History SmugSnake / VideoGames

* ''VideoGame/{{Persona}}'' series:

!!Examples of {{Smug Snake}}s in video games:
%% Please help sort entries alphabetically by game.

* Sakaki from the ''VideoGame/DotHackGU'' trilogy is a classic Smug Snake who has moments of true MagnificentBastard-hood (notably his [[BreakTheCutie complete and total manipulation]] of [[LoveFreak Atoli]]), but he has more arrogance than skill, failing to comprehend how dangerous it is to use AIDA, and managed to get ''[[ZeroPercentApprovalRating the entire population of an MMORPG]]'' out for his blood after he somehow managed to convince CC Corp to give him Administration rights, and decided to host a Player Killer Tournament to trap Haseo.

* Sister Petrice of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', a backstabbing, conniving fanatic whose attempts to start a war with the Qunari from behind the scenes keep getting derailed by her utter contempt for her would-be accomplices and her inability to shut up about her racist beliefs at the most crucial moments.
** However, Kirkwall ''does'' get into a war with the Qunari, exactly as Petrice wanted. But Petrice only proved to be one-third of the sparks that ignited the fire; the other two were the city petitioning the Arishok to return a couple of recent elven converts, and the Tome of Koslun being stolen once again. So this trope ''still'' applies to Sister Petrice even if Petrice ultimately succeeded: Petrice is too incompetent to start a war with the Qunari on her own; a couple of events beyond Petrice's power to influence had to occur ''first.''

!! Unsorted:

* Quite a few in ''Franchise/MassEffect''.
** [[spoiler:Sovereign]] from ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' is very competent, but isn't above EvilGloating when he finally meets Shepard.
** If you don't invest in Charm/Intimidate points, Saren comes off as one too (again, however, a competent one).
** ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' has Warden Kuril, who turns out to be TooDumbToLive when he tries to capture Shepard's crew while still letting them keep their weapons.
** ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' provides a pair:
*** The Illusive Man jumps off the slippery slope in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', but being voiced by Creator/MartinSheen helps him maintain some gravitas [[spoiler:even as he loses his mind in the endgame. The player's ultimate interactions with him during that endgame determine whether he takes a shot at a HeelFaceTurn or remains a snake to the end]].
*** His new henchman Kai Leng, on the other hand, is possibly the [[KickTheDog biggest]] {{jerk|ass}} in the whole series. [[spoiler:Regardless of actions, the player ultimately must square off against him. However, player actions can provide an oh-so-satisfying heroic WhosLaughingNow moment where one gets to break his ego before his head.]]
* [[spoiler:Captain Shannon]] from ''VideoGame/TheOrionConspiracy'' turns out to be this. He had some potential for MagnificentBastard. He murdered Danny by having a concussion charge blow up, damage Danny's spacecraft, and it falls into a black hole. [[spoiler: Shannon]] had a wife, and he blames the main character Devlin for her death. Danny's death accomplished two things...1. It got to Devlin and hurt him, and 2. It made Devlin come to the space station, where [[spoiler: Shannon]] would be able to ''deal'' with him on his terms. Then he hideously murdered Kaufmann to frame Devlin. He had Devlin tossed into a makeshift prison, and said that he would hand Devlin over to the authorities once they arrive. It is revealed later that [[spoiler: Shannon]] planted a bomb in the shuttle that Devlin was going to be transported in, and that it would have blown up once it got two kilometres away from the station. Fortunately, Devlin escaped the prison before that happened. Then [[spoiler: Shannon]] personally confronted Devlin, held him at gunpoint, and ''smugly'' (ha, ha!) confessed to the murders and the reasons for committing them. Too bad for him he did not count on [[spoiler: Meyer]] (who he was on bad terms with) overhearing the confessions and jumping him.
* Lt. Blake and his boss, Captain Perry, in ''VideoGame/HeavyRain'' would have this kind of attitude around Norman Jayden. Count on the likes of Dr. Adrian Baker and Mad Jack.
* Eva-Beatrice of ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'' is incredibly arrogant as she treats her allies poorly whenever they fail to entertain her and acts like a jerk any time that she feels safe, and she gets reduced to a screaming mess when things don't go the way she wants them to.
** [[AmateurSleuth Furudo Erika]] manages to be even worse than Eva-Beatrice.
** [=EP7=] establishes [[spoiler:[[ActionMom Ushiromiya Kyrie]]]] as a ruthless murderer who gets away with murdering most other people... and then Eva shows up with a gun.
* Similarly, ''Manga/HiganbanaNoSakuYoruNi'' gives us Higanbana, who was introduced as this in [=EP1=]. Then again, that's just the first episode, so...
** Needless to say, Kanamori manages to be even more of a SmugSnake than Higanbana ever does, to the point of going insane at the best of times whenever he gets away with something.
* ''VideoGame/FearEffect'' presents Madame Chen. She is a pimp who runs a brothel behind a restaurant. She is a CardCarryingVillain. She can turn into a demon, and happily admits to being "a bitch from hell" when Hana calls her that. She never changes her attitude, even when Hana kills her off and she ends up in hell. Okay, she did give Hana a doll that allowed Hana [[spoiler: to meet her literal inner child]], but it didn't seem to redeem Madame Chen at all.
* ''VideoGame/LANoire'' has a lot of corrupt officials and cops of this, but Roy Earle takes the cake [[spoiler:since he's a KarmaHoudini]].
* Andre in the third ''VideoGame/{{Rayman}}'' game.
* Wario and Waluigi in the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series.
* Henry Leland from ''VideoGame/AlphaProtocol'' is a CorruptCorporateExecutive who spends the entire game smugly debriefing you of your misadventures. While he is also AffablyEvil, it's clear the main reason for this is because he thinks he's already won and is now just taking the time to politely rub it in your face. [[spoiler:Unless you take his offer of WeCanRuleTogether and decide not to screw him over in the ending, Mike outplays him quite handily.]]
* Mastema from ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'' acts slimier and slimier the further you get in the game, blatantly [[ManipulativeBastard playing on Zelenin's insecurities]] and acting like an arrogant dick to everyone else. Then in the [[MultipleEndings Chaos path]], [[spoiler:he has a rather impressive VillainousBreakdown, revealing that he doesn't even have the excuse of having admirable motives]]. It's rather satisfying to see [[LouisCypher Louisa Ferre]] rip his excuses to shreds as he ingloriously dies.
* [[BigBad Kuja]] from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX,'' is a genuine threat--but not only is he ''obscenely'' arrogant and cruel, he's ultimately unable to overcome his fear of death. Essentially, he has the mind and air of a wicked genius, but the temperament and personality of a frightened, spoiled child. This mainly shows up in the latter half of the game. It's played UpToEleven in ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy''.
* Myron in ''VideoGame/Fallout2'' is a teenage chemist who is responsible for creating the addictive drug Jet. While he is undoubtedly a genius he is absolutely useless in combat and is generally a pretty terrible person overall.
* Caesar in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' is rare strain of this trope as he's not only competent, but the game's BigBad; he's just not ''as'' competent as he thinks he is. He doesn't even make a token effort to sway the Courier's loyalties if you oppose the Legion; he openly insults your intelligence if you ask about his beliefs, and if you try to release Benny he blackmails you into killing him, even though it will likely only give you another reason to hate the Legion.
** Benny himself is also quite the smug prick. An arrogant would-be schemer who makes a habit of backstabbing anyone who trusts him and is convinced that he's the cat's meow, while he's not completely incompetent he still heavily overestimates his abilities. For one, Mr. House is fully aware of Benny's schemes and for all his charm his lies tend to be incredibly transparent due to a combination of his [[JiveTurkey speech patterns]] and his sneering attitude.
* Handsome Jack of ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}''. Every word out of his mouth is him gloating about how he is always one step ahead of you, and that you have no chance. Not to mention [[ReminiscingAboutYourVictims the way he discusses the death of his victims]]...
** Like [[VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas Caesar]], Jack is another example that is genuinely competent enough to hold his own as the BigBad, to the point where, for a large portion of the game, [[spoiler:''he's actually right'' [[XanatosGambit on that first part]]]].
** Rhys from ''Videogame/TalesFromTheBorderlands'' is a Handsome Jack fanboy, and makes a big effort to talk, act and even move like him. It comes off as a painfully awkward, and the times he's actually in control of the situation can be counted on one hand.
* Matt in ''VideoGame/PAYDAYTheHeist'' pulls a FaceHeelTurn on your crew in the middle of the heist by pulling a gun and locking you inside a room as he runs off with the money. He taunts you before leaving and even after you catch up to him when he gets into an auto accident, he refuses to come out and says he rather have the cops deal with you. The crew decides to light the van on fire to burn him out and when he comes out, he begs to be let go while the crew drags him to the rendezvouses point threatening that they may cut his arm off to detach the briefcase of money he has on his arm.
** ''VideoGame/PAYDAY2'' has the Commissar, the BigBad of the ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'' heist. When the crew finally corner him, he locks himself in his vault, and taunts the crew mercilessly, saying that they won’t survive the cops, that he will live... [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and that he’s enjoying a martini.]]
* Most of the villains in ''VideoGame/RadiantHistoria'', but especially [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen Protea]]. She's petty, vain, incompetent, has an extremely inflated sense of her own importance, disregards her stepdaughter completely, [[KickTheDog kicks any dogs within reach]], and is so oblivious to everything actually going on that she's effortlessly manipulated by [[DragonInChief her advisors]]. When the party actually confronts her in one timeline, she refuses to believe her army could possibly be losing when several of the enemy commanders have just burst into her throne room, and doesn't actually get it through her skull that she should be worried until Stocke is actually holding a blade to her neck.
* Cesare Borgia from ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'' is one in every sense of the word. At first he seemed like a WorthyOpponent of protagonist Ezio Auditore, but he turned out to be nothing more than a delusional tyrant who fancied himself as an invincible and invulnerable king. He thought that everything was under his control but when [[spoiler:he killed his father Rodrigo, who was [[TheManBehindTheMan the real man with all the power]]]] and everything started spiralling downwards from there, it soon becomes apparent that Cesare merely lived off his father's name and reputation. A sharp contrast to his RealLife counterpart who was a MagnificentBastard.
* Late in ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'', Kreia helps [[spoiler:Atris]] turn into this by convincing her to take up the role of Darth Traya, the eternal betrayer. [[spoiler:Kreia is herself Darth Traya and has been playing Atris, along with every other person she meets, like a fiddle. Atris never even gets out of her Academy and realizes she's been had as soon as the Exile beats her in battle]].
* A lot of bad guys in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' fit this bill.
** Skavak, overarching rival to the Smuggler, is a greedy backstabber, womanizer, and all around asshole. He seduces half the women in the galaxy, then abandons them when [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness they’ve given him whatever he wants.]]
** Tarro Blood of the Bounty Hunter storyline. A disgraced [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Mandalorian]], he reenters the Great Hunt after ten years in exile, and eliminates the competition by either buying them off, or killing them. When the Hunter grows closer to winning, Tarro downloads the list of Great Hunt targets, and sells them to the highest bidder, conviniently omitting his own targets. Once you finally catch up to him, he smugly boasts that he is the superior hunter, while in a cell... one which he [[JediMindTrick locked himself in.]]
** Jedi Master Jun Seros, also of the Bounty Hunter storyline. Only content to attack you from afar, then calls you a murderer for killing the forces sent to arrest you. Also a {{Hypocrite}} of the highest order; he defames the Bounty Hunter for murder of his allies, yet when he ambushes and kills the Hunter’s allies, who had nothing to do with them until recently, he says that it isn’t murder, as “they made their choice”.
** [[SmugSuper A lot of Jedi or Sith]] you meet tend to be this, particularly if you’re playing as one of the [[BadassNormal ranged classes.]] They’re derisive of you, and believe you don’t stand a chance against them. Once the smoke clears, and they’re lying in a heap, they usually whine about how someone without the Force could beat them.
* Avery Naillev in ''Mishap 2: An Intentional Haunting''. In his diary, he depicts his fellow scientists as miles below him and one of the main characters as a naive fool with no consideration for the possible monetary applications of his greatest invention. He stole the blueprints, arranged for it to explode and confidently expected that said main character's widow would be grieving and in need of comfort. Yet when the main characters invade his island fortress he gets so rattled, despite his AffablyEvil facade, that he has one of the ghosts which unwillingly serve him[[note]]A rodeo cowboy, to be specific.[[/note]] literally rope them into the events of chapter five.

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'': Orvas Dren, the leader of the thuggish, brutal, [[DrugsAreBad drug-pushing]], [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil slave-trading]] [[TheSyndicate Cammona]] [[TheMafia Tong]]. He's arrogant, prideful, and extremely confident in his position, having two members of the [[ProudMerchantRace House Hlaalu]] council and the lead of the [[AdventureGuild Fighters' Guild]] in his pocket. He has no qualms with plotting to assassinate and overthrow his ReasonableAuthorityFigure brother, Duke Vedam Dren, and has been steering the Cammona Tong down even more morally repugnant paths, such as hiring bounty hunters to track down escaped slaves, using slaves as drug mules and [[spoiler: working with the Sixth House, creepy cultists of the devil of the Dunmeri religion.]].
** Series' [[OverarchingVillain recurring villain]] Mannimarco, a [[TheDreaded dreaded]] [[OurLichesAreDifferent Lich]][=/=]{{Necromancer}}, has acted this way in every appearance to date. He tends to see himself as more of a MagnificentBastard, but his schemes have repeatedly failed (or have been generally less successful than hoped) due to his {{Fatal Flaw}}s of {{Pride}} and arrogance.
* Palawa Joko, still a very threatening EvilOverlord in ''VideoGame/GuildWars'', got his ass handed to him by Turai Ossa mostly because [[UnderestimatingBadassery he grossly underestimated his opponent's power and wit]]. In the ''Path of Fire'' campaign of ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'', the PlayerCharacter learns that [[spoiler: he made an alliance with [[JerkassGods Balthazar]] and helped him create his forged army before being quickly betrayed and sealed away in the Domain of the Lost once the forged army was ready to invade Elona. Still imprisoned by a magic too powerful for anyone to break it, he still boasts about his own greatness and even tries to bargain with the player and boss them around as if he was in any position to do so, and upon refusal, and worse, the player coming with a plan that he doesn't like, he goes on a long and detailed rant about how he will get revenge on all those who dared to betray him.]]
* Mayor Dalmore from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'' is a self-assured noble ass who's ObviouslyEvil plan is to burn down an orphanage so he can make room to build luxury housing to sell off to the rich, all so he can pay off his massive debt. When the protagonists point out he could [[StatingTheSimpleSolution sell his luxury estate to cover his debt]], he hypocritically protests that he can't get rid of his home. His plan is quickly found out and while he's quick to gloat that he's protected by code of conduct and has an artifact of power to help, it's not much good and he's quickly reduced to a panicking coward. [[spoiler:Weisman]] ultimately proves to be little better. While his plan is a good and complex one with a particularly sadistic failsafe, when the party manage to beat him he's hardly capable of believing it. It never occurred to him his second in command with a sword that can cut through anything would object to TheReveal that [[spoiler:he kickstarted the war that massacred his village]] and betray him. When he tries to pull a VillainExitStageLeft, [[ChurchMilitant Keven]] made damn sure he won't.
* Grand Secretary Atsura, TheSpymaster for Rautai in ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternityIIDeadfire'', might actually be a convincing mastermind if the narration didn't go out of its way to point out [[TheUnsmile how fake his every display of emotion is]]. He's clever enough to make his job offers in terms of the Watcher's known reputations -- whether they're motivated by a ChronicHeroSyndrome, [[NotInThisForYourRevolution a sack of coins]], or [[ForTheEvulz an opportunity to hurt people]] -- but he defaults too quickly to "smug and enigmatic" if the Watcher presses them for details.

%%* ''VideoGame/{{Strider}}:'' Matic, especially in the manga for his kick the sheep affair

** The second part has Hilda from Cronos, a powerhungry LadyOfBlackMagic who's very full of herself and seems a little too controlling of Ishtar, her own daughter, who's far more powerful than her because of her Major Tordo Holy Blood and only follows her around because she understands familial love and piety. And then there's her EvilGloating [[spoiler: about having tortured and pretty much killed her "traitorous" sister-in-law Tailtiu (or her sister Ethnia, if Tailtiu had no kids)]], in which players find so satisfying to wipe off from her face using [[spoiler: Tailtiu's kids Tine and Arthur (or in Ethnia's case, ''her'' kids Linda and Amid)]].

*** The Dark Mage Zola can be seen as such, ''especially'' in the ''Conquest'' and ''Revelation'' paths (in ''Birthright'', he hangs around a little more and shows a more sympathetic side). He disguises himself as Duke Izana, kidnaps him and impersonates him in his own palace (which technically speaking is a ''war crime'') in hopes of conspiring against the protagonist and does ''not'' react well when uncovered and defeated, like when he tries to kidnap Sakura in ''Revelation'' after losing [[spoiler: and is VERY easily shot down and killed by Leo.]]

*** Speaking of the Flame Emperor, their henchman Metodey, another assassin who only appears during the raid on the Holy Tomb, talks about the colorful ways he plans on slaughtering his enemies. He doesn't last very long either, begging for his life after he's defeated and claiming he was JustFollowingOrders.

* Zetta from ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom'' is another good guy example, though far less sympathetic and PlayedForLaughs. Despite declaring himself the "Most badass freaking overlord in the universe" about once a scene he spends most of the game powerless, surviving mostly on the charity of people he regularly insults. The game levels things out by making him a regularly mocked ButtMonkey.

* [[WickedWitch Maghda]] from ''VideoGame/DiabloIII''.
** Azmodan as well, whose boasting about his "brilliant strategy and sneak attacks" to the player's face lets them counterattack flawlessly. [[NiceJobFixingItVillain Ultimately, Azmodan does more damage to his army than the entire enemy force]], including the OneManArmy player character. He ''is'' the anthropomorphic personification of Pride, after all.
* [[BigBad The Guardian]] from the ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'' series, at least in ''VideoGame/UltimaVII: The Black Gate''. He constantly taunts, insults and annoys the Avatar in feeble attempts to scare you off, all the while you uncover his plots, undermine [[ChurchOfHappyology the Fellowship]], gather plot coupons and smash the prism generators. Even though he's fully aware of everything you do he never bother to alert the Fellowship to the fact that ''you are not their friend'', his own [[TheDragon Dragon]] Batlin keeps treating you like a clueless dupe right up until you try to interrogate him with the prism cube, and when you finally pull out your ace and foil his plan, he's downright ''shocked'' that you were able to stop him.
* Jazz from the first two ''Videogame/WingCommander'' games. At first he just appears to be a smug asshole, but the [[TheMole reality]] [[UnfriendlyFire is]] [[LesCollaborateurs considerably]] [[{{Frameup}} worse]].
* Amon from the ''VideoGame/{{Lufia}}'' series. He's the Sinistral of Chaos, making him the most qualified to become a MagnificentBastard when compared to the Sinistrals of Destruction, Death, and Terror. Unfortunately, he's also the second of four Sinistrals. This means that he doesn't show up until the heroes have become strong enough to [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu kill the God of Destruction]], and he's not high enough up the ranks to be the BigBad or even TheDragon. He generally gets off one good plan, and then gets defeated quickly enough to get the real BigBad more screentime.
** Idura from ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals'', and especially the remake ''VideoGame/LufiaCurseOfTheSinistrals'', manages to completely overshadow Amon in this regard. He's just as overconfident, but doesn't have the justification of being a God. Instead, he spends most of his time laughing while kidnapping babies and girlfriends. Appropriately, he develops a rivalry with the BoisterousBruiser of the team, and most of his "brilliant traps" are overcome with brute force.
* Given how much backstory and justifications he's been given in the canon of ''Franchise/DragonAge'', [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation fans are still arguing]] whether this applies to Loghain, but one of his lackeys, Rendon Howe, is a golden example of this trope. Not only is he overconfident, arrogant and rude towards the PC, he even crosses the MoralEventHorizon ''twice'' on the very basic game that plays out to all origins and completely vaporizes it in Human Noble origins: [[spoiler:you find out that Howe earned his title as Teyrn of Highever by slaughtering the former noble's family, despite them being his old friends.]] That incredibly smug smile and Creator/TimCurry's voice only strengthen his position as one of the meanest characters (and as the most satisfying bossfight) in the whole game.
** Arl Howe is so bad that after his death, the player can overhear a conversation regarding his funeral between two nobles, one of whom had been a friend of Howe's in their youth. The other noble asks why he isn't going to the funeral and if he'll let Howe [[LonelyFuneral go unmourned]], to which the friend replies that [[AndThereWasMuchRejoicing the only thing worth mourning is that Howe didn't die years ago]].
** Bann Vaughan is another example. In the City Elf origin, he abducts the female members of the elf marriage party. What follows is the PlayerCharacter going on a [[RoaringRampageofRevenge roaring rampage of revenge]] to save the girls. He realizes the PlayerCharacter, covered head-to-toe in the blood of his household guards, may actually pose a threat to him, but he's [[TooDumbToLive too stupid]] to just let the girls go. He's smug, entitled, sadistic and treats all [[FantasticRacism elfs with absolute disdain]]. He'll even be racist to an elf PlayerCharacter who [[spoiler: he's relying on to rescue him from Arl Howe's TortureCellar.]]
* Sister Petrice of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', a backstabbing, conniving fanatic whose attempts to start a war with the Qunari from behind the scenes keep getting derailed by her utter contempt for her would-be accomplices and her inability to shut up about her racist beliefs at the most crucial moments.
** However, Kirkwall ''does'' get into a war with the Qunari, exactly as Petrice wanted. But Petrice only proved to be one-third of the sparks that ignited the fire; the other two were the city petitioning the Arishok to return a couple of recent elven converts, and the Tome of Koslun being stolen once again. So this trope ''still'' applies to Sister Petrice even if Petrice ultimately succeeded: Petrice is too incompetent to start a war with the Qunari on her own; a couple of events beyond Petrice's power to influence had to occur ''first.''
* Livius Erimond of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' is an arrogant, manipulative Tevinter Magister who allied with the BigBad in the hopes of being made a god. [[spoiler: After tricking the Orlesian Grey Wardens into resorting to human sacrifice, blood magic, and demon binding,]] he laughs off any punishment the Inquisitor gives him at his trial. Unless the player happens to be a mage, that is. And mages know better than anyone that Tranquility is a FateWorseThanDeath...
--> Erimond: The Blight is not unstoppable or uncontrollable; it is simply a tool.
--> Varric: Someone's definitely a tool.
--> Dorian: No, Livius. You're a tool.
--> Sera: He's a tool.
* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue''
** Hazama/Terumi might as well be the poster boy for smug snakes. The man is constantly associated with snakes, almost never stops disregarding even the biggest threats around him as he is confident they can do nothing to stop him, his weapon is a chain with a snake head called Ouroboros which is a symbol traditionally represented as a snake biting its own tail, and at the end of ''Continuum Shift'', Takamagahara actually refers to him as "The Snake". However, his smugness is entirely justified in that [[spoiler:he is using magic to learn and retain knowledge of every single possibility in the time-space continuum]]. Not even the otherwise-omniscient Takamagahara could do that.
*** What keeps him from being a full-blown MagnificentBastard is that he easily loses his cool if, in any way, his plans are disrupted, he is not being regarded as [[ItsAllAboutMe the centre of the universe]] or his "truth" is called into question [[note]]a true MagnificentBastard would keep his cool even if the proverbial seat of his pants is on fire - a spectacular meltdown is expected only if ''every'' once-viable outcome now leads to defeat[[/note]]. His knowledge of the time loops and continuum shifts is meaningless if he fails, or refuses to understand the motivations of his victims - half-formed layers of backup plans can only carry one so far before an exploit is found. Case in point: ''[[EvilCannotComprehendGood Slight Hope]]''. That said, when things go belly-up, [[SmugSuper he's usually more than capable of beating the shit out of whoever screwed him over]] [[spoiler:especially once he gets the Susanoo Unit and his full power back]].
** Jin Kisaragi has an incredibly over-inflated ego and gleefully treats everyone around him (Noel in particular) as trash. The only person whom he has a modicum of respect to is Tsubaki.
* Vincent from ''VideoGame/SilentHill3''. He has a case of HeelFaceRevolvingDoor around Heather and Claudia and spends his time not only allying with either of them, but also snarking them.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' brought us a literal Smug Snake in Snivy, the Grass-type starter Pokémon. As if its actual name doesn't make the point clear enough, it quickly started [[FanNickname being called]] "Smugleaf". And it only gets smugger throughout its entire evolution line. There's a reason its final evolution Serperior [[FanNickname is nicknamed]] "Smuglord", and its actual name certainly makes the point too. Even its Pokédex entry agrees. [[WordOfGod Ken Sugimori]] has stated that Snivy's personality was meant to be similar to that of European (particularly {{French|Jerk}}) nobility, so [[JustifiedTrope that's why]].

* ''VideoGame/BaldursGate''
** He gets little development or even screen time, but Angelo probably qualifies based on the one scene. He's [[BigBad Sarevok's]] lackey who takes over the local law-enforcing mercenary company when Sarevok's plans to get its real leaders out of the way go into motion. When you are arrested for murders you were either framed for or goaded into actually committing by Sarevok, he's more than happy to glibly sentence you to death for a list of imaginary charges besides murder, clearly enjoying the abuse of power. He even gets a potential KickTheDog moment in that if you mouth off to him in a way that manages to actually annoy him, he'll have a random party member killed on the spot. He's even annoying in the final battle, as he's equipped with a haste effect and a quiver full of Arrows of Detonation.
** Even more so, Isaea Roenall in the next game. He oozes it. "Don't take it so hard, I'm just... better than you. Oh, and feel free to lodge a complaint with the proper authority. That would be... me." He too abuses his military position to get away with anything, including kidnapping one of your party members when she doesn't want to go trough with their arranged marriage. Luckily, the ensuing quest lets you bring him down in flames. This is ''very'' satisfying.
** Edwin, a ''party member''. His dialogue clearly indicates that he thinks he's a MagnificentBastard and he almost never shuts up about his masculinity and being a Red Wizard. Problem is, he doesn't realize that he's one of the designated comic relief characters...
** "Baron" Ployer, an ex-slaver that was exposed and humiliated by Jahiera and is now plotting a harebrained revenge scheme; Galvarey, a corrupt Harper that seeks to use the PC's status as a Bhaalspawn as a bargaining chip to increase his status; and [[spoiler:Dermin, Jahiera's former mentor who was in on Galveray's schemes and is just as bad as he was.]]
* Ramon Salazar from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' fits this trope to a T. He's a smug elfish character, who constantly condescends Leon Kennedy by [[LastNameBasis calling him by his last name]] and ensuring that the next trap will surely kill him. The further Leon gets into the castle, Salazar [[VillainousBreakdown starts to lose his smug sarcasm, and yells "JUST DIE, YOU WORM!".]] The last battle with him is so annoying and deliberate, several players simply use the OneHitKill rocket launcher to be rid of his irritating ass.
** Ricardo Irving from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'' is the spiritual successor to Salazar, except taller and with an even more irritating boss battle. An arms dealer with zero scruples or loyalty, he happily seeks to profit by selling biological weapons to the highest bidder, even when that highest bidder intends to kill off nearly all life in the world.
** Ozwell E. Spencer, BigBad and TheManBehindTheMan to the whole series is one of these as well. He wanted to [[AGodAmI be a god]], but had no idea how to go about doing it, so he hired the various {{Evil Genius}}es who make up the antagonistic characters, and let them research at will, hoping one of them would create a way for him to achieve his godhood. In a series full of brilliant or horrifying bad guys with OneWingedAngel forms that are the stuff of nightmares, Spencer stands out as an EvilCripple and TheManBehindTheCurtain, who waits far too long to put his plan into action, and eventually sees it hijacked by his former protege, Albert Wesker. Smug, condescending, and not nearly as smart as he thinks he is, the [[EvilOldFolks old man]] is one of these to the end.
** Albert Wesker himself also takes the cake. In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica'', Wesker brags about how he will use the T-Virus to bring about change and attempts to kill Chris Redfield for revenge after Chris had foiled his plans in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil''. By ''Resident Evil 5'', Wesker is high off the AGodAmI trope as he constantly brags about bringing evolutionary changes to the world with Uroboros and how he will be a god of the new world. Towards the end of the game, Wesker gets more agitated as Chris and Sheva keep avoiding Wesker's death traps, creatures, and himself and it isn't until [[spoiler: Chris stabs Wesker with a serum overdose to throw his body out of balance that Wesker gets extremely pissed off and then goes OneWingedAngel by infected himself with Uroboros.]]
** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil7Biohazard'' follows Salazar and Irving's tradition with Lucas Baker, eldest child of the [[TheFamilyThatSlaysTogether Baker family]], engineering prodigy, [[TheTrickster trickster]], and gleeful criminal and SerialKiller whose favorite hobby is gearing his intellect towards whipping up death and torture machines into which he throws his family's prisoners as a form of sadistic "play". When he's got a screen or a microphone to hide behind and an operation or scheme's going according to plan, he's mockingly chatty and perky, and he makes it clear he's convinced that his intelligence and planning is infallible... but he's also a scatterbrain, and it coming around to bite him in the ass and spoil his "fun" is enough to send him from lording over his premature "victories" to all-out ''[[PsychopathicManchild tantrums]].''
* Duke Snakeheart from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2''. As if his name didn't give it away, he's a smug bastard who thinks he has it all planned out and tries to do things his way, in spite of the other Duelhorn members objecting to his actions. In the end, [[spoiler: he admits to being the one that leaked Duelhorn's battle strategy and poisoned the girl Maquis saved for no apparent reason. In fact, during the fight, he says that he trusts no one but himself. He only questions the error of his ways once you defeat him]].
* "Queen" Valentina from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' shows many traits of your classical Smug Snake, including an over-inflated ego as well as a penchant for treating her underlings (specially her fat, feathered punching bag of a [[TheDragon dragon]] Dodo) and everyone she encounters with as little respect as possible.
* Everybody not on the Tokugawa side in ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'' sees Ieyasu as a Smug Snake.
** In the crossover series ''VideoGame/WarriorsOrochi'', Masamune becomes one. He also tends to be paired with Sima Yi, the Smug Snake of ''Videogame/DynastyWarriors'' as the two tend to share the same arrogant demeanor and the [[VerbalTic habit of referring to others as "Imbeciles"]].
* ''VideoGame/BatenKaitosOrigins'':
** Every significant villain except Baelheit himself has a tendency to trip over this trope at one point or another, mainly because of their tendency to rely on advanced weapons/magic as a crutch to take out people far stronger than them, then act completely flabbergasted when it finally doesn't work. All arma-users also seem motivated exclusively by arrogance, until their various [[HeelFaceTurn heel face turns,]] and Wiseman seems convinced that his magic is the most powerful force in the universe until the very end of the game.
** [[TheDragon Shanath]], who is unusually competent for a SmugSnake.
* Prince Lacroix from ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines''. Arrogant, smug and power-hungry; Lacroix condescends to you and sends you on suicide missions at every opportunity. He wants you dead for political convenience, so every mission is a XanatosGambit - Further his aims or be out of his way. [[TheChessmaster He plots and schemes, playing key characters against each other to get what he wants]]. Whenever things don't go his way, he'll throw a childish temper tantrum.
** Alternately, he spams Dominate.
** And in the end, his schemes don't matter. [[spoiler:Because the Ankharan Sarcophagus he spends the whole game trying to get not only never had an Antidevelluvian he could commit [[CannibalismSuperPower diablerie]] on, but the mummy has long since been switched out for a bomb set to blow on whoever opens it.]]
* As one of the LongRunners, ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' has ''many'' of these:
** Chagall of Agustria from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar Genealogy of the Holy War]]'' is a selfish, cowardly, treacherous king who killed his father Imuka to inherit (which makes him hated by everyone, as Imuka was TheGoodKing), then mistreats his top knight Eldigan [[spoiler: and executes him despite his loyalty, therefore taking away his most powerful fighter and provoking the ire of Sigurd and Lachesis]]. In the end, Shagall ends up all alone and is ultimately slain (or, in one of the mangas, [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled commits suicide rather than fighting]]).
*** Then there's Andrei of Jungby and Lombard from Dozel, both of them greedy noblemen from Grannvale who conspire against Sigurd for power. Andrei is especially notorious since he entered the conspiracy by killing his own dad a la Chagall, which makes [[EvenEvilHasStandards even Lombard despise him]].
** The second part has Hilda from Cronos, a powerhungry LadyOfBlackMagic who's very full of herself and seems a little too controlling of Ishtar, her own daughter, who's far more powerful than her because of her Major Tordo Holy Blood and only follows her around because she understands familial love and piety. And then there's her EvilGloating [[spoiler: about having tortured and pretty much killed her "traitorous" sister-in-law Tailtiu (or her sister Ethnia, if Tailtiu had no kids)]], in which players find so satisfying to wipe off from her face using [[spoiler: Tailtiu's kids Tine and Arthur (or in Ethnia's case, ''her'' kids Linda and Amid)]].
** Narcian from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade The Binding Blade]]'' fits this trope almost perfectly. He is a very narcissistic DragonRider with a tendency to bear grudges, and will not hesitate to let his underlings die for him so that he can live; plus, his StalkerWithACrush tendencies towards [[WhiteMage Clarine]] cause him to ''massively'' lose a battle he should've won at the beginning. Eventually, due to his constant failings, Zephiel demotes him, replacing him with [[AntiVillain Galle]]. He is given one last chance to redeem himself in the defense of Etruria's palace, but he fails and is killed.
** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade The Blazing Blade]]'':
*** Sonia Reed believes herself to be the most powerful mage and heartlessly manipulates her husband, the guy's family ''and'' her adoptive daughter Nino to please Lord Nergal. While she ''is'' a powerful LadyOfBlackMagic, her arrogance is such that [[spoiler: her daughter's partner Jaffar would rather have a HeelFaceTurn than obey her orders]], and in the end [[spoiler: either Limstella simply leaves her to die in disgust, or Nergal finishes her off [[YouHaveFailedMe for failing him]].]]
*** Ephidel and his perpetual and ''extremely'' irritating grin. Fittingly, he's probably the most utterly disgusting character in the game, at least among those who aren't [[AxCrazy out of their minds]].
** Pablo, Riev and especially Valter from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones''. The first one only thinks "MoneyDearBoy" and tries to bribe everyone in his way; the second is a SinisterMinister worshiping a Dark God without reason at all, and the third is a monstrous BloodKnight who wants either to bloodily kill Ephraim or keep Eirika as his SexSlave.
** Lekain from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn Radiant Dawn]]'' is almost capable enough to be mistaken for a MagnificentBastard. A high-ranking member of Begnion's Senate, Lekain arranged the Serenes Massacre and assassinated the previous Apostle, placing Princess Sanaki, whom he thought he could easily manipulate, on the throne in her place (while making sure Sanaki's older half-sister/the real heir [[spoiler: aka Micaiah]] pulled a disappearing act). He's also TheManBehindTheMan to Izuka and Naesala, and it gets to the point where if something bad happened to a character it was probably Lekain's fault. However, at the end of the day, he's a BigBadWannabe and an UnwittingPawn of [[spoiler: Sephiran]], the game's real BigBad and an actual MagnificentBastard. The business with [[LittleMissBadass Sanaki]] really backfired on him.
** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' has one in [[SissyVillain Excellus]], one of the main villains of the Walhart arc. He believes himself to be a MagnificentBastard, but constantly overestimates his own intelligence, and even those on his side have [[NoRespectGuy no respect for him]] and have no qualms against insulting him to his face, with Walhart himself openly stating that Excellus is nothing but an amateur compared to [[PlayerCharacter the Avatar]]. On top of it all, during Walhart's final stand, he flat-out tells Excellus to his face that not only is he no threat to him whatsoever, but Walhart knew all along that Excellus was plotting to betray him, and kept him alive solely because Excellus amused him. Bonus points for Walhart explicitly calling him a snake.
** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'':
*** Iago, an EvilSorcerer who serves as King Garon's [[EvilChancellor highest adviser]] and [[TheStrategist tactician]]. He likes to think he is a MagnificentBastard, similar to how the above [[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Excellus]] does, but his plans almost never turn out right, to the point that even his king mocks him for being useless. This is generally due to his underestimation of [[PlayerCharacter the Avatar.]]
*** Hans, Garon's other retainer, is not much better. Yes, at times he follows orders very well (like when he provokes Hoshidans into attacking him to give an excuse for war and [[spoiler: tosses TeamDad Gunter into the Bottomless Canyon]]), but in the end he's just a BloodKnight [[TheBrute Brute]] who [[DumbMuscle isn't very bright]] and [[KickTheDog punts puppies]] for no reason.
*** The Dark Mage Zola can be seen as such, ''especially'' in the ''Conquest'' and ''Revelation'' paths (in ''Birthright'', he hangs around a little more and shows a more sympathetic side). He disguises himself as Duke Izana, kidnaps him and impersonates him in his own palace (which technically speaking is a ''war crime'') in hopes of conspiring against the protagonist and does ''not'' react well when uncovered and defeated, like when he tries to kidnap Sakura in ''Revelation'' after losing [[spoiler: and is VERY easily shot down and killed by Leo.]]
** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' has a pair of one-shot villains from the first act who fit the bill:
*** Kronya, an assassin working for "those who slither in the dark", whose main act of cruelty was to [[spoiler:disguise herself as a ([[KillAndReplace possibly deceased]]) former academy student and kill the player character's father for "getting in the way"]] and gloat about it, provoking a RoaringRampageOfRevenge from the PlayerCharacter that gets her killed in short order and used as fuel for a forbidden [[TheDarkArts dark magic]] spell that awakens the player character's NextTierPowerUp form. Even the Flame Emperor, who is nominally supposed to be on the same side as Kronya, finds her "annoying".
*** Speaking of the Flame Emperor, their henchman Metodey, another assassin who only appears during the raid on the Holy Tomb, talks about the colorful ways he plans on slaughtering his enemies. He doesn't last very long either, begging for his life after he's defeated and claiming he was JustFollowingOrders.

* In ''VideoGame/TheTrappedTrilogy'' series of {{Adventure Game}}s, [[BigBad Dan McNeely]] is a particularly memetic example. While the creator probably meant for him to be a MagnificentBastard, the sheer number of [[PlotHole plot]] [[VoodooShark holes]] diminish whatever guile or cunning he can demonstrate, leaving only his sneering tone apparent.
** Creator/EdwynTiong, the voice actor for [=McNeely=], was considered so distinctively smug that he was later invited to do a DramaticReading of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRf800DiOrc blog entries]] of [[SmallNameBigEgo Matthew Dickie]].

* Nicholai from ''VideoGame/ShadowHeartsCovenant'' tries ''so'' hard to be a MagnificentBastard. He's charismatic, scheming and utterly selfish, and loves to taunt you from just outside your reach. He sets up deals with every evil faction in the game so that whoever remains standing at the end, he should achieve his goals. He even [[spoiler:contracts the power of a ''god'']]! Unfortunately for him, he doesn't quite count on Yuri kicking the crap out of everyone, his plan to [[spoiler:release the Malice of Apoina Tower]] comes off as petty revenge, and he ends up getting completely outmaneuvered by someone even ''more'' scheming. And the completely undignified way in which he finally bites the dirt.

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer''
** Seth in ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianDawn Tiberian Dawn]]'', in contrast to Kane, his MagnificentBastard of a boss.
** Another would be Anatoly Cherdenko in ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3 Red Alert 3]]'', the Soviet Premier. Unsurprising as he's played by Creator/TimCurry.
** GDI Director Redmond Boyle in ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberiumWars Tiberium Wars]]'' eventually falls into this trope and he is played by Creator/BillyDeeWilliams who pulls it off magnificently.
* Zant, the Usurper Twilight King, in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess''.
** Any Zelda villain that gets HijackedByGanon tends to end up a Smug Snake.
** Vaati in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap'' comes off as a Smug Snake as well, with his digitialized "Mmmhm mhm" laughter, it doesn't help when one realized [[spoiler: He used to be an itty bitty Minish, taking away a good chunk of his 'evil aura' - Minish Vaati is just too cute!]]
** The BigBad of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', Lord Ghirahim, acts really smug around Link, thinking that a human like him can't stand up to a demon. [[spoiler:After Link beats him twice, he [[VillainousBreakdown stops acting like this]] and doesn't hold back in their third and final fight.]]
** Yuga of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds'' is practically the ''poster child'' of this trope. He's a ''massively'' arrogant and condescending prick who cannot open his mouth without insulting everything and everyone around him. Despite that, he proves to be more dangerous than he looks considering [[spoiler: he's the first ''Zelda'' villain to ''invert HijackedByGanon'' by possessing Ganon and effectively remains the BigBad when he betrays Princess Hilda, who was working with him]].
* Dr. Wallace Breen of ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' fame. Acting as the puppet governor for the Combine, Breen keeps spouting out propaganda about the good intentions of "our benefactors" throughout the game (despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary) as well as making disparaging remarks on how Dr. Freeman "has created nothing". He is not even above threatening the transhuman Combine soldiers with "permanent off-world assignment" as a punishment for failure or, for that matter, the ''entire human race'' with extinction if they do not comply. He also seemingly betrays his own [[TheMole Mole]] within LaResistance, [[spoiler:Dr. Mossman]], refusing to make a bargain for [[spoiler:Dr. Vance]]'s life. Breen keeps [[EvilGloating gloating]] about how Freeman will be "destroyed in every way possible and some ways that are essentially ''im''possible" even when he is about to escape through the Combine portal. [[spoiler: He is apparently killed as Freeman damages the dark fusion reactor, causing the portal to collapse.]]
** AlternateCharacterInterpretation suggests he genuinely believes that sucking up to the Combine is the only thing that will stop them from wiping out mankind. The resistance believes ''Gordon'' is the only thing that will stop them.
* ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'':
** Saleh from ''VideoGame/TalesOfRebirth''. This guy is presented as a badass member of the Kingdom's Elites, but all he does is approach the heroes, taunt them, and do nothing. Later on, after being lectured by Tytree, he comes in denial that there is no way that the human heart can defeat him. So what does he do? Taunt the team even more rather than kicking their ass. Add to the fact that he's all doing it ForTheEvulz, he's as smug as you can get.
** Grand Maestro Mohs from ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'' is a high-level member of the CorruptChurch with designs to plunge the world into all-out war "for its own good". He's also a VillainWithGoodPublicity (even amongst some of your party members), and legally untouchable because he never touches anything directly. He is as such free to spend most of the game's story smugly plotting on the sidelines and looking down at both ally and enemy without suffering any personal backlash, even after performing the game's arguably biggest KickTheDog moment by [[spoiler:killing Ion]]. [[spoiler:He's finally killed after devolving into an AxCrazy OneWingedAngel.]]
** Rideaux from ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia2'' is a doctor agent for the Spirius Corporation, and leaves a very sour first impression by blackmailing Ludger and saddling him with a 20 million gald debt. He continues to be a thorn in the party's side from that point on, taunting them and going so far as to fight them on multiple occasions, but they're forced to put up with him, due to being under the employ of the same organization for the sake of trying to save the world. [[spoiler:He ultimately gets a very satisfying VillainousBreakdown when he learns that the organization intends to use him as a sacrifice to open the way to the Land of Canaan; something he ends up being powerless to prevent.]]
* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsReversal'': Duminuss, as depicted in the ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars: [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration Original Generation]]'' series, has had a number of grand schemes blow up in her face due to not thinking them all the way through.
** Archibald Grims from the same series considers himself a MagnificentBastard, and ''does'' manage to force Elzam to [[SadisticChoice kill his own wife]] in the backstory. In the game proper, however, he's little more than a CardCarryingVillain who likes to "accidentally" shoot civilians ForTheEvulz. He even invites one of his subordinates for [[WickedCultured a spot of tea]]... And screws that up by using a teabag, and explaining that he only drinks red tea because he's ''evil'' [[DontExplainTheJoke and it looks like blood]].
* Gary Smith from ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}'' is a Smug Snake. For his Smug Snakery to work, it requires 1) that everyone in the game [[VillainsNeverLie take everything that comes out of his mouth at face value]], 2) putting aside the fact that he has a reputation as a sociopath and common sense says ignore him, 3) that protagonist Jimmy spends most of the game insisting that going after Gary "has to wait" rather than going after him. And then, most importantly, 4) whenever Gary makes an appearance, all protagonistic figures must lose all ability to take action, period, and devolve into a stuttering stammering mess until Gary is done talking and has left the area.
* Sakaki from the ''VideoGame/DotHackGU'' trilogy is a classic Smug Snake who has moments of true MagnificentBastard-hood (notably his [[BreakTheCutie complete and total manipulation]] of [[LoveFreak Atoli]]), but he has more arrogance than skill, failing to comprehend how dangerous it is to use AIDA, and managed to get ''[[ZeroPercentApprovalRating the entire population of an MMORPG]]'' out for his blood after he somehow managed to convince CC Corp to give him Administration rights, and decided to host a Player Killer Tournament to trap Haseo.
* Sengoku from ''Videogame/{{Yakuza}} 2'' is an epic Smug Snake, from his [[BadassInANiceSuit gold suit and retro sunglasses]] all the way to his {{camp}} personality and permanent toothy smile. Spending his time blackmailing your contacts and minor allies into turning on you, he proves so irritating that he eventually ends up being taken out by his own [[TheDragon Dragon]] and thrown off a building. You can't help but thank him for the service...
* While he pulls off {{Gambit Roulette}}s with the best of them, Gongora from ''Videogame/LostOdyssey'' is a straight up jerk lacking anything approaching style. It doesn't help that most of the people he manipulates are amnesiacs, [[TooDumbToLive inbred royals]] and [[ChivalrousPervert money grubbing alcoholic skirt-chasers]]. When he actually has to manipulate someone with a brain, he tends to use [[FateWorseThanDeath cruder]] [[ColdBloodedTorture methods]]. It also doesn't help that he, you know, [[ObviouslyEvil radiates evil]], his attempts against the amnesiacs amounts to "[[WhatIsEvil I'm not the bad guy]], ''[[WhatIsEvil you are]]'', he [[KickTheDog kicks dogs]] for fun, and he indulges in [[EvilLaugh maniacal laughter]] ''before'' checking to see if his plan actually worked...while his TooDumbToLive allies watch, which triggers their danger senses.
* From the ''[[VideoGame/NintendoWars Advance Wars]]'' series:
** ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars 2: Black Hole Rising'' has the appropriately-named Adder, who fights dirtily, has utter contempt for most of his enemies (and tries to persuade the one he does respect to join Black Hole) and revels in the crushing of civilians. Every defeat you inflict upon him is wonderfully cathartic. Contrast with his superior, WorthyOpponent Hawke, who tempers his villainy with competence and a healthy respect for his opponents.
** ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars: Dual Strike'' has RichBitch Kindle.
** Both Waylon and Admiral Greyfield in ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars: Days of Ruin''. Waylon fights on Greyfield's side against your army just because he feels like it, and Greyfield is a megalomaniac who's fully convinced that anyone who doesn't conform to his worldview doesn't deserve to live anyway. The Mayor is a walking, talking embodiment of this trope, and it's clearly intentional.
* Alfonso from ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia''. Even Galcian, a pretty EvilOverlord in his own right, holds Alfonso in contempt after he [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness callously kills off and scapegoats his own vice-captain]] when his airship is taken over by Dyne's band at the beginning of the game -- although mostly this is just because Alfonso is so utterly useless.
** Worth noting that [[TheUnfought you never actually fight him once in the whole game]]. He's killed off rather unceremoniously [[spoiler:along with Empress Teodora when the Rains of Destruction are called down on Valua and the roof of the Imperial Palace caves in]], but by that point, the protagonists have put him through such a HumiliationConga that if you did fight him, he'd probably be brushed aside like a humourous interlude.
* Megumi Kitaniji from ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou''. He doesn't just bend and push [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem the guidelines set by the Composer]], his counterattack [[spoiler:[[AssimilationPlot mass imprints everyone in the RG and UG to do his bidding]] via the Red Skull Pins.]] Even his Noise form [[spoiler:is [[ScaledUp a snake]].]]
** Konishi has a fair number of KickTheDog moments, especially with regards to [[spoiler:Rhyme]], but she never succeeds in her machinations.
* In the ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' expansion 'Wrath of the Lich King', Arthas at several points in the storyline is exactly this. He has a constant, constant habit of walking two feet in front of you, taunting you about how incredibly awesome he is, how trivial you and your efforts to oppose him are, how you're better off serving him in undeath, and then [[BondVillainStupidity he simply walks away when he could have easily annihilated you with a single stroke and been done with it]]. This is yet another symptom of his chronic VillainDecay (and there are several).
** This gets turned on it's head when, at about 10% HP he uses "Wrath of Frostmourne" and procedes to [[OneHitKill blow your]] [[TotalPartyKill raid apart]], going into a monologue about how his entire plan from the start was taunting you into chasing him and crafting you into an ultimate general for his undead army. Were it not for [[BigDamnHero Tirion Fordring]] busting out of his ice prison, [[MagnificentBastard he would have succeeded.]]
** Torok, chieftain of the Bloodtotem, in Legion. He's immediately disdainful of you, dismissing you as weak even after you kill a powerful harpy for him. [[spoiler:It only gets worse when he turns out to be collaborating with the Legion. After you finish a quest involving killing ten of his men, he laughs off you killing the "weakest" members of his tribe, and when you find the corpse of [[TokenHeroicOrc Navarogg]]'s pet, Frag, he smugly tells you that it died a painful death]].

* Across the ''VideoGame/AgarestSenki'' games, we have the completely loathsome Summerill. He believes he is a total genius, and gloats about every foul act of evil he commits like its a priceless master stroke in his plans. Before fighting him, expect a good six to ten sentences from Summerill about how he's going to make you long for death, and nearly all of his plans are self-aggrandizing - see his plan for making himself the new supreme god, and how the first chance he got, he tried to murder the God he professes to serve. Not even defeat can shut this bastard up.
* Guy Forcas in VideoGame/{{Anno1404}}. He does have some bite, though. (He's ranked as a medium difficulty AI in Continuous Mode).
* ''VideoGame/DeusEx'', Walton Simons and Bob Page. ''VideoGame/DeusExInvisibleWar'' goes UpToEleven with Luminon Saman.
* ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' brought us a literal Smug Snake in Snivy, the Grass-type starter Pokémon. As if its actual name doesn't make the point clear enough, it quickly started [[FanNickname being called]] "Smugleaf". And it only gets smugger throughout its entire evolution line. There's a reason its final evolution Serperior [[FanNickname is nicknamed]] "Smuglord", and its actual name certainly makes the point too. Even its Pokédex entry agrees. [[WordOfGod Ken Sugimori]] has stated that Snivy's personality was meant to be similar to that of European (particularly French) nobility, so [[JustifiedTrope that's why]].
** [[spoiler:[[BigBad Ghetsis]]]], also from ''Black'' and ''White''. It feels so refreshing when he goes from his usual arrogant douchebaggery to [[VillainousBreakdown a massive temper tantrum]] when [[spoiler:you defeat him and wreck his EvilPlan]].
** Over in ''VideoGame/PokemonGo'', one of the Rocket leaders, Arlo, is a condescending douchebag to the core. It makes it [[HypocriticalHumor kind of hilarious]] when he accuses ''the player'' of being arrogant when he seems constitutionally incapable of shutting up about how great he thinks he is.
* Zetta from ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom'' is another good guy example, though far less sympathetic and PlayedForLaughs. Despite declaring himself the "Most badass freaking overlord in the universe" about once a scene he spends most of the game powerless, surviving mostly on the charity of people he regularly insults. The game levels things out by making him a regularly mocked ButtMonkey.
** And then there's King Drake III, whose smugness could probably clog up a black hole. It goes hand in hand with him being a HarmlessVillain, ensuring that ''nobody'' takes him seriously. Pram ends up booting him out of his own netherworld off-screen and nobody cares.
* Rosencrantz from ''VideoGame/VagrantStory'' is a smug bastard all the way, who ''thinks'' he has the secret of Lea Monde all figured out...and then Ashley whips his ass, and hardly anyone seems to care. Rosencrantz has to yell yield, and [[TheStoic Ashley]] mocks him for it. Not only that, but the game's real MagnificentBastard gets a shot. After Rosencrantz [[spoiler: has ambushed Sydney and Ashley, Rosencrantz demands Sydney name him his heir. Sydney calls him a "worm", and Rosencrantz chops off Sydney's arm. Sydney, bleeding BlackBlood, stands up and ''[[YouCallThatAWound reattaches his arm]].'' He then demonstrates to Rosencrantz that not only is the man not immune to Sydney's magic like he thought (by making him think he was holding Sydney's severed hand), but Sydney had been manipulating him the entire time. And in the end, Sydney doesn't even kill Rosencrantz. He lets a giant six armed statue of Kali do it for him.]] Truly, in case you had forgotten the real {{Chessmaster}} and LargeHam in the story, Sydney does not fail to remind you that [[ChewingTheScenery he was eating the scenery first.]]
* General Sarrano from ''VideoGame/{{Bulletstorm}}'' is a walking bottomless pit of arrogance, foul language, callousness, and pure evil. He uses soldiers like Grey and Ishi to carry out genocide and assassinations and then pretends to be angered by the casualties left in their wake after they take down his prized warship near the beginning of the game.

* Erol is the [[Literature/HarryPotter Draco Malfoy]] of the the ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxter'' series - he's a smug, arrogant jerk who gets in Jak's face nonstop from the moment his character is introduced. He gets even worse after [[spoiler: his "death" and resurrection as a cyborg in the third game.]]
* Stratos from ''VideoGame/{{Sacrifice}}'', who is extremely self-centred, smug and disdainful towards most of the other gods while barely hiding it under a veneer of civility. He has rather overt aspirations towards monotheism, [[spoiler:and turns out to be the mastermind behind the main plot, which (unless you serve him), eventually derails beyond his control and kills him.]]
* [[spoiler:Kevin]] from ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' not only supplies (and initiates in others) epic quantities of angst, he does this while [[ShirtlessScene taking his shirt off a lot]] and speaking in a measured, patronising tone that assumes everyone but him is very, very stupid. As a result, the moment when [[spoiler:weedy UnluckyChildhoodFriend Allen]] finally stands up to him is easily one of the most awesome in the game.
* [[spoiler:Shuji Ikutsuki]] from ''VideoGame/Persona3'' manages to pull off a months-long EvilPlan that sets in motion TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, and does it all behind a façade of [[spoiler:dorky jokes and friendly smiles]]. After TheReveal, though, it turns out he's just a NietzscheWannabe whose MotiveRant is delivered [[DullSurprise with all the enthusiasm and energy of a news reader]]. He also botches the ensuing YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness by making the classic mistake of underestimating ThePowerOfFriendship (and [[DogsAreDumb the dog]]).
* [[spoiler:Tohru Adachi, the true killer]] of ''VideoGame/Persona4'' is every bit the Smug Snake [[spoiler:Ikutsuki]] was. While his initial scheme, which involved [[spoiler:[[ManipulativeBastard manipulating Namatame]] into committing the rest of the killings and leading the heroes into a wild-goose chase against him]] ''was'' quite clever, he quickly devolves into the personality of a Smug Snake when the heroes discover his plan and give chase after him, whereby his true personality as a mocking, arrogant NietzscheWannabe is finally revealed. Also, in further true Smug Snake fashion, it turns out that he himself is being manipulated by higher powers beyond his control, who are in turn being controlled by an even greater power. In other words, the puppet of another puppet. Furthermore, also spoiled his seemingly clever scheme not once, but ''twice'' throughout the game. The first one is easy enough to miss. When [[spoiler:[[TheSmartGuy Naoto]] is reading off the list of victims found in Namatame's truck, he simply states "Whoa. That solves everything." Without even possibly even knowing what Naoto is talking about. The second time is much more obvious. When he cries out [[SayingTooMuch "Namatame was the one who put them all in!"]] He supplies all the evidence the heroes need to prove he is the killer.]]
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'' has Masayoshi Shido, a corrupt politician behind practically every bad thing in the game, including [[spoiler:the protagonist's probation]]. For all of his ambitions and belief that he's been chosen by divine right, it's clear that the only reasons he's able to amass his power/influence is due to [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections his connections]] and [[spoiler:having his son doing all of his dirty work.]]
** The Traitor a.k.a. [[spoiler:Goro Akechi]] is far less intelligent than he thinks he is. [[spoiler:The Phantom Thieves easily cotton on to his intentions and play him like a fiddle, while the above-mentioned Shido already suspects he is his illegitimate son and plans to throw him away like a used tissue once he's outlived his usefulness.]]
* Zexion from ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories''. He's very overconfident in his strategic and manipulative abilities, but none of his schemes work out like he wanted them to. Appropriately enough, he winds up being (indirectly) done in by the game's ''real'' MagnificentBastard, Axel.
** Maleficent, leader of the Disney villains, is a series-wide example. She's significantly more intelligent and dangerous than most of her associates, but generally is less of a threat than Xehanort and Organization XIII, and her efforts often play into their hands.
* Most villains from the ''VideoGame/{{Atelier}} Iris'' series, the biggest example being Mull. His {{Expy}}, Crowley, was thankfully a lot closer to being a MagnificentBastard, but still didn't quite make it.
* Most of the non- [[spoiler:and post-]]{{Dracula}} villains in the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series, such as Graham Jones in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaOfSorrow'' and the cult leaders in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDawnOfSorrow'', come off as {{Smug Snake}}s vainly attempting to fill the Count's shoes o' evilness. Also, Walter in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLamentOfInnocence'', primarily because his motivation for doing evil was ''being a bored, unkillable vampire asshat''. Can't get much more smug than that. They all have a distinct tendency to get [[HijackedByGanon effortlessly manipulated by Dracula and pro-Dracula minions such as Death]]. Mostly-averted by tragic-backstory-vamp Brauner, and Isaac, who's far too... entertaining to qualify.
** Dmitrii Blinov from ''Dawn of Sorrow'' at least makes an effort, pulling of a combination of ISurrenderSuckers and MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning, before coming back to life and successfully copying Soma's Power of Dominance in a surprisingly successful gambit. He was more of a "MagnificentBastard in the making", right up until he ended up dying again.

* Nicholai from ''VideoGame/ShadowHeartsCovenant'' tries ''so'' hard to be a MagnificentBastard. He's charismatic, scheming and utterly selfish, and loves to taunt you from just outside your reach. He sets up deals with every evil faction in the game so that whoever remains standing at the end, he should achieve his goals. He even [[spoiler:contracts the power of a ''god'']]! Unfortunately for him, he doesn't quite count on Yuri kicking the crap out of everyone, his his plan to [[spoiler:release the Malice of Apoina Tower]] comes off as petty revenge, and he ends up getting completely outmaneuvered by someone even ''more'' scheming. And the completely undignified way in which he finally bites the dirt.

* Anyone with the "Naive Puppet Master" trait in ''VideoGame/CrusaderKings'' and its sequal.

* Both Waylon and Admiral Greyfield in ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars: Days of Ruin''. Waylon fights on Greyfield's side against your army just because he feels like it, and Greyfield's fully convinced that anyone who doesn't conform to his worldview doesn't deserve to live anyway.

*** The Mayor from Days of Ruin is a walking, talking embodiment of this trope, and it's clearly intentional.

** He gets little development or even screen time, but Angelo probably qualifies based on the one scene. He's [[BigBad Sarevok's]] lackey who takes over the local law-enforcing mercenary company when Sarevok's plans to get its real leaders out of the way go into motion. When you are arrested for murders you were either framed for or goaded into actually committing by Sarevok, he's more than happy to glibly pronounce you the death sentence for a list of imaginary charges besides murder, clearly enjoying the abusing of power. He even gets a potential KickTheDog moment in that if you mouth off to him in a way that manages to actually annoy him, he'll have a random party member killed on the spot. He's even annoying in the final battle, as he's equipped with a haste effect and a quiver full of Arrows of Detonation.

* Ramon Salazar from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' fits this trope to a T. He's a smug elfish character, who constantly condescends Leon Kennedy by calling him by his last name and ensuring that the next trap will surely kill him. The further Leon gets into the castle, Salazar [[VillainousBreakdown starts to lose his smug sarcasm, and yells "JUST DIE, YOU WORM!".]] The last battle with him is so annoying and deliberate, several players simply use the one-hit kill rocket launcher to be rid of his irritating ass.

* Duke Snakeheart from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2''. As if his name didn't give it away, he's a smug bastard who thinks he has it all planned and tries to do things his way, in spite of the other Duelhorn members objecting his actions. In the end, [[spoiler: he admits to being the one that leaked Duelhorn's battle strategy and poisoned the girl Maquis saved for no apparent reason. In fact, during the fight, he says that he trusts no one but himself. He only questions the error of his ways once you defeat him]].

* As one of the LongRunners, ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' has MANY of these:
** Chagall of Agustria from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar Genealogy of the Holy War]]'' is a selfish, cowardly, treacherous king who killed his father Imuka to inherit (which makes him hated by everyone, as Imuka was TheGoodKing), then mistreats his top knight Eldigan [[spoiler: and executes him despite his loyalty, therefore taking away his most powerful fighter and provoking the ire of Sigurd and Lachesis]]. In the end, Shagall ends up all alone and is ultimately slain (or, in one of the mangas, commits suicide rather than fighting).

* [[BigBad The Guardian]] from the ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'' series, at least in ''Ultima 7: The Black Gate''. He constantly taunts, insults and annoys the Avatar in feeble attempts to scare you off, all the while you uncover his plots, undermine [[ChurchOfHappyology the Fellowship]], gather plot coupons and smash the prism generators. Even though he's fully aware of everything you do he never bother to alert the Fellowship to the fact that ''you are not their friend'', his own [[TheDragon Dragon]] Batlin keeps treating you like a clueless dupe right up until you try to interrogate him with the prism cube, and when you finally pull out your ace and foil his plan, he's downright ''shocked'' that you were able to stop him.

* Given how much backstory and justifications he's been given in the canon of ''Franchise/DragonAge'', [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation fans are still arguing]] whether this applies to Loghain, but one of his lackeys, Rendon Howe is a golden example of this trope. Not only is he overconfident, arrogant and rude towards the PC, he even crosses the MoralEventHorizon ''twice'' on the very basic game that plays out to all origins and completely vaporizes it in Human Noble origins:[[spoiler:you find out that Howe earned his title as Teyrn of Highever by slaughtering the former noble's family, despite them being his old friends.]] That incredibly smug smile and Creator/TimCurry's voice only strengthen his position as one of the meanest characters (and as the most satisfying bossfight) in the whole game.
** Arl Howe is so bad that after his death, the player can overhear a conversation regarding his funeral between two nobles, one of whom had been a friend of Howe's in their youth. The other noble asks why he isn't going to the funeral and if he'll let Howe go unmourned, to which the friend replies that the only thing worth mourning is that Howe didn't die years ago.
** Bann Vaughan is another example. In the City Elf origin, he abducts the female members of the elf marriage party. What follows is the PlayerCharacter going on a [[RoaringRampageofRevenge roaring rampage of revenge]] to save the girls. He realizes the PlayerCharacter, covered head-to-toe in the blood of his household guards, may actually pose a threat to him, but he's [[TooDumbtoLive too stupid]] to just let the girls go. He's smug, entitled, sadistic and treats all [[FantasticRacism elfs with absolute disdain]]. He'll even be racist to an elf PlayerCharacter who [[spoiler: he's relying on to rescue him from Arl Howe's TortureCellar.]]

** Hazama/Terumi might as well be the poster boy for smug snakes. The man is constantly associated with snakes, almost never stops disregarding even the biggest threats around him as he is confident they can do nothing to stop him, his weapon is a chain with a snake head called Ouroboros which is a symbol traditionally represented as a snake biting its own tail, and at the end of Continuum Shift, Takamagahara actually refers to him as "The Snake". However his smugness is entirely justified in that [[spoiler:he is using magic to learn and retain knowledge of every single possibility in the time-space continuum]]. Not even otherwise omniscient Takamagahara could do that.
*** What keeps him from being a full-blown MagnificentBastard is that he easily loses his cool if, in any at all way, his plans are disrupted, he is not being regarded as [[ItsAllAboutMe the centre of the universe]] or his "truth" is called into question [[note]]a true MagnificentBastard would keep his cool even if the proverbial seat of his pants is on fire - a spectacular meltdown is expected only if ''every'' once-viable outcome now leads to defeat[[/note]]. His knowledge of the time loops and continuum shifts is meaningless if he fails, or refuses to understand the motivations of his victims - half-formed layers of backup plans can only carry one so far before an exploit is found. Case in point: ''[[EvilCannotComprehendGood Slight Hope]]''. That said, when things go belly-up, [[SmugSuper he's usually more than capable of beating the shit out of whoever screwed him over]] [[spoiler:especially once he gets the Susanoo Unit and his full power back]].

* [[BigBad Kuja]] from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX,'' is a genuine threat--but not only is he ''obscenely'' arrogant and cruel, he's ultimately unable to overcome his fear of death. Essentially, he has the mind and air of a wicked genius, but the temperament and personality of a frightened, spoiled child. This mainly shows up in the latter half of the game. It's played UpToEleven in VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy.
* Myron in VideoGame/Fallout2 is a teenage chemist who is responsible for creating the addictive drug Jet. While he is undoubtedly a genius he is absolutely useless in combat and is generally a pretty terrible person overall.
* Caesar in VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas is rare strain of this trope as he's not only competent, but the game's BigBad; he's just not ''as'' competent as he thinks he is. He doesn't even make a token effort to sway the Courier's loyalties if you oppose the Legion, he openly insults your intelligence if you ask about his beliefs, and if you try to release Benny he blackmails you into killing him, even though it will likely only give you another reason to hate the Legion.

** Rhys from Videogame/TalesFromTheBorderlands is a Handsome Jack fanboy, and makes a big effort to talk, act and even move like him. It comes off as a painfully awkward, and the times he's actually in control of the situation can be counted on one hand.

* Cesare Borgia from ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'' is one in every sense of the word. At first he seemed like a WorthyOpponent of protagonist Ezio Auditore, but he turned out to be nothing more than a delusional tyrant who fancied himself as an invincible and invulnerable king. He thought that everything was under his control but when [[spoiler:he killed his father Rodrigo, who was the real man with all the power]] and everything started spiralling downwards from there, it soon becomes apparent that Cesare merely lived off his father's name and reputation. A sharp contrast to his RealLife counterpart who was a MagnificentBastard.

* A lot of bad guys in ‘’VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic’’ fit this bill.

* Mayor Dalmore from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'' is a self-assured noble ass who's ObviouslyEvil plan is to burn down an orphanage so he can make room to build luxury housing to sell off to the rich' all so he can pay off his massive debt. When the protagonists point out he could sell his luxury estate to cover his debt, he hypocritically protests that he can't get rid of his home. His plan is quickly found out and while he's quick to gloat that he's protected by code of conduct and has an artifact of power to help, it's not much good and he's quickly reduced to a panicking coward. [[spoiler:Weisman]] ultimately proves to be little better. While his plan is a good and complex one with a particularly sadistic failsafe, when the party manage to beat him he's hardly capable of believing it. It never occurred to him his second in command with a sword that can cut through anything would object to TheReveal that [[spoiler:he kickstarted the war that massacred his village]] and betray him. When he tries to pull a ExitVillainStageLeft, [[ChurchMilitant Keven]] made damn sure he won't.

* As one of the LongRunners, ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' has MANY pf these:
** Chagall of Augustria from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar Genealogy of the Holy War]]'' is a selfish, cowardly, treacherous king who killed his father Imuka to inherit (which makes him hated by everyone, as Imuka was TheGoodKing), then mistreats his top knight Eldigan [[spoiler: and executes him despite his loyalty, therefore taking away his most powerful fighter and provoking the ire of Sigurd and Raquesis]]. In the end, Shagall ends up all alone and is ultimately slain (or, in one of the mangas, commits suicide rather than fighting).
*** Then there's Andrei of Jungby and Lombard from Dozel, both of them greedy noblemen from Grannvale who conspire against Sigurd for power. Andrei is specially notorious since he entered the conspiracy by killing his own dad a la Chagall, which makes [[EvenEvilHasStandards Lombard]] despise him.
** The second part has Hilda from Cronos, a powerhungry LadyOfBlackMagic who's very full of herself and seems a little too controlling on Ishtar, her own daughter, who's far more powerful than her because of her Major Tordo Holy Blood and only follows her around because she understands familial love and piety. And then there's her EvilGloating [[spoiler: about having tortured and pretty much killed her "traitorous" sister-in-law Tailtiu (or her sister Ethnia, if Tailtiu had no kids)]], in which players find so satisfying to wipe off from her face using [[spoiler: Tailtiu's kids Tine and Arthur (or in Ethnia's case, ''her'' kids Linda and Amid)]].

** Lekain from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn Radiant Dawn]]'' is almost capable enough to be mistake for a MagnificentBastard. A high-ranking member of Begnion's Senate, Lekain arranged the Serenes Massacre and assassinated the previous Apostle, placing Princess Sanaki, whom he thought he could easily manipulate, on the throne in her place (while making sure Sanaki's older half-sister/the real heir [[spoiler: aka Micaiah]] pulled a disappearing act). He's also TheManBehindTheMan to Izuka and Naesala, and it gets to the point where if something bad happened to a character it was probably Lekain's fault. However, at the end of the day, he's a BigBadWannabe and an UnwittingPawn of [[spoiler: Sephiran]], the game's real BigBad and an actual MagnificentBastard. The business with [[LittleMissBadass Sanaki]] really backfired on him.

*** Hans, Garon's other retainer, is not much better. Yes, at times he follow orders very well (like when he provokes Hoshidans into attacking him to give an excuse for war and [[spoiler: tosses TeamDad Gunter into the Bottomless Canyon]]), but in the end he's just a BloodKnight [[TheBrute Brute]] who [[DumbMuscle isn't very bright]] and [[KickTheDog punts puppies]] without any need.

* ''VideoGame/{{Strider}}:'' Matic, especially in the manga for his kick the sheep affair

* Hazama/Terumi from ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' might as well be the poster boy for smug snakes. The man is constantly associated with snakes, almost never stops disregarding even the biggest threats around him as he is confident they can do nothing to stop him, his weapon is a chain with a snake head called Ouroboros which is a symbol traditionally represented as a snake biting its own tail, and at the end of Continuum Shift, Takamagahara actually refers to him as "The Snake". However his smugness is entirely justified in that [[spoiler:he is using magic to learn and retain knowledge of every single possibility in the time-space continuum]]. Not even otherwise omniscient Takamagahara could do that.
** What keeps him from being a full-blown MagnificentBastard is that he easily loses his cool if, in any at all way, his plans are disrupted, he is not being regarded as [[ItsAllAboutMe the centre of the universe]] or his "truth" is called into question [[note]]a true MagnificentBastard would keep his cool even if the proverbial seat of his pants is on fire - a spectacular meltdown is expected only if ''every'' once-viable outcome now leads to defeat[[/note]]. His knowledge of the time loops and continuum shifts is meaningless if he fails, or refuses to understand the motivations of his victims - half-formed layers of backup plans can only carry one so far before an exploit is found. Case in point: ''[[EvilCannotComprehendGood Slight Hope]]''. That said, when things go belly-up, [[SmugSuper he's usually more than capable of beating the shit out of whoever screwed him over]] [[spoiler:especially once he gets the Susanoo Unit and his full power back]].

** Dahlia Hawthorne from the third ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' game counts. Sure, she's [[BitchInSheepsClothing beautifully scheming]] and leaves a trail of bodies in her wake, but ''none'' of her {{Evil Plan}}s actually succeed. Dahlia's status as this was likely intentional, given that [[spoiler: Mia and Phoenix actually get rid of her by pointing out what a failure she is.]] Ironically, she actually did more harm than some of villains who are closer to qualifying as {{Magnificent Bastard}}s, like [[spoiler:Matt Engarde.]] It could be argued that this is TruthInTelevision. The chances of being caught for a crime exponentially increase every time a murder or similar crime is committed. Expert criminals will want to avoid this by minimising the targets, causing less harm. An example follows: [[spoiler:Manfred von Karma used someone to kill a person just to wreak revenge on Miles Edgeworth. On the other side of the scale, Joe Darke had no real criminal plans whatsoever and became a mass murderer.]]
** Subverted with [[spoiler:Luke Atmey]], who acts condescending to Phoenix for the entire first day (investigation and trial) until he's caught. And then you find out [[spoiler:[[BatmanGambit he manipulated you into coming to that particular conclusion]] so he could ''play the justice system''. In fact, the ''entire first day'' was a major case of ObfuscatingStupidity on his part. He still suffers the sin of {{Pride}} (which ultimately leads to his downfall), but aside from that, [[BewareTheSillyOnes he's an extremely capable and dangerous criminal]] whose claims of superior intelligence may be [[InsufferableGenius more than just hot air]]. Had he not made ''one'' (easily missed) mistake at the end, he would have gotten away with murder.]]
** Also, [[spoiler: Redd White]] from the first game and [[spoiler: Richard Wellington]] from the second.
** [[spoiler:{{A|ssInAmbassador}}mbassador [[BigBad Alba]]]] acts like a condescending asshole every minute after TheReveal, flaunting his DiplomaticImpunity in Edgeworth's face [[spoiler: until it's revoked. And he '''still''' acts like a smug asshat, [[ThatOneBoss stubbornly repeating that none of your evidence proves he committed the crime.]]]]
** [[spoiler: Daryan Crescend]] from ''Apollo Justice'' laughs disdainfully at pretty much every accusation Apollo throws at him, convinced it isn't enough. As a result, his breakdown is truly satisfying.
** Also from ''Apollo Justice'' is [[spoiler:Alita Tiala]] who at first acts as the [[spoiler:eager fiancee of the defendant]], until she reveals that [[spoiler:she's a petty GoldDigger who only hired Apollo because she was under the impression that the office he's employed under is a third-rate and questionable law firm that will get the defendant convicted for sure]]. [[SpringtimeForHitler Boy did that backfire spectacularly]]. It's satisfying to wipe that smug grin off her face.
** ''Dual Destinies'': Florent L'Belle is an obnoxious jerk who takes every opportunity to laugh disdainfully at Apollo. But while his scheme ''is'' clever, it's also [[ComplexityAddiction ludicrously complicated]], to the point where [[spoiler: [[SpannerInTheWorks a bumbling thief who decides to steal the treasure L'Belle is after for a lark]]]] ends up tearing it apart.

* Erol is the Draco Malfoy of the the ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxter'' series - he's a smug, arrogant jerk who gets in Jak's face nonstop from the moment his character is introduced. He gets even worse after [[spoiler: his "death" and resurrection as a cyborg in the third game.]]

* Matt in ''VideoGame/PAYDAYTheHeist'' pulls a FaceHeelTurn on your crew in the middle of the heist by killing one of your members and then locks you inside a room as he runs off with the money. He taunts you before leaving and even after you catch up to him when he gets into an auto accident, he refuses to come out and says he rather have the cops deal with you. The crew decides to light the van on fire to burn him out and when he comes out, he begs to be let go while the crew drags him to the rendezvouses point threatening that they may cut his arm off to detach the briefcase of money he has on his arm.
** ‘’VideoGame/PAYDAY2’’ has the Commissar, the BigBad of the ‘’VideoGame/HotlineMiami’’ heist. When the crew finally corner him, he locks himself in his vault, and taunts the crew mercilessly, saying that they won’t survive the cops, that he will live... [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and that he’s enjoying a martini.]]

* [[spoiler:Kevin]] from ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' not only supplies (and initiates in others) epic quantities of angst, he does this while [[ShirtlessScene taking his shirt off a lot]] and speaking in a measured, patronising tone that assumes everyone but him is very, very stupid. As a result, the moment when [[spoiler:weedy UnluckyChildhoodFriend Allen]] finally stands up to him.

** The Illusive Man jumps off the slippery slope in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', but being voiced by Creator/MartinSheen helps him maintain some gravitas [[spoiler:even as he loses his mind in the endgame]]. His new henchman Kai Leng, on the other hand, is possibly the [[KickTheDog biggest]] {{jerk|ass}} in the whole series.

* [[spoiler:Kevin]] from ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' not only supplies (and initiates in others) epic quantities of angst, he does this while [[ShirtlessScene taking his shirt off a lot]] and speaking in a measured, patronising tone that assumes everyone but him is very, very stupid. As a result, the moment when [[spoiler:weedy UnluckyChildhoodFriend Allen]] finally stands up to him is definitely a CrowningMomentOfAwesome.

** [=EP7=] establishes [[spoiler:[[ActionMom Ushiromiya Kyrie]]]] as a ruthless murderer who gets away with murdering most other people... and then [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Eva shows up with a gun]].

* Erol is the Draco Malfoy of the the ''Franchise/JakAndDaxter'' series - he's a smug, arrogant jerk who gets in Jak's face nonstop from the moment his character is introduced. He gets even worse after [[spoiler: his "death" and resurrection as a cyborg in the third game.]]

* Gary Smith from ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}'' is the Failed Magnificent Bastard + VillainSue type of Smug Snake. For his Smug Snakery to work, it requires 1) that everyone in the game [[VillainsNeverLie take everything that comes out of his mouth at face value]], 2) putting aside the fact that he has a reputation as a sociopath and common sense says ignore him, 3) that protagonist Jimmy spends most of the game insisting that going after Gary "has to wait" rather than going after him. And then, most importantly, 4) whenever Gary makes an appearance, all protagonistic figures must lose all ability to take action, period, and devolve into a stuttering stammering mess until Gary is done talking and has left the area.

** [[AmateurSleuth Furudo Erika]] manages to be even worse than Eva-Beatrice, to the point of ParodySue.

** Shagall of Augustria from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemJugdral Geneaology of the Holy War]]'' is a selfish, cowardly, treacherous king who killed his father Imuka to inherit (which makes him hated by everyone, as Imuka was TheGoodKing), then mistreats his top knight Eldigan [[spoiler: and executes him despite his loyalty, therefore taking away his most powerful fighter and provoking the ire of Sigurd and Raquesis]]. In the end, Shagall ends up all alone and is ultimately slain (or, in one of the mangas, commits suicide rather than fighting).
*** Then there's Andrei of Jungby and Lombard from Dozel, both of them greedy noblemen from Grannvale who conspire against Sigurd for power. Andrei is specially notorious since he entered the conspiracy by killing his own dad a la Shagall, which makes [[EvenEvilHasStandards Lombard]] despise him.
** The second part has Hilda from Cronos, a powerhungry LadyOfBlackMagic who's very full of herself and seemed like a little too controlling on Ishtar, her own daughter, who's far more powerful than her because of her Major Tordo Holy Blood and only follows her around because she understands familial love and piety. And then there's her EvilGloating [[spoiler: about having tortured and pretty much killed her "traitorous" sister-in-law Tailtiu (or her sister Ethnia, if Tailtiu had no kids)]], in which players find so satisfying to wipe off from her face using [[spoiler: Tailtiu's kids Tine and Arthur (or in Ethnia's case, ''her'' kids Linda and Amid)]].
** Sonia Reed from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword]]'' believes herself to be the most powerful mage and heartlessly manipulates her husband, the guy's family ''and'' her adoptive daughter Nino to please Lord Nergal. While she ''is'' a powerful LadyOfBlackMagic, her arrogance is such that [[spoiler: her daughter's partner Jaffar would rather have a HeelFaceTurn than obey her orders]], and in the end [[spoiler: either Limstella simply leaves her to die in disgust, or Nergal finishes her off [[YouHaveFailedMe for failing him]].]]
*** Ephidel and his perpetual and ''extremely'' irritating grin from the same game. Fittingly, he's probably the most utterly disgusting character in the game, at least among those who aren't [[AxCrazy out of their minds]].
** Pablo, Riev and specially Valter from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones''. The first one only thinks "MoneyDearBoy" and tries to bribe everyone in his way; the second is a SinisterMinister worshipping a Dark God without reason at all, and the third is a monstrous BloodKnight who wants either to bloodily kill Ephraim or keep Eirika as his SexSlave.
** Narcian from [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Sword of Seals]] fits this trope almost perfectly. He is a very narcissistic DragonRider with a tendency to bear grudges, and will not hesitate to let his underlings die for him so that he can live; plus, his StalkerWithACrush tendences towards [[WhiteMage Clarine]] cause him to ''massively'' lose a battle he should've won at the beginning. Eventually, due to his constant failings, Zephiel demotes him, replacing him with [[AntiVillain Galle]]. He is given one last chance to redeem himself in the defense of Etruria's palace, but he fails and is killed.
** Lekain from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Radiant Dawn]]'' is almost capable enough to be mistake for a MagnificentBastard. A high-ranking member of Begnion's Senate, Lekain arranged the Serenes Massacre and assassinated the previous Apostle, placing Princess Sanaki, whom he thought he could easily manipulate, on the throne in her place (while making sure Sanaki's older half-sister/the real heir [[spoiler: aka Micaiah]] did a dissapearing act). He's also TheManBehindTheMan to Izuka and Naesala, and it gets to the point where if something bad happened to a character it was probably Lekain's fault. However, at the end of the day, he's a BigBadWannabe and an UnwittingPawn of [[spoiler: Sephiran]] the game's real BigBad and an actual MagnificentBastard. The business with [[LittleMissBadass Sa]][[ChildProdigy na]][[TheHighQueen ki]] really backfired on him.

** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' has Iago, an EvilSorcerer who serves as King Garon's [[EvilChancellor highest adviser]] and [[TheStrategist tactician.]] He likes to think he is a MagnificentBastard, similar to how the above [[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Excellus]] does, but his plans almost never turn out right, to the point that even his king mocks him for being useless. This is generally due to his underestimation of [[PlayerCharacter the Avatar.]]

*** The Dark Mage Zola can be seen as such, ''especially'' in the ''Conquest'' and ''Revelation'' paths (in ''Birthright'', he hangs around a little more and shows a more sympathetic side). He disguises himself as Duke Izana, kidnaps him and impersonates him in his own palace (which technically speaking equals to a ''war crime'') in hopes of conspiring against the protagonist and does ''not'' react well when uncovered and defeated, like whe he tries to kidnap Sakura in ''Revelation'' after losing [[spoiler: and is VERY easily shot down and killed by Leo.]]

*** The Dark Mage Zola can be seen as such, ''especially'' in the ''Conquest'' and ''Revelations'' paths (in ''Birthright'', he hangs around a little more and shows a more sympathetic side). He disguises himself as Duke Izana, kidnaps him and impersonates him in his own palace (which tgechnically speaking equals to a ''war crime'') in hopes to conspire against the protagonist and does ''not'' react well when uncovered and defeated, like whe he tries to kidnap Sakura in ''Revelations'' after losing [[spoiler: and is VERY easily shot down and killed by Leo.]]

* Mayor Dalmore from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'' is a self-assured noble ass who's ObviouslyEvil plan is to burn down an orphanage so he can make room to build luxury housing to sell off to the rich' all so he can pay off his massive debt. When the protagonists point out he could sell his luxury estate to cover his debt, he hypocritically protests that he can't get rid of his home. His plan is quickly found out and while he's quick to gloat that he's protected by code of conduct and has an artifact of power to help, it's not much good and he's quickly reduced to a panicking coward. [[spoiler:Weisman]] ultimately proves to be little better. While his plan is a good and complex one with a particularly sadistic failsafe, when the party manage to beat him he's hardly capable of believing it. It never occurred to him his second in command with a sword that can cut through anything would object to TheReveal that [[spoiler:he kickstarted the war that massacred his village]] and betray him. When he tries to pull a ExitVillainStageLeft, [[ChurchMilitant Keven]] made damn sure he won't.

* Given how much backstory and justifications he's been given in the canon of ''Franchise/DragonAge'', [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation fans are still arguing]] whether this applies to Loghain, but one of his lackeys, Arl Howe is a golden example of this trope. Not only is he overconfident, arrogant and rude towards the PC, he even crosses the MoralEventHorizon ''twice'' on the very basic game that plays out to all origins and completely vaporizes it in Human Noble origins:[[spoiler:you find out that Howe earned his title as Teyrn of Highever by slaughtering the former noble's family, despite them being his old friends.]] That incredibly smug smile and Creator/TimCurry's voice only strengthen his position as one of the meanest characters (and as the most satisfying bossfight) in the whole game.

* In the ''WorldOfWarcraft'' expansion 'Wrath of the Lich King', Arthas at several points in the storyline is exactly this. He has a constant, constant habit of walking two feet in front of you, taunting you about how incredibly awesome he is, how trivial you and your efforts to oppose him are, how you're better off serving him in undeath, and then [[BondVillainStupidity he simply walks away when he could have easily annihilated you with a single stroke and been done with it]]. This is yet another symptom of his chronic VillainDecay (and there are several).

* ''Videogame/Persona5'' has Masayoshi Shido, a corrupt politician behind practically every bad thing in the game, including [[spoiler:the protagonist's probation]]. For all of his ambitions and belief that he's been chosen by divine right, it's clear that the only reasons he's able to amass his power/influence is due to [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections his connections]] and [[spoiler:having his son doing all of his dirty work.]]