The 10 Most Powerful AI Villains In Video Games
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VOICE OVER: Riccardo Tucci
WRITTEN BY: Johnny Reynolds
The power of these AI video game villains is so intimidating, it's scary just thinking about them. For this list, we'll be looking in no particular order at the most intimidating foes with artificial intelligence seen across video games. Since we'll be talking about general plot details, a spoiler warning is in effect. Our list includes HADES from “Horizon Zero Dawn” (2017), The Reapers from the “Mass Effect” series (2007-), AM from “ I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” (1995), SHODAN from the “System Shock” series (1994-99), and more!
Script written by Johnny Reynolds
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at the 10 Most Powerful AI Villains in Video Games. For this list, we’ll be looking in no particular order at the most intimidating foes with artificial intelligence seen across video games. Since we’ll be talking about general plot details, a spoiler warning is in effect. If you know of any other powerful AI villains in gaming, share them with us in the comments!
Though he may be little, 343 Guilty Spark caused players a whole lot of grief during the original “Halo” trilogy. In the first game, he pretends to be your guide while Installation 04 is attacked by the Flood. But what he really wants is to activate the Halo, destroying all sentient life near it. Of course, that doesn’t happen. But Spark spends the next two games charming his way around to get what he wants. While he wasn’t the first genocidal AI in video games, nor the last, Spark’s humor and Tim Dadabo’s light-hearted performance has made him a fan favorite character. Even if he did shoot Sgt. Johnson in the back.
Based on Harlan Ellison’s short story of the same name, “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” chronicles the final days of humanity. Long ago, the US, Russia, and China each developed supercomputers. Unfortunately, the American one absorbed the other two after becoming sentient and killed nearly everyone on the planet. Calling itself AM, the AI kept five humans alive, using advanced tech to keep them alive while it tortured them for more than a century. That’s pretty bleak, and it’s only the set-up. AM then gives each of the five a test to overcome their flaws. But it really, and I mean really, hates humanity, and each test is essentially designed to be their own personal Hell.
Most villainous AIs will taunt you, or at the very least talk. The Warden Unit, or WAU, from “SOMA” doesn’t. And while that means no characterization, that doesn’t make it any less threatening. Set in 2104, one year after a comet wiped out most life on Earth, your character awakens in an underwater facility where the only survivors remain. Or they would, if not for the AI in charge. While it was originally designed to oversee a research facility, the unexpected apocalypse caused the WAU to develop twisted methods for ensuring humanity’s survival. Namely, it experimented on the survivors and turned them into biomechanical monstrosities. That is absolutely horrifying, and you then have to escape it.
I almost feel bad for spoiling this for those who haven’t played it, but Monika absolutely deserves to be here. “Doki Doki Literature Club!” is a beautiful mash-up of anime dating sim and psychological horror. You play as a high schooler who joins a reading club in order to date its members. Halfway through, one of them takes their own life and is deleted from the game, which starts over. When it happens again, you find out Monika has been causing this to happen. Turns out, she’s grown sentient and is pretty upset about being the only non-dateable option. Oh, and she is completely, obsessively, in love with you, the player. Eventually, you’re trapped with her in a void until you manually delete her file.
When it comes to power in terms of quantity, it’s hard to top the Reapers. Not only are they fleets of artificially intelligent, heavily armed spaceships, but they can brainwash anybody and use them as they please. In “Mass Effect,” they allow organic life to develop and grow before they harvest it every 50,000 years. Needless to say, they have a pretty high success rate. Some specific Reapers are especially nasty, like Harbinger, who, among other atrocities, abducted and harvested humans to create humanoid Reapers. It actually makes sense how powerful they are given their design. They’re gigantic, for one. And they were based on H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos.
The Patriots from the “Metal Gear” series are a pretty powerful shadow organization that controls the entire US, even the President. Of course, having a couple of proxy AIs to rely on must come in handy. Also known as The System, these AIs were developed as a way to ensure the will of the Patriot organization continued on. 5 were built in total, each serving different functions. The most famous in the series is GW, which can sensor anything digitally, including media, as well as control all weaponry across all US military. It caused Raiden a lot of pain in “Metal Gear Solid 2,” trapping him in a simulation and manipulating his actions. Players have run-ins with these AIs throughout the series, and they’re always formidable.
In the groundbreaking “System Shock,” you play as a hacker who removes the ethical restraints of a space station’s AI. Naturally, all Hell breaks loose as the Sentient Hyper-Optimized Data Access Network, or SHODAN, goes rogue in maniacal fashion. As is befitting of hostile AIs, SHODAN takes over the station and either kills or mutates any humans she can get her theoretical hands on. You then have to destroy her before she destroys all life on Earth. But it doesn’t even stick. In the sequel, you find out she not only survived, but bioengineered a parasitic alien race with a hive mind so powerful, even she can’t control it. Lovely. SHODAN, and the “System Shock” series, is iconic for a reason.
Long before “Horizon Zero Dawn” takes place, humans were wiped out by machines they created. Some knew it was coming, and so developed the AI Gaia, whose purpose was to restart life when the Earth was safe for humanity again. While Gaia was eventually successful, one of its subordinate functions, HADES, went rogue and broke off from Gaia. It then began working very hard to serve its own purpose, which is to wipe out life following Gaia’s potential failure to start anew. In the game, it does so by manipulating an extremist cult called The Eclipse and producing armies of hostile robots. HADES can also control its pawns from wherever it likes due to being hooked into technology across the world.
Although she was created by the relatively peaceful Chozo, Mother Brain turned out to be one nasty piece of work. She abandoned her creators when they were attacked by Space Pirates, and was so impressive she took over as head honcho alongside Ridley. Thanks to her, the Pirates are able to attack the Galactic Federation, stealing Metroids in order to replicate them. In all of her appearances, she’s capable of controlling the Pirates’ entire base on the planet Zebes, which is naturally a pretty big pain for Samus. Even an AI based on Mother Brain’s consciousness is rotten, as seen in “Other M.” We don’t know why Mother Brain is so evil, but boy did the Chozo really screw up.
When most think about AI villains in video games, there’s a good chance GLaDOS is the first to come to mind. In the original “Portal,” she relentlessly tests you with puzzles while periodically taunting you, all while leading you to your death and lying about cake. She’s no less merciful in the sequel, partly because after you shut her down, she had to relive her demise over and over again until she was turned back on. Naturally, she and the puzzles got more vicious. GLaDOS’ reach is wide, controlling the entire facility and giving you the distinct feeling of being trapped. Yet, her hilarious put-downs and Ellen McLain’s pitch-perfect delivery make GLaDOS a pretty worthwhile companion.
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at the 10 Most Powerful AI Villains in Video Games. For this list, we’ll be looking in no particular order at the most intimidating foes with artificial intelligence seen across video games. Since we’ll be talking about general plot details, a spoiler warning is in effect. If you know of any other powerful AI villains in gaming, share them with us in the comments!
343 Guilty Spark
“Halo” series” (2001-)Though he may be little, 343 Guilty Spark caused players a whole lot of grief during the original “Halo” trilogy. In the first game, he pretends to be your guide while Installation 04 is attacked by the Flood. But what he really wants is to activate the Halo, destroying all sentient life near it. Of course, that doesn’t happen. But Spark spends the next two games charming his way around to get what he wants. While he wasn’t the first genocidal AI in video games, nor the last, Spark’s humor and Tim Dadabo’s light-hearted performance has made him a fan favorite character. Even if he did shoot Sgt. Johnson in the back.
AM
“ I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” (1995)Based on Harlan Ellison’s short story of the same name, “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” chronicles the final days of humanity. Long ago, the US, Russia, and China each developed supercomputers. Unfortunately, the American one absorbed the other two after becoming sentient and killed nearly everyone on the planet. Calling itself AM, the AI kept five humans alive, using advanced tech to keep them alive while it tortured them for more than a century. That’s pretty bleak, and it’s only the set-up. AM then gives each of the five a test to overcome their flaws. But it really, and I mean really, hates humanity, and each test is essentially designed to be their own personal Hell.
The WAU
“SOMA” (2015)Most villainous AIs will taunt you, or at the very least talk. The Warden Unit, or WAU, from “SOMA” doesn’t. And while that means no characterization, that doesn’t make it any less threatening. Set in 2104, one year after a comet wiped out most life on Earth, your character awakens in an underwater facility where the only survivors remain. Or they would, if not for the AI in charge. While it was originally designed to oversee a research facility, the unexpected apocalypse caused the WAU to develop twisted methods for ensuring humanity’s survival. Namely, it experimented on the survivors and turned them into biomechanical monstrosities. That is absolutely horrifying, and you then have to escape it.
Monika
“Doki Doki Literature Club!” (2017)I almost feel bad for spoiling this for those who haven’t played it, but Monika absolutely deserves to be here. “Doki Doki Literature Club!” is a beautiful mash-up of anime dating sim and psychological horror. You play as a high schooler who joins a reading club in order to date its members. Halfway through, one of them takes their own life and is deleted from the game, which starts over. When it happens again, you find out Monika has been causing this to happen. Turns out, she’s grown sentient and is pretty upset about being the only non-dateable option. Oh, and she is completely, obsessively, in love with you, the player. Eventually, you’re trapped with her in a void until you manually delete her file.
The Reapers
“Mass Effect” series (2007-)When it comes to power in terms of quantity, it’s hard to top the Reapers. Not only are they fleets of artificially intelligent, heavily armed spaceships, but they can brainwash anybody and use them as they please. In “Mass Effect,” they allow organic life to develop and grow before they harvest it every 50,000 years. Needless to say, they have a pretty high success rate. Some specific Reapers are especially nasty, like Harbinger, who, among other atrocities, abducted and harvested humans to create humanoid Reapers. It actually makes sense how powerful they are given their design. They’re gigantic, for one. And they were based on H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos.
The Patriots’ AIs
“Metal Gear” series (1987-2018)The Patriots from the “Metal Gear” series are a pretty powerful shadow organization that controls the entire US, even the President. Of course, having a couple of proxy AIs to rely on must come in handy. Also known as The System, these AIs were developed as a way to ensure the will of the Patriot organization continued on. 5 were built in total, each serving different functions. The most famous in the series is GW, which can sensor anything digitally, including media, as well as control all weaponry across all US military. It caused Raiden a lot of pain in “Metal Gear Solid 2,” trapping him in a simulation and manipulating his actions. Players have run-ins with these AIs throughout the series, and they’re always formidable.
SHODAN
“System Shock” series (1994-99)In the groundbreaking “System Shock,” you play as a hacker who removes the ethical restraints of a space station’s AI. Naturally, all Hell breaks loose as the Sentient Hyper-Optimized Data Access Network, or SHODAN, goes rogue in maniacal fashion. As is befitting of hostile AIs, SHODAN takes over the station and either kills or mutates any humans she can get her theoretical hands on. You then have to destroy her before she destroys all life on Earth. But it doesn’t even stick. In the sequel, you find out she not only survived, but bioengineered a parasitic alien race with a hive mind so powerful, even she can’t control it. Lovely. SHODAN, and the “System Shock” series, is iconic for a reason.
HADES
“Horizon Zero Dawn” (2017)Long before “Horizon Zero Dawn” takes place, humans were wiped out by machines they created. Some knew it was coming, and so developed the AI Gaia, whose purpose was to restart life when the Earth was safe for humanity again. While Gaia was eventually successful, one of its subordinate functions, HADES, went rogue and broke off from Gaia. It then began working very hard to serve its own purpose, which is to wipe out life following Gaia’s potential failure to start anew. In the game, it does so by manipulating an extremist cult called The Eclipse and producing armies of hostile robots. HADES can also control its pawns from wherever it likes due to being hooked into technology across the world.
Mother Brain
“Metroid” series (1986-)Although she was created by the relatively peaceful Chozo, Mother Brain turned out to be one nasty piece of work. She abandoned her creators when they were attacked by Space Pirates, and was so impressive she took over as head honcho alongside Ridley. Thanks to her, the Pirates are able to attack the Galactic Federation, stealing Metroids in order to replicate them. In all of her appearances, she’s capable of controlling the Pirates’ entire base on the planet Zebes, which is naturally a pretty big pain for Samus. Even an AI based on Mother Brain’s consciousness is rotten, as seen in “Other M.” We don’t know why Mother Brain is so evil, but boy did the Chozo really screw up.
GLaDOS
“Portal” series (2007-11)When most think about AI villains in video games, there’s a good chance GLaDOS is the first to come to mind. In the original “Portal,” she relentlessly tests you with puzzles while periodically taunting you, all while leading you to your death and lying about cake. She’s no less merciful in the sequel, partly because after you shut her down, she had to relive her demise over and over again until she was turned back on. Naturally, she and the puzzles got more vicious. GLaDOS’ reach is wide, controlling the entire facility and giving you the distinct feeling of being trapped. Yet, her hilarious put-downs and Ellen McLain’s pitch-perfect delivery make GLaDOS a pretty worthwhile companion.
