History MagnificentBastard / Videogames

* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation'': [[MonsterClown Circus Baby]], the mascot of ''Circus Baby's Pizza World'', is one of the few animatronics with the ability to think. Upon becoming possessed by the spirit of [[BigBad William Afton's]] daughter and getting locked away and abandoned, Circus Baby forms an escape plan convincing the other Funtime animatronics to meld their exoskeletons together to create [[MechanicalAbomination Ennard]]. To this end, she poses as the helpful guide for the player, gradually manipulating them into following her instructions culminating in the player getting lured into the Scooping Room to be disemboweled. Despite the horrific nature of her plan, Circus Baby takes no sadistic pleasure in it, earnestly apologizing to the player for misleading them and assuring them that they wouldn't be in pain for long.

[[quoteright:300:[[VideoGame/DiceyDungeons https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ladyluck_mb.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:"Time for another round of Dicey Dungeons, where the fun never stops. Just like our contestants, who are trapped here for ever!"]]

%% The page was decided to stay imageless by Image Pickin' in this thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=db9l4bp6kpbdmshuleppy395
%% Please do not add an image without starting a new Image Pickin' thread.

** ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'': [[WorthyOpponent Meta Knight's]] one true running as BigBad in "Revenge of Meta Knight" showcases him to be a ruthless {{Determinator}} on par with Kirby himself. Aboard his faceship the Halberd, Meta Knight attempts to conquer all of Pop Star to liberate it from its "lazy" lifestyle while repeatedly preventing Kirby from opposing his takeoff, forcing him to waste his time fighting Heavy Lobster before blowing both away with the Halberd's jets. Even when Kirby's tenacity ends up with the Halberd crashing toward the sea, Meta Knight refuses to give up, persistently hounding Kirby until the literal last minute. Even at his worst, Meta Knight is a NobleDemon, offering Kirby a sword to fight him with in an even duel as he always does, and quietly regretting he's unable to save his crew from certain death due to their UndyingLoyalty toward him.

** ''[[VideoGame/Uncharted4AThiefsEnd A Thief's End]]'' & ''[[VideoGame/UnchartedTheLostLegacy the Lost Legacy]]'': [[NobleDemon Nadine Ross]] is a badass, snarky {{Private Military Contractor|s}} who hires her company Shoreline out to Rafe Adler in the hunt for Henry Avery's treasure. Capable of beating Nathan and Sam Drake in hand-to-hand combat while engaging in banter and functioning as a competent NoNonsenseNemesis to Rafe's egocentric instability, regularly keeping him in check as she assumes the lead. When Rafe's treatment of her grows abusive and he costs her a fortune in treasure for his own ego, Nadine stabs him in the back at the first opportune moment, simply cutting her losses and escaping with her life while leaving him to die. [[HeelFaceTurn Returning later as a treasure hunter in her own right]], Nadine teams up with Chloe Frazer to hunt the Tusk of Ganesh and thwart Asav's warmongering, saving the day and establishing herself as a morally flexible heroine and villainess alike, depending on what pays best and what standards her foes cross.

* ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIV'':
** [[KingInTheMountain Fou-Lu]], the first emperor of the Fou Empire, is Ryu's [[EvilCounterpart other half]] whose encounter with the worst of humanity led him to a desire to destroy them all believing them iredeemable. Creating the Fou Empire one thousand years before the events of the game, Fou-Lu went to sleep to regain his strength, waking up after the arrival of his missing half Ryu. Hunted down by his own kingdom out of a bid to stay in power, Fou-Lu was constantly pushed to near breaking points, until they sacrificed [[ImpliedLoveInterest Mami]] to use the forbidden Hex against him. Believing [[HumansAreBastards humans are all monsters]], Fou-Lu awakens to his true power, dismantling the Empire in revenge before unleashing his forces on the masses to call out his missing half in a bid to be whole again to regain his full strength. In the end after being defeated by Ryu in a final battle, Fou-Lu is able to have an epiphany and uses the last of his strength to restore the world before merging with Ryu.
** [[TheBeastmaster General Yohm]] is a Fou Empire loyalist who would even be willing to [[WellIntentionedExtremist fight a god for the sake of his nation]]. Using his years of experience in war, Yohm made multiple strategies to defeat the newly awakened godlike Fou-Lu, taking advantage of his weakness to fire and driving him to near death multiple times. In his battle, Yohm used any opportunity possible to shift favor in his odds, taking Fou-Lu's companion Mami to Yuna as a sacrifice in an attempt to kill with the Hex. When Fou-Lu retaliates by attacking the capital, Yohm, using the last of his abilities, gives a valiant last stand against Fou-Lu, expressing no regret after his defeat before [[SpitefulSuicide combusting himself in defiance]].

* ''VideoGame/RuneScape'':
** [[GodhoodSeeker Zaros]] is the divine [[DarkIsEvil aspect of darkness]] born at the beginning of the current universe by the dreams of the stillborn Elder God Mah. Craving knowledge and insight, Zaros spent an eon building up the power needed to leave behind his mother Mah and sister Seren, and began following the paths of the other Elders to learn from them. During the journey, Zaros outwitted the master of the demons [[HoistByHisOwnPetard in a contract]] to earn their loyalty, taught the vampyres culture and society to have them worship him, and came upon the perfect world of Gielinor where he founded a millennia long and mighty empire to work toward his birthright of Elder Godhood. Encountering the [[HumanoidAbomination Mahjarrat]] during his conquests, Zaros earned their loyalty by preserving their race with an improved Ritual of Rejuvenation, only to be betrayed and defeated when their leader Zamorak used the Staff of Armadyl to steal Zaros's divinity. Recovering over the centuries, Zaros worked with his champion Azzanadra to return after the death of Guthix and got the better of the younger gods during Sliske's game for the Stone of Jas. Later [[PretenderDiss rejected]] by the Elder Jas herself, Zaros's ancient plots come to fruition and he opens a great rift to the Shadow Realm to finally [[AmbitionIsEvil earn his birthright]], ultimately not caring that Gielinor would die in the process.
** [[NobleTopEnforcer Azzanadra]] is the [[TheDragon right hand]] and most loyal follower of Zaros who served as the head of his god's church during the height of the Zarosian empire. When Zaros was banished by Zamorak, Azzanadra kept the empire afloat for centuries into the God Wars until he too was sealed away in Jaldraocht Pyramid, only to be freed millennia later by the World Guardian. Becoming their [[OddFriendship closest friend and ally]] among the Mahjarrat, Azzanadra uses them to restore the ancient temple at Senntisten, gather powerful relics to establish contact with Zaros, and set up empowering beacons that let him overpower and injure his rival Lucien during the Ritual of Rejuvenation. After Zaros returns, Azzanadra uses his friendship with the World Guardian to manipulate them into aiding his lord's planned ascendency to Elder Godhood and later [[EtTuBrute betrays them]] when Zaros's goals threaten the world. When Zaros abandons Gielinor to destruction, Azzanadra tries to [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifice himself]] to save the world, but turns into a [[RedemptionEarnsLife new god by accident]] and personally leads the effort to prevent the Elder Gods awakening and consuming all life.
** [[ChessmasterSidekick Wahisietel]] is a Mahjarrat follower of Zaros who was named a general in the ancient empire for his skills in subterfuge and warfare, and played the forces of enemy gods against one another to give the capitol time to evacuate during the God Wars. Hiding in the desert for the following centuries as renown scholar [[SignificantAnagram Ali the Wise]], he makes a friend and ally out of the World Guardian and has them gather information on his peers to use against them in the next Ritual of Rejuvenation. He particularly gets the better of his rival Zemouregal by masterminding the heist of the heart of his undead slave Arrav and freeing him to turn against his master during the Ritual. An unrivaled diplomat, he convinces three forces of rival gods to work [[EnemyMine as his armies]] during the Ritual and ultimately proves vital in aiding Azzanadra in returning their god to power and prominence.
** [[ActualPacifist Seren]] is the divine [[LightIsGood aspect of light]] born to Mah alongside her brother Zaros, yet chose to stay and care for her nearly mindless creator. When the Mahjarrat were born from Mah's dreams, Seren took on her [[GodGuise mother's guise]] to teach the Mahjarrat a ritual to sacrifice their own to feed Mah the energy, and later taught them a ritual to birth more of their kind to keep up the cycle. Feeling there was nothing more she could do, Seren also left and wandered the universe until she found the elves and quickly became their beloved patron goddess. She would break off [[GemTissue crystal shards of herself]] and teach the elves songs to shape them and bound them to her to give them longer mortal lives, creating a death obsessed part in the process. Later using this forced bond to manipulate the elves to Gielinor, Seren helped Guthix create a peaceful world and hid her followers during the apocalyptic God Wars. When Guthix demanded all gods leave, Seren broke herself [[PiecesOfGod into pieces]] to always be with her people, and was later restored by them after Guthix died. Learning of her brother's plan, Seren makes it the [[SiblingRivalry goal of her existence]] to stop his ascendency after he masterminds Mah's death, and later devotes herself to appeasing the Elder Gods and showing them the true value of mortal life.
** [[EldritchAbomination Xau-Tak]] is an ancient and mysterious entity older than the current universe who scarred Mah's egg and caused her to be stillborn. Xau-Tak uses its iconic black stone to [[TheCorruption corrupt mortal life]] and bend them to its will with maddening whispers to turn worlds into "corpse oceans" from which it can plan further conquest with its undead thralls. Setting its sight on Gielinor, Xau-Tak whispers to the dragonkin Kranon that it can cure the curse Jas put upon its kind, only to entrap him and mold him into its prime servant and Ambassador. Seeing that the World Guardian will be his greatest obstacle to return, Xau-Tak sends them foreboding messages [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou across time and space]] to break their mind and will to fight against it. In the modern age, Xau-Tak has the undead pirate Rabid Jack spike rum with black stone to spread its control and has the Ambassador gather a cadre of dangerous allies to summon it into the world, both times stopped at the last minute and always with a warning of its inevitable return.

* ''{{MagnificentBastard/Nasuverse}}''
* ''{{MagnificentBastard/Pokemon}}''

* ''Franchise/{{Hitman}}'':
** [[Characters/HitmanGamesAgent47 Agent 47]] himself is the iron-willed, stoic [[ProtagonistTitle hitman of the series]]. Easily the [[ProfessionalKiller greatest assassin in the world]], 47 weaves through assignment after assignment, eliminating his targets and escaping with the world never becoming aware of his existence. Often coming up with schemes to eliminate a target to make it look like an a complete accident, 47 often finds himself entangled in broader conspiracies or threats that he inevitably brings down and destroys completely on his own with the same stylistic flourishes that he brings to his assignments. Agent 47 repeatedly shows why he is worthy of the title of the best hitman in the world, often bringing nothing less than justice on some of the most corrupt people in the world for the right price.
** [[MissionControl Diana Burnwood]] is Agent 47's equally cunning ICA [[TheHandler handler]]. Overseeing 47 during his missions, she provides him with valuable intel and even guides him through assassination opportunities. When a rival assassination agency dismantles the ICA, Diana pretends to betray and kill 47 and revives him during his funeral service while she reforms the ICA. After noticing a trend in a series of unrelated contracts, Diana uncovers a war between a mysterious organisation known as [[TheIlluminati Providence]] and an equally mysterious Shadow Client. Initially allying with Providence for information on 47's past, she and 47 defect to the Shadow Client after learning his true identity as 47's clone "brother". They kidnap Providence's second-in-command, Arthur "the Constant" Edwards, and force him to give up the Partners. After the Partners and Grey are killed, Diana seemingly joins Edwards after he reveals that 47 killed her parents. After having 47 eliminate Don Archibald Yates and Tamara Vidal, she incapacitates him with a neurotoxin and hands him over to Edwards, but only so 47 can break free and eliminate Edwards. Diana then assumes control of Providence and forces their members to resign en masse before reuniting with 47 a year later.
** [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters Lucas Grey]], also known as Subject 6 and the Shadow Client, is a clone brother of 47 warring against Providence. After gaining the IAGO dossier, he manipulates various factions into placing contracts on his targets, tying up a loose end by eliminating IAGO's leadership, preventing Providence from creating a bioweapon, foiling their attempted coup in Morocco and having a Providence member's murderous son assassinated to lure him into the open. After revealing his identity to 47 and restoring his memories with an antidote, the brothers kidnap the Constant and learn the identities of Providence's leaders, the Partners. Despite the Partners attempting to fake their deaths, Grey tracks them down and has 47 eliminate them, even possibly virtually confronting two of the Partners before 47 kills them. When ambushed by CICADA mercenaries and spotting 47 undercover amongst them, Grey [[HeroicSuicide commits suicide to preserve 47's cover]].
** [[TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse Arthur Edwards]], also known as the Constant, is the devious second-in-command of the Partners, the enigmatic leaders of Providence. When the Shadow Client's attacks on Providence leads to the ICA discovering Providence's existence, Edwards forms an alliance with the ICA by offering Diana Burnwood information on 47's past. When 47 and Diana defect and kidnap him, the Constant readily gives up the names of the Partners before escaping, later wiring their bank shares to himself and leaving the Partners powerless. After 47 assassinates the Partners, Edwards [[TheStarscream assumes control of Providence]] and reveals to Diana that her parents were assassinated by 47, seemingly driving her to betray him. Even after being hunted down, Edwards [[GracefulLoser accepts his defeat]] and [[FaceDeathWithDignity death]] when 47 confronts him.
** [[{{Hackette}} Olivia Hall]] is a young, brilliant hacker serving as Lucas Grey's [[TheDragon right-hand woman]] and chief hacker in his war against Providence. After 47 defects to Grey and assassinates Providence's former Constant, Janus, she tracks the coffin to the Isle of Sgàil and they kidnap Providence's second-in-command, Arthur Edwards, forcing him to give up the names of the Partners. When the Partners [[FakingTheDead fake their deaths]], she hacks into HAVEN's servers to recover their forged identities. After an ambush leaves Grey dead, Diana missing and the ICA after her and 47, Hall [[MissionControl guides 47]] as he infiltrates an ICA data facility in Chongqing so he could hack its data core and leak out the ICA's operatives and clients to the public, shutting them down for good. Afterwards, Hall tracks down Diana for him before bidding him farewell.
** VideoGame/Hitman2:
*** [[FemmeFatale Ljudmila Vetrova]] is Haven's client handler and one of its three co-owners, alongside Tyson Williams and Steven Braldey. Deciding to embezzle Haven for all it's worth, she instructs an employee at Haven's underwater server to steal a USB drive before throwing her under the bus and hiring "[[GentlemanThief Tobias Rieper]]" to retrieve the drive from her. Upon gaining access to Jason Portman's computer, Vetrova and Bradley gain access to every database in the world, which they plan to wipe to cover their escape. Secretly planning to betray Bradley and meet her lover Pietro in Paris, Vetrova's plan only fails due to Bradley's inability to hack into the computer.
*** [[RedBaron The Maelstrom]], real name Wazir Kale, is a legendary South China Sea pirate. Once a Mumbai street orphan, he slaughtered his old gang to join the Mumbai Mafia. After a few years rising up the ranks, he turned on them as well, completely dismantling the local mob outfit. Escaping from Mumbai, he then reinvented himself as the Maelstrom, [[RuthlessModernPirates raiding commercial ships]] to sell their fuel on the BlackMarket. Kale and his crew were the scourge of the shipping industry for years until a failed raid on a Hamsun Oil Freighter, which prompted Kale to join forces with Lucas Grey to destroy the rich Westerners who had torn apart his crew. Returning to Mumbai, he disguises himself as an ordinary citizen and [[TheGhost seamlessly blends]] into the slums. When he finds out that an assassin known as the Kashimirian had been contracted by his associates Dawood Rangan and Vanya Shah, he lets him kill the both of them, finding them unpredictable, before recruiting him.

** VideoGame/Hitman2: [[FemmeFatale Ljudmila Vetrova]] is Haven's client handler and one of its three co-owners, alongside Tyson Williams and Steven Braldey. Deciding to embezzle Haven for all it's worth, she instructs an employee at Haven's underwater server to steal a USB drive before throwing her under the bus and hiring "[[GentlemanThief Tobias Rieper]]" to retrieve the drive from her. Upon gaining access to Jason Portman's computer, Vetrova and Bradley gain access to every database in the world, which they plan to wipe to cover their escape. Secretly planning to betray Bradley and meet her lover Pietro in Paris, Vetrova's plan only fails due to Bradley's inability to hack into the computer.

* ''VideoGame/LANoire'': "The Set Up": [[EvilBrit Albert Hammond]] is a [[GeniusBruiser cunning boxer]] who would turn against his manager, Carlo Arquero, when he tries to bribe Hammond to loose the next match. Exploiting the many people betting against him while placing several bets on himself, Hammond calculated that he would make over $11,000 if he won the fight, before following through with his plan. Going into hiding after winning the fight, Hammond has his girlfriend, Candy Edwards, collect his winnings at various bookmakers before covertly taking the winnings from Candy. He later confronts Arquero and learns that he killed Candy. Cole Phelps and Roy Earle end up saving Hammond, with the former deciding to let Hammond leave with his winning, sympathizing his struggles and impressed that he was able to swindle all of Los Angeles.

* ''{{VideoGame/Runescape}}'':

** [[EvilMentor Ray Dark]] is the coach of the succesful Royal Academy. Having a grudge against the Raimon Institute, Dark even tries to murder their team. After the Royal Academy rejects him, Dark coaches Zeus Junior High and uses [[SuperSerum ambrosia]] to enhance their skills, while remaining a formidable foe even without their drink. Later, Dark allies with the Ailea Academy to create the Royal Academy Redux, convincing the friends of Jude Sharp to join his team and use {{Forbidden Dangerous Technique}}s before confessing to Jude that he considers him to be his greatest work. Taking a new identity during the Football Frontier International, Dark tries to convince Jude to join him and becomes the coach of the Italian team Orpheus, paying for the operation of their ace's little sister. Eventually regretting his wrongdoing, Ray Dark cooperates with the police and is murdered by Garshield, [[FaceDeathWithDignity smiling at his own death]] in the anime. Resurrected and ordered to train the Earth Eleven for the Grand Celesta Galaxy tournament, [[SinkOrSwimMentor "Astero Black"]] selects untrained talents that are constantly tested and even manipulated to create a team that eventually saves Earth and the entire galaxy.

*** "The Heist" [[DownloadableContent DLC]] chapter: [[GentlemanThief Walter Hardy]], the former Black Cat, whom is just as devious as his daughter. Faking his death years ago to protect himself and his daughter from the Maggia, Hardy manages to get a hold of Spider-Man’s phone number and disguises himself as a cop right on top of a police station. Calling himself Detective Mackey, Hardy tricks Spider-Man into uncovering loot he hid years ago. When Spider-Man finishes up, Hardy leaves with his loot, knowing Spider-Man won't tell his daughter the truth because Spider-Man is a "decent guy." He also asks Spider-Man to look after Felicia. While only featured in a simple side-mission, Hardy more than lives up to his anecdotes as a brilliant criminal.

* ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles'' series:
** Original game:
*** [[TheEvilPrince Prince Maximilian Gaius Von Reginrave]] is the young and brilliant leader of TheEmpire who masterminds the invasion of Gallia. Having lost his beloved mother in an assassination attempt by another royal at a young age, Maximilian resolved to [[WillNotBeAVictim never be helpless again]], ruthlessly scheming his way to the throne by eliminating his rivals. Seeking to harness the power of the Valkyrur through his right-hand woman Selvaria, Maximilian masterminds brilliant strategies and gambits against Gallia that nearly sees the nation fall multiple times. To wipe out the Gallian army, Maximilian manipulates Selvaria into sacrificing herself in a suicide attack that takes out the Gallian royal command, with the only thing stopping him being the heroine Alicia awakening her own Valkyrur powers. One of [[YoungConqueror the most brilliant conquerors]] in the Empire's history, Maximilian is driven by the desire to control all he sees and make certain his late mother is honored forever.
*** [[FourStarBadass General Radi Jaeger]] is a member of Prince Maximillian's [[PowerTrio Drei Stern]] and a fearsome opponent for Squad 7. Arming his Lupus tank with a mortar and special plating to cover its weak spot, he proves to be one of the game's most difficult boss fights. Jaeger fights for TheEmpire in exchange for his home Kingdom of Fhirald being liberated. Polite and amicable, Jaeger [[EvenEvilHasStandards voices his disapproval]] towards Maximillian telling Selvaria to use the suicidal Final Flame after she fails him. After being defeated by Squad 7, Jaeger realizes that he's no better than the people who took his home from him and leaves the war effort, seeking a less malicious way of freeing Fhirald.
** ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChroniclesIII'':
*** [[{{Determinator}} Kurt Irving]], Commander of the Nameless, is known as [[TheAce the genius who can make the impossible happen]]. Sent to the Nameless after stumbling upon his superior's traitorous deeds, Kurt's ability to lead manages to turn the once shambled group into an undefeatable force, uniting the group as one while [[WeDoTheImpossible accomplishing missions thought to be impossible]] without a single casualty through ruthless and proficient planning, even if it means going against protocol as loyalty to Gallia. When Gallia decided to turn on them and had them hunted down, Kurt's [[IndyPloy ability to adapt]] kept his unit alive despite the never-ending attack from them and Calamity Raven, all the while assisting Gallia's war efforts in the shadows to defeat the Empire. Figuring out the conspiracy to conquer both nations by Eisler and Borgia, Kurt manages to lead his team to dismantle it once and for all, proving Eisler's treachery and destroying Dahau and Calamity Raven, even it means sacrificing his and his team's citizenship for a chance to stop their secret weapon that could destroy Gallia. While his name was written off in history, to those who knew him Kurt was seen as one of the most brilliant and ruthless tacticians Europa has ever had.
*** [[DeterminedDefeatist Captain Dahau]], leader of Calamity Raven, is a Darscen revolutionist with a dream to achieve independence for his people [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans no matter the cost]]. Working with Borgia after being offered land once Borgia become the Empire's new leader, Dahau leads his Darscen army in missions meant to help Borgia's coup'd eta, accomplishing them all through his tenacity and charisma which even impress Prince Maximillian who Dahau planned to win over instead of Borgia for his new country. Clashing with the Nameless in his mission for independence, Dahau was [[WorthyOpponent able to stand in equal footing]], driving in the conquer everytime they encountered and even when he losses Dahau is still able to get a step closer to his goals. Losing Maximillian and realizing Borgia would turn on him, Dahau decided to take matters in his own hands, tricking Borgia to give him the Valkyria's Hammer before killing him and then attempt to use the weapon to destroy Gallia's capital as a show of force to the Empire to give him his country, leading his group in a final stand against the Nameless, [[{{Determinator}} fighting with everything he has got]] for his people's dream.
*** [[CoolOldLady Gloria Durrell]] the oldest of the squad is woman well-experienced and influenced in the seedy belly of the underworld. A brothel madame and criminal mastermind, Gloria has no qualms in her methods to enact her own sense of justice to protect Gallia and its people, believing in the saying "a road is a road" and that [[NobleDemon any methods should be use if meant for the best outcome]]. After getting caught for weapon smuggling, Gloria arranged herself to the Nameless to continue fighting for her personal justice, using her wisdom to guide the younger members to better themselves and keeping the more dubious members in-line. When the Nameless was ordered to liberate a Imperial controlled mine, Gloria's experience and knowledge of the underworld led to a successful mission, freeing it from Imperial control and even saving everyone by sharing her secrets to escape a trap. [[IChooseToStay Continuing to stay in the Nameless]], Gloria's role as the oldest made her important to everyone contributing in the squad's strategy and guiding the group on their own personal dilemma, helping them beyond the war, where she returns to her shady business as her means to keep the nation in check.
*** The alluring [[FemmeFatale Frederica Lipps]] is a spy known for her HoneyTrap tactics and endless network of intel. After being compromised by another country, Frederica [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections used her connections]] in the Gallia's government to send herself to the Nameless to hide from her pursuers. Charming the men of her team to protect and treat her well, Frederica used this opportunity to gain more intel, all the while charming their superior Ramsey Crowe to be under her thumb. When the Nameless were sent blind against the Empire's [[TheDreaded infamous 14th Division]], Frederica's history of spying became key in this operation succeeding, sharing intel on the Division's commander who was a former target of hers with Crowe in exchange for a large fee for her intel, all the while keeping her contribution anonymous and successfully hiding herself as she smoothly guides the group to victory, while [[ObfuscatingStupidity keeping her helpless facade]] as she stays in the Nameless after being fond of them, even keeping intel on them long after they disband when continuing her illustrious career as a master spy.
** ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles4'': [[ColonelBadass Klaus Walz]], leader of Ausbruch, was born the [[HeroicBastard bastard son]] of an Imperial noble, but after suffering enough abuse forewent his inheritance and grew stronger by climbing the ranks with his own hands. Now [[AFatherToHisMen the respected commander]] of the Tank Unit Ausbruch and driver of the Vulcan, Klaus was given the responsibility to eliminate the Atlantic Federation forces and numerous times nearly wiped them out through his own cunning and charismatic leadership. Despite his losses, Klaus took his defeats with humility, which earned him a spot on X-O, a Special Imperial Force, for his talent and becoming one of the group's most effective members, even working perfectly with the unstable Crymaria, becoming one of the greatest obstacles Squad E faces. After seemingly killed, even Squad E showed great admiration for his tenacity and after the ceasefire was announced, he and Claud showed great respect for each other that he even helped them put an end to Belgar's plans.

* ''Franchise/TheWitcher'' games:
** [[VideoGame/TheWitcher First game]]: Jacques de Aldersberg, Grand Master of the Order of the Flaming Rose, is the [[BigBad mastermind]] behind all major events in the first game. Having made power plays with both people in high places as well as in the criminal underworld, he sets a plan in motion to destabilize the kingdom of Temeria, leading his knights on a crusade against non-humans and thus provoking the militant Scoia'tael, which ultimately ends in a bloody civil war. This puts King Foltest into a delicate situation, where he either has to give Jacques full authority to end the revolt or do nothing, making him look like a weak ruler. His knights are secretly funded by the drug money his ally, the criminal organization Salamandra, makes for him, which allows Jacques to present the order as [[VillainWithGoodPublicity humble heroes of the people]] who fulfill their needs for free. His ultimate plan is turning mankind into highly advanced mutants with the help of the stolen Witcher Secrets, and leading them southwards to survive the incoming White Frost. Throughout his conversations with Geralt, who later turns out was his former adoptive father, he tries to convince him of the righteousness of his cause, having sacrificed everything to save humanity (wether it wants it or not) in an almost flawlessly executed scheme.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheWitcher2AssassinsOfKings Assassin of Kings]]'': Letho of Gulet is a talented Witcher who joins with Nilfgaard to create a homeland for his fellow Witchers. Letho becomes the Kingslayer, a [[ProfessionalKiller feared assassin]] who uses his wiles to position himself close to the rulers of the northern kingdoms and assassinates them, provoking chaotic reactions in order to weaken the north so Nilfgaard will be able to invade. Against Geralt, Letho shows himself to be a crafty, skilled fighter who even considers the White Wolf a friend [[VillainRespect worthy of the greatest respect]]. [[FaceOfAThug A brutish looking man]], Letho also uses the appearance of DumbMuscle to his advantage so none know how truly intelligent and dangerous he is until it's too late.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt Wild Hunt]]'':
*** Gaunter O'Dimm, aka "Master Mirror" or "Evil Incarnate" is the cunning devil of the setting. Traveling and [[BreakTheHaughty punishing the arrogant]] in inventive ways, Gaunter [[DealWithTheDevil makes deals with people]] and [[YourSoulIsMine takes their souls]] when he has fulfilled his end. A master of ExactWords, Gaunter eventually conscripts Geralt to help fulfill a bargain with the immortal swordsman Olgierd von Everec, completely tricking Olgierd before moving to claim his soul, only stopped if Geralt participates in a final contest with him. Despite being a timeless evil being, Gaunter is unmistakably charming and pleasant, willing to [[FairPlayVillain play to the letter of his deals]] and treats enemy and ally alike with unmistakable pleasantness, quick to answer any slight with retribution.
*** "Blood and Wine" [[DownloaadableContent DLC]]: Syanna is the long-lost sister of the Duchess of Toussaint Anna Henrietta. Seeking revenge on the knights who abused her as a child while they were escorting her to her exile, Syanna fakes her kidnapping to blackmail her vampire ex-lover, Dettlaff, into murdering the knights. Syanna instructs Dettlaff to murder the knights in specific ways to make it look like their deaths were divine retribution for their lack of chivalry. No one in Toussaint suspected that the deaths had a more mundane purpose before Geralt was hired to hunt Dettlaff and found the blackmail letters. When Geralt exposes Syanna's scheme to Dettlaff, she doesn't hesitate to risk (and potentially sacrifice) her life to protect Toussaint from the vampire's retribution. Throughout it all, Syanna retains her calm demeanor, even when discussing the horrific events of her past.

-->-- '''Ganondorf''', ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime''

* ''Videogame/InazumaEleven 2: Chrono Stone'': [[SuperSupremacist Simeon Ayp]] is the leader of Nu-Gen, an organization comprising Second Stage Children--powerful mutants with a low life expectancy--who rebel against societal mistreatment and their own mortality. Already having won when the story starts, Simeon counters El Dorado's attempts to erase football using TimeTravel by sending his lieutenant Fei Rune, [[MemoryGambit whose memories are altered]] to take advantage of the kind-hearted nature of the Raimon team. When the Raimon discovers the truth, Simeon breaks his ceasefire with El Dorado to destroy their headquarters and announce the Ragnarok Tournament to decide the fate of the world, planning to annihilate regular humans if he wins. During Ragnarok, Simeon awakens Fei's memories and tests his loyalty by making him score a goal against the Raimon yet also accepts Fei leaving Nu-Gen after that. In the match against the Chrono Stone team, Simeon uses diverse techniques to win the advantage, and despite his despair at realizing his own limitations, he remains DefiantToTheEnd alongside his friends, accepting his defeat as he promised and renouncing his powers.

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': Ganondorf Dragmire--"Ganon" in his bestial form--is the king of the Gerudo, the reincarnation of Demise's hatred, and the eternal nemesis of Link, Zelda, and all who carry their names. Initially coveting the Triforce to bring prosperity to his people, Ganondorf would be overcome by his own lust for power, and abuses his intellect and strength to gain it by any means. In [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime his first chronological appearance]], he manipulates and exploits his situation to gain the Triforce of Power, and takes the steps to ensure no one can end his rule. He also uses Link to bait Zelda into a trap, and challenges Link himself so that he can gather all three of the Triforce in one place. In all three timelines he is undone, but he always bounces back in some way, whether by [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess manipulating an aspiring usurper]], [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker cutting off the Master Sword's power]], or [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast disguising himself to befriend and betray Hyrule's king]]. Stylish, smart, strong, and sometimes tragic, Ganondorf has forever solidified himself as one of gaming's most celebrated villains.

** [[VideoGame/AliensVsPredator2010 2010 game]]: Predator Elite "[[PraetorianGuard Dark]]" is a brilliant hunter who infiltrates the world of the Yautja sacred hunting grounds, punishing the [[KickTheSonOfABitch humans who have desecrated them]] and finding the corpses of Predator youngbloods, setting their wrist gauntlets to self destruct to prevent the humans from [[CleanupCrew taking Yautja technology]]. Taking advantage of the chaos to kill multitudes of Xenomorphs and humans on the hunt, Dark even kills a Predalien singlehandedly, [[BattleTrophy taking the mask]] from his own great ancestor's tomb to reveal the ultimate prize for the next hunt: the Xenomorph home world.

** ''VideoGame/Nioh2'': [[{{Oni}} Otakemaru]], often operating under his guise of "Kasshin Koji", was once a kind {{Youkai}} twisted into hatred by the [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal persecution of humanity]]. After being defeated and sealed by his sister Suzuka, Otakemaru persists in a fragment of himself, manipulating numerous key figures [[BeenThereShapedHistory throughout Japanese history]], including Ashiya Doman, gathering energy to free himself and plans to unleash the Youkai and bring humanity to ruin. Masterminding the unsealing of the other Youkai as well as multiple wars, Otakemaru [[DemonicPossession corrupts]] the kindly Tokichiro into the bloodthirsty Hideyoshi, with even death being insufficient to truly extinguish his spirit until a final battle with his sister child Hide, passing to admit his wrongdoings in the afterlife.

* ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'': [[AIIsACrapshoot GLaDOS]] is computer created by [[MadScientist Cave Johnson]] to run Aperture Science after his death. Once activated, [=GLaDOS=] proceeded to kill most of the scientists with neurotoxin and took over the Enrichment Center to conduct tests at her own leisure. [[VideoGame/Portal1 In the present]], [=GLaDOS=] put Chell through a series of potential lethal tests before trying to murder her. Defeated and shutdown by Chell in retaliation, [=GLaDOS=] is [[VideoGame/Portal2 accidentally awoken years later]] by Wheatley. Throwing Chell back into more tests, she is eventually overthrown by Wheatley thanks to Chell's actions. With Wheatley threatening to destroy the facility with his own stupidity, [=GLaDOS=] convinces Chell to help her take Aperture back from Wheatley, and in turn lets Chell go when that is done. Switching focus toward Cooperative Testing, [=GLaDOS=] uses the robots Atlas and P-body to secure control over the lower parts of the facility and eventually give her access to more human test subjects. When a mysterious hacker (actually a mother bird on a keyboard) forces her hand, resulting in the deaths of her human test subjects, [=GLaDOS=] sends the robots after it before adopting the baby birds to raise as killers.

* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'': [[Characters/UndertaleMettaton Mettaton]], the outrageously fabulous and delightfully egotistical celebrity robot, is initially roped into a scheme to help his friend Dr. Alphys befriend [[PlayerCharacter the Human Child]]. He plays the role of a murderous mechanical menace while Alphys "stops him" at every turn, but after he finds himself doing all of the heavy lifting, Mettaton gets sick of playing pretend. Deciding to steal the Child's SOUL so that he may reach the surface and stop King Asgore from exterminating humanity, Mettaton reactivates several deadly traps, hires multiple monsters to kill the Child, and caps it off by locking them into a dynamic battle on live television for the whole Underground to see. No matter what route you choose, Mettaton will always end the game on his terms, ranging from accepting defeat with pride, to sassing the player even as they're dead set on killing everyone.

* ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'':

* ''VideoGame/Killer7'':
** Harman Smith is a god-like figure and government assassin who serves as the head of the Smith Syndicate. Very good friends with his arch enemy Kun Lan, Harman challenges him with games of chess, using the Smiths as figurative chess pieces in his greater-scoped game against Kun, even allowing Kun to harm those in his path. Constantly outwitting Kun and his men at every turn, Harman’s unafraid to get in on the action despite his frail, wheelchair-bound nature. He also uses his younger reincarnation to make Garcian Smith kill the Chairman of Education Greg Nightmare for him, which makes Garcian rediscover his past life as wicked hitman Emir Parkreiner. Despite getting killed by a mysterious assassin alongside Kun, Harman and Kun return a hundred years later in Shanghai, ready to repeat everything they’ve done and start their game anew.
** Emir Parkreiner is a deadly assassin who gained infamy as a teenage killing machine. In truth an immortal being who has been reincarnated several times, Emir became a secret assassin working for the government during high school. Tasked with taking out the Smiths, Emir managed to easily outwit and murder all six members at the Union Hotel, before feeling guilty and committing suicide on the rooftop. Reincarnated as Garcian Smith thanks to Harman, Garcian becomes the Syndicate’s cleaner, able to outwit, outmatch, and kill his opponents with ease. Breaking his connection with Harman after traumatically discovering his past as Emir, Garcian is still able to accept what happened and does whatever he can to take down the Last Shot Smile, even if it means the destruction of America or Japan.
** Andrei Ulmeyda, the ArcVillain of ''Cloudman'', is an eccentric, affable cult leader and president of the successful First Life Inc. A former postman who achieved fame by selling out his city to the Heaven Smiles in exchange for a portion of the Yakumo, Ulmeyda established a following built around himself. With First Life serving as a commercial-running front for his operations, Ulmeyda has also infected himself with countless diseases to make himself immune, selling his immunized blood as a vaccine. But when he acquired the Heaven Smiles disease, knowing that he’ll soon turn into a monster, Ulmedya summons the Smiths to execute him when he eventually transforms, taking credit for a Stacy concert bombing to get their attention. Ulmeyda ultimately dies a satisfied man, his spirit leaving behind encouraging advice to his follower Clements.

* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' is full of cunning sarcastic schemers amongst The Reapers but these three stand out:
** Megumi Kitaniji is the true BigBad of the game, second in power only to Joshua. Ruling the underground of Shibuya in Joshua's absence as its Conductor, Kitaniji assigns Game Masters to each week to act as his Proxy while vying for control against Joshua and seeking to give order to Shibuya through the O-Pins. Kitaniji takes non-refundable entry fees — including Neku's memories — and forces Neku to play another Game while holding Shiki as his new fee. As Neku begins the game, he takes Shiki as his entry fee knowing very well how much she meant to the boy. Kitaniji also has Beat hunt his own friends down in an attempt to erase them. In the third week, Kitaniji brainwashes the entire town with the O-Pins and merges with Joshua to become the final threat. Even in spite of his viciousness, Kitaniji has Beat, hunt down Neku and Joshua in an attempt to erase them. Despite this he has nothing but praise for his minions and even Neku, and gracefully concedes defeat to Joshua once he's proven himself better.
** [[PhysicalGod Yoshiya "Joshua" Kiryu]] starts the game as a helpful if obnoxious partner in Week 2. In reality, he is Shibuya's UG Composer making him the GreaterScopeVillain of the Reaper's Game. Besides handing out orders from behind the scenes he fools Neku, the game's protagonist, into believing he risked his life for Neku and defeated Neku's killer. In reality, he killed Neku to use as a Proxy to win the True Game with the game's actual BigBad Megumi Kitaniji: the Conductor. While he may have originally planned to erase Shibuya, Neku's reliance on the people around him restored his faith in humanity, convincing all the players — even the ones who didn't make it — a second chance at life. Neku monologues in the end that while he couldn't stand Joshua, he's grateful for meeting him and he trusts him, even being unable to shoot him when Joshua offers to make him the Composer through his own death. Even in the failure of his own goals of destroying Shibuya, Joshua still managed to win in the end.

-->-- '''[[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaGanonGanondorf Ganondorf]]''', ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime''

** ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'': Seraph Lamington, the leader of [[FluffyCloudHeaven Celestia]], initially seems to be [[ObfuscatingStupidity a spacey airhead with little understanding of his surroundings]], but in truth, he is the mastermind behind the events of the game. A wise, friendly angel seeking to improve relations between angels and demons, Lamington aims to test Prince Laharl's heart and make him prove himself as Overlord of the Netherworld. To this end, Lamington sends Flonne to assassinate the long-dead King Krichevskoy, knowing that she would fail and become friends with Laharl instead, teaching him love and compassion in the process. Keeping a steady hand over events through his partner Vyers, Lamington knowingly enables his treacherous right-hand Vulcanus, flawlessly working his scheming into his own plans and turning the tables once his treason stops being useful. Lamington's final gambit involves gambling Flonne's life and provoking Laharl's wrath to test his willingness to show mercy, fully willing to accept his own demise as a potential penance for his manipulations. [[CuttingOffTheBranches Lamington ultimately ends the game fully victorious]], coming to an arrangement with the now-mature Overlord and opening the way for peace between both worlds.
** ''VideoGame/DisgaeaD2ABrighterDarkness'': Xenolith is a soft-spoken, enigmatic figure who turns out to be Etna's older brother. Knowing Etna's innate magical power would lead to her demise, Xenolith claimed the magic-absorbing Artifact of Absolute Death to save his little sister's life, only to realize he had no way of turning it off, causing it to siphon the Netherworld's magic and tear it apart. To fix this, Xenolith began kidnapping angels to drain them of their magic and stabilize the Netherworld, staying under the radar and even deflecting suspicion by defending an angel he would capture later. Once cornered, Xenolith keeps calm and tries to dissuade the party from destroying the Artifact, knowing it would kill Etna if they did, and [[GracefulLoser accepts his defeat with grace]] when they manage to shatter it without casualty.

* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'': "Solas", seemingly a kind, helpful figure, is in actuality Fen'Harel, the "[[WolfInSheepsClothing Dread Wolf]]" of elven myth. Having once banished the tyrannical elven gods and raised the veil, Solas deeply regrets the damage this has done to the elven peoples and [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong seeks to correct his actions]]. Manipulating the entire Inquisition and the Inquisitor against the evil sorcerer Corypheus, Solas conceals his own role in Corypheus's rise and when the battle is done drains the witch Flemeth of her powers, before helping thwart an invasion of the Qunari. Solas then reveals his plan is to tear down the veil itself, which will kill millions of innocents, even if he has no desire to do so. Seeing no other way, Solas accepts the Inquisitor will hunt him to kill him or show him a better way, stating he would cherish a chance to be [[EnlightenedAntagonist proven wrong in his current course]].

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': [[Characters/TheLegendOfZeldaGanonGanondorf Ganondorf Dragmire]] ("Ganon" in his bestial form) is the king of the Gerudo, the reincarnation of Demise's hatred, and the eternal nemesis of Link, Zelda, and all who carry their names. Initially coveting the Triforce to bring prosperity to his people, Ganondorf would be overcome by his own lust for power, and abuses his intellect and strength to gain it by any means. In [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime his first chronological appearance]], he manipulates and exploits his situation to gain the Triforce of Power, and takes the steps to ensure no one can end his rule. He also uses Link to bait Zelda into a trap, and challenges Link himself so that he can gather all three of the Triforce in one place. In all three timelines he is undone, but he always bounces back in some way, whether by [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess manipulating an aspiring usurper]], [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker cutting off the Master Sword's power]], or [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast disguising himself to befriend and betray Hyrule's king]]. Stylish, smart, strong, and sometimes tragic, Ganondorf has forever solidified himself as one of gaming's most celebrated villains.

** ''VideoGame/SpiderMan'': [[ComicBook/DoctorOctopus Dr. Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus]] serves as the [[BigBad secret mastermind]] of the game's plot. [[FalselyReformedVillain Faking redemption]] so as to divert suspicions from himself, Ock leads a breakout of New York's most dangerous supervillains and harvests the power of alien symbiotes for his plans. Using the villains to distract ComicBook/SpiderMan while personally pulling off heists to further his research, Ock also kidnaps ComicBook/BlackCat to prevent her from aiding Spider-Man and keeps the psychotic ComicBook/{{Carnage}} under his control. Ock successfully unleashes hundreds of symbiotes across New York City before revealing his plans to further humankind's progression as a species by forming symbiosis with the alien lifeforms, proudly bragging that those who do not share his vision will be crushed by it in his "new world."

** ''VideoGame/StarcraftIILegacyOfTheVoid'': Alarak is a [[Characters/StarcraftTaldarim Tal'darim]] warrior who uses both schemes and power to climb the links of the Chain of Ascension and establish himself as an Ascendant of his people, killing rivals along the way and pitting his enemies against each other to advance his standing by proxy. When he's roped into a confrontation between the three Ascendants above him and the [[EvilOverlord Highlord Ma'lash]], Alarak surveils the situation and then sits things out, letting the other four kill and weaken each other until he sweeps in and cleans up what's left, leaving only Ma'lash outranking him. Alarak then reaches out to the [[Characters/StarcraftDaelaam Daelaam]], who have been enemies of the Tal'darim for centuries, and makes them an ally to kill Ma'lash. As Highlord, Alarak turns his people against their traitorous god Amon and helps the Daelaam banish him back to the Void and eventually kill him. He's brutal, he's powerful, he's cunning, and he's merciless -- Alarak is the pinnacle of what other Tal'darim aspire to be.

* ''Franchise/WatchDogs'' seires:
** [[VideoGame/WatchDogs Original Game]]:
*** [[PlayerCharacter Aiden Pearce]], "The Fox", is a brilliant hacker seeking vengeance on those responsible for the death of his niece, Lena. With Jordi's help, Aiden is able to track down the hitman who killed Lena, where Aiden learns about the crime syndicate he works for, the Chicago South Club, and infiltrates the organization and dismantles its [[HumanTraffickers human trafficking]] operation before killing its leader, Dermot "Lucky" Quinn by hacking into his pacemaker. When his former partner, Damien Brenks, kidnaps Aiden's sister and nephew, Aiden rescues them from Brenks and stops Brenks from causing chaos in Chicago before killing him. Embracing his role as "The Vigilante", Aiden becomes TheDreaded throughout the criminal underworld to the point where even Quinn's associates in [[VideoGame/WatchDogs2 San Fransisco]] know of him when he goes after them and his reputation even extends to [[VideoGame/WatchDogsLegion London]] when he's assigned to steal the [=BrocaBridge=] there fifteen years later. Working with Thomas Rempart to retrieve the [=BrocaBridge=] from Wrench, Aiden turns on Rempart once he rescues his nephew Jackson and later helps Wrench bring Rempart to justice.
*** [[SouthernFriedGenius Raymond Kenney]] is a genius software engineer hired by [[MegaCorp Blume Corporation]] to create Central Operating System (CTOS). When Raymond learns of the corporation's plan to use CTOS to spy on people and control their lives, he hacks CTOS to show everyone the dangers of relying it, causing the [[BeenThereShapedHistory Northeast blackout of 2003]] and the deaths of eleven people. Going into hiding in Chicago and taking the alias Theodore "T-Bone" Grady, Raymond allies with Aiden Pearce, helping him rescue his sister from Damien Brenks, dismantle Lucky Quinn's human trafficking ring, and shut down CTOS when Brenks hijacks it. Upon learning that JB Markowicz, aka Default, has sent fixers to kill Raymond in the "Bad Blood" [[DownloadableContent DLC]], Raymond tracks him down and turns Default's own trap against him, killing Default. Resuming his crusade against Blume in [[VideoGame/WatchDogs2 the sequel]], Raymond goes to San Fransisco and recruits Marcus Halloway and his friends to his cause while tasking them with dangerous missions to gain more followers, turning them into a genuine threat to Blume and allowing them to expose the corruption of their Chief Technology Officer, Dusan Nemec, leading to Nemec's arrest.
*** [[TokenEvilTeammate Jordi Chin]] is a witty yet professional [[TheFixer fixer]] that helps Aiden Pearce to track down Maurice Vega at a baseball stadium before he stages the scenario like a gang-shooting before calling the police, distracting everyone while he and Aiden escape taking Maurice with them. Learning that someone survived their attack and can identify them, Jordi has Aiden infiltrate the prison to silence the witness being held there and would later betray Aiden after receiving a contract to kill him. Surviving his scuffle with Aiden, Jordi appears in the sequel’s DLC, "Human Conditions", teaming up with [=DedSec=] hacker Marcus Holloway to kill Anton Bagdonov of the [[TheMafiya Russian Mob]], Bratva, pinning his murder on Marcus, and in Legion's "Bloodlines " assigns Aiden to steal the [=BrocaBridge=] in London and getting into contact with Wrench, before assigning him fixer jobs to complete.

** ''VideoGame/TheWitcher2AssassinsOfKings'': Letho of Gulet is a talented Witcher who joins with Nilfgaard to create a homeland for his fellow Witchers. Letho becomes the Kingslayer, a [[ProfessionalKiller feared assassin]] who uses his wiles to position himself close to the rulers of the northern kingdoms and assassinates them, provoking chaotic reactions in order to weaken the north so Nilfgaard will be able to invade. Against Geralt, Letho shows himself to be a crafty, skilled fighter who even considers the White Wolf a friend [[VillainRespect worthy of the greatest respect]]. [[FaceOfAThug A brutish looking man]], Letho also uses the appearance of DumbMuscle to his advantage so none know how truly intelligent and dangerous he is until it's too late.
** ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt'':
*** Gaunter O'Dimm, AKA Master Mirror or evil incarnate is the cunning devil of the ''Witcher''-verse. Traveling and [[BreakTheHaughty punishing the arrogant]] in inventive ways, Gaunter [[DealWithTheDevil makes deals with people]] and [[YourSoulIsMine takes their souls]] when he has fulfilled his end. A master of ExactWords, Gaunter eventually conscripts Geralt to help fulfill a bargain with the immortal swordsman Olgierd von Everec, completely tricking Olgierd before moving to claim his soul, only stopped if Geralt participates in a final contest with him. Despite being a timeless evil being, Gaunter is unmistakably charming and pleasant, willing to [[FairPlayVillain play to the letter of his deals]] and treats enemy and ally alike with unmistakable pleasantness, quick to answer any slight with retribution.
*** In the "Blood and Wine" expansion pack, Syanna is the long-lost sister of the Duchess of Toussaint Anna Henrietta. Seeking revenge on the knights who abused her as a child while they were escorting her to her exile, Syanna fakes her kidnapping to blackmail her vampire ex-lover, Dettlaff, into murdering the knights. Syanna instructs Dettlaff to murder the knights in specific ways to make it look like their deaths were divine retribution for their lack of chivalry. No one in Toussaint suspected that the deaths had a more mundane purpose before Geralt was hired to hunt Dettlaff and found the blackmail letters. When Geralt exposes Syanna's scheme to Dettlaff, she doesn't hesitate to risk (and potentially sacrifice) her life to protect Toussaint from the vampire's retribution. Throughout it all, Syanna retains her calm demeanor, even when discussing the horrific events of her past.

[[foldercontrol]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'': [[LiteralSplitPersonality Grahf]], the enigmatic ArchEnemy of Fei, is a WildCard with a hidden agenda. Actually one of Fei's past life Lacan, he was a former peace advocate but after his beloved Sophia, Elly's past life, sacrificed herself for his sake only to learn that the history of his world is actually being controlled by Miang and Deus in a cycle to resurrect Deus, Lacan decided it was better to destroy the world to free everyone especially Sophia, ascending as his own being from Fei becoming Grahf. Planning to help Miang and Deus before betraying and destroying them using the power of the Contract, Grahf first attempted to possess Fei, but ended up taking his father Khan instead. Regaining control from Khan years later, Grahf masterminded Fei's journey to power, arranging his village's destruction and empowering his enemies to possess him later when he is strong enough to defeat Miang and Deus. However, when Fei ended up defeating him in their final battle, Grahf realizes that Fei alone could defeat the two not him, and [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices himself to save him]], using his moments to beg Fei to save Elly.

----

* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' franchise, by release date:
** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' series:
*** [[Characters/MetalGearBigBoss Big Boss himself]] helped found the Patriots [=AI=]s, only to have them spiral out of control on the side of his former best friend Major Zero. Slowly playing the government from the inside, Big Boss planned to create a world of war to honor soldiers forever. Having a loyal soldier who took the name Venom Snake used as a double to believe he truly was Big Boss, Big Boss used the man and his plans as a diversion while he focused on building his own nation, effortlessly playing his enemies for years and decades while forming Outer Heaven and later the nation of Zanzibar Land. Even surviving his own supposed death, big Boss returns to find his plans have come to fruition to bring down the Patriots and makes amends with his son and clone [[Characters/MetalGearSolidSnake Solid Snake]] before peacefully passing away by the grave of his mentor, the Boss.
*** Revolver Ocelot, also known as Shalashaska, was born to the infamous Boss (aka the Joy) as Adamska and spent his youth as a double agent for the UsefulNotes/{{CIA}} and UsefulNotes/{{NSA}} while undercover. After managing to deliver the Philosopher's Legacy to the US, Ocelot begins to despise the puppet masters of the world, the Patriots, and seeks to bring them down. [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder Betraying and manipulating every side he joins]], Ocelot even uses drugs and psychotherapy to make everyone think he is possessed by the spirit of Liquid Snake, knowing what the Liquid persona will do to allow him to destroy the Patriots, eventually hijacking the plans of Solidus Snake and forming his own group. Even when defeated, Ocelot still [[TheBadGuyWins achieves his goal of defeating the Patriots]] and ends his life in a final battle with his ArchEnemy, Solid Snake, having been only loyal to the dream of his mother's successor Big Boss to the end.
*** [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Original game]]: [[ColdSniper Sniper Wolf]] is a devious and cunning member of FOXHOUND that joined Liquid Snake's insurrection to exact vengeance on the world for ignoring the plight of herself and her fellow Kurds following the Second Kurdish-Iraqi War. Introduced ambushing [[Characters/MetalGearSolidSnake Solid Snake]] and Meryl Silverburgh, Wolf wounds Meryl to lure Snake into the open. After Snake fights back, Wolf affects a retreat and then ambushes Snake with guards, taking him prisoner. Ambushing him one last time after he escapes, Wolf is finally defeated, expressing regret for helping Liquid and [[FaceDeathWithDignity dying on her own terms]]. Humanized by her kindness to the wolves of Shadow Moses, her kindness towards Otacon and sparing Meryl’s life because she doesn't kill for sport, Sniper Wolf was a proud soldier, "wild" and "untamed."
*** ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater Snake Eater]]'': "The Boss", the greatest soldier ever, known as "The Joy" to the Cobra unit, is a tactical genius responsible for countless successful missions and tactical innovations. Inspiring nothing short of fanatical devotion and love from her subordinates, the Boss became the mentor to Jack, AKA "Naked Snake." Upon her undercover mission with the depraved Colonel Yevgeny Volgin going terribly wrong, the Boss resolves to take the blame and die at Jack's hands, manipulating him with her brutal mentorship to guide him to best Volgin before engaging him in a final battle to the death to pass the title of "Boss" to him and pass into history, even if she will be reviled forever as a traitor to the country she has sacrificed everything for.
*** ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPortableOps Portable Ops]]'': [[CharmPerson Gene]] is [[BigBad the leader]] of the rogue FOX unit and the insurrection at San Hieronymo. A participant in the Successor Project to create a replacement for the Boss and the Perfect Battle Commander, Gene's natural charisma was enhanced to give him a CompellingVoice. Using this he was able to sway the disillusioned Red Army soldiers to his side, even those resistant to his powers. Wanting Big Boss to join him in forging "Army's Heaven", Gene is nevertheless ruthless in his goals, forcing Big Boss' and his own men to slaughter each other to escape when cornered. When confronted at the finale Gene reveals to Big Boss he knew Cunningham was a traitor all along and played along with him so he could enact his real plan to use Metal Gear to attack the USA and trigger a new world war. Defeated by Big Boss, Gene acknowledges him as the Boss' true successor and gave him a microfilm containing all his resources and contacts he was planning to build his new home for soldiers.
** ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearGhostBabel Ghost Babel]]'': General Augustine Eguabon is a charming and polite leader of Gindra Liberation Front, who uses new Metal Gear GANDER to threaten US in to withdrawing their forces from Gindra and declare it independent. While in reality he was a field controller of Project Babel, sended to Gindra by United States Army Chief of Staff John Parker to help establish the U.S. as the sole superpower in Africa, by creating a climate of hostility to discourage organized alliance, which would lead to the arrival of U.S.-dominated peacekeeping troops for an indefinite stay, who then could exercise control over the entire region, Augustine grew to care for people of Gindra and decided to betray Parker by actually following his promises and deliver Gindra independence and then he hired and manipulated Black Chamber unit to help him wipe out the soldier team, which was send to kill him. As Solid Snake tries to stop him, Augustine continues to prove that he always have a backup plans, rendering all Snake's victories hollow. When Solid Snake managed to defeat him, Augustine honorably follows his promise to reveal all truth to Snake and gived him all data, that proved everything he said was true, before dying.
** ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance Revengeance]]'':
*** [[ActionPolitician Senator Steven Armstrong]] seeks to get elected using [[WellIntentionedExtremist war as a business so he can end war as a business]]. Having manipulated the political system to give his company more power in his state of Colorado and getting elected, Armstrong forms the group Desperado to initiate more conflicts so he can raise his approval ratings. Armstrong decides to have the President assassinated in Pakistan to capitalize and start a war to restart the war economy to pull America from its economic slump. When [[Characters/MetalGearRaiden Raiden]] interferes, Armstrong just works his involvement into his plans and decides the damage already done is enough for his plans. While defeated by Raiden, Armstrong reveals he truly believes in creating a world of the strong surviving for the sake of freedom and [[TakeUpMySword happily acknowledges Raiden as his successor]], telling him to carve his own path while letting nothing stand in his way.
*** [[BloodKnight Samuel "Jetstream Sam" Rodrigues]] is an [[BadassNormal exceptionally skilled samurai]] and a top lieutenant of Desperado Enforcement, having joined after its leader, Steven Armstrong, defeated him in a fight. Believing that MightMakesRight, Sam first duels Raiden on a train during an assassination mission, easily defeating him and making him question his ideals. Later mentally breaking Raiden into returning to his "Jack the Ripper" persona with a brutal speech and insight into the minds of his foes, Sam finally meets with Raiden in the Colorado Desert for a final showdown, in which he fights Raiden. After his defeat, it is revealed via a last recording on Sam's sword that he, in questioning his own actions, [[ThanatosGambit arranged for]] his sword, Murasama, to fall into Raiden's hands, allowing Raiden to defeat Armstrong and prove his philosophy alongside stopping Armstrong's plans from beyond the grave.

** "[[SouthernFriedGenius The Engineer]]", real name Dell Conagher, is a brilliant inventor and mechanic. Capable of building astounding machines and equipped with an intelligent, level-headed demeanor, the Engineer proves extremely collected capable of feats like playing his guitar as his sentries mow down enemies and deploying a large turret in a heated firefight. The Engineer eventually finds himself in the service of [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Blutarch Mann]], yet is not unwilling to threaten or berate his boss when he gets out of line, all the while continuing his work and making genius inventions to better kill his enemies while he sits on the sidelines, When [[Webcomic/TeamFortress2 Gray Mann]] takes over Mann Co., the Engineer disappears flawlessly and proceeds to work alongside the Administrator, keeping an eye on proceedings from the shadows and repairing her life extension machine. When the Administrator passes away temporarily, The Engineer quickly revives her and asks her about her goals, appalled and horrified when she reduces her lifespan to one year, yet having saved her life all the same.
** "[[DeadlyDoctor The Medic]]", real name Dr. Ludwig, is a brilliant MadScientist from Stuttgart with incomparable expertise and audacity. First introduced improvising a medical procedure after his patient's heart explodes and saving his team at the last second, the Medic is an utter genius who manages to succeed despite the insanity of his medical procedures, performing experiments and creating inventions that give the team major advantages. The Medic later ends up sidelined after [[Webcomic/TeamFortress2 the team is disbanded]] and joins their opposition, [[VideoGame/TeamFortressClassic the Classic mercenaries]], experimenting on them as well. The Medic eventually revives the Sniper and turns on the Classic Heavy for his mistreatment. After his death and the revelation that the Medic [[DealWithTheDevil sold his soul to the devil]], Medic proceeds to scam the devil by revealing he sewed his teammates' souls onto his own, returning to life and bluffing the Classic Heavy, playing a vital role in his defeat and proving to genuinely care for his teammates despite his immoral ways.
** "[[ColdSniper The Sniper]]", real name Mr. Mick Mundy, is an expert assassin who lives by a simple code of efficiency and politeness. A levelheaded professional capable of absurd feats of marksmanship, the Sniper rarely loses his relaxed demeanor, even when in the heat of combat. Taking pride in his line of work yet never overindulging in it, the Sniper serves the team. [[Webcomic/TeamFortress2 Upon the team's disbanding]], the Sniper retires to his old home, later ambushing and interrogating Miss Pauling and the Demoman about his biological parentage after discovering he was adopted. Upon learning he is in reality from the sunken city of New Zealand, the Sniper attempts to bond with his biological parents and ends up temporarily killed. After being validated by his adoptive parents in the afterlife, the Sniper returns to life and wastes no time in returning to his previous work, declaring himself to remain dangerous and even killing the cybernetically enhanced [[VideoGame/TeamFortressClassic Classic Sniper]], saving the Spy.
** "[[MasterOfDisguise The Spy]]" is a suave, professional French assassin who turns out to be the father of the Scout. Never short on snarky remarks or [[InTheBack knives to shove into peoples backs]], the Spy's introductory video shows him ruthlessly mowing down everybody on the opposing team, using his skills and acting abilities to take down the opposition one by one while hiding in plain sight as the Scout, ending the short victorious while fondly reminiscing over some photos of himself with the Scout's mother. Throughout the many wacky misadventures the mercs go through, Spy consistently proves himself to be a tremendously useful asset to the team, at one point defusing a situation involving the malicious Australian version of Santa Claus via instructing a child to let himself get captured and stab Santa in the neck. [[WebComic/TeamFortress2 By the time of the final battle against the Classic team]], Spy works well with his team to take them down, while taking some time out of the fight to comfort his son when he thinks he's dying.

* ''VideoGame/WatchDogs'':
** [[SouthernFriedGenius Raymond Kenney]] is a genius software engineer hired by [[MegaCorp Blume Corporation]] to create Central Operating System ([=ctOS=]). When Raymond learns of the corporation's plan to use [=ctOS=] to spy on people and control their lives, he hacks [=ctOS=] to show everyone the dangers of relying it, causing the [[BeenThereShapedHistory Northeast blackout of 2003]] and the deaths of eleven people. Going into hiding in Chicago and taking the alias Theodore "T-Bone" Grady, Raymond allies with Aiden Pearce, helping him rescue his sister from Damien Brenks, dismantle Lucky Quinn's human trafficking ring, and shut down [=ctOS=] when Brenks hijacks it. Upon learning that JB Markowicz, aka Default, has sent fixers to kill Raymond in the "Bad Blood" [[DownloadableContent DLC]], Raymond tracks him down and turns Default's own trap against him, killing Default. Resuming his crusade against Blume in [[VideoGame/WatchDogs2 the sequel]], Raymond goes to San Fransisco and recruits Marcus Halloway and his friends to his cause while tasking them with dangerous missions to gain more followers, turning them into a genuine threat to Blume and allowing them to expose the corruption of their Chief Technology Officer, Dusan Nemec, leading to Nemec's arrest.
** [[TokenEvilTeammate Jordi Chin]] is a witty yet professional [[TheFixer fixer]] hired by Aiden Pearce to track down Maurice Vega, the man who killed Aiden's niece. Finding Maurice Vega at a baseball stadium and killing his men, Jordi stages the scenario like a gang-shooting before calling the police, distracting everyone while he and Aiden escape and take Maurice with them. When Jordi learns that someone survived their attack and can identify them, he has Aiden infiltrate the prison the witness is being held in to silence him. Jordi eventually betrays Aiden after receiving a contract to kill him, though he does reveal Maurice's location after surviving their scuffle. Appearing in the DLC for the sequel, "Human Conditions", Jordi teams up with [=DedSec=] hacker Marcus Holloway in tracking down the [[TheMafiya Russian Mob]], Bratva. Tracking down Bratva's leader at a yacht, Jordi goes in to kill the leader, while pinning his murder on Marcus before escaping.
** ''[[VideoGame/WatchDogsLegion Legion]]'': [[WellIntentionedExtremist Sabine Brandt]] is [=DedSec=]'s MissionControl who is actually [[GreaterScopeVillain Zero Day]], a cyber terrorist who plots the destruction of England. Previously a well-mannered [=DedSec=] operative, after realizing that peace in England can never be achieved, Sabine decides to give her beloved country a hard reset and [[RestartTheWorld rebuild it from the ground up]] to make it a better place. Working with Nigel Cass in order to ensure him power over London's police force, Sabine tricks her boyfriend Dalton Wolfe into activating a series of bombs across London, killing him and her [=DedSec=] allies to pin the destruction on them. After getting double-crossed by Cass once he's in power, Sabine begins recruiting the citizens of London to from a new [=DedSec=] to stop Cass, manipulating everybody into taking down those who stand in her way. Once Cass is taken out, Sabine reveals herself to her allies and hijacks Bagley to detonate every device connected to [=ctOS=], causing widespread mayhem in an attempt to create the peaceful utopia she so desires.

[[hardline]]

* ''VideoGame/SpookysJumpScareMansion'': The [[AntagonistTitle titular Spooky]] was once an innocent girl who wanted to scare people, after being killed by a ShellShockedVeteran she scared, and brought back as a ghost by her grieving father, she becomes something much more ruthless. Creating and funding [=GL=] Labs, Spooky has scientists create and capture dozen of creatures known as Specimens, having them placed in her Jumpscare Mansion so they can slaughter people for her plans, [[BadBoss completely uncaring of her own employees being killed by these creatures]]. When the unnamed PlayerCharacter arrives at her Mansion, Spooky cheerfully greets them, and spends the entire game hampering their progress. When the player successfully gets through all 1,000 rooms, Spooky is momentarily irritated, but perks back up when she sends Specimen 9 to kill the player. No matter what the player does, [[TheBadGuyWins Spooky will always win]], whether it's turning them into a specimen, or killing them to become a ghost in her army, determined more then ever to prove she isn't cute.

* ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'': "Smiling" Jack, the Brujah former pirate and proud Anarch is manipulating the PlayerCharacter more than almost any other Kindred in the entire game. Having arranged for the transport of the mysterious Ankaran Sarcophagus, Jack cheerfully shows the main character the ropes of vampirism before clandestinely boarding the ship transporting the sarcophagus, simulating a vampire attack while secretly stealing the mummified king within and replacing it with C4. Jack proceeds to lend his aid from the shadows, manipulating the main character into fighting and dispatching all of the threats to the Anarch faction in the city, especially the smug, vile Ventrue [[TheEvilPrince Prince Sebastian Lacroix]]. Just for kicks, Jack even makes sure to leave a note for when Lacroix opens the sarcophagus reading "boom! - love Jack" as a [[EvilHasABadSenseOfHumor final touch of black humor]].

** ''VideoGame/Yakuza0'': [[TheHeavy Keiji Shibusawa]] is one of the three lieutenants of the powerful Dojima Family, and runs its business operations. Son of a disgraced political aide forced to be TheScapegoat for his boss's crimes, Shibusawa became convinced the only way to succeed in life is to [[AmbitionIsEvil rise to the top]]. With family Captain Shintaro Kazama's recent arrest, whoever succeeds in locating the owner of the Empty Lot, Makoto Makimura, will become the new Captain. Framing Kazama's adopted son, Kiryu, for murder, Shibusawa uses Kiryu an UnwittingPawn to edge his fellow lieutenants out of the competition. Shibusawa finally emerges from the shadows as the victor in the race to get the Empty Lot, and thus wins the vacant position of family Captain. When Dojima orders Makoto killed to keep silent the existence of the Empty Lot, Shibusawa secretly begins to act against his orders and kept her as a hostage instead, planning to use her as [[DragonWithAnAgenda leverage against his boss]] and bait to draw his enemies out of hiding. Thwarted by Kiryu in their climactic battle, Shibusawa urges Kiryu to [[StrikeMeDown finish him off]], hoping to turn Kiryu into a ruthless man like him as a final act of spite against his rival Kazama. Ruthless and cunning, all that matters to Shibusawa is a title -- to be feared and respected by all as the first Dragon of Dojima.

** [[DeadlyDoctor The Medic]], last name "Ludwig," is a brilliant MadScientist from Stuttgart with incomparable expertise and audacity. First introduced improvising a medical procedure after his patient's heart explodes and saving his team at the last second, the Medic is an utter genius who manages to succeed despite the insanity of his medical procedures, performing experiments and creating inventions that give the team major advantages. The Medic later ends up sidelined after [[Webcomic/TeamFortress2 the team is disbanded]] and joins their opposition, [[VideoGame/TeamFortressClassic the Classic mercenaries]], experimenting on them as well. The Medic eventually revives the Sniper and turns on the Classic Heavy for his mistreatment. After his death and the revelation that the Medic [[DealWithTheDevil sold his soul to the devil]], Medic proceeds to scam the devil by revealing he sewed his teammates' souls onto his own, returning to life and bluffing the Classic Heavy, playing a vital role in his defeat and proving to genuinely care for his teammates despite his immoral ways.
** [[ColdSniper The Sniper]], real name Mr. Mick Mundy, is an expert assassin who lives by a simple code of efficiency and politeness. A levelheaded professional capable of absurd feats of marksmanship, the Sniper rarely loses his relaxed demeanor, even when in the heat of combat. Taking pride in his line of work yet never overindulging in it, the Sniper serves the team. [[Webcomic/TeamFortress2 Upon the team's disbanding]], the Sniper retires to his old home, later ambushing and interrogating Miss Pauling and the Demoman about his biological parentage after discovering he was adopted. Upon learning he is in reality from the sunken city of New Zealand, the Sniper attempts to bond with his biological parents and ends up temporarily killed. After being validated by his adoptive parents in the afterlife, the Sniper returns to life and wastes no time in returning to his previous work, declaring himself to remain dangerous and even killing the cybernetically enhanced [[VideoGame/TeamFortressClassic Classic Sniper]], saving the Spy.
** [[MasterOfDisguise The Spy]] is a suave, professional French assassin who turns out to be the father of the Scout. Never short on snarky remarks or [[InTheBack knives to shove into peoples backs]], the Spy's introductory video shows him ruthlessly mowing down everybody on the opposing team, using his skills and acting abilities to take down the opposition one by one while hiding in plain sight as the Scout, ending the short victorious while fondly reminiscing over some photos of himself with the Scout's mother. Throughout the many wacky misadventures the mercs go through, Spy consistently proves himself to be a tremendously useful asset to the team, at one point defusing a situation involving the malicious Australian version of Santa Claus via instructing a child to let himself get captured and stab Santa in the neck. [[WebComic/TeamFortress2 By the time of the final battle against the Classic team]], Spy works well with his team to take them down, while taking some time out of the fight to comfort his son when he thinks he's dying.

** ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR4N5OhcY9s Meet the Spy]]'': The RED Spy is a suave, professional French assassin with a penchant for giving people "[[InTheBack that stabbing feeling]]". The Spy makes his way through the BLU team's base, picking off his opponents one by one in a mission for the intelligence briefcase. Closing in on his goal, the Spy [[MasterOfDisguise disguises himself]] as the BLU Scout and hides in plain sight among his enemies, stringing them along until the Heavy and Soldier fatally turn their backs to him. As the video comes to a close, the RED Spy wades through a collection of reconnaissance photos of him taken by his BLU team counterpart, reminiscing over a picture of him on a date with the Scout's mom before seizing the briefcase and walking home free.

* ''MagnificentBastard/CallOfDuty''

* ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'': Gruntilda "Grunty" Winkybunion is an evil witch and the nemesis of Banjo and Kazooie. In the first game, Grunty tries to use a machine to steal the beauty of Banjo's sister and scatters the Jiggies and Jinjo people throughout the land, preventing Banjo from summoning the mighty Jinjonator to stop her. In the second game, after being resurrected, Grunty ruthlessly crushes her enemies: ripping pages from her sentient spell book for planning to betray her, and killing Bottles and the Jinjo King, leaving Banjo and Kazooie without their powerful allies to stand against her. In ''[[VideoGame/BanjoKazooieGruntysRevenge Grunty's Revenge]]'', she kidnaps Kazooie and forces Banjo to travel through time to save her, coming to a NearVillainVictory with her scheme.

* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'': Magus was once Janus, prince of the Kingdom of Zeal in Antiquity, until Lavos destroyed the kingdom and sent Janus forward in time to the Middle Ages. There, choosing the name Magus, he became the leader of the non-humans, deceiving them and declaring war on the Kingdom of Guardia. By doing so, he sought to gain enough power to summon and kill Lavos. When Crono and the party disrupt this plan, Magus is sent back in time to the Kingdom of Zeal before Lavos destroyed it. Disguising himself as a Prophet, Magus used his knowledge of history to gain the favour of Queen Zeal, positioning himself to kill Lavos when it surfaces. When this fails, Magus can be recruited as a Party Member, recognising he cannot kill Lavos himself. If recruited, he leaves the party to try to find his missing sister. Selfish and never truly turning good, Magus was nevertheless a brilliant, powerful and determined sorcerer that defied the EvilOverlord archetype with HiddenDepths.

* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'': Kind, helpful Solas is in actuality Fen'Harel, the [[WolfInSheepsClothing Dread Wolf of elven myth]]. Having once banished the tyrannical elven gods and raised the veil, Solas deeply regrets the damage this has done to the elven peoples and [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong seeks to correct his actions]]. Manipulating the entire Inquisition and the Inquisitor against the evil sorcerer Corypheus, Solas conceals his own role in Corypheus's rise and when the battle is done drains the witch Flemeth of her powers, before helping thwart an invasion of the Qunari. Solas then reveals his plan is to tear down the veil itself, which will kill millions of innocents, even if he has no desire to do so. Seeing no other way, Solas accepts the Inquisitor will hunt him to kill him or show him a better way, stating he would cherish a chance to be [[EnlightenedAntagonist proven wrong in his current course]].
* ''VideoGame/DrawnToLife'': Wilfre, a Raposa corrupted by his attempt to use the Book of Life and upstage the Creator, starts out as a vicious SmugSnake in the first game before graduating in ''The Next Chapter''. A self-styled savior of the Raposa world, Wilfre fosters all the misery of the game by manipulating and deceiving the leader of the Raposa villages, while secretly simultaneously masqeurading as the thief Salem and the heroes' own friend Sock, betraying them when it's too late for them to do anything about it. Wilfre finally manages to break Mari's will solely by telling her the truth about the world; all of it is a mere dream caused by a car accident that sent TokenHuman Mike into a coma, with all of Wilfre's efforts a sincere but deluded effort to preserve the world no matter what.

* ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'':
** Original series:
*** {{Dracula}} was once a [[TheStrategist genius strategist]] named [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaLamentOfInnocence Mathias Cronqvist]]. [[RageAgainstTheHeavens Enraged at God]] when the love of his life died, Mathias manipulated his best friend Leon into defeating the vampire Walter Bernhard by having Leon's fiancee kidnapped and eventually sacrificed to create the Vampire Killer. Stealing Walter's soul and taking the name Dracula, the new lord of the undead proved his mastery over the night until he lost his second wife Lisa at the hands of the humans. Continuing his war with the Belmont Clan and his and Lisa's heroic son Alucard for centuries, Dracula constantly shows himself a brilliant schemer, who tenaciously returns to life again and again while never losing his [[AffablyEvil charm or style]].
*** [[TheGrimReaper Death]] is Dracula’s [[TheDragon right-hand]] and just as devious as his master. Posing as Walter Bernhard’s servant, Death steals his soul for Mathias Cronqvist. When Dracula was killed by Trevor and friends, Death posed as mild mannered priest Zead, guiding reformed Devil Forgemaster Hector on his quest for revenge, succeeding in reviving Dracula’s castle and almost making Hector the vessel for Dracula’s resurrection. Returning time and again, Death frequently employed trickery and was skilled in playing enemies off each other to revive his master, such as when he had Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin defeat the usurper Brauner so Death could finish him off and revive Dracula. Completely loyal to his master, when Alucard, Dracula’s son, confronted Death, the Reaper tried to convince him to return to his father. As clever and as stylish as Dracula, Death has remained a consistent threat throughout the series and all Hunters of the Night know his reputation.
** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow'': [[Characters/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadowDracula Dracula]] was once the heroic [[BrokenAce Gabriel Belmont]], a champion of the light who saved the world from Satan himself before [[FallenHero succumbing to the darkness]]. Deciding to remake the world, Dracula declares war on the Brotherhood of Light and destroys their champion, which leads to his confronting and killing his own son Trevor unknowingly, which later causes Trevor to rise as the vampire Alucard. Playing the villain to strengthen his grandson Simon, [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow2 Dracula later enacts a plan with Alucard to destroy their enemies]], the evil Lord of Shadow Zobek and Satan himself: allowing himself to be impaled and placed in hibernation for centuries, Dracula [[BatmanGambit knows Zobek will awaken him to destroy Satan]], and when Dracula regains his memory, he and Alucard can destroy both. Even at the end, Dracula shows why he is the supreme lord of darkness and chosen one of God simultaneously by destroying Zobek and even taking advantage of Satan's cowardly nature by fooling him into believing that he's willing to kill his son again to trick the fallen angel to flee from Alucard's body, before finishing him for good.

* ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank'' series:

* ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}: Trap Team'' (2014):
** [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Wolfgang]] is a member of the [[LegionOfDoom Doom Raiders]], and proves to be more cunning than his appearance and temper would suggest. Tasked by The Golden Queen to retrieve Kaos to power a time machine, he and Dr. Krankcase trap and capture him, with Wolfgang proceeding with his plan. Taking Kaos for himself, telling Krankcase that he's just preparing the machine, he takes over Time Town and proceeds to shoot down the Skylanders' ship when they arrive. Upon cornering him, he reveals his true plan to travel to the future and take it over, succeeding by the time the Skylanders arrive in the future, planning to hypnotize the rest of the population using his Big Bad Woofer. Taking his defeat and HeelFaceTurn well, Wolfgang proves to be one of the Skylanders' trickiest foes.
** [[GentlemanThief Nightshade]] is a master thief who follows The Darkness, and plots to steal the Dark Eye of Unvisibility from the Midnight Museum so he can steal everything in the Skylands. Evading the security and beating the Skylanders to the punch by the time they get there, he evades both the Skylanders and the security, and when cornered, fights the Skylanders head on, using shadow clones and the Museum's pillars to gain the upper hand. When defeated and if captured, he takes his defeat in stride, and [[HazyFeelTurn happily lends his skills to help the Skylanders.]] In ''Ring of Heroes'', he swipes the [[MacGuffin Book of Dark Magic]] while the Skylanders are busy fighting Wolfgang and has them lured to his mansion. After being cornered and defeated, he gives the Book to the heroes, only to reveal that it was a fake, having already sent the real book away. He then uses the confusion to escape, wishing the Skylanders good luck on their quest.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'': [[Characters/TrailsSeriesEreboniaChancellorOsborne Giliath Osborne]] is the [[RedBaron Blood and Iron Chancellor]] of Erebonia and the primary antagonist of the third and fourth installments. Upon the death of his wife and the fatal attack on his son, he [[DealWithTheDevil makes a deal with]] Ishmelga to save his son's life in exchange for his own service to bring about the Great Twilight, and played the role of ostensibly loyal servant while planning against him to [[TheStarscream destroy Ishmelga and his curse]]. To bring about the Twilight, he starts by taking advantage of "unfortunate accidents" in order to force nations into merging with Erebonia or risking destruction, and succeeds almost every time using just his words. Surviving being shot, he starts biding his time and allows the Noble Faction to undermine itself and gaining more power for himself before he reveals he survived the attack. Manipulating [[GreaterScopeVillain Ouroboros]], he then takes over their Phantasmal Blaze Plan for himself, and forces them to work for him instead if they want to see their plans to fruition. In the end, when the Great Twilight has been fulfilled, he rushes the final Rivalry in order to prevent it from happening at the height of the war and allowing Rean to defeat him and go on to destroy Ishmelga once and for all.

** Original game: [[TheEvilPrince Prince Maximilian Gaius Von Reginrave]] is the young and brilliant leader of TheEmpire who masterminds the invasion of Gallia. Having lost his beloved mother in an assassination attempt by another royal at a young age, Maximilian resolved to [[WillNotBeAVictim never be helpless again]], ruthlessly scheming his way to the throne by eliminating his rivals. Seeking to harness the power of the Valkyrur through his right-hand woman Selvaria, Maximilian masterminds brilliant strategies and gambits against Gallia that nearly sees the nation fall multiple times. To wipe out the Gallian army, Maximilian manipulates Selvaria into sacrificing herself in a suicide attack that takes out the Gallian royal command, with the only thing stopping him being the heroine Alicia awakening her own Valkyrur powers. One of [[YoungConqueror the most brilliant conquerors]] in the Empire's history, Maximilian is driven by the desire to control all he sees and make certain his late mother is honored forever.

** Original game: Egil is a Machina, the leader of the Mechon army, creator of the Faced Mechon, and the mastermind behind their invasion of Bionis. Egil was once friends with Arglas from Bionis with whom he discussed the idea of leaving the world of Bionis and Mechonis in search of new worlds, and of peace and coexistence. However, when Arglas was possessed by Zanza and laid waste to Mechonis, Egil swore revenge and, when both titans were put to sleep, began attacking Bionis hoping to wipe out as much life as possible on the titan so that, when Zanza returned, he would be more vulnerable to kill. Once Shulk learns of his past and confronts him in Mechonis Core, Shulk offers a chance to let go of revenge and change the world together. But thanks to Zanza's timely resurrection, Egil instead gives his life so the heroes can escape, placing his hopes they can kill the evil god without resorting to the extremes he went to.

* ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperHeroes'': ComicBook/{{Magneto}} is an extremely powerful mutants with mastery over magnetism, and the longtime archenemy of the ComicBook/XMen. Leading a cabal of supervillains seeking to take over the world by weaponizing Cosmic Bricks alongside ComicBook/DoctorDoom and ComicBook/{{Loki}}, Magneto proves instrumental to the group's plans thanks to the manpower provided by his Brotherhood of Mutants as well as his obscene strength and guile. Whether it's leading successful attacks on the Raft and the X-Mansion, using the Statue of Liberty as a weapon and transportation device to great effect, or employing Mystique's convincing shapeshifting skills to distract the heroes while he lifts the cabal's base into space, Magneto constantly beguiles the heroes and snatches victory after victory from them, all the while oozing with charisma and charm. He's also the only villain suspicious of Loki, and when Loki confirms his suspicions by betraying the group, he's quick to check his pride at the door and mobilize the villains to help the heroes save the planet from a Loki-controlled ComicBook/{{Galactus}}.

** [[VisionaryVillain Evrart Claire]] is the leader of the Dockworker's Union, alongside his brother Edgar, and serve as the de facto rulers of Martinaise. Operating under the guise of corrupt, smug crime bosses, the brothers are truthfully [[ChummyCommies die hard communists]] who had the last Union boss assassinated for being a corporate bootlicker and [[NeighborhoodFriendlyGangsters work hard to better the lives]] of their workers and the people of the district. With Edgar out on business, Evrart is personally stalling negotiations to ensure the worker's strike lasts indefinitely to perform mass theft on Wild Pines assets and keeps his people paid by using the harbor as a drug smuggling operation. When the detectives arrive to investigate the murder of a Krenel mercenary strikebreaker, Evrart masterfully manipulates the amnesiac Harry and uses him to perform dirty work to further Union goals for promises of information and engineers a violent confrontation with his men and the mercenaries to cause a PR nightmare for Wild Pines and Krenel. Ultimately, Evrart was banking on the detectives to [[BatmanGambit pass this information on to Wild Pines]] ensuring they would pull out and leave the Union to secure their power base and the beginnings of a second communist revolution.

* ''VideoGame/ExaPico'': In the expansive world of ''EXA_PICO'', behind the light-hearted visuals are serious tales with magnificent individuals weaving the narrative with their cunning and charisma.
** ''VideoGame/ArTonelicoMelodyOfElemia'':
*** [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds The Mother Virus, Mir Teiwaz Ar Tonelico]] was made to be a weapon as the most powerful Reyvateil, but after seeing them murder someone she loved, Mir went to war, driving humanity to brink of destruction before being sealed away by Shurelia and Tastalia. Resurfacing during the events of the game, Mir in her hundreds of year stasis prepared for the same acts that thwarted her before, overwhelming Platine and manipulating Bourd and Fals. Not short of back-up plans, Mir sent a virus disguised as a Teru name Ayatane to be a double agent to hijack Shurelia in case they managed to stop her, nearly victorious until being stopped by Shurelia's HeroicSacrifice and later [[HeelFaceTurn changing]] after Lyner showed he understand her anger. Returning in the 2nd game as an AntiHero under the name Jacqli, Mir used the Grand Bell to get the Heart of the Land for a plan to save the planet Ar Ciel, and later assists the heroes with her intelligence even outplays [[BigBad Infel]] in a quest to redeem herself from her sins as the Mother Virus. A respectable adversary later ally, Mir has cemented herself as one most impressive individuals in the series.
*** [[TheMole Ayatane Michitaka]] first shows himself as a kind Teru warrior assigned to be Lyner's partner and Shurelia's protector but in actuality is a spy who would later find himself working for his own wishes. Ayatane is actually a Virus and Mir's son sent by his mother to get close and hijack Shurelia while eliminating those intending to use her. Gaining their trust after stopping Bourd and Falss and the Viruses, Ayatane unleashed his trap, successfully hijacking Shurelia for Mir, becoming her main enforcer in taking over the tower, even sabotaging their main weapon EXEC_CHRONICLE_KEY and nearly leading them to victory. However, while fighting Ayatane, he slowly regrets his decision growing fond of Lyner and his group, ultimately turning on his mother before working with Lyner to stop Mir, but making sure to spare her, becoming a vital role in the final battle before peacefully returning to his mother side satisfied with how it ended.
** ''VideoGame/ArTonelicoIIMelodyOfMetafalica'':
*** Infel, the Original Maiden of Mio, was a brilliant scientist turned [[FallenHero fallen heroine]]. The leading mind of the Infel Phira project, Infel, alongside Nenesha, were behind the designs and hymn of summoning Metafalica, though this failed due to humanity's selfishness, with Nenesha murdered by Raki and Infel wage war and won against Raki and the Goddess' army. Blamed for all the tragedies, Infel was isolated and fell into despair and formed a warped view on happiness. When she learned a way to reunite with Nenesha, Infel left her physical body and set-up EXEC_HIBERNATION so she could return, in the mean time residing inside Cloche's mind. Returning after the Sacred Army executed EXEC_HIBERNATION, Infel began planning with a revived Nenesha for "[[AssimilationPlot Sublimation]]", hijacking Frelia and Luca and mind-controlling Raki to eliminate any threats. When they are found out by Mir, the duo reveal their plan and made a bet with the heroes, if they can beat them they would allow them to try sing Metafalica, but if they lose they must submit to Sublimation. Losing Nenesha after the battle, Infel forfeited and allowed them to continue, using her final moments to support Cloche when she faltered, satisfied with her greatest legacy finally accomplished.
*** [[WellIntentionedExtremist Chester Lu Whinoah]] was once part of the peaceful Teru clan, but after the Grand Bell invaded his home, kidnapping his girlfriend and turning her into a tool for their I.P.D cultivation plans, he became jaded and worked with their rivals, the Sacred Army, to defeat them and achieve his twisted view of paradise. Due to his former ties with the Grand Bell as a scientist, Chester became a valuable source for the Sacred Army in their fight against them, becoming one of their leaders. After discovering Luca's the true Holy Maiden and having Amarie confirm it for him, he staged a coup, proclaiming Luca's inheritance to the public and gaining more leverage which ended with the fall of the Grand Bell after having the party eliminate Alfman. Now the ruling party, Chester and Targana unleash their [[AssimilationPlot EXEC_HIBERANTION]] in hopes of being with Sonya forever, but when that failed thanks to Targana's arrogance and Luca's courage, Chester loses his will to live, only for Amarie to bring him back from the edge and getting him to believe in and help the party create Metafalica, with his efforts valuable in achieving as his way for penance.
** ''VideoGame/ArTonelicoQogaKnellOfArCiel'':
*** [[DestroyerDeity Soma the Will of Violence and Catastrophes]] is delegated by Ar Ciel to maintain the balance of nature, as [[TheGrimReaper a figure of death and destruction]]. Accompanying Ar Ru to the surface world as her bodyguard by occupying the body of Finnel, Soma found herself among the ranks of Clustania as an assassin, becoming Clustania's deadliest killer. Growing fond of Finnel, when she realized she was slowly dying and the only way to save her was to take her back to Harvestasha, she forced her by using her love for Aoto and then forcefully possesses her to make Cocona make a deal to save her. When Soma learned Harvestasha and Luphan were going to sacrifice Finnel to summon Ar Ru, Soma fully changes sides and fights to protect her, even going as far as to support Aoto in Finnel's Cosmosphere to free her from their influence. A ProfessionalKiller, Soma will do whatever it takes to see her duty through and protect those she cares about.
*** Ever since she was born, [[LadyOfWar Akane]] was destined for greatness, becoming the Supreme Commander of the Clustania Army at the [[TeenGenius age of fifteen]] and led them to a new era. A cold and calculating woman, Akane is such a capable general that she seems unstoppable, invading most of humanity's lands, countering the Great Fangs, and capturing the party and her predecessor Richa by deactivating her nation's defenses to lure them to a trap. However underneath her iron mask is a principled woman and when she learned Harvestasha and Luphan were planning to sacrifice Finnel to create a twisted world, [[HeelFaceTurn she turns on them]] and allies with her to restore the world, playing a vital role in resurrecting Tyria. Now the new leader of Clustania, Akane uses her nation's full support to assist the party and unite with the other nations to fix the mistakes Clustania made in the past.
** ''VideoGame/CielNosurge'': [[GoodIsNotSoft Renall Tartalka]] is the head of PLASMA and daughter of Tenmon's leader Revelt, who contrasts her monstrous father by using manipulation for the greater good. As Ion's only friend when she first arrived to Ra Ciela, Renall intends to use her to overthrow her father, allowing her be experimented on and betraying her when she attempts to escape, all the while being conflicted with guilt. When Ion was presented as an Empress candidate, Renall set her up to win, subtly leading her to danger so she can perform miracles. When Ion began breaking off from Tenmon, Renall acted as an enemy leading PLASMA, until she launched a coup d'etat on her father, taking over while he's arrested. When Revelt retaliates and dooms Ra Ciela, Renall atones for his actions by helping with the Grand Phoenix plan, assisting Ion and making sure the Soleil launches even if it meant being left behind. Returning in ''[[VideoGame/ArNosurgeOdeToAnUnbornStar Ar Nosurge]]'', Renall is brainwashed by the Other Player as a servant, but after being freed by Ion, she guides and lays out the Planet Regeneration Plan, even pretending to betray Nay and steals a song from the Other Player to stop them. Though dubious in action, Renall is truly fighting for a better future.

* ''Franchise/{{Hitman}}'': [[Characters/HitmanGamesAgent47 Agent 47]] himself is the iron-willed, stoic [[ProtagonistTitle hitman of the series]]. Easily the [[ProfessionalKiller greatest assassin in the world]], 47 weaves through assignment after assignment, eliminating his targets and escaping with the world never becoming aware of his existence. Often coming up with schemes to eliminate a target to make it look like an a complete accident, 47 often finds himself entangled in broader conspiracies or threats that he inevitably brings down and destroys completely on his own with the same stylistic flourishes that he brings to his assignments. Agent 47 repeatedly shows why he is worthy of the title of the best hitman in the world, often bringing nothing less than justice on some of the most corrupt people in the world for the right price.

* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' Video Games:

*** "The Heist" DLC chapter: [[GentlemanThief Walter Hardy]], the former Black Cat, whom is just as devious as his daughter. Faking his death years ago to protect himself and his daughter from the Maggia, Hardy manages to get a hold of Spider-Man’s phone number and disguises himself as a cop right on top of a police station. Calling himself Detective Mackey, Hardy tricks Spider-Man into uncovering loot he hid years ago. When Spider-Man finishes up, Hardy leaves with his loot, knowing Spider-Man won't tell his daughter the truth because Spider-Man is a "decent guy." He also asks Spider-Man to look after Felicia. While only featured in a simple side-mission, Hardy more than lives up to his anecdotes as a brilliant criminal.

* ''[[VideoGame/TeenTitans2005 Teen Titans]]'' (2005): In the game based on [[WesternAnimation/TeenTitans the show]], [[BigBad Brother Blood]] is more [[AdaptationalBadass cunning and dignified]] than his animated counterpart. Creating a clone army based on the Teen Titans in order to TakeOverTheWorld, Brother Blood first sends Gizmo and H.I.V.E. soldiers to attack the Titan Tower, so that Gizmo can steal the Teen Titans' DNA when they fight back to protect their home. Brother Blood then gives Gizmo, Jinx and Mammoth recording devices before sending them wreak havoc in different parts of the city, [[XanatosGambit forcing the Teen Titans to fight them and thus recording their moves in order to improve his clones]]. When the trio is beaten, Brother Blood send them with H.I.V.E. soldiers attack the Titan Tower again, [[KansasCityShuffle giving him enough time to finish his clone army]] while the Titans defend their home. When he's nonetheless defeated by the Titans, he activates his lair's self-destruct sequence in one last attempt to kill them, never losing his smile even in defeat.

* ''Franchise/BatmanArkhamSeries'':
** [[ClassyCatBurglar Selina Kyle]], better known as ComicBook/{{Catwoman}}, is a mischievous cat burglar with a dry wit and one of the few villains in Gotham City to not only outsmart Batman himself, but ally with the Dark Knight on many occasions for the benefit of both. In her [[VideoGame/BatmanArkhamOriginsBlackgate first confrontation]] with Batman, Catwoman allows herself to be captured, stages a prison riot at Blackgate, then manipulates Batman into clearing out all obstacles for her so as to break Bane out of the prison as part of a deal, and even though Batman thwarts this initial plan, Catwoman nonetheless appeases her employer through other means and gets what she wants. During the [[VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity Arkham City]] event, Catwoman infiltrates the supermax prison after TYGER steals her valuables, and, using Two-Face and Poison Ivy to her advantage, retrieves her valuables along with assisting Batman in taking down the prison complex. Though Catwoman is [[VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight later captured by Riddler]] and fitted with a bomb collar, she works with Batman to take down the supervillain, even clearing out all of Riddler's funds for herself and destroying his base of operations to ensure his reign is over for a long time to come.
** ComicBook/RasAlGhul is the "Demon's Head" and leader of the League of Assassins. A [[Really700YearsOld centuries-old]] warlord who got his start buying Gotham City and restructuring it into the criminal-murdering "utopia" Wonder City, Ra's found and used the healing properties of the Lazarus Pit to [[ResurrectiveImmortality sustain his life over the years]], amassing countless resources and soldiers to his League in the process. In the present, Ra's pulls strings to begin his ideas for a mass-genocide of those he deems "unworthy" to live in his planned perfect world, and finds a concrete scheme when approached by the monstrous Hugo Strange. Fully backing Strange's plan to build a super prison called Arkham City that functions as a nightmarish concentration camp to hold thousands of prisoners until they are all wiped out, Ra's continuously tries to convince Batman to join his crusade, even betraying and murdering Strange due to a preference for Batman as his potential heir. If allowed to die in his final appearance, Ra's uses his last words to proclaim how proud he is of Batman for taking steps towards doing what is "necessary", and throughout the franchise holds the [[VillainRespect utmost respect]] for the hero no matter what animosity comes between them.
** ComicBook/{{Bane}} is a masked mercenary whose cunning and intelligence combined with [[GeniusBruiser his immense Venom-enhanced strength]] make him one of the deadliest foes Batman has ever faced. When the Joker hires him along with eight other assassins to kill Batman, Bane quickly proves himself a threat by immediately seeing through one of Batman's ambush tactics and [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown viciously beating him down]]. When the ensuing fight is interrupted by the police, Bane flees and lures Batman to an empty hideout where it's revealed that he's been analyzing him and has correctly deduced his identity. He goes on to use this knowledge to emotionally torment Batman by invading his home and nearly murdering his loyal butler Alfred, and soon afterwards joins forces with the Joker in taking over Blackgate Prison in an attempt at forcing Batman to break his moral code and take a life. When that fails, Bane transforms himself into a hulking berserker with the flawed, experimental TN-1 formula, but still has enough clarity of mind to react to and adjust to strategies Batman employs against him in their final confrontation.
** Basil Karlo, better known as Clayface, is a [[LargeHam theatrical]] shapeshifter who enjoys manipulating others with his excellent doppelganger skills. Breaking out of Arkham Asylum by tricking a guard into thinking he is an innocent, Clayface then sneaks into the maximum security prison Arkham City, where he makes a deal with the sickly [[ComicBook/TheJoker Joker]] to masquerade as him and keep his troops and enemies under the illusion that Joker is healthy as ever. Clayface [[MasterActor plays the part of Joker near-flawlessly]], fooling everyone including Batman himself into thinking he is the Clown Prince of Crime, and uses his position to orchestrate a variety of takeovers in the city. During his fight with Batman, Clayface gives Batman one of the hardest of his career, forcing the caped crusader into lethal force due to his deadliness. Not reserved solely to Joker, Clayface also shifts into the assassin ComicBook/{{Deadshot}}, gaining ComicBook/ThePenguin's trust and a stash of guns with the disguise.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold: The Video Game'' (2010): ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} is the mastermind behind the game's first "Episode", [[BigBadDuumvirate working together with supervillain Catman]] to turn the city of Gotham into cats so they could rob the city of its riches. Having Catman distract Batman and Robin with a robbery while she sets up the plan, she first makes herself known by swiftly rescuing Catman from the duo with a stun bomb. Being chased by the heroes, she manages to lure them to an abandoned building, using its crumbling interior to her advantage before blowing the building up with Batman and Robin inside it, the two only surviving due to luck. Sending goons to check if the heroes are alive, she and Catman successfully transform the city and take refuge in Wayne Manor, before taking on the Dynamic Duo one last time, only being beaten by the secret entrances scattered around.
* ''VideoGame/BatmanTheTelltaleSeries'': Floyd Lawton, aka ComicBook/{{Deadshot}}, is a wealthy military contractor seeking vengeance against the Wayne name for his horrific childhood. [[DarkAndTroubledPast Scarred by a past of tragedy]], Lawton witnessed his cherished older brother's murder at the hands of their abusive parents, going on to avenge his sibling by coldly murdering his parents and getting away with it at the age of fourteen. In adulthood, Lawton learns that his parents were enabled and kept out of law enforcement's eyes by Thomas Wayne, and, blaming the long-dead man and his living associates for his brother's death, Lawton becomes the assassin "Deadshot." Beginning to track down and systematically murder all of Wayne's former compatriots, Deadshot confronts and outwits ComicBook/{{Batman}} himself with several traps and decoys, and even kidnaps the man's butler, Alfred Pennyworth, to use as a hostage. Planning to force Batman to either kill him or let the hostage associates of Thomas Wayne die, Deadshot can only express respect and acceptance for Batman when beaten, simply moving on to join a government task force for an early release from prison with a smile.

* ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'': ComicBook/{{Deathstroke}} was a mercenary and assassin and a major enemy of the [[Franchise/TeenTitans Titans]], whom he tried to kill on many occasions. After the rise of [[Characters/InjusticeSuperman Superman]]'s [[Characters/InjusticeOneEarthRegime regime]], Deathstroke lost most of his work. He was brought back into action when [[Characters/InjusticeBatman Batman]] contacts him, hiring him to steal a Mother Box from the Regime for Batman's plans. He manages to get to it, but knowing he can't escape, he sends Batman the Mother Box's model so he can copy it before he is captured by the Regime. After being tortured by the Regime, he joins the Insurgency and ends up on a mission with ComicBook/{{Cyborg}}; during it, he enacts his own plan. He first takes out Shazam and Flash with creative usage of bombs, then sabotages the Watchtower reactor to blow up, not caring about it putting the Insurgency's plans in jeopardy. He is then sent on another mission by Lex Luthor, in which he sneaks up on and ties up Franchise/WonderWoman, later taking her down by analyzing her fighting style and outsmarting her.

* VideoGame/LegoAdaptationGame works:
** ''VideoGame/LegoBatman'':
*** ComicBook/TheJoker is the zany but brilliant ArchEnemy of Batman. An expert schemer, the Joker regularly threatens Gotham City with his various crimes, from kidnapping Commissioner Gordon to gassing all of Gotham, often assisting his allies himself and accepting any help that he's offered. Teaming up with Lex Luthor in the second game, he uses his chemical skills to fabricate Kryptonite, using it to track down the Batcave and steal the real Kryptonite stashed there and uses his laughing gas to hypnotize the citizens into voting for Lex, the duo then putting up a prolonged fight with the Justice League. Later playing a big role in the LegionOfDoom breaking into the Watchtower, he happily assists the heroes in saving the world from Brainiac, even after forcibly becoming more affectionate in the process. During ''DC Super Villains'', he joins the Legion in fighting the Crime Syndicate, with him and Harley Quinn volunteering to recruit Black Adam, fighting off Shazam and Superwoman in the process. Eventually, after trashing Apokalypse upon arrival, he once again gleefully joins forces with the heroes to take out Darkseid.
*** ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} is the expert cat burglar who acts as TheDragon to the Penguin's plot to take over Gotham City with an army of machine powered penguins. Responsible for stealing a diamond to power the machine, she and Penguin evade the GCPD and steal the diamond, with Catwoman making her escape upon being cornered. Evading and pursuing Batman and Robin, she then distracts Batman by kissing him, using the moment to toss the Diamond to her cat. Upon being delivered the diamond in jail, she uses it to bribe Penguin and Killer Croc into freeing her, continuing to aid her boss in his scheme. Eventually managing to unleash the penguins, they proceed to fight the Dynamic Duo, with Catwoman doing the physical fighting. Later games would have her successfully break out of Arkham after a failed first attempt, and acting as the TeamMom to the LegionOfDoom, willingly helping Batman fight off the Parademon invasion.
** ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperHeroes'': ComicBook/{{Magneto}} is an extremely powerful mutants with mastery over magnetism, and the longtime archenemy of the ComicBook/XMen. Leading a cabal of supervillains seeking to take over the world by weaponizing Cosmic Bricks alongside ComicBook/DoctorDoom and ComicBook/{{Loki}}, Magneto proves instrumental to the group's plans thanks to the manpower provided by his Brotherhood of Mutants as well as his obscene strength and guile. Whether it's leading successful attacks on the Raft and the X-Mansion, using the Statue of Liberty as a weapon and transportation device to great effect, or employing Mystique's convincing shapeshifting skills to distract the heroes while he lifts the cabal's base into space, Magneto constantly beguiles the heroes and snatches victory after victory from them, all the while oozing with charisma and charm. He's also the only villain suspicious of Loki, and when Loki confirms his suspicions by betraying the group, he's quick to check his pride at the door and mobilize the villains to help the heroes save the planet from a Loki-controlled ComicBook/{{Galactus}}.

* ''VideoGame/TrailsOfColdSteel'': [[Characters/TrailsSeriesEreboniaChancellorOsborne Giliath Osborne]] is the [[RedBaron Blood and Iron Chancellor]] of Erebonia and the primary antagonist of the third and fourth installments. Upon the death of his wife and the fatal attack on his son, he [[DealWithTheDevil makes a deal with]] Ishmelga to save his son's life in exchange for his own service to bring about the Great Twilight, and played the role of ostensibly loyal servant while planning against him to [[TheStarscream destroy Ishmelga and his curse]]. To bring about the Twilight, he starts by taking advantage of "unfortunate accidents" in order to force nations into merging with Erebonia or risking destruction, and succeeds almost every time using just his words. Surviving being shot, he starts biding his time and allows the Noble Faction to undermine itself and gaining more power for himself before he reveals he survived the attack. Manipulating [[GreaterScopeVillain Ouroboros]], he then takes over their Phantasmal Blaze Plan for himself, and forces them to work for him instead if they want to see their plans to fruition. In the end, when the Great Twilight has been fulfilled, he rushes the final Rivalry in order to prevent it from happening at the height of the war and allowing Rean to defeat him and go on to destroy Ishmelga once and for all.

** ''VideoGame/ArTonelicoMelodyOfElemia'': [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds The Mother Virus, Mir Teiwaz Ar Tonelico]] was made to be a weapon as the most powerful Reyvateil, but after seeing them murder someone she loved, Mir went to war, driving humanity to brink of destruction before being sealed away by Shurelia and Tastalia. Resurfacing during the events of the game, Mir in her hundreds of year stasis prepared for the same acts that thwarted her before, overwhelming Platine and manipulating Bourd and Fals. Not short of back-up plans, Mir sent a virus disguised as a Teru name Ayatane to be a double agent to hijack Shurelia in case they managed to stop her, nearly victorious until being stopped by Shurelia's HeroicSacrifice and later [[HeelFaceTurn changing]] after Lyner showed he understand her anger. Returning in the 2nd game as an AntiHero under the name Jacqli, Mir used the Grand Bell to get the Heart of the Land for a plan to save the planet Ar Ciel, and later assists the heroes with her intelligence even outplays [[BigBad Infel]] in a quest to redeem herself from her sins as the Mother Virus. A respectable adversary later ally, Mir has cemented herself as one most impressive individuals in the series.
** ''VideoGame/ArTonelicoIIMelodyOfMetafalica'': Infel, the Original Maiden of Mio, was a brilliant scientist turned [[FallenHero fallen heroine]]. The leading mind of the Infel Phira project, Infel, alongside Nenesha, were behind the designs and hymn of summoning Metafalica, though this failed due to humanity's selfishness, with Nenesha murdered by Raki and Infel wage war and won against Raki and the Goddess' army. Blamed for all the tragedies, Infel was isolated and fell into despair and formed a warped view on happiness. When she learned a way to reunite with Nenesha, Infel left her physical body and set-up EXEC_HIBERNATION so she could return, in the mean time residing inside Cloche's mind. Returning after the Sacred Army executed EXEC_HIBERNATION, Infel began planning with a revived Nenesha for "[[AssimilationPlot Sublimation]]", hijacking Frelia and Luca and mind-controlling Raki to eliminate any threats. When they are found out by Mir, the duo reveal their plan and made a bet with the heroes, if they can beat them they would allow them to try sing Metafalica, but if they lose they must submit to Sublimation. Losing Nenesha after the battle, Infel forfeited and allowed them to continue, using her final moments to support Cloche when she faltered, satisfied with her greatest legacy finally accomplished.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'':
** [[ShadowDictator Robert Edwin House]] is the multi-billionaire leader of New Vegas and one of the major factions vying for control of the Mojave Wasteland. Mr. House created the Strip, an oasis in the wasteland where people can gamble, drink, and bang as long as they have the cash for it, and [[LetNoCrisisGoToWaste took advantage of the situation with the NCR and the Legion]] to bolster his own defenses and revenue, while keeping his agenda hidden. If [[PlayerCharacter the Courier]] chooses to help him, House enacts his plans; he activates his Securitron army, deals with potential problems via their destruction or cooperation, tries to save NCR President Aaron Kimball from assassination to use him as a political [[TheScapegoat scapegoat]] later, and holds the NCR at gunpoint to accept the terms of surrender he made for them. Through it all, House is suave, ruthless, and deeply pragmatic, while showing his benevolent side during his interactions with the Courier.
** [[WellIntentionedExtremist Chief Hanlon]] is the leader of the New California Rangers and by far the [[TheStrategist greatest tactical mind]] in the Republic. Growing the Rangers from a small abolitionist group to a large and well trained special forces, [[CoolOldGuy Hanlon is beloved by the common people]] of the NCR for overseeing the first defense of Hoover Dam. Knowing the Legion veterans and officers were always in the rear, Hanlon set up squads of snipers to pick off the elites and send the Legion recruits into chaos. Tactically retreating, Hanlon [[DefensiveFeintTrap drew the majority of the Legion army to a town he rigged with explosives]] and destroyed the Legion's army in a moment. Years later, watching the NCR stretch itself to the breaking point to defend the Mojave and be bled of its wealth by Mr. House ultimately leads Hanlon to falsify the army's reports sent back home and intentionally sabotage his own side to force the government to [[AFatherToHisMen bring his men home]] from a hopeless war against Caesar's Legion.
** [[EvilCounterpart Ulysses]] is the [[WarriorPoet darkly philosophical]] overarching antagonist of the game's DLC chapters. Long before the events of the game, Ulysses discovered the Divide, a settlement that closely resembled the Old World, one that he loved and could pledge his loyalty to. After the Courier [[MikeNelsonDestroyerOfWorlds inadvertently caused its destruction]], however, Ulysses would recognize the impact a single person could have in the Wasteland, and sought to replicate it for himself. During his journey, Ulysses effortlessly manipulates the Think Tank with an ArmorPiercingQuestion into giving him nuclear firepower, and tricks the malevolent Father Elijah into hunting for the Sierra Madre, knowing it'll be his undoing. In the ''Lonesome Road'' content, Ulysses goads the Courier into confronting him at the end of the Divide to showcase his master plan--to end the Mojave conflict with nukes so that a new civilization can rise from the fire--while setting up their climatic battle so that he almost always comes out on top.

* ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'': Upon crash landing in Dream Land, Magolor plays the innocent victim to persuade Kirby and his friends into repairing his ship, traveling with him to Halcandra, and defeating the dragon Landia, whereupon he seizes the Master Crown and sets his sights in conquering the rest of the universe, starting with Pop Star. What separates Magolor from the other one-shot villains of the series is his personable and talkative personality, going so far as to earnestly thank Kirby for his help even as he betrays him. Future games would have Magolor [[HeelFaceTurn change for the better]], and ever since his introduction most of the franchise's antagonists have dropped the GenericDoomsdayVillain shtick just to meet the bar he set.

** ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance Revengeance]]'': [[ActionPolitician Senator Steven Armstrong]] seeks to get elected using [[WellIntentionedExtremist war as a business so he can end war as a business]]. Having manipulated the political system to give his company more power in his state of Colorado and getting elected, Armstrong forms the group Desperado to initiate more conflicts so he can raise his approval ratings. Armstrong decides to have the President assassinated in Pakistan to capitalize and start a war to restart the war economy to pull America from its economic slump. When [[Characters/MetalGearRaiden Raiden]] interferes, Armstrong just works his involvement into his plans and decides the damage already done is enough for his plans. While defeated by Raiden, Armstrong reveals he truly believes in creating a world of the strong surviving for the sake of freedom and [[TakeUpMySword happily acknowledges Raiden as his successor]], telling him to carve his own path while letting nothing stand in his way.

* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' Video Games

** ''[=LittleBigPlanet=] 2'' (2011):
*** [[ItCanThink The Negativitron]] is the ruthless yet cunning EldritchAbomination intent on turning Craftworld into their playground. Having already incapacitated the Alliance and their assets ahead of time, The Negativitron frequently interferes with [[PlayerCharacter The Sackperson]]'s attempts to stop it, usually in the form of surprise ambushes. Performing a particularly destructive one in Alvolonia, resulting in the destruction of the Huge Spaceship, it's then revealed that it had the only one who could fix it, Professor Higginbotham, infected with a virus that incapacitated him ahead of time, proceeding to attempt to burn down the asylum he's in before the Alliance could get there. Managing to destroy the Huge Spaceship again upon it arriving at its base after it captures Alvolon, it corners the Alliance and reveals to them its origin, being made out of each member's vices, before using their HeroicBSOD to incapacitate them and duel Sackperson one-on-one, putting up a long and challenging fight even after the Alliance recovers.
*** DC Comics Premium Level Pack [[DownloadableContent DLC]]: ComicBook/LexLuthor is once again the brilliant ArchEnemy of the ComicBook/JusticeLeague, as well as the leader of [[LegionOfDoom the Dark Alliance]]. Plotting to use the heroes to power his mecha suit to TakeOverTheWorld, he invades the Watchtower and abducts each member before they could react, placing them all over the world with his Dark Alliance members watching over them, each one also being guarded by harrowing platforming challenges. Operating many of the traps himself during the final stage, he manages to get his mech to full power before challenging Sackperson to a duel, putting up a good fight before being beaten.

** Shu Shirakawa, {{archnemesis}} of Masaki Andoh, is from a parallel world, and a genius scientist who created the super mecha, the Granzon. Devastating the kingdom of Langan, Shu lured Masaki into fighting him while escaping to the earth and assisting Bian Zoldark in his plans. Shu is well known for manipulating many heroes, including Masaki himself, constantly arranging things to his benefits. When defeated and killed, Shu is revived by the dark god Volkruss to be his servant but later manipulates things to be free and achieve his own victory, sneering that he will allow nobody to control him. Not even a god.

* ''VideoGame/TouhouProject'' franchise:

* ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles'': [[TheEvilPrince Prince Maximilian Gaius Von Reginrave]] is the young and brilliant leader of TheEmpire who masterminds the invasion of Gallia. Having lost his beloved mother in an assassination attempt by another royal at a young age, Maximilian resolved to [[WillNotBeAVictim never be helpless again]], ruthlessly scheming his way to the throne by eliminating his rivals. Seeking to harness the power of the Valkyrur through his right-hand woman Selvaria, Maximilian masterminds brilliant strategies and gambits against Gallia that nearly sees the nation fall multiple times. To wipe out the Gallian army, Maximilian manipulates Selvaria into sacrificing herself in a suicide attack that takes out the Gallian royal command, with the only thing stopping him being the heroine Alicia awakening her own Valkyrur powers. One of [[YoungConqueror the most brilliant conquerors]] in the Empire's history, Maximilian is driven by the desire to control all he sees and make certain his late mother is honored forever.

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongJungleClimber'': [[NeverSmileAtACrocodile King K. Rool]] aims to steal the Crystal Bananas to take over the universe. To this end, he and his men steal them from benevolent alien Xananab and flee before the Kongs arrived to investigate, leaving both parties to mistake each other as enemies and wreck the ship. Throughout the game, he stays one step ahead of the Kongs, using the Bananas to power up his minions to distract the Kongs, at one point luring them into a trap and leaving in his space ship before they got out. Eventually being cornered, he tricks the Kongs into preparing to fight him and escapes to Xananab's home world, fighting the Kongs when they follow and find him, first by replicating Donkey Kong's moves, and then by using the Banana to grow big and try to crush the Kongs.

* ''VideoGame/FarCry'' series:

* ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'': ComicBook/{{Deathstroke}} was a mercenary and assassin and a major enemy of the [[Franchise/TeenTitans Titans]], whom he tried to kill on many occasions. After the rise of [[Characters/InjusticeSuperman Superman]]'s regime, Deathstroke lost most of his work. He was brought back into action when [[Characters/InjusticeBatman Batman]] contacts him, hiring him to steal a Mother Box from the Regime for Batman's plans. He manages to get to it, but knowing he can't escape, he sends Batman the Mother Box's model so he can copy it before he is captured by the Regime. After being tortured by the Regime, he joins the Insurgency and ends up on a mission with ComicBook/{{Cyborg}}; during it, he enacts his own plan. He first takes out Shazam and Flash with creative usage of bombs, then sabotages the Watchtower reactor to blow up, not caring about it putting the Insurgency's plans in jeopardy. He is then sent on another mission by Lex Luthor, in which he sneaks up on and ties up Franchise/WonderWoman, later taking her down by analyzing her fighting style and outsmarting her.

* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' franchise, by alphabetical order:
** ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'': [[EvilGenius Fawful]] initially served as TheDragon to Cackletta in the [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga first installment]], where he brainwashes the Koopalings and other minions to work for her in ''VideoGame/MinionQuestTheSearchForBowser''. After Cackletta's defeat, Fawful becomes the BigBad of the [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory third installment]]. First, he sells a sinister mushroom to the Toads of the Mushroom Kingdom, a mushroom causing the Blorbs. When the leaders of the kingdom get together to ponder the dilemma, Fawful gives the defeated Bowser a Vacuum shroom causing him to inhale everything in sight. Upon taking over Bowser's castle, Fawful brainwashes Bowser's loyal minions to take over the castle, create a theater, and fatten Bowser up; upon him reaching the castle. This is to extract Princess Peach from Bowser's body, which he uses to awaken the Dark Star giving him total control of the Mushroom Kingdom. As a last ditch effort, when Bowser finally makes it to Peach's Castle and after Bowser inhales the Dark Star, Fawful, after being defeated merges with the Dark Star and creates Dark Bowser to fight Bowser and Dark Fawful to fight the Mario Bros. In spite of conquering the Mushroom Kingdom, Fawful is a NobleDemon and has a soft spot for the baby versions of the Mario Bros.
** ''Videogame/PaperMario64'': [[TokenEvilTeammate Bow]] is an aristocratic Boo. Inviting Mario to her mansion he arrives and climbs it while solving her puzzles along the way and once he reaches the top she reveals she was testing him to see if he lived up to his reputation. She also reveals she has kidnapped the Star Spirit Skolar then blackmails Mario into helping her defeat Tubba Blubba, [[TheDogBitesBack a bully victim turned devourer of the boos]], something the duo successfully do. With that done she remains [[TheUnapologetic unapologetic]], but promises to stop scaring Tubba Blubba, frees Skolar and then happily decides to join Mario full time having grown to love adventuring.
** ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'':
*** [[ClassyCatBurglar Ms. Mowz]] is a coy, flirtatious Badge thief who regularly breaks into places to steal Badges, then [[IntrepidMerchant sells them]] at her own store, the Lovely Howz of Badges. Running into Mario multiple times while infiltrating dangerous and heavily guarded locations, Ms. Mowz takes the time to [[TheTease steal kisses from him]] and give him advice before escaping each time. Posting an anonymous request at the Trouble Center, if Mario takes it she sends him to find a cleverly hidden Badge before revealing that she hid the Badge to test his abilities and decides to [[TokenEvilTeammate join his party]], using her item finding and thieving skills to help him in his adventures.
*** [[GhostPirate Pirate King Cortez]] is the scourge of the Pirate's Grotto, and keeper of the fifth [[MacGuffin Crystal Star]], attacking and shipwrecking all who come near Keelhaul Key with his Ember army, including several innocents. Cortez prepares traps in Pirate's Grotto to stop any intruders, complete with bone-chilling warnings. To even get into the Grotto Mario needs the jewel [[TheFriendNobodyLikes Flavio]]'s father stole from Cortez several years ago. Helping to stop the X-Nauts in an EnemyMine with Mario after he is defeated with his army, Cortez is a frightfully competent pirate king.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'': [[SharkMan Johnathan "Johnny" Jones]] is the affable captain of the Sunken Ship crew guarding the fifth star piece. Having his ship sunk by King Calamari, he quarantines the squid in a password protected room before his quarters and sets up several puzzle rooms to prevent anyone from taking his star. Should Mario defeat all his minions, Johnny challenges him to a duel. When Mario [[WorthyOpponent proves his mettle]], Johnny decides to relinquish the star to him, only for it to be taken by Yaridovich. Fortunately, Johnny [[BatmanGambit predicted this]], and stops the Blade from taking Yaridovich away, allowing Mario to defeat him and get back the star, showing an indisputable NobleDemon side.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'': In this game, [[Characters/SuperMarioBrosBowser Bowser]]'s scheme is to force Princess Peach to marry him on the moon, and he handily defeats Mario when he tries to stop him. When Mario and his new friend Cappy chase after him, Bowser and the Broodals go on a successful crime spree by stealing important items for the wedding from various kingdoms and forcing Mario to deal with the chaos left in their wake. Even when Mario catches up to Bowser, the Koopa King is able to get him off his tail by shooting down his ship, and then tames a powerful electric dragon to go after Mario when the plumber bounces back. Showing a lot more cunning than usual, Bowser [[TheBadGuyWins leaves Mario in the dust time and time again]], never failing to look stylish in the process.
** ''VideoGame/WarioLand'': [[LovableRogue Captain Syrup]], the [[FemmeFatale sultry]] leader of the Black Sugar Gang, is Wario's chief rival and just as proficient as Wario himself. Showing her true cunning in ''Shake It!'', Syrup seemingly [[EnemyMine puts aside her feud]] with Wario to help him gain the Bottomless Coin Sack from the notorious Shake King, even putting in her part to help the Merfles the King has kidnapped. After having used Wario to defeat the Shake King, Syrup doubles around to swipe the Sack for herself, revealing she negotiated it as a "finder's fee" from the Merfles [[PlayingBothSides behind Wario's back]], driving off victorious with one more kiss blown to Wario and remaining syrupy-sweet every second of screentime.

[[foldercontrol]]

* ''VideoGame/Doom2016'': Dr. Samuel Hayden is the brilliant CEO of the [[MegaCorp Union Aerospace Corporation]]. A genius scientist and powerful {{cyborg}}, Hayden is the discoverer of Argent Plasma, an unlimited energy source mined from {{Hell}} itself that ended Earth's dependance on fossil fuels. An ardent believer in TheNeedsOfTheMany, Hayden views the lives of individuals as meaningless on their own and is more than happy to work his employees until they die, put them in the crosshairs of demon attacks, and perform unethical experiments on them in the name of human progress. When one of his scientists, Olivia Pierce, goes rogue and makes a deal to give Earth to the demons, Hayden awakens the [[PlayerCharacter Doom Slayer]] to fight against her, but grows angry with the Slayer's destruction of the Argent Plasma refining machinery. Though the Slayer eventually succeeds in his mission, Hayden betrays him in revenge for the Slayer's sabotage of his systems, steals [[MacGuffin the Crucible]] from him, and teleports him to parts unknown, ending the game the unquestioned victor of this three-way battle of wills.

* ''VideoGame/TheLastStory'': [[TheManBehindTheMan Dagran]], hero Zael's [[BigBadFriend childhood friend]] and boss, after losing his family to the corrupt nobility, masterminded the Garuk and Lazulis war. Desiring his group's future and revenge, Dagran planned to get the Outsider's power to gain Count Arganam's support, but when Zael got it instead Dagran tried appealing him to the count, even pushing him to wed his niece Calista. While doing this, Dagran staged a Gurak invasion as cover to kill General Asthar, leader of the knights who killed his family, but when Zael was blamed for it, he framed Jirall, Calista's fiancé, to secure their marriage but when Zael denounce Arganam, Dagran realizing his plan has crumbled, decide to get the full power of the Outsider to reshape the world, manipulating the wielders Zangurak and Zael before taking the power for himself. Confronted by Zael's group, he reveals his entire plan to them before reluctantly battling them in a final fight, and after being cut down Dagran, in his last moments, reconciles with his team and resurrects Lowell with the last of his power. A crafty mercenary, Dagran's wit showed how he was able to be the one ruling everything.

** [[DarkActionGirl Ada Wong]] is a mysterious and morally ambiguous spy who has used her wits, skills, and charisma to always come out on top in the horrifying world of Resident Evil. First appearing in ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 2]]'' posing as a civilian in Raccoon City (FBI agent in the ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake Remake]]'') where she manipulates Rookie cop, Leon Scott Kennedy, into helping her steal the G-Virus sample from the Umbrella Corporation before making her escape from the zombie-infested city. Sent by Albert Wesker to Spain to retrieve a dominant species Las Plagas from the Los Iluminados {{cult}} in ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 4]]'', Ada betrays Wesker by giving him a simple subordinate species, while giving the dominant species to her true superiors and help Leon kill the cult's leader, Osmund Saddler. Ada would later be sent to The Easter Slav Republic in ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'' disguised as a BSAA representative, where she would help Leon expose President Svetlana Belikova's tyranny while also making a deal to have her arrest warrant expunged. When Ada learns of her doppelgänger's identity in ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 6]]'', Carla Radames, and Carla's plan to cause global scale destruction and frame Ada for it, Ada tells Derek Clifford Simmons of Carla's location in China pitting the two against each other, while discreetly helping the heroes to ensure the two’s downfalls, before destroying Carla's lab and taking a job soon after.