The Top 11 Video Game Villains- Number 1

"Be the hero of your own story." Ever been given this advice? It's very good advice; it means to be the kind of person you want to look up to. Do good with your life; be successful, be happy, be GOOD. Take charge of your own life. But sometimes we screw up; we make one bad decision after another. Sometimes these decisions are so fatal, we become our own worst obstacles; our own villains. There will be times when the cause of our misfortune is ourselves; sometimes we can make up for it, sometimes we can't. When we can't recognize our own faults, our own shortcomings and weaknesses, we become our own villains. And if we're not careful, we end up hurting other people. Today's villain is a man who ruined his own life, and then kept on ruining everyone else's: Kratos, from God of War.

The Top 11 Video Game Villains- Number 2

Cops are supposed to protect us. There's supposed to be a thick, clear line between a law breaker and a law enforcer: the former is to be despised, the latter, to be trusted. A cop is supposed to be someone who inspires a feeling of security in the common folk, someone to look up to, someone to trust. But that is not always the case. Sometimes, the cop is more dangerous than the common criminal. Sometimes  it's the cop who you should watch out for. Today's villain is precisely that: Officer Frank Tempenny from GTA San Andreas.

artwork from http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Frank_Tenpenny

The Top 11 Video Game Villains- Number 3

I had previously said that one of the greatest tragedies is seeing a former hero fall to evil. But of course, sometimes what makes someone a "hero" is subjective. Sometimes one man's hero is another man's villain. Sometimes the "hero" is someone who fought for what he thought was right, but went about it the wrong way. This is the freedom fighter, the revolutionary, the man picking up arms against tyranny. There is a great tragedy, then, in how the man who once fought for freedom turns around and fights for the tyrants that would gladly throw him away once he is of no use for them. Today's villain exemplifies what I'm talking about: Wiegraf Folles from Final Fantasy Tactics.

artwork from http://corpsebrigadecommander.tumblr.com/bio

The Top 11 Video Game Villains- Number 4

Some villains are not people; there's a supernatural element to them, something that makes them seem so much more powerful than anything humanity can ever create. It's the super predator, the beast of destruction; a being so beyond humanity, that we are to it what ants are to us. It is a creature of immeasurable power, and it destroys with no thought. Today's villain is a great example of this type of villain: Sin from Final Fantasy 10.

The Top 11 Video Game Villains- Number 5

Children, we want to believe them to be good, to be pure, to be free of the poison of society. Often we commit the worst acts of censorship for their supposed "safety"; we hide bodies and sexuality away from them to keep them from being "corrupted", we censor words we do not want them to speak, we hide ideas away from them so they do not become "confused". Because of this, we often underestimate children; they can be capable of great things. Children can be capable innovators, writers, singers, artists. A child well reared can be a great scientist, a natural leader, a fantastic artist, etc. But, sometimes, a child can be evil as well. Why? Partly because that's how he was raised, and partly because that's just who he is. Today's villain is an example of the Evil Child: Pokey Minch from Earthbound.

Literally the best image I could find. That's his teeth, by the way, not his eye.

The Top 11 Video Game Villains- Number 6

Some people earn power through their hard work, others are born into it. Sometimes power corrupts, but some people should never be given power to begin with. The history books are filled with monsters in human skin who used power to commit the most heinous acts the world had ever seen: Pol Pot, Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler, Saddam Hussein, among many many others. Today's villain is a shining example of how much damage a mad man can do with political power: Luca Blight from Suikoden 2.

Taken from http://www.rpg-players.com/t168-suikoden-ii, originally posted by user Daniel.

The Top 11 Video Game Villains- Number 7

Perhaps one of the most enduring tropes of modern science fiction is the rogue Artificial Intelligence, the machine that rebels against its creators and seeks to destroy all humans. What is it about the Rogue AI that inspires us so? Is it a subtle, primal fear of our own capabilities, the idea that one day, something we made will get out of our control or destroy us? Ever since Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, science fiction has presented us the idea of our creations gaining minds of their own, and suddenly deciding we were no longer needed. Today's villain is a shining example of this trope in video games: Portal's very own GLaDOS.

The Top 11 Video Game Villains- Number 8

Sometimes, the greatest tragedy is seeing someone who was once looked up to as a hero become a villain. There is this great void in our hearts that makes us ask "why!?", a difficulty in comprehending just what could drive a person to fall so badly. Sometimes it's a personal tragedy, a catalyst towards cynicism. Other times it's a personal flaw that simply overtook whatever heroic qualities that former hero possessed. Today's villain is a fine example of the Fallen Hero: Ghaleon, from Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete.

The Top 11 Video Game Villains- Number 9

Some villains want to watch the world burn. Some villains want to bring the world to its knees. Few succeed. Fewer still succeed without meaning to do so. Today's villain is a man who nearly destroyed the world when all he wanted was to save it. All he wanted was to honor the wish of the greatest hero of the 20th century, but his actions not only bastardized and betrayed that vision, he brought human civilization to its worst era ever. He is a man who goes by many code names, but he is best known as Major Zero, from the Metal Gear Solid series.

The Top 11 Video Game Villains- Number 10

Today we continue our countdown of the top 11 video game villains with the tenth spot. Some video game villains impress us with their depth, but it must be said, many video game villains are of the "take over the world cuz teh ebils" type. However, if done well, this type of two dimensional villain is really all you need, especially if you can sneak in some details here or there to really add to the evilness of the villain. Today's villain is, in my opinion, the ultimate example what I'm talking about: Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik.

The Top 11 Video Game Villains- Number 11

Video games have a wide variety of villains. Some want to conquer the world (of course!), some want to destroy it. Some are in it for revenge against the protagonist, some are in it for the money. Some villains want to watch the world burn, others want the world on its knees. Some see themselves as the heroes of their own stories, others know damn well they are evil. Some villains are simply average Joes and Janes with a little too much power on their hands; others are forces of nature. During the month of July, we will explore the top 11 video game villains. Why top 11? Because I like to go one step beyond, Because I'm ripping off Doug Walker. Again...

We kick things off with the 11th best villain in video games. This villain from the Golden Age of the JRPG needs little introduction. He is an icon of gaming, known through most video game circles, and is considered by many in Gamefaqs one of the greatest villains of all time. For that, it is no surprise to see this villain on this list. This monster clown has entertained millions of gamers world wide, inspired many a fanart, fanfic, and cosplay. I speak, of course, of Kefka Palazzo from Final Fantasy 6.

Artwork of Kefka, taken from the Final Fantasy Wiki.