These rankings are based on a direct vote put out to DualShockers’ 100+ contributors, writers, and editors, not our individual reviews.
A great video game is built up of many diverse parts. Level design, art direction, talented voice acting, animation, storytelling, worldbuilding…the list goes on. Great protagonists are, of course, a must, but our heroes are often only as good as their villains. Serving as the main obstacle heroes must overcome, a good villain can elevate a fun game into an unforgettable experience.
Best Main Characters In Gaming History, Ranked
Audiences love their main characters in video games. Great protagonists shape the world around them while captivating the hearts and minds of players.
2023 has been a hallmark year in the video game industry, leaving gamers with perhaps the best year in video games to date. This has been in no small part due to the iconic villains that graced our TVs and monitors throughout the year. From the unassuming to the outright dastardly, this DualShockers Definitives list will break down the best, most stand-out villains in 2023. So sit back, relax, and revel in the truly wicked foes who pushed our heroes to the brink this year.
SPOILER ALERT: Some of the entries listed below will detail major spoilers for their respective games, so proceed with caution!
10Black Rabbit Brotherhood (Lies Of P)
Vicious Gank Fight… So Nice They Made It Twice
The Black Rabbit Brotherhood is an infamous group of criminals in theincredible Soulslike,Lies of P, and they make up not one but two brutal boss fights in the game. While they do hold a narrative presence in the story, they’re much more notable for putting up a seriously difficult (and frustrating) challenge at key points in the game. You’ll first encounter this group on your way through the Malum District on your way to Rosa Isabella Street and the opera house. In their first encounter, the fight primarily revolves around a key battle with Eldest, though the other three (Battle Maniac, Eccentric, and the Youngest) serve as devilish distractions during the fight, doing little damage but pulling your attention away from the major threat that is the Eldest.
Accept your fate. Death has come for you.
After slaying Eldest, the Black Rabbit Brotherhood then works with the Alchemists to raid Hotel Krat and kidnap Geppetto. You encounter this group again closer to the end of the game, where you must battle through the three other members before Eldest climbs out of the coffin, resurrected as a monstrous mutant. This group stands out for being an extremely challenging and chaotic fight, easily tilting players due to the difficulty in keeping aware of multiple enemies around the battlefield at any given time.Lies of P earned an 8.5/10 from DualShockers.
9Benedikta Harmon (Final Fantasy 16)
Dominant Of Garuda, Driven To Madness
Final Fantasy 16features a number of antagonists who take the spotlight throughout the game’s roughly 36-hour campaign, but Benedikta Harmon takes the stage early on as the first Dominant you must ‘go all out’ to defeat. Benedikta shares a history with one of your main allies, Cid, though she currently leads the Waloed’s Royal Intelligencers, gathering information and performing clandestine tasks for King Barnabas, the Dominant of Odin. Benedikta is a confident warrior who holds a serious grudge against Cid for ‘abandoning’ her long ago. Whether from her traumatic childhood or her time serving Waloed’s twisted ruler, Benedikta is manipulative, vindictive, and ruthless in her pursuit of her goals.
Fool is the shepherd who heeds every bleat of the flock, and I will suffer yours no longer.
When she eventually cracks under the pressure of her Eikon, Garuda, she becomes a destructive force of nature, and she acts as the catalyst for Clive to unleash his own Eikon to put a stop to her rampage. Her character could have benefited from a bit more screen time, whether as flashbacks later on in the story or in a potential redemption arc that could have been, butBenedikta certainly left a lasting impressionduring the game’s first act.Final Fantasy 16 earned a 9/10 from DualShockers.
Final Fantasy 16
8Geppetto (Lies Of P)
The Greatest Liar Of Them All
A bit of a late-game twist spoiler, Geppetto is eventually revealed to have been a major driving force behind many of the tragic, terrible events that take place in the City of Krat. Geppetto serves as the “father” of the titular P, and the father of all mechanical puppets in Krat. You rescue him early on in the game, and he becomes something of a guiding force for your journey, offering you information about the areas you’ll be exploring, asking you to seek out specific characters in the world, and warning you against the dangers posed by the Alchemists. Geppetto comes across as a quiet old man with perhaps an unhealthy attachment to P, but he seems harmless enough.
Lies of P Review: A Marionette Marvel
A solid soulslike with no strings attached.
Eventually, though, it is revealed that Geppetto was deliberately responsible for the puppet uprising that killed so many in Krat, as well as helping the Alchemists to achieve their own twisted goals (in order to further his own). Geppetto does hold a hint of tragedy about him, though, as he is driven by the loss of his son and the desire to bring him back to life. P was just one key step on the path toward that goal. His grief ultimately blinded him to the fact that P was, in fact, becoming more human throughout the story. Where Geppetto only saw a puppet who could assist in bringing his son back from the dead, he failed to recognize P’s true sentience until it was far too late.
7Auntie Ethel (Baldur’s Gate 3)
Dottering Grandmother & Devious Hag All In One
A fantastic candidate for the most unassuming villain on this list (at least at first), Auntie Ethel rounds out 2023’s best villains at number seven. Initially, Auntie Ethel appears as a friendly old healer, always offering aid to those in need, calling you dearie, and seeming an overly friendly sort. But with a little digging and prodding — and some successful perception checks — you’ll quickly realize her lovely wetland glade is in fact a noxious swamp filled with murderous Redcaps, and Auntie Ethel is in fact a Hag — an evil witch-like being who makes wicked bargains with unassuming villagers and townfolk.
Leave, or you’ll end up in tonight’s stew. You’ll go nicely with Mayrina. She’s already marinating.
She is one of many who offers to help you with the Illithid tadpole in your brain, though her price is one of the steepest; she’ll remove your eye, putting you at a permanent disadvantage for the rest of the game, before realizing there’s nothing she can do about it. Even when you manage to ‘defeat’ her, she’s always eager to strike a bargain. Whether you take her up on said deal or ‘kill’ her, you later on realize that she can’t die — at least, not that easily — and you must contend with her again in the final act of the game. One of many recurring antagonists inBaldur’s Gate 3, she is a stand-out in the game’s early hours and a major player inwhat makes Baldur’s Gate 3 such an incredible 10/10 game for DualShockers.
Baldur’s Gate 3
6Kurt Hansen (Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty)
Dastardly Dictator Of Dogtown
DespiteCyberpunk 2077’s rocky launch, the combo drop of the 2.0 update and the fantasticPhantom Liberty DLCfinally leaves Cyberpunk 2077 in a pretty fantastic place. Along with all new weapons, gear, and the exciting new location to explore, the DLC also brought along a brand-new antagonist in the form of Kurt Hansen, ex-military and current fascist dictator of Dogtown, the new Night City district where Phantom Liberty takes place. Hansen’s presence is felt throughout your time in Dogtown, as your journey is punctuated by regular announcements and messages from the man himself.
In Dogtown, I keep your business safe, as long as you abide by my rules. Sound fair to you? I thought so.
While V only interacts with Kurt Hansen a handful of times — and depending on your choices, you might not even get to actually fight him — the moments when he’s on the screen, especially when encountering him at the casino, are captivating and tense. Only a handful of characters in Cyberpunk 2077 feel like larger-than-life threats, due to just how powerful V can become, but Kurt Hansen fits the role perfectly. Complete withincredible voice work by the talented Eliah Mountjoy, Kurt Hansen serves as a fantastic opposing force during your tumultuous stay in Phantom Liberty’s Dogtown.Phantom Liberty earned a 9/10 from DualShockers.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
5Raphael (Baldur’s Gate 3)
The Devil You Know
What villain list for 2023 would be complete without the suave and narcissistic Fiend, Raphael? This debonair and devilish antagonist will watch your steps throughout the Baldur’s Gate 3 campaign, always eager to strike a bargain to remove those pesky Illithid tadpoles from your brain. Reveling in theatrics and the sound of his own voice, he’s not too put off by your rebukes of his offered hand — he’s all too eager to wait until your need is most desperate. He can be encountered multiple times within each act of the game, either seeking you out specifically or interacting with other characters, always looking to strike a deal that will surely end poorly for those involved.
Try to cure yourself. Shop around. Beg, borrow, and steal. Exhaust every possibility until none are left. And when hope has been whittled down to the very marrow of despair… that’s when you come knocking on my door.
Raphael manages to strike the perfect balance of threatening and charming. Outwardly, he is always friendly, happy to exchange pleasantries and take your barbs without a second thought, but underneath it all is a steady current of malice and trickery. Despite his honeyed words, it’s clear to even the most oblivious adventurer that this man should not be trusted; but this is Raphael’s favorite game, after all — offering aid to those who desperately need it and who already know he should not be trusted.
4Venom (Marvel’s Spider-Man 2)
Iconic Comic Book Villain Come To Life
Venom is one of, if notthemost recognizable Spider-Man villains, so when Insomniac revealed that the iconic Symbiote would be one of the main antagonists ofMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, it was easy to get excited. A wild marketing campaign and a whole19 inches of Venomlater, and the end result is an incredible villain who does what any great Spider-Man villain does; he brings together conflicts in Peter Parker’s personal life with conflicts in Spider-Man’s life to create a dynamic mess of emotional turmoil for our web-headed heroes.
We are healed. Finally free. We can give that gift to everyone.
Embracing the more monstrous form of the character, Insomniac’s Venom offers an excellent twist on the more familiar Eddie Brock variation, utilizing Harry Osborn as the human host, which ties in beautifully both to Peter Parker’s fears of losing those he loves and setting up the inevitable Green Goblin appearance in future games. Venom himself is a major threat not just to New York City, but to the entire world. The ways that the Symbiote twists Harry’s altruism into a warped desire to heal the world creates a compelling character who Peter desperately needs to stop and also desperately needs to save.Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 earned a 10/10 from DualShockers.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
3The Dark Presence (Alan Wake 2)
Overwhelming Threat To Reality… And Sanity
Making up 24% of our vote, The Dark Presence is a bit of an ambiguous, nebulous antagonist, but one that serves as the driving force behind Alan Wake 2’s incredible narrative. Rarely are things so cut and dry in a Remedy game, especially when dealing with Alan’s warped perception of time and events due to spending thirteen years in the Dark Place. Alan himself often intermixes Mr. Scratch, Barbara Jagger, and The Dark Presence as one thing, though that loses out on some of the nuance between these entities. Some fan theories even attribute Thomas Zane as another such facet of the Dark Presence.
Alan Wake 2 Review: Remedying The Past
Alan Wake 2 marks a fantastic high point in the survival horror genre.
Ultimately, the Dark Presence is a supernatural antagonistic force inAlan Wake 2, one hellbent on escaping from the Dark Place and warping reality to its own ends. It controlled Alan to force him to write and rewrite versions of stories that would lead to its inevitable escape into the real world. In gameplay, the Dark Presence manifests as a sort of localized storm of madness and fury, tearing apart the world around it in its pursuit of Alan (or others). While Alan himself is responsible for many of the worst reality-shifting elements in the game, the Dark Presence is the greater threat behind it all, torturing Alan for years to find a way to escape out into the world and bring its nightmare to the rest of reality.Alan Wake 2 earned a 9.4/10 from DualShockers.
Alan Wake 2
2Ganondorf (The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom)
The Demon King Himself
Coming in hot with 26% of our vote, we have Ganondorf fromThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The longstanding iconic antagonist ofThe Legend of Zeldaseries, Ganondorf takes the number 2 spot for our best villains of the year. TotK’s predecessor,Breath of the Wild, showcased a more nebulous, apocalyptic threat in that of Calamity Ganon, but TotK revealed the truth that that was merely a wild and untamed power emanating from Ganondorf’s corrupting presence as he slowly revived himself over thousands of years of imprisonment.
Do not look away. You witness a king’s revival. And the birth of his new world!
After returning to the world and ripping Link’s arm clean off, Ganondorf doesn’t just disappear and wait for Link’s arrival at the end of the game. All throughout your journey, you’ll randomly encounter Phantom Ganon, a deadly threat that appears as suddenly as it is deadly. In addition, with the memories you uncover throughout, you gain a deeper understanding of his role in shaping Hyrule’s past, from his campaign against the kingdom itself to his acquiring ultimate power from one of the Zonai’s Secret Stones. This conflict comes to a head in the climactic final moments of the game with several phases against Demon King Ganondorf and the Demon Dragon after his transformation. The fight against the Demon Dragon in particular is breathtaking, as it takes place high over Hyrule in the most cinematic and incredible final boss in the entire franchise.Tears of the Kingdom earned a 10/10 from DualShockers.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
1Lilith (Diablo 4)
Daughter Of Hatred, Mother Of Sanctuary
Diablo 4has had a rollercoaster of a year. It released with a ton of hype over the summer, but as theexcellent main campaignwound down, the live service approach didn’t get off to a great start in season one. By all accounts, season two has made some great moves forward, but overall, Diablo 4 has soured a bit for many fans. Having said that, Lilith is a shining beacon for Diablo 4, pulling in 29% of our votes to be the best video game villain for 2023. From the very first cutscenes, Lilith establishes herself as a unique antagonist in theDiablosetting, one who cares deeply for humans (in her own twisted way) and only wishes to see them thrive (again, in a very twisted way).
My children, the lords of Hell are coming to devour our world. Salvation lies not in the Light, but in you.
At every turn, Lilith is always one step ahead of players, and they’re forced to constantly chase her across Sanctuary, desperate to stop all manner of chaos and death left in her wake. And, when you do finally confront the Blessed Mother, you’ll have a hell of a fight on your hands — and that’s before trying to defeat her Uber form as the ultimate challenge in the endgame. With a unique ability to turn humans to her cause with carefully placed whispers and nudges, Lilith cemented herself as the new icon of the Diablo franchise, separating herself from the pack of — let’s be honest — fairly forgettable villains in Mephisto, Baal, Azmodan, and Diablo himself. It’ll be difficult to top Lilith as a villain moving forward for Blizzard, but for now, let’s celebrate the incredible work done here to establish Lilith as the new face of the franchise.Diablo 4 earned an 8.5/10 from DualShockers.
