Top 10 Annoying Video Game Enemies

In a post-apocalyptic wasteland filled to the brim with freakish super mutants and cut-throat mercenaries with laser rifles, you’d think a big wasp would be the least of your problems. These winged insect/spider things fly erratically, making them difficult to hit, and even if manage to shoot their wings, they continue their onslaught by rapidly scurrying across the ground. On top of their agility, Cazadors can also poison you and your companion, quickly draining your life as you try to line up your shot, or, even better, run full speed in the opposite direction.

First originating in “A Link to the Past,” these annoying insects are hell-bent on knocking Link into the various chasms peppered around the game’s dungeons. Stupid as they maybe be, they always make a b-line for Link, and to make matters worse, most weaponry is ineffective against their hard carapaces. Swatting them with Link’s sword will cause him to bounce backwards, usually to his doom. Your best bet is to flip these little bastards over with a whack on the ground from your hammer, but who likes to keep the hammer equipped anyway?

In most RPGs, one of the most frustrating things is being hit with status effects. Poison, sleep, confusion, silence - each different effect can mess with your gameplan if not healed immediately. Enter the Malboro, a giant plant monster from the “Final Fantasy” franchise. Their “Bad Breath” attack is absolute hell, because it hammers your entire party with every status effect in the entire game. Having all three of your characters as sitting ducks, unable to do anything at all while a giant squid plant eats you is no fun at all.

The birds in “Far Cry 4” have become legendary amongst gamers due to how freaking annoying they are. Fast and hard-to-hit, eagles swoop down out of seemingly nowhere and try to peck your face off. Sometimes they’ll even steal the prey that you’re hunting, which really sucks if you’ve been following an animal for a while. Even the NPC characters in “Far Cry 4” are terrified of eagles - you can often find them blindly firing their guns into the sky trying to fend them off – which is actually the closest thing you’ll ever get to a warning.

Wandering through Pokemon’s various caves can be a real exercise in a frustration. The main problem with caves is that they are filled with a seemingly endless army of Zubats. Zubats suck, plain and simple. They’re extremely common, usually aren’t worth catching, don’t give very much experience, and possess several annoying attacks that leech your life, poison and confuse you. You’ll spend most of your time in caves running away from hundreds of random Zubat encounters. Plus, like every single Team Rocket member has a Zubat or three.

All of the amazing creations and structures that you see on “YouTube” were probably made in “Minecraft’s” peaceful mode. That’s because any other gameplay mode features hordes of enemies attacking you, with the most annoying being the Creepers. The sole purpose of a creeper is to get close to you and explode. A creeper’s explosion can also destroy blocks, so a handful of them can turn your hard work into rubble. In a game that’s about building things, having your masterpiece torn down is the worst fate imaginable.

Before fast travel was introduced in this game’s sequel, “Oblivion,” you were basically forced to travel around the world on-foot, save for the occasional stilt strider ride. The problem is that Vvardenfell is absolutely infested with Cliff Racers, flying bird-like things that constantly swoop down and attack you while making the most annoying sound. Hitting them is a pain, so it’s not uncommon to reach a destination with literally dozens of cliff racers on your tail. These beasts are so annoying that an extremely popular fan mod was created whose sole purpose was to remove them from the game.

The most difficult and frustrating enemies in the “Mario” series, from Lakitus to Phantos, all attack from the air. In a game that’s primarily about platforming and jumping through levels, it sucks to get hit while you’re trying to time that perfect jump. The worst perpetrators are the Hammer Bros. from “Super Mario Bros.” These dudes fling an endless supply of hammers at you in an arc. The way the Hammer Bros. projectiles fly through the air make them difficult to dodge, and beyond that, these jerks are constantly moving and jumping around. Worse still are the giant Sledge Bros, which can shake the earth and stun Mario in place.

Platforming sections in video games are difficult enough without a stream of disembodied heads constantly getting in your way. The “Castlevania” games are already hard enough; did we really need to include such a frustrating and pointless enemy? It’s not like Medusa Heads are even going out of their way to kill you - they’re just floating around, minding their own business, distracting you, flying directly underfoot right as you’re about to land on that narrow-ass ledge. Then there’s the yellow Medusa heads, who, yes you guessed it, turn you to stone if you touch em. So much fun.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Regenerators
“Resident Evil 4” (2005)
Konchu’s
“Monster Hunter” series (2004-)
The Flood
“Halo” series (2001-14)
Zingers
“Donkey Kong Country” series (1994-)
Tickers
“Gears of War 2” (2008)

Now this is just a dirty trick. You just got through a series of tough battles and you’re on the verge of death - but off in the distance, you spot shiny treasure chest. Is it filled with gold, or a new weapon? You reach down to open the chest and BAM, giant teeth close around your hand and its game over. From “Final Fantasy”, to “Dark Souls” to “Super Ghouls & Ghosts,” all the way to more obscure titles like “Golden Sun”, mimics are a common foe in fantasy games. They’re super-annoying because they mess with your head: they’re like a game’s way of punishing you for being too greedy!

Agree with our list? Did we forget any particularly annoying enemies? For more killer top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.