10 Best Video Game Villains of the 2020s (So Far)

The last decade in the video game industry has given us some of the most memorable years in its history, gifting us with numerous adventures destined to be remembered for all time.

Between the establishment of independent video games as high-caliber works with broad appeal and AA projects that strike a perfect balance between the familiar and the experimental, big-budget blockbusters no longer have to shoulder the weight of the industry alone.

As a result, video games' variety and depth, in every possible sense, have been remarkably expanded, which also includes the types of characters that typically serve as antagonists in each of these stories.

So, in order to celebrate this established plurality of titles and foes, I invite you to read this list containing the ten best video game villains of the 2020s (so far).

10 Dr. Victor Gideon – Resident Evil Requiem

Shady and Imposing

Resident Evil is a franchise I love for how it prioritizes spectacle over narrative complexities and profound messages, as Dr. Victor Gideon reminds us with his magnificent performance in Resident Evil Requiem.

Knowing his backstory and motivations is fine, but what truly stands out about this hyper-individual is his imposing presence, generating a terrifying aura from Antony Byrne's tremendous performance to the memorable design Capcom gave him.

Gideon even manages to steal the spotlight from the most beautiful Leon Kennedy we've ever seen, instilling such fear and intrigue that it's impossible not to be mesmerized by each of his appearances.

Resident Evil Requiem is masterful when it comes to rhythms and set pieces, and the work behind its malevolent characters, from The Girl to Chunk and Zeno, is among the most meticulous and remarkable in the entire series.

9 Adam Smasher – Cyberpunk 2077

A Truly Dystopian Entity

Speaking of superhumans whose plots are less important than the sheer disdain their actions inspire, Adam Smasher from Cyberpunk 2077 is among the most punchable characters I've ever encountered.

Evaluating villains based on the feelings they evoke in the player, rather than on more conventional metrics, is crucial for understanding multiple modern antagonists, including this lapdog of Night City's corporate forces.

I've rarely developed such an aversion to a video game character as I have with Smasher, who only appears on the screen to eliminate anyone with whom we develop a connection during our journey.

That abhorrence builds over time until you can finally unleash it in a final, epic battle, where his inhuman design shines visually and mechanically, cementing his status as an unforgettable enemy that you'll hate forever.

8 Chronos – Hades 2

Time is Terrifying

Transitioning from Hades' affable story to Hades 2's frightening quest changes how you feel about the campaign, as you're no longer just arguing with your dad to let you leave the house, but instead you're battling time itself, Chronos, to bring your entire family back.

The hardships Melinoë must endure in order to fight the most powerful titan of all remain within the realm of parental issues, though with much more at stake due to a Chronos so cold that it's capable of even summoning Typhon, the father of all monsters himself, to destroy his own family.

Given you have many dialogues with him that allow you to understand his motivations and fears, you discover that his ruthless qualities contrast sharply with his silver tongue and appeal, but you'll always be on your guard because he has the power to transcend the very game and even take away your pause button if he so chooses.

Add to that its glorious 2D design (like all of Hades 2's), and a memorable boss fight from the audiovisual to the mechanical aspects, and choosing Chronos as one of the decade's best antagonists is a no-brainer.

7 Leshy – Inscryption

The Most Playful Kidnapper

Being kidnapped by a deranged old man with tree-like features and the ability to trap you in a photograph is among the most extraordinary experiences I could think of, and this same adjective can be applied to Leshy from Inscryption.

The entire game is a constant subversion of expectations and plot twists that make it an unpredictable roller-coaster ride, which translates into an antagonist who, as time goes on, may not seem so antagonistic after all.

The atmosphere of his cabin makes you feel terrified at every moment, and feeling his spiraling eyes fixed on you creates an indescribable discomfort, though he's still just an octogenarian who wants to play cards until the end of time.

Everything surrounding Inscryption is literally incomparable, so it was only fitting that Leshy matched said description. By the time you finish the game, whether due to Stockholm syndrome or something else, you'll feel both fear and love for him.

6 Arlecchino the Blood Artist – Lies of P: Overture

The Personification of Derangement

No good list of the best villains is complete without including the typical deranged sociopath whose sole purpose is to annihilate all living things for no reason, and the representative of this trope in this article is Arlecchino the Blood Artist from Lies of P: Overture.

After his stellar appearance in the base game, where he stands as a twisted NPC who guides you through various trials and rewards after committing unspeakable crimes, he reappears in the DLC as one of the most memorable fights in video game history.

Even the most challenging battles in the entire genre pale in comparison to a narratively and gameplay-wise demonic Arlecchino, who mechanically embodies his persona in the plot with a design that shifts from elegance to chaos in a matter of seconds.

His performance is masterful, his evil immeasurable, and his aesthetic prodigious, making him part of the pantheon of boss fights in the interactive medium and a villain who will not leave you indifferent thanks to his inhumanity and madness.

5 Morgott the Omen King – Elden Ring

Oozing Scars

Elden Ring's worldbuilding is so deep and fragmented that talking about villains becomes blurred, yet from the character's perspective, every boss is an adversary, and every adversary remains beneath Morgott the Omen King.

While every character in the game has a more tragic backstory than the last, the throne's defender and Golden Order's last sentient remnant has known only a life of misery, isolation, and mercilessness.

It's difficult to empathize with the same demigod who beats you senseless twice in a single campaign for hours on end, but each new piece of information about his unfortunate mission to defend the very thing that rejected him only makes it more painful.

However, he's ultimately responsible for maintaining a perfidious and dying status quo, creating a dynamic where he's both victim and perpetrator of the injustices of The Lands Between.

4 Lilith – Diablo 4

As Protective as Brutal

I've never valued Diablo for its narratives or character development, but if there's one thing you can't deny Blizzard, it's their ability to create majestic villains like Lilith from Diablo 4.

Besides having one of the best designs ever conceived in interactive media, the Daughter of Hatred is a majestic figure who truly embodies the age-old descriptions of deities, as her mere presence is both captivating and terrifying.

The Creator of Sanctuary stands out for her justifiable desire to transcend the duality of heaven and hell, empowering humanity to rise to the challenge of the conflict and avoid perishing because of it, but through means nothing short of Dantean.

To see a mother capable of committing such viscerally atrocious acts as those seen in Diablo 4 really leaves a mark on the player, especially because her objective, at first glance unrelated to personal gain or power, actually has many more layers,

For the first time in the series, Lilith makes you feel like you're facing a complex character who is not only aesthetically and cinematically amazing, but also has a defined personality that truly invites you to understand and interpret the story.

3 Odin – God of War: Ragnarök

Traumatized by Uncertainty

The Odin of God of War: Ragnarök is one of the father of all gods' most interesting manifestations because, instead of appearing as a hyper-powerful entity, he wears his mastery of deception and manipulation as a permanent garment.

He's an old man in simple robes that's brought to life by the magnificent Richard Schiff, a face commendable from every angle, thus completely breaking with the stereotypes of the godlike villains Kratos is used to fighting.

Lies, trickery, deceit, and a vibrant and profoundly wise personality are the main weapons of an antagonist who, more than just evil, has a neurotic fear of the unknown, which leads him to be subtly ruthless to everyone.

I admit his boss fight left me cold compared to what I expected, but even so, Odin is a fascinating villain as he breaks with all kinds of patterns of the franchise and video games in general, making him stand out like few other representations of gods in the medium.

2 Shiromuku – Silent Hill f

An Undesirable Future

Silent Hill f is a complex experience that keeps you working like a 9-to-5 to uncover its true intentions, but when you learn all of Shiromuku's nuances in the process, you'll realize it was worth every second.

It's difficult to recommend people play through the campaign three times to truly grasp the subtleties, symbolism, and justifications behind this entity's identity and actions, though let me tell you, it has little to envy in James Sunderland's Pyramid Head.

Not only because of its significant and chilling design, but also because of the way it speaks to us through its name, aesthetics, and even sounds, explaining the reality that the game itself hides behind layers and layers of absurd and inexplicable objectives.

It's tough to say more without spoiling anything, yet, of all the villains on this list, Shiromuku is the most rewarding for understanding it on your own, so the invitation is to put on your work clothes and play through the game as many times as necessary to achieve it.

1 Renoir Dessendre – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Forced into Antagonism

You realize it makes perfect sense that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 swept the 2025 awards when you consider that, from protagonists to antagonists, several of the decade's best characters belong to it, including Renoir Dessendre.

When it comes to complexity and nuance, Sandfall Interactive's work is abundant with reliefs that prevent you from seeing the whole picture, deceiving you into believing what the story wants you to believe at any given moment.

Thus, Renoir Dessendre is simultaneously a killer, father, caregiver, victim, perpetrator, mourner, god, and mortal, as the story's twists and turns lead you to see you're not dealing with a collection of pixels, but with a character so meticulously crafted that he seems like a real human being.

Andy Serkis's voice and Alex Martin's performance certainly play a huge role, as does his stunning presence, though the key lies in how you have to delve deep to decipher his inner emptiness.

Like Maelle, Verso, Clea, Aline, and basically any named individual in the game world, he's a fascinating figure you desperately want to understand, even when he's trying to wipe you off the face of the earth with the most memorable song imaginable playing in the background.