After much research (aka gaming) and discussion the top ten video game heroes and villains of all time have been decided by the gaming team here at The Toonari Post. Many reasons account for why these characters have made the list, ranging from their wide classical appeal to their incredibly terrifying skills.

Either way, this list features the worst of the worst. In upcoming articles, pairings of the best (or worst) villains will fight and the winner will be determined by polls on The Toonari Post facebook page beforehand. If you are interested in voting and cannot find the poll on Facebook, simply comment at the end of this article as to which character you believe will win. Also check out the follow-up article to this, “Top Ten Video Game Villains of All Time Part 2.”

Porky Minch (Earthbound and Mother 3)

First introduced in Earthbound as the highly obnoxious and cowardly friend, Porky soon shows his true nature when he is revealed to be the right-hand man of the main antagonist, Giygas. He shows up throughout the game to attempt to thwart the player as well as to thoroughly annoy him or her. What’s worse is that he taunts the player while he or she are battling Giygas and runs away before he can be taken down.

However, he is shown to be even more evil in Mother 3 where he is the leader of the Pigmask Army and attempts to access the Dark Dragon’s power so he can destroy the entire Earth. Porky does all of this because he has an extreme case of boredom. Unlike most villains whom players normally enjoy in some way – be it the battle with them or their personality – Porky was clearly created to be a villain for the player to openly hate. Overall, this is one villain that everyone loves to hate.

Andrew Ryan (Bioshock and Bioshock 2)

The founder and creator of Rapture, Andrew Ryan possesses a deep hatred of anything that gets in the way of man’s free will. Even though Andrew Ryan is not seen until the near end of Bioshock, the player does hear him a lot through radio transmissions and audio diaries. Once the character, Jack, arrives in Rapture, Ryan immediately begins attempting to kill Jack, believing him to be a government agent. Having little to no belief in ethics, because he believes they restrain mankind’s free will, he does whatever he has to, to try and kill Jack.

What’s more is that when it is revealed that Jack is actually Ryan’s son he calls the player his “greatest disappointment.” Even though Andrew Ryan is dead in the events of Bioshock 2 his audio diaries journey even further into Ryan’s history and ideals. While you might not agree with what Ryan has to say, one must admit that what he expresses is very interesting and thought-provoking. Overall, Andrew Ryan is a character the player will hope to hear again soon.

Nemesis (Resident Evil series)

A deadly stalker, Nemesis is named after the Goddess of Vengeance from Greek mythology. Nemesis is one of the most popular villains from the Resident Evil series, even having its name appear in the title of one of the games, Resident Evil: Nemesis. Nemesis is the result of a tyrant class zombie that has been infected with a parasitic organism, giving it increased intelligence and regenerative abilities. Throughout the entire game of Resident Evil: Nemesis, Nemesis stalks the player, Jill Valentine, attacking her with its rocket launcher and killing her if it touches her.

However, that is not the only reason Nemesis is on the list. Nemesis is a terrifying villain. Throughout the entire game there are only a few safe rooms in which Nemesis cannot find the player but beyond that it is always stalking the player and can show up at any moment. Therefore the player always has the thought in the back of his or her mind that Nemesis is out there waiting for his moment to strike. Overall, this is one villain players will not be looking forward to seeing again.

Jubileus (Bayonetta)

Jubileus is the final boss in the game Bayonetta, a game from the creators of Devil May Cry. In the game Jubileus is also called ‘the Creator’ and is the physical embodiment of Divine Will. The main protagonist and title character, Bayonetta, is trying to prevent the resurrection of Jubileus, who has been put into a deep slumber, because her resurrection would upset the balance of dark and light. Jubileus, whose name is related to the world jubilee, is incredibly powerful, although since the process of her resurrection is prevented partially by Bayonetta and her allies, Bayonetta is able to destroy her.

The only way that the player is able to fully ensure that Jubileus is defeated is by summoning an equally dark character, Queen Sheba, and having the demon throw Jubileus into the sun. Bayonetta then must destroy the remaining statues of Jubileus so that she can never be resurrected again. Ultimately, Jubileus makes the list because of her exceptional powers and incredible resistance/regeneration.

Magus (Chrono Trigger)

Originally born Janus, Magus was the crown prince of Zeal, a culture of super-powerful wizards from 12,000 BC. Transported through time as a child to 600 AD, he quickly establishes himself as a villain of that era, a demon-like king; in fact, he is literally called Demon-King in the Japanese version of the game. He is originally the main antagonist of the game, although he is defeated in the first half by the protagonist, Chrono. He is then sent back through time to 12,000 BC and becomes the adviser to his mother, the queen, although his identity is never revealed.

His adult-self becomes known as the Prophet and he summons the next villain of the game Lavos, who ends up destroying his entire civilization and sending his childhood self forward in time. Once Magus realizes that he is the one responsible for the destruction of his people and his time-travel as a child, he repents and will actually join the player’s team if they decide to not kill him. Magus normally fights via the mastery of all elements of magic and a scythe.

Now that you have a taste of the top ten villains go vote in the polls on our Facebook page or comment at the bottom of this article. The villain pairings are: Andrew Ryan v GlaDOS, Kefka v Ganondorf, Magus v Dormin, Nemesis v Jubileus, and Bowser v Porky. Don’t miss your chance to contribute to a great set of articles!

Jordan Fisher contributed significantly to the writing and research of this article.

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About the author

Alexa Robinson
I am a student at Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter, FL studying Philosophy and History. I am also a foil fencer and am interested in politics, cinema, music, books, and environmental issues. Reporting from St. Petersburg, Florida.

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Top Ten Video Game Villains of All Time Part 2

Significant amounts of video game play have led to this short list of the top ten villains in video games. In Part 1 of this article series Porky Minch (Earthbound), Andrew Ryan (Bioshock), Nemesis (Resident Evil), Jubileus...