returning for Fiona every time she bests him.

4

The Scissorman (Clock Tower Franchise)

The Killer’s Identity Changes in Each Game, but Every Incarnation Remains Fearsome

Survival Horror

Adventure

Released

September 14, 1995

Developer(s)

Human Entertainment

Whoever thought a person wielding scissors could be so frightening? But with scissors of that size, it is guaranteed the Scissorman is intending to do far more than just give their victims a terrible haircut. Serving as the main antagonist in every Clock Tower game, the Scissorman has become one of the most iconic horror game villains of all time, filling gamers with a sense of dread whenever they hear that familiar yet unwelcome snipping sound.

Though their identity is different in each game, all of them still assume the collective name of the Scissorman which has become something more akin to a title than just a really catchy nickname. They each put their own spin on the killers looks, such as the twin circus performers in Clock Tower 3, but each iteration still remains terrifying, and can certainly put their scissors to deadly use.

3

Walter Sullivan (Resident Evil 4: The Room)

Indoctrinated by the Order’s Belief’s, Walter is a Fanatical Killer

Released

September 7, 2004

Developer(s)

Team Silent

Henry Townshend is an ordinary man living in what most likely was an ordinary apartment until one day chains appear, barricading him inside. A mysterious hole opens in his bathroom, which takes Henry to an alternate dimension filled with monsters and the poor victims of serial killer Walter Sullivan.

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Walter serves as the main antagonist of the game, raised within a cult known as the Order and indoctrinated with their beliefs. He killed 19 people and was on his way for 21, to succeed in completing a ritual known as the 21 Sacraments. Walter’s childhood was a rather tragic one as his own parents turned their backs on him as a baby, leaving him to be raised by zealots. It is entirely possible Walter could have been a completely different is raised correctly, but as he is now, he is a complex and intriguing villain.

2

Frank Fontaine (BioShock)

Mastermind Manipulator Responsible for One of Gaming’s Most Shocking Betrayals

Released

August 21, 2007

ESRB

m

Bioshock was one of the greatest FPS horror games of all time, perfectly blending abject horror with heart-racing gun gameplay. Players control Jack, a newcomer to the underwater utopia Rapture, which has now fallen more into a dystopia. Under the guidance of a man calling himself Atlas, players endow themselves with plasmids to take down Andrew Ryan, always asked politely to follow his instructions with the choice words “Would you kindly?”.

As it turns out, Atlas was just the moniker Frank Fontaine assumed to manipulate the player into doing his bidding, going as far as crafting an entire tragic backstory intended to draw out sympathy, and make them even more inclined to do his dirty work and kill Andrew Ryan for him. This reveal was one of the most shocking revelations that is still praised to this day, and proves how effective of a villain Atlas, or rather Fontaine, truly was.

1

Albert Wesker (Resident Evil Franchise)

Though He Infected Himself with a Virus, Wesker’s Villainy Began When He was a Human

Released

March 22, 1996

ESRB

Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Violence

Resident Evil still remains one of the most beloved survival horror games of all time, ever since the first game beckoned played into the haunting halls of Spencer Mansion, populated with zombies and other terrifying creatures intent on plaguing the nightmares of all players. In each game there are several boss monsters players will fight, always with one overarching villain of the story.

One villain has been the mastermind of several games in the series, dating all the way back to the first. That particular villain would be Albert Wesker, who infiltrated the elite team known as S.T.A.R.S., acting as team captain. His duplicitous nature was revealed in the game, and he recurred as a villain in other titles such as Code Veronica, and more notably Resident Evil 5. His evil ways cannot be denied, nor can his mad genius. Not many villains would be dedicated enough to infect themselves with a virus, but Wesker was nothing if not committed to his villainy. He might have met his fiery end in a volcano, but he is alive and well in the memories of all fans.

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