It takes talent to make a good villain. This shows in not just the writing, but also the design. A memorable appearance can be invaluable in distinguishing an antagonist from the rest of the pack.
A decent indicator of this is theSilhouette Test. Basically, this takes the shape of a character and places it against a contrasting background. If said character has enough distinctive features, then viewers should be able to identify him/her through this shape.
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One would think that video games would present a vast array of opportunities for designers with this mindset, but that’s apparently not the case.Many villains in gaming fail the Silhouette Test. What’s sad is that most of these characters come from high-profile franchises. As such, the developers have no excuse for such forgettable work.
9Giovanni – The Pokemon Series
The aesthetic variety is obvious inPokemon. Players have hundreds of pocket monsters of all shapes and sizes, but that variety is nearly matched by the humans.The people in this world boast designs illustrating their attitudes, professions, or hobbies. Most of these boil down to archetypes, but they give the setting an identity beyond the Pokemon themselves.
The developers seemed to forget that policy when designing the series' first major villain. The head of Team Rocket, Giovanni has a pressed suit, slicked-back hair, and no distinguishing features beyond that. It’s the most uninspired “evil businessman” getup one can imagine. Even his underlings are more interesting to look at, and they’re all interchangeable bandits.
8Rafe – Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
None of theUnchartedvillains stand out in terms of design. They’re all regular people; their memorability comes from their personalities. Even then, characters like Lazarevic and Marlowe have a few features separating them from the rest of the pack, such as guerilla fighter gear or a trench coat. Thefourth game’sbaddie has nothing of the sort.
Rafe mostly gets by on minimalist attire like T-shirts and jeans. It’s especially disappointing considering his rich background. A narcissist like him could have flaunted some ridiculous piercing or apparel to go along with the gel in his hair. Instead, Nathan Drake and company must outwit an army led by a guy who just walked off the street.
7Dysley/Barthandelus – Final Fantasy 13
TheFinal Fantasyseries has no shortage of crazy enemy designs, andits villains are chief among them. They mold their hair into all sorts of elaborate and impossible shapes and don flamboyant outfits which no human being could possibly squeeze into. Sure, these designs are often silly and over the top, but they help solidify the characters as some of the most iconic in gaming.
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No one remembers the bad guy fromFinal Fantasy 13, and it’s not hard to see why. On top of his bland dialogue, Dysley just looks like a poor man’s pope. He covers himself in a generic robe and carries a nondescript staff. He could beany evil wizard from anyDungeons & Dragonsgame. InFinal Fantasy, he’s overshadowed by everyone else in the room.
6Vaas – Far Cry 3
Vaas iseasily the most enjoyable enemyin theFar Cryfranchise. Unfortunately, none of that comes down to his design. He rocks a close-cut mohawk, a tank top, and a bunch of tattoos, but these don’t exactly show up in silhouette.
In fact, all of his goons all across the island sport the same getup. It’d be tricky to pick Vaas out from this crowd at first glance. He’s lucky he overcomes this shortcoming through his sheer eccentric energy. Otherwise, he would blend into the background of recycled terrorist stereotypes that theFar Cryseries frequently falls back on.
5Masato Aizawa – Yakuza 5
MostYakuzavillains abide by the yakuza dress code. That means slick suits and short hair. It’d be tough for anyone to stand out with those limitations. Even by such standards, though, Aizawa underwhelms.
When the latest would-be mob boss comes into conflict withKazuma Kiryu, it becomes apparent how basic his design is. He’s just a slightly more muscular version of the series' protagonist, complete with the same scowl and a similar haircut. True, he has a unique tattoo on his back like other yakuza warriors, however, like with Vaas, this doesn’t appear in silhouette. Aizawa’s bland motive and even blander aesthetic only make fans pine for more striking opponents like Nishikiyama and Majima.
4Albert Whesker – The Resident Evil Series
Here’s another series where the monster designs are among its main appeals.Resident Evilbombards players with scores of zombies, each with unique abilities and deformities. How ironic thatthe guy responsible for this global spreadwould look so ordinary.
Wesker may not go for the easy lab coat and glasses of most mad scientists, but neither does he offer any interesting alternative. Granted, that’s not a problem when he taunts players from a distance, but it becomes an issue when he takes a more direct approach later on. Reckless experimentation has pumped him up, but he still looks like a bargain bin thug with shades and a flat top. In horror and every other conceivable area, Wesker is eclipsed by his own creations.
3Mister Negative – Spider-Man (2018)
This character is among the more recentMarvelvillains, and it shows in how uninspired he looks next toSpider-Man’s other rogues. Martin Li secretly leads the street gang known as the Demons, but he maintains a facade of an unassuming man running a homeless shelter. As such, he’s a regular guy in a suit and tie. Shifting to his supervillain persona requires a simple palette swap.
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Mister Negative almost looks like a silhouette already, but this only emphasizes his utter lack of distinguishing features. It’d be one thing if he adopted a ceremonial mask like one of his goons, but no. He seemingly forgets his dual identity and falls back on vague mysticism. No wonderDoc Ock and the Sinister Sixsnatch the plot right out from under him. Most of them may be glorified bank robbers, but their animalistic attributes are far quicker to catch your eye.
2Kessler – Infamous
Speaking of superheroes,Sucker Punchonce crafted their own:Infamous. It even comes with a gritty graphic novel style, though not nearly as pleasing to the eye as the game. The villain is a prime example of that.
Players eventually combat a mysterious figure called Kessler. Fully committed to his enigma, he wears little more than a generic cloak with a hood. It essentially makes him an aesthetic blank slate, but it also means he has a similar silhouette to the city’s countless gang members (many of them hooded). To be fair, this is intentional. Kessler is reallyan older version of hero Cole McGrath, who himself has nothing but a standard sports jacket and a buzzcut. This doesn’t make his foe’s appearance any less disappointing, though. For all the game’s emphasis on style, it’s shocking how little visual flavor its characters have.
1Alduin – The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Dragons are the gimmick in the fifthElder Scrollstitle, and what an exciting hook they are! When players see these winged beasts silhouetted against the sky, they know an epic battle is about to unfold. The prevalence of dragons, however, becomes a problem when the main villain is one of these very creatures.
The final boss ofSkyrimisAlduin. Though he has different textures and coloration, his shape echoes every other dragon in the realm. This is especially the case from a distance, which happens often due to his penchant for airborne combat. These flying reptiles are such a cliché in gaming that it’d even be tough separating Alduin from those in other franchises likeDragon Age,Dark Souls, andWorld of Warcraft. It definitely takes some majesty out of this cinematic struggle.
