History BigBad / Videogames

** [[spoiler: Senator Steven Armstrong]] in ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance''.

* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'', the spiritual sucessor to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyThe4HeroesOfLight'', has Braev Lee the templar and Grand Marshall of Eternia wanting to stop Agnès and her party to awaken the four Crystals with a reason. [[spoiler:It's actually a plan concocted by [[EvilAllAlong Airy]] to awake the Crystals and create links to alternate worlds for her master [[GreaterScopeVillain Ouroboros the God of Destruction]]]].

* In ''VideoGame/CorpseParty'', the murderer of the children is the one keeping everyone trapped in the haunted OldSchoolBuilding: Yoshikazu Yanagihori [[spoiler: [[DiscOneFinalBoss was framed for this]] by Red Sachiko, the [[EnemyWithout incarnation of Sachiko Shinozaki’s hatred after being killed horribly]]]]. Though they take a back seat in ''2U'', leaving [[spoiler: Yuuya Kizami]] to take the position. ''Blood Drive'' reveals that [[spoiler: “Red Sachiko” is basically an avatar for [[GeniusLoci Heavely Host itself,]] embodied by the Witch Queen who serves as the FinalBoss]].

** All that said, the true villain of the franchise is the nameless murderer who's responsible for all the evil surrounding Fazbear Entertainment in the first place (being the one who murdered the children whos's souls inhabit the animatronics).

* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' sets [[KingKoopaCopy King Asgore]] up as one of these. He's the King of the Monsters, and the one who put out the decree demanding the [=SOULs=] of any human who entered his realm (which is why a lot of other monsters, most notably the Royal Guard, are out to kill the PlayerCharacter). To get home, you'll have to go through him. [[OrcusOnHisThrone But he never does much personally to impede your progress,]] [[spoiler:[[TragicVillain because the only reason he put out the decree was out of grief over the death of his son, and he's long since regretted that decision.]] It's just that the promise of freedom is all that gives his subjects hope anymore, so he can't stop. The ''[[ManBehindTheMan real]]'' [[BigBadDuumvirate villains]] are [[TreacherousAdvisor Flowey]] [[FoulFlower The Flower]] and [[CreepyChild Chara]] [[EnfantTerrible Dreemur]], the EnemyWithin of Asriel and Frisk, respectively. But they don't command anyone; they’re mainly [[ManipulativeBastard passive manipulators]], except in the genocide route where they are [[VillainProtagonist the main characters.]]]]

** ''{{VisualNovel/Higurashi|WhenTheyCry}}'': The cause of the HatePlague is identified as the curse of the guardian deity Oyashiro-sama. Thier true identity is[[spoiler:-well, there’s ''two'' of them. Hanyuu Furude is the true one, but she’s innocent; while [[TheDogWasTheMastermind Nurse Miyo Takano]] is revealed to be using the name as an alias to cover up the fact that she’s the true mastermind behind Rika's murder as well as the one orchestrating the Great Hinamizawa Disaster. Her plan is to [[AGodAmI actually become a god]]]].
** ''{{VisualNovel/Umineko|WhenTheyCry}}'' has Beatrice the Golden Witch A.K.A. [[spoiler: Sayo Yasuda for the first half, then once she dies [[BigBadDuumvirate Bernkastel and Lambdadelta]] take over for the second half]].

* Averted in ''VideoGame/RadiataStories''. While there are multiple villainous characters driving the world off a cliff with their actions, a full reading of the story makes it clear that the situation isn't the fault of any one individual, and the only person who has a clear view of the plot is [[spoiler: ''not'' responsible for very much of it. He's reacting to a broken situation and trying to run damage control, but [[WellIntentionedExtremist his methods]] bring him into conflict with Jack]].

* ''VideoGame/SeraphicBlue'': At first, Ende, the Practitioner and leader of the Gaia Cancers, seems to have the most active role in the story by antagonizing the party at every turn. Eventually, it turns out he and his human followers were secretly in communication with Er, the goddess of evil. It's revealed that she's the one directing them to stay one step ahead of Vene's party, which allows them to manipulate Vene into becoming the complete Seraphic Blue and unwittingly allowing Er to scale to her power. In the end, Er becomes Refuse Seraphic Blue, a being who will destroy Gaia in order to fulfill the desires of all nihilists who despise life.

* All ''Franchise/SlyCooper'' games feature Big Bads though they where not always how they appeared.

** In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsZ'', [[spoiler:The Edel Bernal]] is a bit of a twist on this, but not that much of a subversion. We technically ''see'' him around occasionally, but he doesn't reveal his nature and part of the plot until, like Keisar Ephes, the final battle. He's just a PsychopathicManchild with ridiculous levels of power that organized the entire situation [[ForTheEvulz for his sick pleasure]] and let his unwitting Dragon do all the dirty work with a simple utterance of "I love you" once in a while.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{TimeSplitters TimeSplitters 2}}'' has Jacob Crow.

* The ''Viewtiful Joe'' series has one, mentioned at the end of the second game being responsible for everything... but the third game doesn't seem to be coming out any decade soon.

* ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'': The Mechon in general drive the plot, but most of early game is spent in pursuit of "Metal Face," a Mechon war leader for whom ItsPersonal. Later, it's revealed that he's TheDragon to Egil, the millennia-old creator of the Mechon, who is the game's real BigBad. [[spoiler:But the real antagonist turns out to be Zanza, one half of a duo of creator deities and a JerkassGod extraordinaire, who is also the [[UnholyHolySword Monado itself]] and has been inhabiting the main character all along.]]

** Porky Minch, who [[spoiler: serves as TheDragon for Giegue/Giygas early in the game, later has a role-reversal when it is revealed that Giygas has lost the ability to make his own thoughts, and Porky winds up pulling the strings at the end, taunting the heroes as they battle a powerful but dumb Giygas.]]

** Roa/SHIKI (whoever is dominant at the time) in ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}''.

** ''[[VideoGame/{{Persona}} Persona 1]]'' has Takahisa Kandori, a CorruptCorporateExecutive who wants to become a god. After his death, Pandora, Maki's ShadowArchetype, is revealed as the TrueFinalBoss. At the same time, the Snow Queen quest introduces the Night Queen, who seems to be an ArcVillain, but whose victory riggers the BadEnding.
** ''VideoGame/Persona2'' toys with the idea of a BigBadDuumvirate between Jun Kurosu and UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler (we're not kidding), before it's revealed that Nyarlathotep was posing as both Hitler and Jun's father and orchestrated the events of the first game.
** ''VideoGame/Persona3'' elevates Nyx, an EldritchAbomination, as the primary focus following TheReveal. All other antagonists, including Strega, Ryoji Mochizuki and Shuji Ikutsuki, are trying to bring about Nyx's arrival, willingly or otherwise. It's worth noting that Ikutsuki instigated the entire thing in order to cause Nyx's arrival, but he dies shortly after TheReveal, so he counts more as a DiscOneFinalBoss. Even still, ''The Answer'' reveals that Erebus, ''another'' GreaterScopeVillain EldritchAbomination, was the one pulling Nyx's strings.
** ''VideoGame/Persona4'' has Tohru Adachi, who influences people like Namatame to do the actual dirty work after the first two murders. In typical ''Persona'' fashion, the True Ending reveals that Izanami has been behind everything from the beginning of the game, including Ameno-Sagiri, the thing enveloping Inaba in a poisonous fog.
** ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'' has a BigBadDuumvirate between the Eerie Voice ([[spoiler:Sho Minazuki]]) and the Malevolent Entity, even though they're operating on TeethClenchedTeamwork. ''VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax'' reveals that the Malevolent Entity is A) The one truly pulling the strings, and B) Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, the personification of selfishness, who is a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute of Nyarlathotep (which implies that Nyarlathotep is still the GreaterScopeVillain).

* VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheCuriousVillage has [[spoiler: Don Paolo.]]

* ''VideoGame/CannonDancer'' features Jack Layzon as the primary antagonists who used and betrayed the main character, Kirin, for his own needs. [[GreaterScopeVillain The mysterious goddess Slaver]], however, uses Kirin's revenge as a way to enslave him to her will, and ends up becoming the FinalBoss for her troubles.
* ''VideoGame/CapellasPromise'' has the the previous king of Ilnacia, who built the Mother superweapon to convert his citizens into monstrous soldiers. However, he's eventually killed by his son, Zanara, who takes over as king and fuses with the Mother, becoming the new BigBad.

*** ''Winter Assault'' has aBigBadEmsemble between [[GreenAndMean Warboss Gorgutz]] and [[GutturalGrowler Lord Crull]].

** ''VideoGame/Disgaea4APromiseUnfotten'' has [[spoiler:Judge Nemo.]]

* Tiberius serves as the BigBad in the prequel ''VideoGame/HardCorpsUprising''.

** ''VideoGame/PokemonUltraSunAndUltraMoon'': In a main series first, the BigBad is not the leader of an evil team or even human for that matter - for these games, [[OlympusMons Necrozma]] takes the mantle as the main antagonist.

** ''{{VisualNovel/Higurashi|WhenTheyCry}}'': The cause of the HatePlague is identified as the curse of the guardian deity Oyashiro-sama A.K.A. [[spoiler: Hanyuu Furude; but she’s innocent and it’s actually Miyo Takano who is revealed to be the mastermind behind Rika's murder as well as the one orchestrating the Great Hinamizawa Disaster]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Rosenkreuzstilette}}'', [[spoiler:Iris is the true antagonist, as she arranged for the rebellion to be held against the Empire just ForTheEvulz of it. She had her father imprison Karl because HeKnowsTooMuch and arranged for Raimund to be brought BackFromTheDead. Her agenda is to become [[AGodAmI the god of the world]], and intends to use the power and intellect she got from being reincarnated from Rosenkreuz to do just that]].

* [[spoiler: Drazil]] in ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'' fit's the bill in the Normal Path. However Gig was this in the backstory, and [[spoiler: [[BigBadDuumvirate both he and The Devourlord]]]] in the Demon Path manage to oneup Drazil in every way. The kicker? [[spoiler: [[VillainProtagonist YOU are the Devourlord]]]].

** ''{{VisualNovel/Higurashi|WhenTheyCry}}'': The cause of the HatePlague is identified as the curse of the guardian deity Oyashiro-sama A.K.A [[spoiler: Hanyuu Furude; but she’s innocent and it’s actually Miyo Takano who is revealed to be the mastermind behind Rika's murder as well as the one orchestrating the Great Hinamizawa Disaster]].

** ''{{VisualNovel/Higurashi|WhenTheyCry}}'' has [[spoiler: Miyo Takano.]]
** ''{{VisualNovel/Umineko|WhenTheyCry}}'' has [[spoiler: Bernkastel]].

** VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheLastSpecter has [[spoiler: Jean Descole.]]
** VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheMiracleMask has the Masked Gentleman.

* ''VideoGame/Battlefield 3'': Solomon.

* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' has [[SatanicArchetype Yuuki Terumi]], better known as [[{{Troll}} Hazama]], the most proactive and involved of its antagonists, [[EvilGenius Relius]] [[ArchnemesisDad Clover]], his partner in crime ever since the start of the Dark War, 100 years before the start of the first game, and [[EverybodyHatesHades Hades]] [[MythicalMotifs Izanami,]] [[OmnicidalManiac the Goddess of Death.]]

** The original trilogy has the BigBadEnsemble of the Prophet of Truth, and the Gravemind. Truth due to being the leader of the Covenant and primary instigator of the Human-Covenant War and Gravemind for being the {{Hivemind}} of [[TheVirus the Flood]].
** The [[VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved first game]] has [[spoiler:343 Guilty Spark]].
** ''VideoGame/{{Halo 4}}'' introduces a new Big Bad in the form of [[spoiler:the Didact, the former military leader of the Forerunners.]]
*** Jul 'Mdama, leader of the Covenant remnant, seems to be this for the ''Spartan Ops'' co-op campaign.

* [[spoiler: Drazil]] in ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'' fit's the bill.
** [[BigBadDuumvirate Gig and The Devourlord]] in the demon path however manage to oneup Drazil in every way. The kicker? [[spoiler: [[VillainProtagonist YOU are the Devourlord]]]].

** [[spoiler: Averted in ''VideoGame/PacManParty'', as the ghosts who seem to be villains at the beginning of the game are just testing the titular character.]]

** ''VideoGame/RainbowSix3'': ''Raven Shield'' has [[a BigBadDuumvirate of spoiler:Nikola Gospić and Alvaro Gutierrez.]] The console version has [[spoiler:Juan Crespo]].

* ''VideoGame/{Shenmue}}'': [[YouKilledMyFather Lan Di]] for the overall series. His [[TheDragon underlings]], [[AxCrazy Chai]] and [[LargeAndInCharge Dou Niu]] each serve as TheHeavy and FinalBoss in the first and second games, respectively.

* Drazil in ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'' fit's the bill.
** The Devourlord in the demon path however manages to oneup Drazil in every way. The kicker? [[spoiler: [[VillainProtagonist YOU are the Devourlord]]]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' sets King Asgore up as one of these. He's the King of the Monsters, and the one who put out the decree demanding the [=SOULs=] of any human who entered his realm (which is why a lot of other monsters, most notably the Royal Guard, are out to kill the PlayerCharacter). To get home, you'll have to go through him. [[OrcusOnHisThrone But he never does much personally to impede your progress,]] [[spoiler:[[TragicVillain because the only reason he put out the decree was out of grief over the death of his son, and he's long since regretted that decision.]] It's just that the promise of freedom is all that gives his subjects hope anymore, so he can't stop. The ''[[ManBehindTheMan real]]'' [[BigBadDuumvirate villains]] are [[TheSociopath Flowey]] and [[GreaterScopeVillain Chara]], but they don't command anyone.]]

* ''VideoGame/AliceMadnessReturns'': [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Dr.]] [[PsychoPsychologist Angus Bumby]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' has the Talon Organization, a terrorist syndicate who's sole purpose is to exterminate remaining Overwatch members after the group disbanded. While the organization's true leader is unknown, its current members include Reaper, Widowmaker, Sombra, and Doomfist III. Their actions are what lead to Winston calling the Overwatch group back together in order to combat this threat.

* ''Videogame/WolfensteinIITheNewColosus'': Frau Irene Engele.

* ''Videogame/WoflensteinIITheNewColossus'': Frau Irene Engele.

* ''Videogame/WoflensteinTheNewColossus'': Frau Irene Engele.