The 10 BEST Video Game Villains of 2023

10 Best Video Game Villains of 2023

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re counting down our picks for the year’s most memorable video game antagonists! Be on the look out for spoilers!

The Twins

“Atomic Heart” (2023)
Talk about breaking the internet. Granted, this pair of robot ballerinas were mainly bedazzling for their…flexibility, as opposed to their intimidation factor. Still, there's no doubt these two deadly dancers became iconic across the gaming scene upon their debut, and can be quite a challenge for any unprepared player. Laser beams, retractable blades, telekinesis - rest assured this mechanized duo will pirouette across your grave if you spend too long looking at their curves and not focusing on the fight.

Rekka

“Hi-Fi Rush” (2023)
Among the collection of corporate elites that serve as foes for wannabe rocker Chai to overcome, none were more entertaining than Rekka – who is essentially a marriage of an overly-aggressive office boss, and professional wrestler. Like her name implies, this bureaucrat will wreck you if you let her land a hit, though avoiding her blows isn’t as easy as it sounds when she can create her own Thunderdome on the fly. She’s effortlessly entertaining, to the extent it’s almost a shame we had to leave both her career and body by the ringside!

Claude

“Octopath Traveler 2” (2023)
There are plenty of examples of terrible parents across every route in this game, but none can compare to the leader of the Blacksnakes. Ageless, Claude has spent countless years siring children, ensuring they become assassins, all for the sole purpose of them growing strong enough to one day kill him. So yeah, you can imagine how this did a number on Throne, upon discovering just how much of a monster her true father is. Does it get worse? Of course it does – Claude won’t only lock off party abilities for large portions of the fight, but will bring back the ghosts of those who tormented Throne throughout the years. What a dick.

Ganondorf

“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” (2023)
We’ve seen all manner of incarnations of Link’s nemesis over the years. Giant pigs, shadow monsters, whatever the hell Calamity Ganon was – but Tears of the Kingdom might have given us one of the best. As the leader of the Gerudo, Ganondorf is deceptive, commanding, and more than lives up to his moniker as the Demon King, given how he put the Hero of Hyrule through his paces during their epic final clash. And just when you thought he couldn’t score anymore points on the badass meter – he reveals that he’s also got a dragon form up his sleeve.

Rayvis

“Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” (2023)
Out of the way Dagan Gera, your right-hand man is the true villain of this sequel, and a much worthier enemy for Cal Kestis to face down. As the leader of a group of raiders, Rayvis isn’t only a ferocious fighter and towering presence in his own right, but his ideals on loyalty made him a great foil for a Jedi Knight going through a crisis of faith. Even without the power of the dark side, Rayvis was an absolute unit who could have easily become one of the great Star Wars villains had his career not been cut short via lightsaber.

Ramon Salazar

“Resident Evil 4” (2023)
He’s the pint-sized punk with a Napoleon complex who thinks he’s lord and master. For as fondly we remember Ramon from the original RE4, this new version ups the pretentiousness to eleven, and he’s all the better for it. He’s so easy to hate, taking Ashley hostage and forcing Leon into a gauntlet of monsters in order to save her. His transformed state is nothing to joke about given its tendency to insta-kill you, but what makes Ramon so memorable is just how much of a little shit he is, and we can’t help but enjoy every moment he spends chewing scenery. Even as Leon is putting a bullet between his eyes.

Simon Manus and Laxasia

“Lies of P” (2023)
One is a crazy alchemist with delusions of grandeur who seeks to become a living deity. The other is his great-sword wielding servant who stands tall as the hardest boss in the whole game! Together, they make for some of the game’s most punishing battles, and while they may not have started the Puppet Frenzy, they didn’t hesitate to take advantage of the chaos. Between Laxasia calling down lightning and Simon summoning the literal hand of God, they cut many a player’s strings during their tenure.

Venom

“Spider-Man 2” (2023)
We’re not joking when we say Insomniac’s take on Spidey’s deadliest foe might just be his greatest incarnation since the comics, and we're not just saying that because of the nineteen inches. Swapping Eddie Brock for Harry Osborne, Venom in this iteration seeks to heal the world by spreading its symbiote essence to all life on the planet; a perversion of Harry and Peter’s original dream. With an exquisite performance courtesy of Tony Todd, Venom is a savage capable of not only beating down both Miles and Peter, but also has an element of sympathy to it given that it was born out of the pain and resentment of a dying man and a scorned alien being.

Barnabas Tharmr

“Final Fantasy XVI” (2023)
Ultima may be the one pulling the strings, but it was his most loyal servant that stole the show. As the Dominant of Odin, Barnabus is every bit as strong as Clive. A master swordsman capable of unleashing crazy slashes like he’s the second coming of Vergil, the King of Ash can also transform into a Eikon on the fly, which happens to be a colossal knight with an equally gargantuan blade. While initially stoic and reserved, when Barnabas cuts loose and lets out his inner psycho, he not only becomes twice the threat but also twice as entertaining. Oh, and he also wants to sleep with his mother. Because of course he does.

Raphael

“Baldur’s Gate 3” (2024)
Even when put against the Dead Three, vampire lords, hags, evil gods, mind flayers and a giant omnipotent brain, there is one devil that surpasses them all with charisma alone. Raphael effortlessly oozes the charm one might expect of a Luciferian figure willing to make a deal to turn deepest desires into a reality in exchange for an impossible price. Always lurking in the shadows, always waiting for the moment to make his play, unless of course you take the fight to him in his own house – where he’ll not only bring down the claw, but also one of the greatest theme songs in all of gaming!
Do you think any of these villains are some of the all-time greats? Let us know in the comments!