Video game bad guys are typically remembered for their powerful presence, powers and malevolent actions. It takes a standout villain to drive a narrative, especially when it comes to popular video game franchises. One of the ways writers get around this hurdle is to turn their bad guys into absolute, arrogant jerks, from head to toe.
These are the villains that players lie awake at night fuming over. They lie, they cheat, they manipulate and troll with no intention of letting up, and they do it while laughing in the player’s face the entire time. These insufferable video game jerks give a new meaning to the title, which is a feat unto itself.
343 Guilty Spark (Halo)
This AI construct served as the caretaker of the original Halo ring, and right from the start, gamers were unsure whether to paint him as friend or foe. He went on to appear in the subsequent Halo sequels as a means of expanding the backstory about the Halo rings, their creators, and how the Covenant fit into the equation.
343 Guilty Spark might appear benign, but behind the melodic voice and seemingly harmless shell was a narcissistic killer. He viewed organic life with disdain, which was ironic given that his function was to “protect” it from the terrifying Flood parasite by utilizing the Halo rings to wipe out all organics within the blast range.
Psycho Mantis (Metal Gear Solid)
It’s hard to knock Psycho Mantis all the way, especially since Metal Gear Solid fans understand that he’s the byproduct of a bad upbringing, as well as some truly agonizing abilities. His power to read minds is both a blessing and a curse that had driven him behind a gas mask in order to maintain a sense of sanity.
Still, Mantis is a total jerk to the player and the actions he takes during a pitched battle are reprehensible. He torments the mind with clever psychological tricks, he mind-controls Meryl Silverburg and forces her to put a gun to her own head, and hurls insults and jabs the entire time. He dies as a sympathetic villain, but he clearly doesn’t start out that way.
Shao Kahn (Mortal Kombat)
The bigger they are, the jerkier they become, as Mortal Kombat has proved time and time again. When it comes to insufferable arrogance and wickedness, few can match the Outworld king known as Shao Kahn. It wasn’t enough that he had control over his realm. Earth proved too attractive a target to pass up.
Shao Kahn is best (worst?) remembered by Mortal Kombat fans for beating them while shouting degrading one-liners. He views humanity with a general disdain while scoffing at how weak and pathetic they are in the process.
Dracula (Castlevania)
Castlevania is blessed with a recurring villain that is glad to make one appearance after another, especially if it means prolonging the franchise. He’s most famous for showing up in the original batch of Castlevania titles during the 1980s and ’90s before it was decided that new villains should factor into the story.
Dracula is a thorn in the side of the Belmont family, and humanity, in general. His arrogance knows no bounds, which is evident in how he looks upon humanity with total disdain. He’s softened only a few times throughout the course of the Castlevania games, proving that underneath his pretentious exterior, there’s still a shred of humanity left in the vampire.
M. Bison (Street Fighter)
M. Bison represents some of the most totalitarian wickedness in video games, which isn’t surprising given the Street Fighter villain’s nature. With Psycho Power at his disposal, Bison commits himself to acts of pure, remorseless evil and cruelty. There’s no line he won’t cross to amass more power and influence.
To that end, he’s used and abused his subordinates with mind control and other manipulation tactics, oftentimes delighting in it. One on one, Bison is a total jerk who loves to grandstand and show off his power, while taunting his opponents with maniacal arrogance and laughter.
Bowser (Super Mario Brothers)
Bowser thinks he’s the top dog, and with a name like that, it isn’t hard to figure out why. He’s large, mean and thoroughly corrupt to the point where his plans to take over the Mushroom Kingdom seem inexhaustible. The worst part is that he’s willing to constantly kidnap Princess Peach to do it, much to the chagrin of the Mario brothers.
And he isn’t just an antagonist in the Super Mario platforming games. His arrogance reaches new heights in spinoff titles like Mario Kart, or (most infamously) the Mario Party games, where he cheats players over and over again with no remorse. Look up “jerk” in the dictionary and the King Koopa’s picture is bound to be there.
GlaDOS (Portal)
In the pantheon of video game villains, GlaDOS is the most arrogant and intolerable of the bunch. This rogue AI literally spends the entirety of the Portal franchise lobbing demoralizing insults at the player for their failure to figure out the various puzzles. And even when the player succeeds, there’s no respect to be had.
It’s hard to tell what makes GlaDOS so irritating. Is it her verbal barbs, or that annoying multi-pitched voice? Clearly, she’s gone on to become one of the most notorious video game villains ever, even to the point of making a semi-cameo in the recently released Cyberpunk 2077 as an insane Delamain AI.
Frank Tenpenny (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas)
Thankfully, dirty cops are the exception, rather than the norm, but Frank Tenpenny cranks the knob up to the point where it falls off. He’s the principal antagonist of GTA: San Andreas, and makes good on his reputation as a sociopath and a sadist. He’s responsible for tormenting CJ throughout the course of the game and forcing him to do his dirty work.
Tenpenny was as rotten to the core as they came, and the worst part is that he knew and loved it. He saw his infamy as a badge of honor and was willing to trample over anyone who got in his path of achieving more power within the city. Even in the end, he saw himself as untouchable – a testament to his jerk factor.
Handsome Jack (Borderlands)
Often regarded as the GlaDOS of the Borderlands universe, Handsome Jack rose to infamy when he took over the Hyperion corporation and practically enslaved Pandora in the process. In typical jerk fashion, he even went so far as to take all credit for finding the mythic Vault, as well as killing the terrifying Destroyer.
Jack might be a notorious villain, but he’s as comically arrogant as they come. Few can lob insults with as much flair and inventiveness as this guy, and his personality is both charismatic and irritating at the same time. He’s the jerk’s jerk, a man without measure when it comes to absolute arrogance and narcissism.
Kefka (Final Fantasy VI)
The classic and iconic Final Fantasy VII introduced players to Sephiroth, who went on to become the most recognizable villain in the franchise. Still, he’s got nothing on Kefka, the principal antagonist from the previous Final Fantasy title. To put it succinctly, Kefka is the most arrogant jerk in video games bar none, with no equal.
Kefka routinely stomped on his subordinates, openly rebuked the Emperor, enslaved people’s minds, and hurled nothing but insults and vitriol at his foes. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, however. His true claim to infamy came when he ordered the poisoning of Doma’s water supply, killing scores of people. He saw the horrific act as amusing. What a jerk.
