The most threatening villains wouldn’t get far without help. That’s where their hired hands come into play. Audiences have seen henchmen of all shapes and sizes, but these goons always seem to get the short end of the stick. They do most of the dirty work and get none of the credit. That’s especially true in video games. After all, players need something to fight on their way to the real villains.
Then again, some henchmen buck this trend. Whether through exemplary service or striking out on their own, these guys distinguish themselves from the average thug. Some of them excel so much that they become major antagonists in their own right. Such a momentous achievement deserves recognition, even if it is steeped in villainy.
7 N. Gin — The Crash Bandicoot Series
N. Gin is the assistant to Dr. Neo Cortex and complicit in his twisted experiments. This gives him the drive and resources to complete his life’s work: the ultimate death machine. Much like the demented doctor himself, he has no problem tormenting mutants and other creatures to do it. As despicable as that is, it has yielded tremendous results.
Each new Crash adventure sees N. Gin build more destructive abominations, both biological and mechanical. He’s undeterred by defeat; he simply fixes the kinks in his plans and comes back stronger next time. That’s more than can be said for Cortex, who’s become utterly demoralized and frequently loses his resolve. N. Gin, on the other hand, has a commitment to evil that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with top-tier baddies like Uka Uka.
6 Sam — Mafia
It goes without saying that a life of crime would create some pretty cutthroat individuals. In Mafia, though, those within the Don Salieri gang could always count on each other. That changes when their loyalty is in doubt. Tired of their dangerous life, Tommy and Paulie try to get out. The don puts a hit out on them in retaliation.
Leading the charge is none other than Sam. He’s spent years alongside Tommy and Paulie. They’re practically brothers, yet he turns on them without a second thought. What’s more, he does this to further his own fortunes within the family. Considering Tommy could once trust him with his life, one wonders how long Sam’s selfishness has been festering.
5 Vanitas — The Kingdom Hearts Series
Most people become more malicious with time and experience, but Vanitas is evil by his very nature. The manipulative Master Xehanort aims to use his apprentice, Ventus, to produce an all-powerful χ-blade. This mythical weapon can only be forged by pure light clashing with pure darkness. He then fractures Ventus’s heart, siphoning the boy’s few dark feelings into a being called Vanitas.
This is a twisted kid made of pure id. He may take orders from Xehanort, but he loves nothing more than tormenting his “weaker” half. He beats Ventus down both physically and emotionally. The ones the hero loves are nothing but playthings to Vanitas: tools to spread chaos and discord. To further this goal, he channels his own negative energy to unleash a horde of monsters on the various Disney worlds. At least the series‘ other villains had reasons for doing this; Vanitas stirs up trouble for the sake of it.
4 Shang Tsung — Mortal Kombat
Most fans picture Shao Kahn as the Big Bad of Mortal Kombat, but his subservient sorcerer proves more devious. Shang Tsung is a master manipulator, able to pit the closest friends against each other. He does this through his brutal tournaments and deceptive shapeshifting. He doesn’t kill those who disobey him. Rather, he consumes their souls to rejuvenate himself. He turns any situation to his advantage.
Players see this many times throughout the series, but few are more stunning than his appearance in Mortal Komat 11. One would think that a high-stakes scenario like fixing the timeline would bring adversaries together. In the end, however, most of the characters and their armies are dead thanks to Shang Tsung’s subtle schemes. This frees him to take his place as the ruler of all space and time. Conquests are built on bodies; this particular kombatant knows that better than most.
3 Neyla — Sly 2: Band Of Thieves
The second Sly Cooper title boasts countless twists and turns, and the perpetrator behind most of these is Neyla. Initially an Interpol constable who seems sympathetic to the Cooper Gang’s cause, she double-crosses the crew and even her own partner, landing them all in prison. The irony is that she’s not loyal to Interpol at all. Rather, she’s the protégée of Arpeggio, the leader of the Klaww Gang, the game’s rival group of crooks seeking to reassemble the mechanical menace Clockwerk. Unfortunately, she even screws over her boss at the eleventh hour and takes his tech for herself.
They say there’s no honor among thieves, and Neyla proves that saying. She definitely plays the long game, having no qualms about betraying her so-called friends to achieve greater power. Rather, she takes pleasure in exploiting the naivety of others. That takes a hateful heart to rival even Clockwerk’s. It’s all the more fitting that Neyla takes the monster’s mantle.
2 Erol — The Jak & Daxter Series
When players get to Haven City in Jak 2, the tyrannical Baron Praxis is running things. More sadistic, though, is his commander, Erol. He fiercely enforces the law in town, but that’s mostly an excuse to fuel his enjoyment of death and destruction. He believes in power and order above all, and thus, personally despises Jak due to his abilities and heroism. It’s those qualities that lead to Erol’s demise in a deadly race.
Against all odds, however, the vengeful villain returns as a cyborg in Jak 3. He now heads an army of killer robots and wages war on the city he once defended, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. He also allies himself with the Dark Makers: fallen Precursors who want to destroy everything their brethren built. Erol’s boss wanted an era of peace and order, albeit under his rule, but the spiteful soldier wants to annihilate all of creation. It’s tough to tell whether that’s a step up or down.
1 Death — The Castlevania Series
In this supernatural series, players must battle their way through Dracula’s castle to vanquish the vampire. They encounter several monsters under the count’s control, such as mummies, medusas, and werewolves. However, the scariest surprise lies near the end. Before battling Dracula, gamers meet the Grim Reaper.
As the embodiment of Death, this skeletal foe’s reputation speaks for itself. It makes him involved in every human casualty throughout history. One could simply chalk that up to his natural duty, but his thralldom to Dracula reveals a deeper enjoyment. The Grim Reaper delights in extinguishing life. The count’s genocidal exploits are the most efficient way of achieving that, so he happily serves the vampire. That level of mass bloodthirst is positively inhuman.
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