History AdaptationalVillainy / VideoGames

* Metalhead from the ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' franchise was an ally in the toyline and an evil robot created by the Shredder and Krang that was eventually reprogrammed into being good in the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 80's cartoon]]. In the game ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTurtlesInTime'', he's a complete villain and the boss of the second level.

** ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} is grouped with the villains in the first game and is seen in the story mode fighting against the Justice League. In the comics, Selena had been an antihero for over 20 years by that point and would sooner work ''with'' the Justice League when their interests align and knows how to avoid them when they don't. This is touched upon in the story mode, but the game still considers her a villain.

** [[ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Yondu Udonta]], who was a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the comics and a superhero. Even in [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy the movies]], which the game heavily borrows from, Yondu is mostly faking his antagonism to look strong in front of his crew and is proud of Star-Lord, who he sees as something of an adopted son. In the game, however, he's genuine in his desire to kill Quill and is angry instead of amused that Peter swapped out the Infinity Stone he was trying to steal for a troll doll.

** Vergil gets a good dose of this, yes he is the BigBad of [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3 third]] and [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry5 fifth]] mainline games, but he’s still a NobleDemon who cares more about gaining power rather than subjugating humanity. In the reboot, however Vergil reveals by the end that he does want to rule over the inferior human race as Mundus 2.0, to the horror of Dante. He’s also more of a SmugSnake who secretly hates his twin brother out of an inferiority complex. Coincidentally in ''[=DMC5=]'' it is similarly revealed that Vergil resented Dante, due to believing their mother Eva [[ParentalFavouritism loved Dante more than him]], but by the end the game it’s made clear that Vergil deep down still genuinely cares for his brother regardless, unlike the reboot.
** Mundus himself was already a vile [[GodOfEvil Demon Emperor]] as seen in the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry first game]] (and SatanicArchetype to boot), but the reboot somehow has him be even worse. In this version he personally rips Eva’s heart out and subjects Sparda to a FateWorseThanDeath. This version of Mundus has also succeeded in ruling over mankind and feeding off them.

** Yveltal is portrayed as a major villain in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSuperMysteryDungeon Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon]]'', at one point turning TheHero to stone. [[spoiler: However, its evil actions were committed [[BrainwashedAndCrazy under Dark Matter's control]] rather than Yveltal's own will, and it does ultimately redeem itself once it gains control back.]]

** Keep in mind, the Gods may get AdaptationalVillainy to offset the fact that protagonist Kratos is [[VillainProtagonist a vicious Spartan who for most of the early games is perfectly happy to kill loads of innocent men, women and children]]. He does get better in the fourth instalment though.

** Ada’s role in the story falls into this compared to the original version. In the canonical Leon B scenario she’s an ally and LoveInterest to Leon and after getting badly wounded by Mr X has LastKiss with him and seemingly dies, Leon only finds out she’s a FemmeFataleSpy who’s OnlyInItForTheMoney in later games. The remake instead uses the alternative and less romantic Leon A scenario where he learns that MadScientist Annette was actually right about Ada who points a gun at Leon demanding that he hand over the T-Virus sample. Also due to Annette getting AdaptationalHeroism, Ada manipulating Leon’s heroism against her comes off as more cruel and sinister. Granted Ada still does [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe develop]] real feelings for him.

* ''VideoGame/{{Teppen}}''’s eighth expansion ''A Dark Agenda'' gives this treatment to Ada Wong from ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' who is revealed to be the woman in the dark cloak who appeared in other characters’s stories. In the RE games Ada is a morally dubious character being a FemmeFataleSpy who has worked for Wesker and other sinister third parties, but on the other hand she has a DatingCatwoman relationship with Leon and has aided other good guys like Sherry and Jake in ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 RE6]]'' and even Claire during her [[AnotherSideAnotherStory non-canon B scenario]] in ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 RE2]]''. In ''Teppen'' any nicer traits Ada has are chucked out the window and she’s unambiguously evil, same as Wesker. She resurrects the [[VideoGame/MonsterHunter Wyvern king Rathalos]], makes [[VideoGame/StreetFighter Ryu]] succumb to Satsui no Hado and manipulates poor [[VideoGame/MegaManX X]] by pretending to be Doctor Light.

*** The comics shed some light on Wonder Woman's jerkassery, pointing out she only became more vicious as a result of being mentally abused... by Steve Trevor of all people, who is a war hero and honorary citizen of Themyscira in most adaptations, but a manipulative Nazi bastard in the Injustice continuity.

** Persephone in the original is a sweet and gentle Goddess who just so happens to be the queen of TheUnderworld through her marriage to Hades. Her relationship with Hades is also [[HappilyMarried surprisingly loving]] according to most myths. In ''VideoGame/GodOfWarChainsOfOlympus'' however Persephone hates being trapped in the Underworld and married to Hades so much she’s willingly to destroy the entire world to escape from her situation. Hades himself is also a vicious brute unlike the original myths but [[EveryoneHatesHades that’s par for the course at this point]].

** Theseus the Greek Hero, is one of the bosses trying to prevent Zagreus from escaping the Underworld alongside his [[AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul best friend]] [[ALoadOfBull Asterius]]. Theseus is also more a pompous {{Jerkass}} compared to the Myths and is less likeable than other characters in the game, especially when he insults Persephone. Although his BashBrothers-bond with his former enemy Asterius does help redeem Theseus slightly.

* Variant example in ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroesWarOfTheGems''. While Comicbook/{{Nebula|Marvel Comics}} is typically a villain or AntiVillain anyway, she spent most of ''Comicbook/TheInfinityGauntlet'' as a victim being tormented by Comicbook/{{Thanos}}, and actually played a key role in defeating him in the end (albeit due to her own vengeful nature). In ''War of the Gems'', an adaptation of ''Infinity Gauntlet'', Nebula instead acts as Thanos' enforcer, and is actually the last villain the heroes have to defeat before the final battle with Thanos himself.

* You know [[WackyWaysideTribe those singing squeaky slugs]] from WesternAnimation/FlushedAway? They are, for some reason, out to harm the main characters in most of the video game adaptions despite not showing any hostility towards the main characters in the movie at all.

* In at least one {{ComicBook/Asterix}} video game [[VideoGame/AsterixAndTheGreatRescue Asterix and the Great Rescue]], Cacofonix is fought as a boss. In the comics themselves, while he is a nuisance and a GiftedlyBad musician, he is an ally of the main characters and not at all a villain. Averted because he is not a villain here either: he isn't a boss out to get the characters but just trying to sing oblivious to how unpleasant this is to the surrounding individuals exactly like in the comics.

* Done in-universe in ''VideoGame/Borderlands2''. In the main game, the Guardian Angel was a tragic but ultimately heroic character who [[spoiler: sacrifices herself to help stop her father, Handsome Jack]]. However, the ''Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep'' DLC -where the heroes play a setting-appropriate ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''-style game run by Tiny Tina- features a blatant {{expy}} of her that tricks the heroes into releasing it and then turns into a spider-demon and tries to kill them. Lampshaded by Lilith, who tries to explain that the Guardian Angel wasn't really evil, but Tiny Tina refuses to listen because she blames Angel for [[spoiler: Roland's death]].

* ''WesternAnimation/CasperTheFriendlyGhost'': In the film adaptations, Kibosh was an AntiVillain who, while threatening and unfriendly, was ultimately just trying to make sure all ghosts followed the rules of attending the scare accademmy and scaring humans. In the video game ''Casper Spirit Dimensions'', he is an out and out villain who wants to [[TakeOverTheWorld take over both the spirit world and the land of the living]], and outright attempts to [[DeaderThanDead destroy]] Casper.

** Demeter is the benevolent [[EarthMother Goddess of nature]] in the Myths. Her only dark moment came from her MamaBear behaviour towards her daughter Persephone as when she was taken to the Underworld by Hades, the seasons halted and the crops of Greece died as Demeter searched for daughter. [[spoiler: In the game Demeter is explicitly TheDreaded having separated herself from the Olympian Gods and after losing her daughter to the Underworld, she turns Greece into a [[EndlessWinter frozen wasteland]]. Averted towards the end though as she becomes an ally to her grandson.]]

** Ada’s role in the story falls into this compared to the original version. In the canonical Leon B scenario she’s an ally and LoveInterest to Leon and after getting badly wounded by Mr X has LastKiss with him and seemingly dies, Leon only finds out she’s a FemmeFataleSpy who’s OnlyInItForTheMoney in later games. The remake instead uses the alternative and less romantic Leon A scenario where he learns that MadScientist Annette was actually right about Ada who points a gun at Leon demanding that he hand over the T-Virus sample. Also due to Annette getting AdaptationalHeroism, Ada manipulating Leon’s heroism against her comes off as more cruel and sinister. Granted Ada still does [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe develops]] real feelings for him.

** Shockingly BigBad Sephiroth gets this. In the original game he’s still the antagonist but has a few sympathetic traits being a scientific Guinea pig infused with [[EldritchAbomination JENOVA]] cells by his MadScientist dad [[spoiler:Hojo]]. Upon learning about his birth Sephiroth has a SanitySlippage and burns down Nibelheim, in all all he’s quite a TragicMonster. In the remake Sephiroth loses a lot of sympathy points when he [[KickTheDog gloats]] to Cloud, that he personally killed his mother telling him sadistically about how she begged him to spare her son and how her flesh was “yielding to cold steel” none of which Sephiroth did in the original. He also repeatedly tells Cloud how worthless his heroics are and how he should [[WeCanRuleTogether join him]] in [[OmnicidalManiac destroying the world]]. This treatment makes Sephiroth closer to a CardCarryingVillain like [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Kefka Palazzo]] than his more affable original version.

** Theseus the Greek Hero, is one of the bosses trying to prevent Zagreus from escaping the Underworld alongside his [[AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul best friend]] [[ALoadOfBull Asterius]]. Theseus is also more a pompous {{Jerkass}} compared the Myths and is less likeable than other characters in the game, especially when he insults Persephone. Although his BashBrothers-bond with his former enemy Asterius does help redeem Theseus slightly.

** Rude in the original game is one of the more likeable members of the Turks, as he actually shows misgivings in his role as a [[EvilInc Shinra agent]]. In the remake Rude still has his affable traits and Aerith says he’s a "good man" [[spoiler: but he’s the one who drops the Sector 7 plate killing millions of people in this continuity]].

** Morrigan Aensland, the main character of the franchise is also a frequent victim of this. In canon not only is she a genuinely friendly (if naughty) succubus but also has never killed a human in spite of her species. Most media besides the games have her either killing humans or treating them cruelly, the UDON comics being the most recent adaptation to do so. Even in crossovers or other games like Teppen she's confirmed to have killed humans besides caring for nothing but her own amusement.

* ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'': BB Hood is a [[DarkerAndEdgier darker incarnation]] of the famous Little Red Riding Hood. Instead of being the innocent girl who had a terrible run in with a big bad wolf, BB Hood is an AxCrazy, [[FauxAffablyEvil sadistic]] PsychoForHire trying to hunt down and kill every darkstalker, even if they are good and haven't done anything wrong. In fact, most of her victory quotes are taunts to her now dead opponents.
** She's even considered evil enough that she appears in ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone2'' as an enemy.