Top 5 Most Despicable Characters In Gaming

Ever since Physicist William Higinbotham created one of the first videogames, Tennis for Two, in 1958, we’ve seen many memorable characters throughout the years, whether that be the iconic Super Mario, Pac-Man, or even Gex! It’s truly hard to believe the amount of classic characters gaming has given us and how many of them have captured the zeitgeist of pop culture as we know it today. But that doesn’t always mean these are good characters, at least not in their respective games, with villains like Trevor from Grand Theft Auto V, Bowser from the Mario series, and GLaDOS from the Portal games. The gaming world has seen many antagonists that are usually just there to ruin your day and stop you from saving the damsel in distress. Or maybe the bad character is an alien, a dragon, or even a mad scientist? Whatever the case, let’s rank the top 5 most despicable characters in gaming and find out who we hate the most. No, I’m just joking; we only hate them when we’re on our last life and have to leave in five minutes. The rest of the time, they’re mostly alright.

 

For this list, I tried to pick the characters most deserving of hatred and contempt while also choosing the ones I know the most about. So feel free to list your own down in the comments.

5. Bowser

Now, why am I putting the main antagonist to gaming’s most iconic character at number five? Well, because of this guy’s pedigree. While Bowser has been trying to put a stop to Mario’s countless adventures for over 30 years now, and King Koopa’s plans have included some questionable motives at times, he’s never tried to outright murder the dude. So even when he’s using an airship to launch cannons at the plumber or attempting to stomp him in the far reaches of space, it’s usually only a half-hearted effort. Plus, at the end of Super Mario Odyssey, Bowser teams up with the moustachioed adventurer and his damsel in distress, Peach, to escape the collapsing moon and reach Mario’s spaceship. See what I mean? He might be a bit misguided and maybe even a little jealous, but he’s never outright brutal. He just wants to get married. Though, to be fair, he also plasters advertisements all over the Mushroom Kingdom for his wedding, which means he's probably super-rich and doesn't bother to use any of that wealth to improve people's lives. Instead, he chooses to make everyone's lives worse without considering how his choices would affect people, and he obviously enjoys his time being wealthy despite all of that. So that definitely counts as despicable!  

4. Tom Nook

This is an odd pick, I admit it. Still, I think I’m right because this guy’s bell-making schemes have stressed out countless villagers over the years. When you first meet him in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Tom Nook gives you a tent, a crappy radio, and a whole island to make your own. Eventually, you earn enough bells to afford a house with more space and customisation opportunities. So you go to Tom Nook and ask to purchase the home for an arguably absurd amount of bells which, of course, you do, but then you receive a debt for 49,800 bells or 5,000 Nook Miles after the purchase. This purchase can only be paid off by using Nook Miles, so not only does that mean you have to play the game for a long time, but it also means that many people will also do the same thing, meaning Tom Nook will end up with more money. Tom Nook is a capitalist, and he knows it. However, that doesn’t mean all capitalists are evil; just in this particular case, Tom Nook is a pretty egregious one. He also employs his kids, who work long hours at the shop, so if that’s not despicable, then I don’t know what is.

3. Dr Wily

Ah, the classic story of betrayal. Dr Wily might not be the purest form of evil, but his rivalry with Dr Light and his desire to stop Mega Man, who was created by both the villain and his now bitter rival, earns the robot stealer a spot on this list. This guy’s backstory definitely counts as despicable because, after an unknown time, Wily stole six of Dr Light’s industrial robots and reprogrammed them. He then tried to take over the world at one point. After that, he pretended to have changed his ways and worked with Dr Light, but he was actually secretly reprogramming the eight new Robot Masters — which the two scientists had created several years prior — so that he could battle Mega Man again. Talk about diabolical! Dr Wily might be a genius, but he should use those powers for good, not evil.

2. Dr Robotnik

Here is another mad scientist, but this one is even worse. Dr Robotnik has an IQ of 300, and he uses that genius to create countless machines and weapons of mass destruction, such as the Final Egg Blaster, which can destroy star clusters and control people’s minds on a global scale. The doctor also has keen vehicle intuition and is a pretty good athlete, too. A thorn in Sonic’s side, there doesn’t seem to be an end to Robotnik’s desire to commit evil acts, so he’ll just keep doing it again and again. Thankfully, sometimes he isn’t the smartest tool in the shed, and you can usually defeat him with a well-timed spin dash. But don’t ever underestimate a guy with a moustache like that.

1. Ganon

Could it really have been anyone else? There are only a handful of words that strike fear into gamers' hearts like the name Ganon does, and it should come as no surprise to see him here. For over 30 years, this former Gerudo sorcerer has been the main antagonist of The Legend of Zelda series, and he is always up to no good. Whether that means taking over Hyrule, stealing the Triforce, or killing the Great Deku Tree, he is never to be trusted. Ganon is the true embodiment of evil, and he earns the number-one spot on our list.

And that is my top 5 most despicable characters in gaming list. If you, by any chance, think I’m missing something, please feel free to let me know what I should and shouldn’t have included down in the comments section.