The Saints Row series has plenty of villains, rival gangsters or otherwise, many of whom exist to provide an engaging challenge for the Saints, and The Boss ("Playa" in the first game) to overcome. Others seem to exist to provide catharsis for the Boss to fight/kill.
- Saints Row: Richard Hughes is a corrupt and condescending mayoral candidate for the Stillwater election. With his plans to clear out and redevelop Saints Row at the expense of the lower class is criticized, he uses growing gang violence to gain public support. When the Saints come out on top, Hughes has Julius arrested to strongarm the Saints into killing his political rival, and later thanks "Playa" for killing his ally Chief Monroe to distract negative attention away from him. He plans to have them killed before his yacht explodes; while "Playa" ultimately survives, Hughes is posthumously seen as a martyr for gang violence as the result of his death.
- Saints Row 2:
- Jessica Parish is Maero's rich girlfriend, who helps him run and fund the Brotherhood's operations. When the Saints go to war with the Brotherhood and the Boss disfigures Maero, Jessica has the Boss' young protégé Carlos kidnapped and tortured by dragging him through the streets. After the Boss catches up to Carlos, and is unable to free him, they are forced to Mercy Kill him. A vengeful Boss has Jessica kidnapped and unwittingly crushed to death by Maero's monster truck. In the third game, she is used as a martyr of gang violence, with STAG playing her off as an innocent victim.
- Shogo Akuji is the acting leader of the Ronin, and an arrogant, cowardly spoiled punk. When the Saints steal from one of his casinos, he orchestrates the interrogation and eventual decapitation of Aisha. When his father shows more favour to Jyunichi, Shogo has the latter murdered. To try to clean up the mess he started, he uses underhanded tactics to try to kill the Saints, such as ordering an assault on a hospital, and ambushing Aisha's funeral. It's also mentioned he killed Mr. Wong's dog as a boy.
- Dexter "Dex" Jackson, a former Saints lieutenant from the first game, ends up selling out to Ultor when the Saints fell, being used as an example of disloyalty among the Saints. Upon becoming Ultor's Head of Security, he develops a more power hungry and condescending streak, selling out his former friends in the Saints and using his new position for war profiteering on the Black Market. After the Boss dismantles his operations, Dex flees the city when the going got tough. Here after, Dex is seek either as a figure of disdain or a pathetic joke. In Gat Out of Hell, Dex returns in Hell as a recurring character for the player to kill.
- Saints Row: The Third:
- Kia is the ruthless and vindictive second in command of STAG and Cyrus Temple's secret lover. It's mentioned she was a fan of Aisha's and her motivations against the Saints is blaming them for her death; despite Aisha being a friend of the Saints and how they tried to save her. Towards the end of the game, Kia kidnaps Shaundi, Viola and Burt Reynolds in a plan to commit a mass suicide bombing and frame the Saints for domestic terrorism, to further STAG's agenda. When confronted in the canon ending, Kia holds the deaths of the Boss' friends against them, and belittles the Boss about letting their friends die.
- Gangsters In Space DLC: Andy Zhen is an egotistical, callous, and abusive movie director, who spends the lot of his screen time trying to suck up to the Boss, and bullying the up and coming actress Jenny. Throughout the DLC, he treats the extras as expendable workers for the Boss to kill while filming his movie, and tries to kill both The Boss and Jenny in reckless stunts when he's stood up to. He quickly gets on everyone's nerves throughout the DLC, and doubles down on his attitude to the point Jenny takes it upon herself to brutally impale him when she's had enough.
- Saints Row (2022): Atticus Marshall, Founder and CEO of Marshall Defense Industries, is a ruthless narcissist, which easily slips past is reasonable front. When working under him, the protagonist prioritizes saving the life of Myra Starr over an artifact Marshall intends to collect, he fires the protagonist, telling both to their faces how expendable and replaceable they are. When The Saints begin attacking Marshall’s businesses, Marshall tries to buy the Saints out out using a non compete clause in the Boss’ old contract. Throughout Marshall arrogantly proclaims himself untouchable, mocking the Saints for trying to fight him. The Boss and Myra work together to ruin Marshall’s already weakening reputation, and get him ousted from his own company. This can see the Boss unceremoniously shooting Marshall dead, or firing him at his board meeting.
