Villains in gaming have become quite fun in their own right, with these personas ranging from the more grounded foes to outright crazy maniacs who are hell-bent on seeing the world burn at all costs. The duality of villains in gaming makes them so exciting and also justifies why many games incorporate multiple villains to keep a healthy smorgasbord of antagonistic personalities in these experiences.
A major reason why most villains end up being iconic is because of the lines they say, with certain dialogue having a strong impact on players and becoming legendary parts of gaming history in their own right. The most memorable and beloved quotes ever uttered by gaming's bad guys are evidence of this.
10 "What Is A Man? A Miserable Little Pile Of Secrets!" — Dracula (Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night)
Sometimes, it's the goofiest quotes that end up becoming the most memorable ones. Such is the case with Dracula's hilarious line in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
When Richter goes to confront Dracula in his castle, their exchange leads to this iconic line that has become a staple of the series ever since. The corny delivery is what really seals this dialogue as one of the most iconic ones in gaming history.
9 "Did I Ever Tell You What The Definition Of Insanity Is?" — Vaas Montenegro (Far Cry 3)
Far Cry 3 was touted as one of the greatest open-world games ever made upon launch. A strong first half of the game contributed to this notion, with Vaas Montenegro establishing himself as one of the best antagonists of all time.
His insane ramblings and psychotic rants became quite iconic in their own right, with his definition of insanity being one of his most memorable quotes. Michael Mando is an excellent actor with a great CV, and Vaas is just one of the many roles he's excelled in.
8 "A Man Chooses. A Slave Obeys." — Andrew Ryan (BioShock)
BioShock is one of the greatest FPS titles of all time, with the haunting halls of Rapture being quite brilliant to explore. During the game, the player is tasked with hunting down Andrew Ryan for his crimes.
However, it's only after meeting this villain that players realize the true nature of their existence. The monologue by Andrew Ryan is a haunting one, and players won't be able to hear the phrase "Would you kindly?" In a casual tone ever again.
7 "Only An Honest Death Can Cure You Now. Liberate You From Your Wild Curiosity." — Lady Maria (Bloodborne)
Bloodborne's The Old Hunters DLC is considered by many to be one of the greatest expansions ever released for a video game. The new areas and contributions to the lore are truly amazing, with each and every boss fight being pretty challenging in its own right.
After defeating the Living Nightmares, players enter the Astral Clocktower and engage in an amazing duel with Lady Maria. The fight is amazing and starts off on a truly epic note, with the challenge slowly ramping up as the battle rages on.
6 "There's Nothing More For Me To Give You. All That's Left For You To Take Is My Life." — The Boss (Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater)
Metal Gear Solid 3 is one of the best games in the series, with many people considering it to be the title that kickstarted the interest in the franchise, to begin with. At the heart of this title is The Boss, Snake's mentor who seemingly backstabs him and becomes the villain of the game.
It's only after Snake finishes her off that her true role in the chain of events is explained. It makes for an emotional reveal, with Snake being visibly disturbed by everything that happens.
5 "All We Had To Do Was Follow The Damn Train, CJ!" — Big Smoke (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas)
At the start of the game, no one expected Ryder and Big Smoke to betray the GSF as they did. Both characters seemed like loyal members of the crew, but things took a turn for the worse once Cesar showed their true colors to CJ.
This makes the mission failure line in 'Wrong Side of the Tracks' all the more annoying. Not only was Big Smoke admonishing players, but he was also working for the police at the time, making this taunt sting even more.
4 "The Right Man In The Wrong Place Can Make All The Difference In The World." — G-Man (Half-Life 2)
The G-Man is a mysterious entity that seemingly never ages and manipulates the events of both Half-Life and its sequel. His appearance in the latter is quite iconic, with his subtle admission of guilt being quite brilliant to behold.
Most players still theorize about the true origins of this agent and how he manages to change things whenever he wishes. It's one of the many mysterious parts of Half-Life that makes the games so much fun to play through.
3 "Tell Me What You Cherish The Most. Give Me The Pleasure Of Taking It Away." — Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7)
Sephiroth is one of the most diabolical video game villains of all time. After learning about the true nature of his existence, Sephiroth's mind breaks and causes him to harbor a murderous urge to destroy the entire planet.
He makes another appearance in Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children and taunts Cloud with this line, which irritates the protagonist to no end. After all, Sephiroth is the reason why Aerith lost her life prematurely.
2 "But So Often, The Legacies We Leave Behind... Are Not The Ones We Intended." — Queen Myrrah (Gears of War 2)
The Queen of the Locust Horde is one of the most diabolical figures in Gears of War. She constantly serves as a thorn in the side of Marcus Fenix and his squad over and over again.
She's a poignant villain who has several memorable lines over the course of the games. Her monologue in the second game is pretty profound and shows that there's more to this Queen than what meets the eye.
1 "I Had A Pretty Good Life. And Then You Showed Up. You Dangerous, Mute Lunatic." — GLaDOS (Portal 2)
GLaDOS is one of the most beloved video game antagonists of all time, with her role in Portal 2 being expanded greatly. She actually teams up with Chell after Wheatley takes over the main systems of Aperture and becomes drunk with all this power.
Her monologue during the game's ending is quite iconic, purging the last remnants of what makes her empathetic before sending Chell to the surface in a bid to get rid of her. Fans love the Portal series, and GLaDOS is a big reason why.