Poll: What are your favorite types of enemies?

[Cthulhu's Priest]

By types of enemies what you want the enemies in a game, movie, book, comic to be like. Do you like the enemy to be the classic merciless evil bunny-killing mastermind, or do you prefer them to the villain that's really just a villain because he's not on your side?

Personally my favorite is an enemy that feels like a person regardless if they're evil or not, I want to feel like these guys actually have a life outside of hunting my sorry ass down, so that when I'm being the saint, I can avoid them and feel I spared something other than a cookie-cutter bad guy, and when I'm a sinner, I can go home at the end of the day with the knowledge that I've made thousands of newly-made widow(er)s cry.

 

[TacticalAssassin1]

There should be an 'other' option.
I want my villains to be people who I just think are super annoying.

 

[Chamale]

I like a well-written villain, or a completely mindless one. If it's a zombie, or a deranged madman, I don't mind killing him with whatever weapon might be handy. If it's a person who's been forced to fight against me by their unfortunate circumstances, I hope the developer gives me a way to fight the villain but let them live.

 

[brodie21]

ones that die when i shoot them.

 

[zerooneeleven]

Other. I like villains who could've been heroes but fell because of character flaw(s) or tragic event(s). Like Sarah Kerrigan.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

The ones that die in droves making me feel badass.

 

[Bon_Clay]

I chose "Villain because he drew the short straw". I like villains that seem like they could be an anti-hero if the story was flipped around. Ones who for reasons in their life chose to go down the path they did and worked towards becoming as powerful as they are.

Omnipotent villain that you never actually see are pretty cool as well. It depends on what fits the story.

 

[Tonythion]

I like the ones that are evil because they think what they are doing is right.

also I like the ones that just straight up torment and kill you when they catch you. Ones who explain everything they are doing while the hero is silently listening and cutting through the ropes piss me off.

 

[Monkestful]

"Pleasant other than the fact that he..."

My choice because these are the most believable characters to me, because no one is evil through and through. Same goes for good, in my experience.

Believable characters create a bigger impact on me, making me more interested in the game, and lead to a more fun experience.

"Villain because he drew the short straw" was the one I hovered my mouse cursor over though.

 

[loc978]

I like my villain to be the guy that worked diligently in the background for the "good guys" for a very long time, only to finally snap and turn on them... which makes them realize he was the one doing all of their work for them...
Also, it helps if he's a quiet, competent type who turns into a smooth-talking asshole after snapping. Basically, Lieutenant Gibbs from Titan Maximum [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbu-7vRhoTk#t=5m13s].

 

[Thaluikhain]

Ones that have a sympathetic philosophy and worldview, and possibly one that you can at least partially agree with. Also, having legitimate complaints about the heroes one's as well.

 

[Fightgarr]

It depends. Let's look at some examples:
Video Games: The only thing I require of a video game villain is that they have motive for whatever it is that they're doing. If it's thin, whatever, I can get by it. They have to have some charisma, though. More importantly, my character should have a good fucking reason for seeing them as a villain. Moreover, I want them to be fun to fight. My favorite kinds of games are ones where boss fights really change up the way you play, from just regular enemies. Ones where it's more puzzle than enemy.

Fantasy Novels: To be completely honest, all of my favorite fantasy novels have no clear villain. Problems arise from the enigmatic events surrounding the characters, but a clear villain isn't necessarily present. Or if they are, who they are isn't necessarily important, but the results of their actions are. Take for example, Patricia A. McKillip's newest book, Bards of the Bone Plain, where there isn't really all that much of a villain. There is a character who could potentially be interpreted as a villain, but even he isn't evil, just another enigma in the puzzle. (By the way, Bards of the Bone Plain is one of McKillip's best works. If you like her stuff but haven't checked it out, you owe it to yourself to do so)

Films: Again, I'm fine with no villain, so long as conflict is able to arise around the characters present. I suppose I like more abstract villains in general. I like organizations or conglomerations of people as villains, in films.

 

[Shock and Awe]

Hannibal Lector types. Highly intelligent and the kind I could easily stand to have a long conversion with, I just have to remember to either keep a gun on him or to keep a one inch wall of plexiglass between us.

 

[Naheal]

I like anti-villains. I want my villains to be human and have a damned good reason for doing what they're doing. I want it to be an actual choice to have to stop them.

The act 3 factions in Dragon Age 2 are good examples.

 

[Brawndo]

I like mooks, you know, the endless wave of low-HP, terrible-accuracy enemies.

I sympathize with them because I fully aware that if I were transported into that game's world, I would most likely be one of them. I'm not skilled or motivated enough to be a hero or major bad guy.

 

[BrownGaijin]

The jackass that seems to hold all the cards until the last hand. Makes me want to give them a good kick in the nether-regions. My two biggest examples are Ghaleon from Lunar, and Katsuhiko Jinnai from El Hazard.

 

[Wayneguard]

I was going to say orcs but now that you mention it, I do enjoy the conspiracy stories with multiple echelons of 'bad guy'. Who you thought was the evilest bastard out there was just a puppet for an even MORE evil bad guy. I actually like that stuff (i.e. every final fantasy game).

 

[Tiger Sora]

My favorite villain is the charismatic leader of The Brotherhood of Nod, Kane.
Though he isn't evil in my eyes since I serve The Brotherhood.
So than my favorite enemy is G.D.I. They run around protecting the world looking like saviors from Nod "Aggression" ladida.
I like it when I can be the evil guy and make the good guy the evil guy, ya know.