These 10 Video Game Heroes Were The Villain All Along!

Summary

Heroes can be secret villains due to manipulative narratives in video games like BioShock Infinite.
Moral ambiguity is prevalent in characters like Edelgard from Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
Protagonists like Tim from Braid may be villains, as seen in the game’s subversive storyline.

In some stories, it’s possible for the central character to appear as a hero on the surface, but their true nature might be something far more sinister – a secret villain. The plot can be designed to make us root for this character, even when their actions and consequences suggest otherwise. At other times, the hero may be unwittingly drawn into evil schemes.

In many story-based video games, appearances can be deceiving. Characters labeled as heroes or villains often have hidden depths that may not be immediately apparent to the player. While some characters might seem like protagonists, they may actually harbor evil intentions. This suggests that every significant character in these games has a complex side that requires deeper exploration.

Spoilers Ahead For Every Game Listed

8. Booker DeWitt

A Detective In Debt

In the year 1912, the game BioShock Infinite unfolds in an alternate universe where a floating city called Columbia, initially backed by the United States, breaks away to establish a repressive regime reminiscent of fascism. This city has the unique property of “tears” in its spacetime fabric, which are often exploited for exploring different realities. The main character in Infinite is Booker DeWitt, a detective tasked with capturing and delivering a woman named Elizabeth, who can manipulate tears, to settle his financial obligations. As the story progresses, it’s disclosed that DeWitt had given Elizabeth to Columbia’s founder, Zachary Comstock, to clear old debts, and she is, in fact, his biological daughter, Anna DeWitt.

It’s even more intriguing that Comstock’s existence is tied to a sin in Booker’s past. DeWitt, who has Native American heritage, faced discrimination during his military service. To deal with these prejudices, Booker participated in the slaughter of many native people, feeling remorse for his actions despite being celebrated as a hero by his comrades. He initially intended to seek forgiveness at a baptism, but ultimately decided it wasn’t a genuine form of absolution.

In other realities where Booker accepted the baptism, he transformed into Zachary Hale Comstock, combining religious devotion and politics to become a tyrant ruler of Columbia. Elizabeths from multiple dimensions interfere across timelines, preventing the reborn versions of Booker, causing them to vanish. Since Elizabeth originates from Booker’s actions following his baptism decision, most of these realities disappear along with their counterparts.

7. Codex

A Bookish Bird

In Bookworm Adventures, our protagonist, Lex (the Bookworm), employs words to eliminate a range of characters from diverse stories with the goal of rescuing Cassandra, the Oracle of Delphi. Accompanying him is Codex, an enigmatic bird-like figure who serves as the chief librarian at the library housing all the books Lex visits. At one point, Dracula, one of Lex’s adversaries, warns Codex not to be trusted and offers to join forces with Lex. However, Lex ignores him and reconnects with the professor. It is only then that Codex discloses his true intentions: he never desired Cassandra’s rescue and instead has been harnessing the power of the figures Lex defeated in his journey to create an army of faithful servants.

As a gamer, I’ve summoned fearsome foes like Cerberus, Medusa, Shaitan, and the Wolf Man to face off against the Bookworm. But after overcoming them all, I stand before Codex himself. In a climactic final move, I type out the word “sesquipedalian,” a term that embodies long words or those with numerous syllables. This word, I’ve learned, is not just any word—it’s autological, meaning it describes itself perfectly.

6. Wander

Killer Of The Colossus

In Shadow of the Colossus, the protagonist, Wander, is on a quest to bring back to life a woman named Mono. To accomplish this dream, he strikes a bargain with an enigmatic being called Dormin, promising to eliminate sixteen massive creatures known as colossi. These colossi symbolize the living embodiments of the statues that imprison Dormin. True to his word, Wander takes down each and every one of them. Soon after, he encounters a wise man named Lord Emon and his entourage of knights.

When the remnants of the liberated Dormin take control over Wander, he transforms into a massive monster. Emon performs a spell on the legendary sword, which Wander had used to slay the colossi, in an attempt to exorcise the malevolent spirit from him. Instead, Wander is reborn as a baby, but retains a pair of horns. This newborn is found by Mono, leaving uncertain how much influence Dormin still holds over him.

5. Tim

A Twisted Time-Traveler

2008’s game titled “Braid” was the inaugural independent project helmed by Jonathan Blow, who is celebrated for its unconventional narrative and innovative dissection of the platform genre. The game takes significant inspiration from timeless classics like “Super Mario Bros“, offering a unique twist on the platformer genre. The main character, “Tim“, possesses the ability to control time in diverse ways, with each level centered around a distinct time-related mechanic that Tim must master. The final world of “Braid ” is labeled as “1“, mirroring its narrative which recounts an earlier event where a princess was abducted by a “monster” and Tim yearned to reconnect with her.

In the closing scene, a powerful, muscular knight is depicted carrying the princess, having slipped away from Tim’s control and pleading for assistance. Having lost track of her, he sets ablaze a protective wall to eliminate her. As they collaborate to evade the blazing barrier by disarming traps and opening doors, the level concludes in reverse order, implying the actual sequence of events. This fresh perspective reveals that Tim was not a savior but a kidnapper; the princess had been strategizing to entrap and confine him in her bid for freedom. Ultimately, she was rescued by the knight, who clung to her and ascended away from Tim, exposing his true nature as a villain.

The texts present a sequence of stories, emphasizing two main ideas: avoiding fixation on impossible goals and considering the viewpoints of others, especially women. This mirrors how Tim perceives himself as a hero but behaves like a villain. He is arguably one of the most enigmatic antagonists in gaming, largely due to the popularity of Braid. In an alternate conclusion, if Tim interacts directly with the princess, she detonates and eliminates every life form within that level, except for Tim himself.

4. Sirius

Bomberman’s Benefactor

In the game titled Bomberman 64, a bandit gang called Altair, Regulus, Orion, and Artemis make off with an artifact known as the Omni Cube. They proceed to use this device for destructive purposes across the galaxy, including the devastation of Planet Bomber. Sirius discusses a personal vendetta against Altair, who had wiped out his family and destroyed his home planet. Guided by an unseen force, Bomberman manages to eliminate Artemis and Orion, as well as overpower Regulus. However, Sirius’ behavior throughout the journey suggests a darker motive. In a significant exchange, Sirius admits that Altair’s destruction was limited due to his lack of proficiency with the Omni Cube.

The course of action depends on whether the player gathers 100 gold cards before facing Altair. If the required number isn’t met, Regulus intervenes, saving the player, but disappointing Sirius who resumes his assault on Planet Bomber. However, if the player manages to collect enough cards and defeats Altair, Sirius unveils his true intentions and wields the Omni Cube’s power to eliminate Altair. He confesses his deceit to the player and departs to his realm, Rainbow Palace. Later, Bomberman encounters him. Regulus arrives later to disarm the Omni Cube, and ultimately, Sirius meets his end due to their joint efforts.

3. Edelgard Von Hresvelg

An Anti-Hero And Anti-Theist

In the game Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Edelgard serves as one of the three main supporting characters. She is the head of the Black Eagles house at the Officer’s Academy and the presumptive heir to the throne of the Adrestian Empire. Edelgard harbors a deep-seated animosity towards the Crest system, which grants special abilities to those born into certain bloodlines by the goddess Seiros. This resentment stems from an incident where she and her siblings were held captive by nobles and forced to have the Crest of Flames imprinted onto them against their will. Tragically, Edelgard was the only one who survived this ordeal, suffering physical consequences such as discolored hair and a shortened lifespan. Furthermore, she observed that families with Crests often reject their own gifted children if they lack the Crest, as exemplified by Miklan Gautier, who mistreated his brother, Sylvain, out of envy and eventually became the leader of a bandit group.

In this narrative, Edelgard, a student at the school governed by the Church of Seiros, secretly allied with Those Who Slither in the Dark – an entity responsible for her hardships and hostile towards Seiros. To carry out operations against Seiros unnoticed, she assumed the identity of the Flame Emperor. However, before the game’s time jump, Edelgard’s true identity was revealed to her peers, forcing her to escape from the Officer’s Academy. The extent to which Edelgard serves as an antagonist throughout the story depends on the player’s chosen path. Her brother, Dimitri Blaidydd, plays a crucial role in this tale, as he is less resistant to the Crest system and eventually feels profoundly betrayed by her attempts to challenge the church, leading him to intense anger.

Essentially, Edelgard often acts as a villain due to her pragmatic approach and the extreme tactics she employs, even when working alongside the player. This characterization arises not only from her role as an antagonist but also because she seeks to change an unjust system, which can be perceived as villainous despite her intentions.

2. Revan

Secretly Sith

Revan, the character, can be personalized by players in terms of gender and other aspects, offering flexibility. Nevertheless, there are definite facts about this character regardless of player-assigned identity. One is that they were once a Sith Lord named Darth Revan, who had been a Jedi before. In collaboration with their companion, Darth Malak, they managed to overcome the Jedi forces trying to apprehend Revan.

Initially, Malak deceives his companion, leading to Revan getting hurt severely. The Jedi then rescue him, erase their memory, and reinstate them into their ranks. Players control this character from the start of the game. As Revan recovers, they gradually regain their past memories, including their time as a Sith. At this point, Revan can choose to stay loyal to the Jedi or rejoin the Sith. However, in some versions of the story, Revan stays on the side of good even after remembering their Sith past.

1. Sissel

A Sunken Spirit

Due to close collaboration with the originator of the Ace Attorney series, the game Ghost Trick has garnered a fair amount of attention as a result of its successful counterpart. Unlike a standard visual novel, this title leans more towards puzzle-solving, allowing players to control an amnesiac spirit who can move through time and alter various objects in ways that ultimately change the outcome and save the intended victim’s life.

In the story, Sissel, the character in focus, is assigned a mission by a different spirit called Ray. The objective is to protect detective Lynne, who keeps getting threatened by overseas agents. As Sissel manages to safeguard both Lynne’s life and other potential victims, he gradually uncovers details about his own past identity. A significant revelation comes when it’s disclosed that Lynne might have been the one who ended his life in the past.

As the plot unfolds, it’s unveiled that he is a merciless individual, having orchestrated the death of Jowd’s wife and playing a significant role in triggering the game’s events. Later on, Sissel comes across his former self, now inhabited by a spirit named Yomiel who has the power to control people.

As I delve deeper into this captivating narrative, it turns out that the body of the main character, Sissel, was once owned by Yomiel – a notorious villain – but only for a period when he cared for my beloved feline friend. Yet, even Yomiel’s wicked past is rewritten in this revamped universe. Instead of launching into another villainous rampage, Yomiel finds himself behind bars for his formerly attempted and later nullified transgressions. A decade passes, and he emerges with an upbeat demeanor.

2025-02-01 06:35