Personal favorite video game villains?

[Zhukov]

That would be GLaDOS, Shodan and Andrew Ryan.

...

To be honest, video games in general strike me as being rather weak in the villain department.

Pretty much this, but add Dr. Breen, or rather, the combine in general. There was a human element to Breen that made him seem much more believable (and made the Combine much more intimidating, and thus much more satisfying to defeat in the end).

I especially agree that video games are lacking good villains.

Can't say I ever really felt it with Dr Breen.

Don't get me wrong, he was a good character, but he didn't work for me as a villain. He wasn't personally threatening and he never really gave the impression of being in control. He basically spends the whole game just doing TV broadcasts. Besides, it was made clear from the outset that he was merely a puppet acting at the behest of much greater entities ("our benefactors" etc).

So yeah... perfectly fine character, but not prime villain material.

 

[s0p0g]

hmm... a tie between Jon Irenicus and Alma, i'd say.

while Irenicus oozes style, Alma just made me almost shit my pants and get a heart attack - py purely digital presence; now that's evil

 

[Faeriian]

A.M from i have no mouth and i must scream http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=iw-88h-LcTk

 

[shimyia]

Vladimir Lem (max payne 2), Glados, arguably Andrew Ryan, Arthas before and after becoming The Lich King (warcraft 3 + TFT)

 

[Zhukov]

soverign and Saren from mass effect- Sarren because of his awsome ending scene and soverign because of that one speech (which makes a game thats kind of "narm" dead serious at that point)

This speech?

If so, then yeah, that was pretty damn awesome.

While I preferred the sequel in nearly every way (grrr), I will cheerfully admit that Harbinger just didn't have the same flair that Sovereign did. "Assuming direct control" simply doesn't measure up to, "You exist because we allow it... and you will end because we demand it."

 

[Muspelheim]

Alright, although they don't really count, I'll go with the Dark Ones from Metro 2033.

Spoiler

Mainly because they aren't really villains at all. They're alien and scary, but they're not evil. They'd love to help humanity, love to help their brethren trapped in the Metro. They just don't know how to tell them. And the humans are just far to happy with responding with brute force. All they need is someone who will listen to them without running away to fetch the guns, or someone they can contact without killing him in the process. That's you.

And you killed them all. You're a prick, Artyom.

 

[ReservoirAngel]

I always have a really big soft-spot for the Crawler from Fable 3.

Spoiler: You know, this dude

You tell me he doesn't look badass! Plus... he really is the high-point of that game. I like the game okay but it was always kind of... average. But when you're in that cave and this guy is fucking with you? Holy shit, that's some straight-up Lovecraftian horror. Even better is that it comes right the fuck out of nowhere. You've never encountered anything like it before and there's no hints that it even exists before you run right into it.

It just appears in the game and proceeds to throw the tone of the game up to that point through a fucking loop.

Spoiler

Plus Walter, the guy who's been a stern and serious badass until that point, falling apart and ending up begging you to leave him to die because of this guy? That's pretty awesome.

Oh, and let's not forget the impressive list of shit it taunts you with:

Spoiler

"The light you bring will die. The light inside you will die. All that you are will die."
"It bleeds light and hope! It is such a beautiful sight!"
"The Children hunger!"
"Ah, the eyes are gone forever..."
"We are coming. We will devour your kingdom."
"There will be no bargains. There will be only darkness. The children command it!"
"You will turn to moss and dust, and we will take the darkness into the world."
"A great wave of darkness will cover your land. They will come for your king. Who would sit upon the throne of Albion?"
"You can never escape darkness, it flocks to you always."
"We will snuff out every last light, smother every breath from every mouth, and stop the beating of every heart."
"He would have done anything for you, and now, he screams alone!"
"You shall be sightless, for that is the most blessed state of being. It is our gift to you."
"You have done such hurtful things. The people you know shall rejoice in your death."
"Are you thinking of your loved ones now? How you will never see them again?"
"Watch us fly into your heart!"
"You have done terrible things. Did you think I wouldn't know? ...Did you think I would allow it?"
"The light in your eyes offends us! Let it go out!"
"Darkness will swallow you whole!"
"The Dark Guardian shall come and protect us... and all that is flesh and light shall die."
"We are coming, for all those you wish to protect, all those you wish to control."
"Dead fingers talk, dead fingers whisper, dead fingers claw at one million eyes!"
"Are you blind? Are you blind yet?!"
"But you, too, wish for the black void... you tire of your travels, your burdens, the cries of the helpless, the cries of your dead. You too will be swallowed."
"Give in to the Darkness."
"We cannot be stopped! Have you not realised that yet?"
"The Children must feed!"
"You've brought hurt! The Children are angry!"
"This Land is Ours! Darkness shall spread across the world!"
"Did the Blind Seeress not tell you about us? Did she not warn you?"
"The lightbringers have come, but this is the kingdom of unlife now, THIS is the kingdom of death!"'
"Death, beats it's wings for you."
"We drink the sounds you give us. The cries of your young, the gurgle of a freshly ripped throat, we give thanks for your desperation."
"You try to run away, but you are made of sand! You are coming apart between our fingers!"
"Petals, falling into the river. You are the flowers the children will pick and cast into dead water."
"You are tainted. The stain shall never wash out. The sun will never shine upon you again. Tainted...broken little toys..."
"It doesn't matter if you leave. We are inside you. Your heart, your lungs, your thoughts will all be blackened."
"You let him die. You let us take him. But you're glad, are you not? You wished him pain. You wished him undone, unthreaded, unliving!"
"The children hide in their shells. They have bodies now. Bodies can tear you asunder!"
"He bleeds light and fades away. You should see it. It's a beautiful sight."
"Do you want to see my face? Do you want to see my face?!"
"I only want to care for you. Am I not your father figure?"
"You rule over the graveyard. Is that what you wanted?"
"You are already dead inside. Join me in darkness."
"I have killed so many of you already. Why fight me any longer?"
"Why did you do this to me?"
"You made us do it! You made us!"
"We are the swarm!"
"I am shadow... and death."
"Crawl... Crawl!"
"The children... I can't see the children!"
"Our protector... our sentinel, the engine in the darkness!''
"The Dark Guardian shall protect the children always.''
"All that you love shall become shadow. All that you see shall become death."
"Accept death now, it is so much easier than what is to come."
"You would be nothing without me!"
"Who made you? Who crafted such slight flimsy forms? You rip like insect wings in our hands."
"Do not provoke us with the bonegleam shining from your broken bodies. It is a transgression against the night."
"The Dark Guardian shall come and protect us"
"What happens to this piece of flesh when darkness touches it's soul?"

I've really sung the praises of this guy but he's not my all-time favourite. Just one that's fresh in my mind because the OP mentioned Fable 2's Lucien.

I dunno who my all-time favourite is, but this guy is definitely up there on the list.

 

[Scorekeeper]

I'm going with either Saren from Mass Effect or any member of the Sith trio from KotOR II.

 

[SpaceBat]

There are many, but I'll just name my number 1 "villain".

Spoiler: Metal Gear Solid 3

The Boss. She was rarely present, but still carried with her an aura of mystery. You were informed that she was a villain, but while there was nothing to go by that proved the opposite, it all felt wrong. And when everything is over and you have done things that you can never un-do, the game hits you with a revelation you will never forget.

I mean, if you can be an antagonist and make the player feel things about the entire situation without the antagonist actually doing or saying anything and barely even appearing at all in the game, you're a legendary character.

This speech?

That was amazing.

 

[Zio_IV]

No love for the lord of vampires?

"What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets. But enough talk... Have at you!"

Simultaneously the best and worst voice acting scene ever. Glorious.

 

[werty10089]

Legate Lanius - Fallout: New Vegas - Intriguing honour complex, despite excessive cruelty. Stoic, blocking out all empathy, yet wise.
Captain Quark - Ratchet and Clank - He's the 'Touch but sensitive' stock character, if stock characters suddenly became hilarious.
Dagoth Ur - Tes3: Morrowind - He invites you into his home, and you kill him. Made me a tad bit sad, a first from a villain.
The Negativitron - Little Big Planet 2 - Cute, Adorable. Twisted, Bloodthirsty. I want to hug it and kill it at the same time.

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

Shodan-System Shock 2
Andrew Ryan-Bioshock
Killbane-Saints Row The Third
Vamp-Metal Gear Solid
Makarov-Modern Warfare
& Would you count Mr.Grimm from Twisted Metal? He's fricken Death Himself!

 

[putowtin]

Darth Traya
Kessler (cause, well if you know infamous you know why)

 

[haaxist]

Albert Wesker, since he's just bad-ass.

GLaDos, from the Portal games. Because her insults made me laugh.

Cesare Borgia, because he has style, a great voice actor, and his character was portrayed so beautifully.

And Andrew Ryan.

Spoiler

Because he brought his dream to life, watched it crumble around his ears, created something from the ashes that wasn't his ideal but came close, watched some spliced-up stranger from the surface destroy everything he had worked so hard to rebuild, try to help said stranger overcome his genetic conditioning, and die a tragic death at the hands of the stranger who later learns it was his fathers head he bludgeoned in with a 9 iron.

 

[C F]

Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik. Possibly my most favorite villian. He is the number one Large Ham Mad Scientist (Sorry, Neo Cortex!). I'm not a particular fan of the later Sonic games, but Eggman is always the best.

Spoiler: Not to mention his megalomaniacal theme music from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle

Runners up would be:
Darth Traya (KoTOR II) is probably my most favorite "serious" villain. She's masterfully written, has a brilliant motive, and ultimately outshines every other Sith out there, with the possible exception of Revan. If only Obsidian had time to actually finish the game, Traya Academy could have been a truly epic ending.
Kane (Command & Conquer) is the most lovable schemer.
Ganondorf is always the best "large and in charge" type.
And, of course, there's always GLaDOS. I want to stick her with the "comedy villian" tag, but that doesn't seem fitting, so I'll give that to the Eggman and keep her unclassified. Or maybe I should give it to Wheatley?

 

[Fidelias]

Well, my favorite is probably Alex, from Golden Sun.
He's a manipulator, throughout the games, it's hard to really tell whether he's a friend or enemy. He uses his wits to control the situation, and, most importantly, he actually uses KINDNESS when the situation calls for it. That's what I like most about him, he uses every tool at his disposal, without letting personal feelings get in the way. He might suggest to kill everyone in your way one minute, then turn around and save someone's life the next. It was always about the end goal, and nothing else.

Runners up would be Darth Traya, and Revan, from the Kotor games. Because I love Star Wars, and they were pretty damn cool villains.

 

[Skylare]

seymour from ffX awesome guy!

 

[FalloutJack]

Okay...I have a number of them. I'll explain why, so don't worry. So, in no particular order...

Nyarlathotep - He's been in a number of places, but he is the true evil behind three Persona games, either in the background or the active end boss. The Crawling Chaos of a thousand different forms was the manipulating force behind the normal villain of Persona 1 (Kandori), supposedly acting as just the man's Persona...but really eating away at his subconscious. He then took a more aggressive role in Innocent Sin and it's deja vu sequel, Eternal Punishment. Doing what? Oh, nothing... Just destroying the world TWICE. No worries. All the rest...I think anyone who knows HP Lovecraft knows why Nyarlathotep is an incredible evil.

Sephiroth - From FF7, of course. The fandom fights between Kefka and Sephiroth are aggravating. Kefka is alright, but he is a rather foppish genocidal clown. You can't fear a guy who's always been insane, even with all that power. As the hero, you can really only hate him. Sephiroth can be feared for uhh...some good reason. First, he use to be SANE. Up until the Nibel Reactor, he was just the deadliest Soldier in the program. He even laughed and made fun of Hojo. When he learned what he did in Nibelheim, he broke. His disintegration was like the one Cloud went through during the game. And while some might joke about his Norman Bates complex...that just makes him worse. Because mother really IS a part of him... Of course, Cloud nipped him in the bud quickly enough, but you have to give him credit for nearly going all-powerful and ruining the world from inside a chunk of materia.

The Reapers - I haven't played Mass Effect, but I know a good deal about it. Props must be given to Sovereign and the other Reapers. You have to. For the last untold eons, they have set up civilizations up for a major fall, the entire Mass Effect program designed to both kill those who pursue it AND provide power to support and create more Reapers. And after AGES, they manage to finally put a dent in them, those huge and deadly SQUID VESSELS OF DOOM, whose numbers are in...what? The thousands? Millions? Far too many. The scorecard so far is that Shepard has maybe a couple victories too the mass genocides concocted by the Reapers. I...don't see a way out of this Xanatos Gambit. The Reapers basically have the universe by the Jorbloks.

X-Death/Exodus - Final Fantasy 5 has a bizarre tale, in reference to its villain. Let's see here... Our boy here is the consciousness and power of some sort of tree-thing that was the focal point of all evil that could command the power to void matter. This guy is...a deadly black mage that is also part of this evil tree which was sealed away, and then HE was also sealed after pushing into the world, so he was sealed TWICE...and managed to break his prison from the inside by taking over minds and creating deadly monsters, then he destroyed things, tricked the heroes into doing exactly as he wanted to that he could gain access to the void, and then ummm...HE TRIED TO DESTROY THE WHOLE UNIVERSE!! ALL OF IT!!! he was a proper evil villain, card carrying almost.

The Profound Darkness - For those of you who haven't played the original Phantasy Star Saga, here is what the PD is. It's the dark side of an almighty being that split in half and was locked up by the lighter half using the entire Algo Star System. It spent three games using its avatar, Dark Force, to bust its way out of the Abyss. In short, your trials over the first, second, and fourth game are all because this massive abomination wants a breath of fresh air. It will corrupt any being, destroy anything or anyone, and cause all manner of calamities (like the destruction of planets) to get its way. And if not for some artifacts, some powerful spells, and your hardy training for that romp into the Abyss itself, you would be the buzzing of flies in its presence.

Tohru Adachi - Stepping away from the extremely powerful for a moment, I like the cut of Adachi's jib. He spent the whole time looking harmless, even inept. In reality, he's a master of clever ploys and manipulation, and a serial killer besides. Even though he's not the main evil there, he has style and wit, and things wouldn't have progressed as they did without him. Extra points go to him for being voice by Johnny Yong Bosch. I really enjoyed his presence in this game, and playing a bad guy no less!

Deus Ex Machina - Okay, back to super power. YE SHALL BE AS GODS. Deus is a galactic battle system deemed too powerful, too dangerous, and too intelligent to be used. It was going to be dumped. Instesd, it took over the ship, executed everyone who tried to escape, and forced the captain to detonate the ship and send its remnants to an unknown world devoid of intelligent life. Deus is the PLOT. He created intelligent life while damaged and incomplete, made it evolve, tested it, improved on it, kept working at it, and so on. The ten thousand year history of the game, Xenogears, is all his doing...in order to make repairs and leave this place. Everything that happened was to repair and improve what was, to the people, the physical manifestation of god, powered by the Zoher Modifier...a device containing a higher-plane dimensional being. The evil part is that everything that happened, good or bad, is essentially his doing and as your god...HE DOESN'T CARE. Also, he wasn't completely destroyed, but piloted off the planet by one of the other antagonists. No word yet on what the hell happened after.

 

[seraphy]

You in Soul Nomad & World Eaters demon path. You are horrible depraved monster in it who is trying to wipe out the world for fun. It's quite refreshing. It's not exactly original, but what is different in it is that you are that paths villain, with rest of the people banding together to try to stop you, even villains of the real path.