History NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist / VideoGames

* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'': [[PsychoPsychologist Hugo Strange]] claims that [[HellholePrison Arkham City]] and [[FinalSolution Protocol 10]] are being done for the benefit of Gotham City by [[spoiler:rounding up all of the city's [[AssholeVictim criminal scumbags]] and executing them en masse]]; however it soon becomes clear that Strange isn't really committing such atrocities out of a twisted desire for justice or the greater good, but to receive public adoration as a "hero" in order to satisfy his own ego. Not to mention the fact that he's willing to throw in lesser, not-so-violent criminals and even completely innocent citizens into Arkham City so that they can share the same fate as all the truly evil bastards, makes it clear that he doesn't actually give a damn about making the world a better place.

** [[RebelLeader Atlas]] in [[VideoGame/BioShock1 the first game]]. At first, he seems to be a swell guy who initially rose up against the cruel tyranny of [[BigBad Andrew Ryan]] in [[OneNationUnderCopyright Rapture]], but many of the [[ApocalypticLog audiologs]] found throughout the game show that Atlas ultimately [[HeWhoFightsMonsters wasn't that much better than Ryan himself]], with him kicking off his revolution by ''suicide bombing'' a public restaurant. This is fully cemented when it's revealed that he's [[spoiler:actually [[GreaterScopeVillain Frank Fontaine]] with a different face and name, who simply used his widespread support from the poor so he could take over the city and eventually market [[AppliedPhlebotinum ADAM]] to the surface - which would likely turn the whole world into the exact same chaotic hellscape that Rapture is right now.]]

* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'': The Chancellor from 1000 A.D., in spite of his unjust treatment of Crono when the latter is accused of abducting Marle [[spoiler:a.k.a. Princess Nadia]], can be believed to be taking his duty to protect Marle way too seriously. However, when that same Chancellor deliberately strains the relationship between Marle and her father by lying to the former about how her mother died when she returns to Guardia Castle, it becomes clear that he has no good intentions. [[spoiler:Turns out he is actually Yakra XIII, who impersonated the real Chancellor from the start as part of his plan to kill Crono and avenge his ancestor, who Crono killed in the past.]]

* ''VideoGame/DanganronpaAnotherEpisodeUltraDespairGirls'': Monaca Towa initially appears to support the other [[EnfanteTerrible Warriors of Hope]], who genuinely want to create a children's paradise free from AbusiveParents and adult tyranny, but it is later revealed that Monaca just uses it as an excuse to further her real goal: to [[HopeCrusher spread despair around the world]] in accordance with the will of Junko Enoshima, and turn Komaru, the sister of [[VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc the first game]]'s protagonist, into a successor to Junko by throwing her into the hopeless war that the Warriors of Hope and the Adult Resistance created. Her friends are nothing more than pawns in this goal, unaware of her true intentions.

* ''VideoGame/DeadRising3'': Isabela Keyes seems like she wants to get [[PlayerCharacter Nick Ramos]] to safety in order to ensure the cure for humanity no matter the cost at first after causing the Los Perdidos outbreak, [[spoiler:but it's later revealed that she only caused the outbreak to find the cure in order to boost her ego and look like a hero, rather then genuinely wanting to help America return to its pre apocalyptic state.]]

** Azael claims that he once wanted to kill the first [[MuggleBornOfMages human]] because he feared that non-magic users would eventually try to persecute the Magi. It's unknown how sincere he was at the time, but in the present, he has no care for his fellow Magi and is willing to convince an empire to enact a genocide of Magi simply to get rid of the Black Magi who could potentially succeed him as a Supreme, as well as to kill off any Magi [[TheSocialDarwinist he deems "weak."]]

** Caesar's Legion as a whole definitely fall into this category, especially [[{{EvilOverlord}} its namesake leader]]. Although you get a first glimpse of how far Caesar and his Legion are willing to go when you wade into the ruins of Nipton, when you first meet the man himself he's a calm and logical ruler who tells you how he plans to use his horde of thugs to bring peace and prosperity to the Mojave. At first, anyway. Then you hear about his more unsavoury actions, like slaughtering entire camps and tribes down to the last man, woman and child out of little more than [[EvilIsPetty unadulterated]] [[ForTheEvulz bloodlust]], his [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil downright nauseous habit of taking those he conquers as slaves]], [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil of which the women are used as broodmares or perverted entertainment]], and his downright inhuman glee at bringing a merciless, messy end to all that question or defy him even so much as an inch. Which ultimately show him for his true nature as a [[AxCrazy violent]], [[PsychopathicManchild petulant]], [[TheSociopath psychopathic]] thug who neither [[EvilCannotComprehendGood comprehends]] nor [[IgnoredEpiphany cares]] that his actions bring more harm than good to the Mojave as a whole, and is so driven by his ego he would gladly run it into the ground than admit he was ever wrong. And this mentality trickles down to [[{{VillainByDefault}} the rest of the Legion's members.]]

* ''VideoGame/FarawayStory'': The unnamed Armonican priest claims that banning outsiders from Chime Water is necessary to prevent them from abusing the church's resources and he wants to kill Ellevark for supposedly using heretical healing powers. Despite his claims of being a devout worshiper of Gran and performing NecessarilyEvil actions for the church, he ignores his religion's message of generosity in favor of looking for justification for his bigotry. His transgressions against Ellevark are less to prevent heresy and more to eliminate a potential threat to the church's - and by extension his - influence.

* ''VideoGame/GetInTheCarLoser'': The Machine Devil cultist, Gaius, claims that he has more in common politically with the party than they think and that he's trying to create a fair society. However, he scapegoats marginalized groups for all the problems of society, victim-blames anyone killed by the cult, and wants to wipe out all "degenerates," making it clear he cares more about harming groups he hates than actually improving society.

** Steve Haines in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' is an FIB agent who claims to be fighting the good fight against terrorist threats and boasts that he serves America's greater good. Ultimately, he serves himself first and foremost - when discovering that the [[UsefulNotes/{{CIA}} IAA]] is planning to [[FalseFlagOperation stage a terrorist attack to increase their funding]], he is more concerned about the rival agency getting funding over the FIB more than the citizens' safety. He also has a sadistic streak, such as when he orders the unnecessary torture of an innocent man willing to cooperate for no reason but to amuse himself.

* ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'': In an alternate dimension, Superman became a KnightTemplar bent on ending crime at all costs, having been tricked by ComicBook/TheJoker [[spoiler:into murdering his wife Lois and nuking Metropolis]]. As time progresses, he becomes a twisted tyrant selfishly and desperately obsessed to subjugate the Earth, [[spoiler:especially when he killed Shazam and Luthor [[UngratefulBastard while ranting]] about the populace "complaining" about his dictatorial rule. He even planned to invade the Multiverse, [[MurderTheHypotenuse kill Mainstream Superman]] and [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe forcefully take Mainstream Lois Lane as his bride]] even if she won't like it]].

* ''VideoGame/LuminousAvengerIX'': In the [[VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt first Gunvolt game]], [[spoiler:Asimov (a.k.a. Demerzel) claimed he wanted to create a better world for Adepts, even if that meant cutting down anyone in his way or killing humans indiscriminately, because he saw them as fearmongering threats to Adepts fully willing to subjugate and kill them in turn.]] Here, [[spoiler:it's clear that every other thing he does was for the sake of power]] -- humans are obviously labeled "Minos" and exterminated (and in one case [[spoiler:even forcibly brainwashed to become Asimov's personal enforcer]]), but even other Adepts are forcefully mellowed out against Minos using the Butterfly effect, surveillanced and prevented from leaving Sumeragi-controlled cities, and risk being conscripted under [[{{Blackmail}} threats against their lives or loved ones]]. Even worse, [[spoiler:if you're an Adept with an Septima that benefits him like [[MagicMusic the Muse]] or simply happened to be an oddball case, you will be captured and subject to [[FateWorseThanDeath torturous experimentation]], the [[BecameTheirOwnAntithesis very same sort of experimentation that led Asimov to want to destroy humanity in the first place]].]] This is notably a WholePlotReference of Dr. Weil's mass Reploid enslavement in ''Mega Man Zero'' -- based on how the ''Megaman'' franchise inspired the ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvoltSeries'' as a whole and both ''Zero'' and the ''Gunvolt'' series are made by Creator/IntiCreates, the similarities might be deliberate. ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt3'' puts a possible explanation for the MotiveDecay by retroactively suggesting [[spoiler:Asimov's transformation into a [[ElementalEmbodiment being of living electricity]] was in fact his own Primal Dragon transformation, which also causes [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity enhanced aggression and mental instability on top of the new and increased powers]], and with no one to snap him out of it over the next century he degenerated into the full-on villain shown.]]

** Warden Kuril from the second game claims that he runs the prison ship ''Purgatory'' to take on all the criminals that nobody wants on their planets. However, he also tortures his prisoners, enslaves them, and runs a protection racket on all the planets he visits (if they don't donate to keep ''Purgatory'' running, he'll return their prisoners to them [[ParanoiaFuel at an unspecified time and place]]). He also tries to kidnap ''Commander Shepard'' for their bounty. This does not end well for him.
** Cerberus becomes this by the third game in the series. The organization continues to expel their rhetoric that they are the best hope for humanity in the galaxy [[note]] which they were genuine about in the previous games, even willing to work with aliens [[/note]]. But their actions throughout the game cause far more damage to everyone in the galaxy, ''including humans,'' all for the sake of finding a way to control [[{{EldritchAbomination}} the Reapers]] to ensure dominance. [[spoiler:It is later revealed in the game that they were [[MoreThanMindControl Indoctrinated]] by the Reapers and are unconsciously acting in the Old Machines' interests. [[note]] In other words, they could never find a way to control the Reapers, because in reality ''it is the Reapers who are controlling them.'' [[/note]]]]

** [[GovernmentConspiracy The Patriots]]. They claim that they act in the best interests of humanity, but given their blatant disregard for human life they display in a needlessly dangerous and expensive plan which only served to test their ability to manipulate human beings, which included likely deliberately leaving the hostages on Big Shell to die since it was made without lifeboats, they seem far more interested in maintaining their own control over anything else. In addition, they later establish the war economy, resulting in countless soldiers dying and the public being groomed into promoting and continuing an endless cycle of wars.
** [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Skull Face]]. Like every antagonist in this series, he idolized [[BigGood The Boss]] and wanted to fulfill her dream of utopia. But at the same time, he was a SoftSpokenSadist who wanted revenge on the world after the Nazis destroyed his cultural identity. [[BalkanizeMe His ultimate objective is to break up every oppressive empire on the planet and replace them with equal nations]]. While this sounds noble at first, his core plan involves unleashing a pandemic designed to destroy global communications, international alliances, and intermingling cultures, and then selling nuclear weapons to terrorists and unstable dictators in the chaos. The end result would be a VillainWorld where ''every'' nation on Earth is driven by military cults maintaining the Walker Gears and mini-nukes upholding their borders. Nobody would ever have hope of collaborating with their allies or immigrating to somewhere better; [[DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans every nation would be ruled by the worst of humanity]] and every attempt to work with foreigners on humanitarian issues would result in MutuallyAssuredDestruction.
** [[VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance Senator Armstrong]] claims he wants to turn America into a utopia and allow people the freedom to fight for what they believe in, but he actually wants to create a SocialDarwinist, MightMakesRight society by triggering a ForeverWar that will let soldiers, the politically-powerful, and cybernetically-enhanced people like himself rule over mankind. Raiden sums it up neatly: "I was wrong about you; you're not greedy... you're ''batshit insane!''"

* ''VideoGame/NeoContra'': [[BigBad Master Contra]] claims he wants to destroy Earth [[FreudianExcuse as a means to demolish all structured society and their morals]]. In reality, him destroying the planet is simply ForTheEvulz.

* Enoch, the guardian of the third zone from ''VideoGame/{{Off}}''. When you meet him, he claims that his zone is a fortress of "happiness, a wall against the spectres" and that all he's done, he's done for the good of his people. While Enoch started out as a genuinely good man, by the time you find him, it's blatantly clear that what he's saying is bullshit, as he's creating a substance made from burned bodies and feeding it to his workers, and they are so dependent on it as a drug they go mad and berserk without it. He also posts signs advertising that the very hostile spectres are nice and friendly, deliberately making it easier for his workers to get killed to supply more bodies to make the substance. So he puts up a facade of WellIntentionedExtremist, but he isn't one.

** This can be seen with Black Mask/[[spoiler:Akechi. While he initially is put as a sort of KnightTemplar[-/-]SympatheticInspectorAntagonist willing to go any lengths to stop the Thieves and [[JusticeWillPrevail restore justice]], we ultimately find out that his entire plot was an elaborately organized revenge scheme against his [[BastardAngst unaware-father]] Shido, and that his fame as a detective and upholder of justice [[FakeUltimateHero was built off of murders he himself committed]].]]

* ''VideoGame/SoulCaliburVI'': Azwel regularly claims to love the human race and that his experiments and goals are for the benefit of humanity. In reality, he's a maniacal sadist who intends to exterminate most of the human population with the Ultimate Seed and rule over the remainder as a [[AGodAmI living god]].

* In ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' it's established that the [[GalacticConqueror Ethereals]] performed the AlienInvasion in order to [[INeedYouStronger develop humanity]] into a force strong enough to fight [[GreaterScopeVillain some unspecified foe]] on their behalf, and present their actions as a greater good. However, they turned every other species they encountered into a mutated SlaveRace and in ''VideoGame/XCOM2'' they're shown to [[AliensAreBastards actively hold disdain for the humans]] they rule over in the VichyEarth they created with their new EvilPlan being to [[spoiler:[[FinalSolution harvest as much human DNA as they can]] for BioAugmentation before saying ScrewThisImOuttaHere]].
* ''Xenoblade Chronicles'':

** In ''VideoGame/AceCombat3Electrosphere'', [[spoiler:Abyssal Dision]] the leader of Ouroboros in claims that he wants to make all of humanity like him, and BrainUpload everyone into the Electrosphere. This turns out to be a lie, for in all five routes, he reveals that he hates being a BrainUpload, and is actually out to avenge his girlfriend [[spoiler:Yoko Martha Inoue]].

* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'': [[PsychoPsychologist Hugo Strange]] claims that [[HellholePrison Arkham City]] and [[FinalSolution Protocol 10]] are being done for the benefit of Gotham City by [[spoiler:rounding up all of the city's [[AssholeVictims criminal scumbags]] and executing them en masse]]; however it soon becomes clear that Strange isn't really committing such atrocities out of a twisted desire for justice or the greater good, but to receive public adoration as a "hero" in order to satisfy his own ego. Not to mention the fact that he's willing to throw in lesser, not-so-violent criminals and even completely innocent citizens into Arkham City so that they can share the same fate as all the truly evil bastards, makes it clear that he doesn't actually give a damn about making the world a better place.

* House Espinosa from the single-player campaign of ''VideoGame/{{Battletech}}''. The narrative doesn't do much to explicitly contradict [[TheUsurper Lord Santiago]]'s contention that the Aurigan Reach needs to take a harder foreign policy line when stuck between several much larger neighbouring powers and that the ruling House Arano weren't doing enough to keep colonies on the fringes from breaking away, and even Lady Kamea admits that initially she was more upset about being kicked off the throne because she was the legal heir than because she thought her uncle would do a bad job of ruling. But Espinosa's claims to be acting for the greater good start to ring very hollow indeed once LaResistance liberate [[TheGulag the detention camps on Weldry.]] And that's not even the worst atrocity House Espinoza are responsible for before the finish.