The 10 Best Video Game Villains of 2024

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 24, 2024 5 Views 25 Min Read
The 10 Best Video Game Villains of 2024

The heroic actions of a game’s protagonist would not have the same impact without a great villain to oppose them. Villains are an important part of creating tension in a game’s story, and can themselves be some of the best characters a game has to offer. The games released in 2024 offered fantastic villains in spades, helping to shape the actions of the hero and serving as a hurdle that players need to overcome during the course of their playthrough.

Compelling villains in games don’t just have to provide players with a foil to the protagonist, but should represent a deeper reason for them to engage with a game’s narrative. Whether this be posing a challenging battle, presenting a moral question they must grapple with, or holding a degree of sympathy that could cast a new light on the villain, some of the greatest villains in gaming of 2024 go above and beyond being simple obstacles within the player’s journey. Each of the villains listed is presented in alphabetical order.

best-female-characters-2024-aerith-chitose-iris-kwan-game-rant

Related


The 10 Best Female Video Game Characters of 2024

The best female video game characters of 2024 are a mix of heroes, villains, and support, but all have a story to tell and a part to play.

Emmrich Voss (Indiana Jones and The Great Circle)

Read Game Rant’s Indiana Jones and The Great Circle Review

Emmerich Voss and Indiana Jones are strangely two sides of the same coin in The Great Circle. While both are dedicated to scholarly archeological pursuits and unearthing history’s greatest secrets, Voss does so in the name of the Third Reich, who he believes to hold the power he craves. His narcissism and psychological manipulation make him not only the perfect foil to Indy, but leave the player feeling uneasy in his presence as he and Indy clash over the mystery of The Great Circle.

Erlang Shen (Black Myth: Wukong)

Read Game Rant’s Black Myth: Wukong Review

Erlang Shen is the perfect antagonist to bookend Black Myth: Wukong. Players will first encounter the villain early in the game, facing his Erlang, the Sacred Divinity form as the Monkey King. It’s not until players complete Erlang’s optional questline that the Destined One will get to face his true form, Erlang Shen, atop Mount Mei. The gauntlet of the Four Heavenly Kings players must defeat before taking on Erlang Shen proves to be one of Black Myth: Wukong‘s greatest challenges and allows this enemy to stand out as one of the year’s most notable.

Read Game Rant’s Metaphor: ReFantazio Review

Metaphor: ReFantazio‘s Louis Guiabern has all the traits of an ideal villain. He is charismatic enough to gain the support of a large majority of the United Kingdom of Euchronia, powerful enough to survive assassination attempts and take on the player’s party on multiple occasions, and cunning enough to hide his true intentions while earning the public’s favor. Despite witnessing him slay the reigning king in the game’s opening cinematic, Louis is still able to gain sympathy from the player as an eldan outcast with similar goals as the protagonist, albeit with much more devastating methods of achieving them.

Mephisto (Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred)

Check Out Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred on OpenCritic

While Mephisto is an iconic recurring villain throughout the Diablo series as one of the three Prime Evils, he plays his biggest role yet in Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred. After being a background antagonist in the Diablo 4 base game, Mephisto is given his time to truly shine in Vessel of Hatred as his corruption spreads throughout Nahantu via the Soulstone carried by Neyrelle. Although players face Mephisto during the climax of the expansion’s main quest, it appears the Lord of Hatred has unfinished work in Sanctuary as the game’s ending leaves Mephisto possessing the body of Akarat.

Messmer the Impaler (Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree)

Check Out Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree on OpenCritic

The face of Shadow of the Erdtree and one of the toughest fights in the DLC is Messmer the Impaler. Not only does Messmer stand as a test of the player’s strength and skill within the punishing Land of Shadow, but he also plays a pivotal role within the lore of Elden Ring. As the accursed son of Queen Marika, Messmer led a crusade throughout the Land of Shadow, purging those who did not share the light of grace, making the player’s triumph over him and his Abyssal Serpent all the more rewarding.

Null (The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom)

Check Out The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom on OpenCritic

Princess Zelda’s first outing as the main playable character in a Legend of Zelda game wouldn’t have been complete without a new villain for her to face off against. The enigmatic Null breaks the traditional mold the various incarnations of Ganon and other Demon Kings have played as villains throughout the series with its cosmic-horror-inspired design and motives. Null’s world-consuming rifts and penchant for creating echoes to replace the inhabitants of Hyrule add a layer of tension and urgency that perfectly reflects Zelda’s own abilities granted to her by the Tri Rod.

Pyramid Head (Silent Hill 2)

Read Game Rant’s Silent Hill 2 Review

One of the most iconic enemies in horror gaming returns to the spotlight in 2024 with the release of Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 Remake. Not only has Pyramid Head been a frightening villain for generations of Silent Hill fans, but the gorgeous visuals of this remake allow the monster to take on a terrifying new presence. Pyramid Head’s representation of James’ guilt and desire for punishment is perfectly mirrored by the player’s need to escape this monster’s pursuit, only to come face to face with two versions of the foe in an intense endgame boss battle.

Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth)

Read Game Rant’s Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Review

Arguably one of the most recognizable gaming villains of all time shines in a new light with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth‘s diverging narrative, pitting players against a unique take on Sephiroth. Square Enix had the difficult task of doing the original villain justice within its modern reimagining of Final Fantasy 7‘s story. However, the game goes beyond successfully capturing Sephiroth’s intimidating nature and tragic history from the moment players begin the game’s opening mission that explores the Nibelheim incident in a flashback, to the emotional final encounter of the game with Sephiroth Reborn following the villain’s slaying of Aerith.

Solas (Dragon Age: The Veilguard)

Read Game Rant’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard Review

Dragon Age: The Veilguard‘s Solas is another villain who follows the 2024 trend of playing an interconnected role with the protagonists. Rook and Solas become intrinsically bound via a blood ritual in the opening hours of the game’s story, after which Solas is imprisoned within the Fade following the disruption of his ritual to destroy the Veil. The connection between Rook and Solas reveals memories of the villains’ past and sheds new light on his character, as his aid in stopping Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain makes him somewhat sympathetic. However, that sympathy is ripped away when Solas betrays Rook, forcing the player to bind him to the Veil to prevent its collapse (although the context of how this happens can differ).

Yutaka Yamai (Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth)

Read Game Rant’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Review

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a story about redemption in a lot of ways, and Yutaka Yamai is perhaps the character that best embodies this theme. Introduced as a villain and head of Hawaii’s Yamai Syndicate, Yamai’s backstory is revealed over the course of the game, allowing players to sympathize with him having been betrayed by his lover after killing his family’s patriarch and being forced to flee Japan for Hawaii. Despite battling him on multiple occasions, Yamai becomes an ally with a newfound respect for Kasuga and reverence for Kiryu, ultimately doing the right thing and helping them shepherd Akane and Lani to Japan before confronting his past and turning himself in for his crimes. Sometimes, a good villain is worthy of a little redemption.

Source link