10 Misunderstood and Misguided Villains in Video Games

The greatest villains ever written are ones fans hate but can't help sympathize with. A foe with no reedeming qualities or understandable motivations would simply be cartoonish to most gamers. While there are still some games that make use of a one-dimensional and inexplicable evil enemy,  there are games that showcases villains that show quite some depth even if we do not see it so easily.

Here are some of the villains that I think are misunderstood by most gamers. If you look closer, these characters have motivations that we can sympathize with and perhaps they were simply misguided along the way. I'm not justifying their actions, but showing that sometimes these villains can be victims of trauma and ambition.

10. Seifer (Final Fantasy VIII)

Seifer is a total douche for the most part of the game. He constantly torments you and the gang even before he joins the "dark side." On top of that, he was even willing to offer Rinoa, his ex-girlfriend's, body to Ultimecia as a new host. However, the epilogue does suggest that he saw the error of his ways.

I kind of feel sorry for him. Why? Well, I think that he was horribly misguided by his "romantic" dream to be sorcerer's knight. At the same time, I think that he was helping Edea because he remembers her as Matron from the orphanage at some point if I'm not mistaken. He also showed remorse at one point, but said that it was too late for him to go back.

9. Scott Shelby (Heavy Rain)

I once read in a criminal profiling book that serial killers are often victims of a past trauma themselves. While that does not excuse what they did, it's helpful in understanding their motivations behind such a heinous act. It makes you think if Shelby would do what he did if he hadn't witnessed the death of his brother and the cruel ignorance of his father.

He couldn't believe that his father couldn't save his brother, so the trauma influenced him to find a father who was willing to go lengths to save a son even if a child dies in the process. I still feel sorry more for the victims, but I truly pity Shelby and how his past damaged him.

8. The Master (Fallout)

If you've never played the game, The Master is similar to that blob creature in the movie Slither. Before he turned into his hideous creature, The Master was actually a decent man trying to discover the origins of animal mutants that were attacking human survivors until he fell into a vat of F.E.V.

He eventually thought of a way to "unite" the wasteland by making everyone mutants, which I think was because of what happened to him. In the end, you can talk him out of it and he will commit suicide. 

7. Fireflies (The Last of Us)

I really loved how The Last of Us muddled the lines between hero and villain in this game. Near the end of the game, Joel finds out that Marlene and the Fireflies were going to kill Ellie to create a vaccine to save the human race. They were even remorseful about it when they told Joel. 

What happens? You attack guns blazing to save Ellie even if it meant losing a chance to save the human race. I felt bad when I had to shoot all of them down when they were trying to do the right thing. I was thinking, "can I not do this?" the entire time. You could say that Joel was the villain, but I sympathize with him since my dad said he would do the exact same thing.

6. Saren (Mass Effect)

Saren was the main baddie in the first Mass Effect game. You find out that he knows about the Reapers plans for total extinction of all organics (what you know before the sequels). He was actually trying to "save" organics by pledging servitude to the Reapers in hopes that they will be spared.

Alas, he ends up being indoctrinated as time passes and he becomes blind to his own crimes. You actually have the choice to make him realize the error of his ways and he will commit suicide.

5. Illusive Man (Mass Effect 2)

The Illusive Man is my favorite video game villain of all time. I actually took his side form the most part of the second game. In the third game, he took it too far by fighting the organics as well in addition to the Reapers. So much for pro-humanity right? Like Saren, it's quite obvious that he was indoctrinated and there's even video footage that shows he was. He reveals his plans that it's better to control the enemy than destroy them.

Then you drop the bombshell: THEY ARE CONTROLLING YOU ILLUSIVE MAN. His mind is blown and you can bring him back to reality by reminding him that this is not the way. Consequently, he commits suicide to stop the madness he has befallen.

4. Reapers (Mass Effect trilogy)

So, it turns out that they actually don't want to doom organics into extinction. If they did, they wouldn't be going back to eliminate civilizations over and over again. The Reapers just want to harvest all the organics to prevent an "inevitable" war with synthetics that will extinct all organics. So, yes they will kill everyone to save the organic species as a whole. Tough love.

You do have a choice to rectify this with the choices presented in the end and that's a whole different debate on it's own.

3. Seymour (Final Fantasy X)

Okay, I'm seriously starting to see a pattern of villains who decide that killing everyone is the only way to be saved. At a young age, he was traumatized with the death of his mother from losing her to Sin. Growing up, he thought that the best way to relieve everyone's suffering from Sin is to become it and destroy everyone so they wouldn't have to deal with it again.

In the end, Tidus promises Seymour that Sin will never return before Yuna finally sends the former's soul.

2. Loghain (Dragon Age:  Origins)

I actually read one of the Dragon Age novels called the Stolen Throne and it actually gives you the chance to get to know Loghain. I feel that the game didn't really give players the chance to understand Loghain's motivations. It's terrible that he decided to withdraw from the battle, but I believe he did it to fight another day being the tactician he is. 

I believe that he truly wanted to protect Ferelden but was influenced by Arl Howe and his war experiences in the past. I just didn't like how he framed the Grey Wardens. I mean at least own up to it! However, I decided to let him join my party even if it cost me Alistair. How could I say no to a remorseful Hero of Riverdane?

1. Wheatley (Portal 2)

Wheatley was an entertaining companion during the first half of the game until he turns on you. Consequently, you are forced to team up with GLaDOS of all "people?" If you think about it, it is mostly your doing since you transferred him into the core programming of GLaDOS and all hell broke loose.

It's quite sad that you had to fight him during the second half of the game, and he even shows remorse for his actions in the end. Hopefully we see him again, but not as a foe.