History AntiVillain / VideoGames

** However, Breen is also an [[SmugSnake arrogant puke]] whose mask of affability [[VillainousBreakdown slips considerably]] as you get closer to his inner sanctum. By the time he's [[spoiler: rising to the teleporter at the top of the Citadel]], you're really, really ready to crush his guts for good. And his [[spoiler: threats to the Overwatch during the assault on Nova Prospekt]]. He's just a really well-adjusted, banal, completely evil dude.

* Miles Edgeworth in the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' series. He's portrayed as an AmoralAttorney willing to do anything to get a conviction and keep his perfect record at first, but eventually, it's revealed that his use of questionable tactics are a result of genuine trust in the police's work and a massive hatred for unpunished crime, instilled in him by childhood trauma and a truly {{evil mentor}}. Though the change that comes over him is not as drastic as a HeelFaceTurn, he's easily one of the most interesting characters in the series.

** evil joinable characters can be counted too, if they join a good aligned party, thus taking side in quests where good actions are performed, while their true motivations might be payment (Korgan), looting, exploiting the party for their personal goals or increasing power(especially Edwin) by standing aside the main character.

* Ser Cullen and Ser Thrask of the Kirkwall Templars in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' serve as the game's Anti-Villains, with Thrask seeking to aid mages on the run rather than executing them or seizing them and forcing them to join the Circle (he will, however, accept a peaceful surrender to prevent bloodshed), and Cullen turning against Knight-Commander Meredith once it becomes clear to him how crazy she has become after [[spoiler:Anders blows up the Chantry, and Meredith calls for the Right of Annulment on the Kirkwall Circle, and on the off-chance that Hawke supports the templars, she orders for Hawke's execution instead of arrest]].
** On that topic, [[spoiler: Anders himself, to some.]]
** For that matter, the Knight-Commander herself. She saves the PlayerCharacter's life during the [[spoiler: Qunari attack]], and has no problems fighting beside an obviously-apostate mage. She seems rather reasonable [[spoiler: until she picks up that relic and gets mind-controlled.]]
*** Knight-Commander's actions are by no means justifiable by simply [[spoiler: being mind-controlled.]]. Sure, she has some excuse for her actions but later conversations specially in the next game shows that she used tranquility as punishment for crimes such as sending a love letter to a Templar and LESSER offenses YEARS before [[spoiler: that damn idol was discovered.]]. At best she is a (rather misguided) well intentioned extremism.
* ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'': The Fallen can be seen as an entire ''species'' of this. Unlike the other enemy races, the Fallen - or ''Eliksni'' - aren't undead sorcerers, assimilating robots, ''or'' intergalactic conquerors: they're a fleet of refugees who had their civilization destroyed by the Darkness, just like humans. Once they were the Traveler's chosen people, also just like humans. They're pirates and scavengers now because that's what they resorted to in order to stay alive. They hate humanity because they believe we "stole" the Travler and the Light from them, but lore entries make it clear that the Fallen just barely cling to life, and their old culture is long since forgotten. Many players would ''much' rather see the Fallen and the Guardians make peace, with some even going so far as to want to see them made a new player race.
* Magister Gereon Alexius in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition''. [[spoiler: He was left utterly devastated by his wife's murder and his son's infection with the Blight after they were attacked by a darkspawn party, even more so because [[ItsAllMyFault he wasn't with them at the time]]. He is arguably one of the most sympathetic villains in the game -- everything he does, [[WellIntentionedExtremist he does out of love for his son and the desire to save his life]].]]
** To make it all worse, [[spoiler: his efforts are all for nothing. Alexius tried to meddle with time magic to change his family's fate but was unable to go back far in time enough. [[AllForNothing He can't save either of them]] and his son is destined to die regardless of whatever Alexius does; the magister is only delaying the inevitable, even keeping his son around as a near corpse, because his death would shatter him. After the Inquisitor arrests him, Alexius is left a broken man and [[DeathSeeker protests any judgement that does not result in his execution]].]]
* Speaking of Creator/BioWare, ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' features Loghain, who crosses that MoralEventHorizon several times early in the game, but chiefly because [[MyCountryRightOrWrong he pathologically fears a re-invasion of a foreign country]] that had ''enslaved'' the land within most adults' memory. He didn't believe that a real Blight was occurring, just a surge of Darkspawn. When he finds out the Archdemon ''really is coming'', he tries his best to resolve the situation. You can even have him [[TheAtoner atone]] by [[spoiler: forcing him to become a Grey Warden and sacrifice his life to kill the Archdemon]].
** Another example would be Ser Cauthrien, Loghain's bodyguard who, despite being disturbed by her lord's actions, follows him out of duty. Luckily, it's possible to talk your way out of having to fight her. ''Un''luckily, thanks to a bug, one of the options to do so checks against a completely unrelated skill, meaning players who use ''that'' option in their playthrough most likely still have to kill her.
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'':
** Calpernia is also a good example of this trope: a former slave who wants to free other slaves and change her home country for the better, but does so by allying herself with the main villain.
** Samson is a former Templar of the Chantry who was kicked out for carrying a love letter between mages ([[FateWorseThanDeath one of whom was made Tranquil as punishment]]) and then became burned out from lyrium addiction. He seeks to destroy the Chantry for their abuses of both Templars and mages.

* [[spoiler:Lord Ishmael Ashur]] from ''The Pitt'' DLC of ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}''. Based on what you hear and learn about him as the story goes on, he seems like a textbook EvilOverlord. Then you meet him yourself, and find out that [[spoiler:he's a more honest and fair-minded ruler than expected, who genuinely cares about his city and family, and claims to take no pleasure in his use of slaves and intends to release all of them once the mutation cure can be distributed.]] His alleged [[WellIntentionedExtremist good intentions]] (he wants to [[spoiler: revitalize the steel industry in the Pitt so as to recreate the intercontinental railroads and finally re-link the West & East Coasts of the U.S.]]) are compromised by the fact that [[spoiler:Ashur's]] main servants are unrestrained [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Raiders]] (since they're portrayed as the only people who would willingly go into [[DeathWorld the Pitt]] to work for him); [[spoiler:the squalor, pain and horror his slaves live in is utterly miserable; and he can only offer them false hope in a chance for freedom by fighting to the death, against overwhelming odds, for his servant's amusement.]]

** The best example was probably TheMaster from the original VideoGame/Fallout1. He wants to forcibly turn every living human on the planet into super mutants, however, he has a very good reason. He believes that humans will just tear themselves apart fighting unless they are all one race, which you can't really argue with since you live in a nuclear wasteland precisely because humans fought, and because he believes super mutants are better at surviving, which, once again, is really solid because they are stronger than humans and are completely immune to radiation. He also holds no ill will against humans as a whole; in his new world order, humans would be allowed to live the rest of their lives safe and under the protection of his army, though he wouldn't allow them to breed. However, you can reveal to him that this plan won't work because his mutants are sterile (and not very bright), and he'll do something few other villains ever do: realize his plan won't work and just stop. That's it, not even a fight. He'll realize that everything he thought he was doing for the greater good was actually not good for anyone, and will be so stricken with grief upon realizing this that he'll kill himself and destroy the mutant army. [[TearJerker It's sad, really, as he's probably the most sympathetic character in the entire game.]]

** ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' continues the series’ proud tradition of Anti-Villains with [[TheConspiracy the Institute]], who are the main antagonists of the game (or at least the closest, since the game is chock full of [[GreyAndGrayMorality Grey and Gray Morality]]). Descended from the staff of the Commonwealth Institute of Technology (the Falloutverse’s counterpart to M.I.T.), they’re a cabal of {{Mad Scientist}}s living far below the surface of the [[CrapsackWorld Commonwealth]] that create [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Synths]], {{Artificial Humans}} used for both slave labor and the [[ManipulativeBastard subtle control of the surface]]. While the Institute has committed numerous crimes against humanity and are quite [[FantasticRacism Fantastically Racist towards Synths]], one still can’t help but have some sympathy for them. For one, the vast majority of the Institute’s inhabitants are actually [[PunchClockVillain incredibly friendly hard-working scientists]] who genuinely think their work is making the world a better place. Relatedly, most Institute residents are [[TheMasquerade kept in the dark]] about the various nightmares the organization’s leadership has perpetuated, and are [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone appropriately horrified]] when they’re made public. There’s also numerous Institute scientists who are shown [[InternalReformist to be trying to help put the organization on a more positive path]] - most notably, [[spoiler: Liam Binet]]/[[CodeName “Patriot”]] (the [[UndergroundRailroad Railroad’s]] [[TheMole Mole]] in the Institute), [[EstablishingCharacterMoment whose first scene has them arguing]] that [[DoAndroidsDream Synths are self-aware due to their ability to dream]]. The Institute also is, to be fair, [[CutLexLuthorACheck one of the most advanced factions in the entire series]], being able to easily create {{Artificial Humans}} and are actively advancing science and technology (some scientists mention how the Institute has not only re-invented the transistor -- [[AlternateHistory \transistors in the Falloutverse weren’t invented until the mid-2060s, and they were then mostly forgotten to history]] -- but that the Institute is planning on researching ''dark matter'') while most other factions are still struggling with [[FutureImperfect regaining past knowledge]]. They also are fully planning on sharing their incredibly advanced technology with the world above, but feel that [[TheWorldIsNotReady the Commonwealth’s not able to accept it]], and are [[VisionaryVillain actively trying to shape the region into a society]] that they think will actually be able to ‘’handle’’ their tech and not destroy themselves like the Old World did with the Great War.
*** If the player [[GreyAndGrayMorality chooses to see]] the [[AbsoluteXenophobe East Coast Brotherhood of Steel]] as villains, than it's possible to see their leader -- [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething Elder]] [[NobleBigot Arthur]] [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Maxson]] -- as an Anti-Villain. Despite his {{Fantastic Racism}} and [[PrinciplesZealot zealotry towards the Brotherhood's Codex]], Maxson comes across as a well-intentioned young leader [[AChildShallLeadThem thrust into a situation]] he was ''not'' ready for (he became his chapter's Elder at the age of ''16''), but is [[AFatherToHisMen determined to his best at keeping everyone under his command alive]]. Most notably, while he's colder towards Wastelands than his predecessor [[VideoGame/Fallout3 Owyn Lyons]] was, he still claims that the Brotherhood is in the Commonwealth to ''protect'' the native Wastelanders from the various mutants and Synths of the region. True to his word, Brotherhood patrols are (unless [[PlayerCharacter the Sole Survivor]] joins the Institute [[spoiler:or the Railroad]]) one of the few peaceful random encounters in the Commonwealth, and are often seen defending Wastelanders from cannibalistic Super Mutants and hordes of Feral Ghouls.

* Dr. Noore Najjar, the vice-lord of Kyrat who runs the [[GladiatorGames Shannath Arena]], is a former human rights activist who [[TheCaligula Pagan Min]] had invited to her country, and then [[IHaveYourWife took her husband and sons captive]] to force her into selling drugs and sex slaves in order to get them freed. [[spoiler:When she finds out from [[PlayerCharacter Ajay]] that Pagan actually had them killed years ago, which means everything she's done was AllForNothing, she decides to [[DrivenToSuicide kill herself]].]] That said, Noore deconstructs the premise of an anti-villain, if you read the various notes scattered throughout her territory: she tries presenting herself as more reasonable than Pagan's other [[TheDragon Dragon]], [[TortureTechnician Paul "De Pleur" Harmon]], by giving people drugs and booze as rewards for compliance, but she's just as much a BadBoss to anyone who disappoints her (we see her cutting the throat of a soldier who annoyed her at the start of one mission), and Pagan thinks [[BecomingTheMask she might have actually started to like running the Shannath Arena]]. The only difference between her and Paul is that Pagan's forcing her to do his dirty work.
* Paul Harmon also qualifies as this to some extent. He's a {{Sadist}} and [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain racist]], but he seems [[AffablyEvil genuinely friendly to Ajay]] and he [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes loves his wife Laura and his daughter Ashley]]. ([[spoiler:Though [[MoralMyopia that didn't stop him murdering Noore's family]].]]) When you capture him, he's somewhat pitiful in his defeat: [[spoiler:the Golden Path [[CruelMercy locks him in a cage after taking his phone from him, so that he's still alive]], but he can't phone his daughter to let her know he's alright, [[NeverGotToSayGoodbye or even say goodbye to her]].]]
* Yogi and Reggie, two villains who Ajay finds living in his parents' house, and who promptly drug him before sending him to Noore at the Shannath Arena. When he goes back to confront them afterwards, they desperately plead with him, saying that Pagan took away their passports when they visited Kyrat, so they're being forced to stay there and cheat rich Westerners out of their money so that Noore can extort them. From then on, they never antagonize Ajay again, except to repeatedly try out their drugs on him and send him on trippy MindScrew visions.
* [[spoiler:Surprisingly, Pagan Min himself. Despite being the despotic king of Kyrat, Pagan is surprisingly friendly towards Ajay, treating him like a surrogate son, and disapproving of his [[TheDragon Dragon]] Yuma's intent to torture Ajay's mind. Additionally, if Ajay stays at the dinner table for 10 minutes when Pagan leaves it at the start of the game, Pagan will return, thank Ajay for waiting, and take him to the place where Ajay can put his mother's ashes to rest, bloodlessly (except for that poor old man who Pagan sent off to be tortured beforehand). And ultimately, whichever of the [[LaResistance Golden Path's]] co-leaders you bring to power and replace Pagan with ultimately [[FullCircleRevolution proves to be no better than him]].]]
** Ull, the Warchief of the [[CannibalTribe Udam tribe]] in ''VideoGame/FarCryPrimal''. He's a [[EvilIsBigger massive]], thuggish, [[FacialHorror scarred]] caveman who violently attacked the {{Player Character}}'s tribe, the Wenja, at the start of the game, scattering them and trying to kill and eat them. We later learn, though, that [[spoiler:the Udam are dying from a mysterious plague called "skull fire"]], and Ull thinks that they must kill their two rival tribes in order to ensure this. [[spoiler:And at the end of the game, when Ull himself is dying at Takkar's hands, he begs the Beast Master to [[TakeCareOfTheKids take care of his two children]]. Takkar, growing to respect Ull by this point, grants the Warchief's pleas.]]

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', most of the Judge Magisters (Drace, Gabranth, and Zargabaath) qualify, as they're simply trying to do what they consider right. [[TheStarscream Ghis]] and [[BloodKnight Bergan]], on the other hand...There's also a case to be made for Vayne and Venat.

*** In the first Dissidia, Jecht acted as an AntiVillain, as he only ended up fighting alongside Chaos so he could find his son Tidus and go home with him. [[spoiler:It's later revealed that he wasn't even a Warrior of Chaos from the start, but was originally a Warrior of Cosmos. It was implied that the only reason he switched sides was because the Emperor had him brainwashed by Chaos.]]

* Literature/TheFrogPrince, in the second ''VideoGame/DarkParables'' game, falls into this category. He's been causing disappearances in the Black Forest of Germany, and threatens the player character more than once...[[spoiler:until it's revealed that he's immortal, and wants desperately to die and be reunited with his deceased wife.]]

* Saturos and Menardi in ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' and Agatio and Karst in ''VideoGame/GoldenSun: The Lost Age'' are interesting examples. In the first game, they appear completely ruthless and apparently want to light the 4 lighthouses to abuse the power of alchemy. [[spoiler:After their defeat at the hand of the player, Felix, who was believed to be merely held captive by them, tries to continue their goal. In the second game, it is revealed that the "bad guys" were actually trying to ''save'' their homeland (and, by extension, the world) from destruction and were merely justifying the means. The heroes of the first game later join Felix's group in their quest to activate the lighthouses and actually work together with the replacement new "villain" couple.]]

* Certain characters in ''VisualNovel/SayaNoUta''. Yeah, Fuminori has crossed the MoralEventHorizon at some point, and continues to KickTheDog by regarding Yoh as his sex slave after Saya mutates him. Still, you gotta pity him when he loses his beloved Saya, the one person who comforted him. His condition he's had from before the story started. Can't really blame him for hating everyone other than Saya. Saya, for her part, just wanted to find love, but it is in her nature to die and mutate the planet's entire population, and she also meant it as a gift for him to make his life still worth living after her's ended. Meanwhile, Kouji and Dr. Tanbo are out to kill the two of them, but only to avenge Yoh and to save humanity, respectively. And let's also mention Yousuke, who only killed his wife and daughter, and then tried to rape Saya because of psychosis after Saya corrupted his brain earlier on.
** Notably, the actions of the "villains" put them well past the MoralEventHorizon, but their FreudianExcuse is ''terrifyingly'' strong. To the point that [[BlackAndGrayMorality perhaps the player would do the same or similar in their situation]]. When human life appears terrifying, disgusting, alien and hostile, can you really be blamed for not valuing it?

* ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' has given us a few over the years:

** Even though she wasn't evil, Utsuho was still one of the ''darkest'' Touhou villains to date... So, to compensate, the next game's final boss was Byakuren "[[MessianicArchetype Youkai Jesus]]" Hijiri, a Buddhist nun who was sealed in the Demon Realm for thinking that it would be nice if humans and youkai could get along... She's not a villain by any stretch of the word. In fact, it wouldn't be uncalled for to accuse the heroes, the playable characters, of meeting the criterias for {{Nominal Hero}}es when they set out to prevent her followers from freeing her.

* ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'': [[spoiler:All through the game, you're led to believe that the Voice On The Radio is a manipulative bandit, or paedophile, or psycho-killer, or some other sort of monster of a human being. He's not. Remember that car full of supplies your party looted back in Episode 2? The one everyone thought was abandoned? ''It wasn't''. At the end of it all, the terrifying, overarching BigBad that had been built up over three Episodes was nothing more than a severely traumatised survivor who was just trying to look after his family until they were all killed in a DespairEventHorizon that ''you'' were ''directly responsible for causing''.]]
* Before ''The Burning Crusade'' [[{{Flanderization}} derailed his character into a one-dimensional madman]] (and then later ''Legion'' retconned it into a successful deception by the... erm, Legion, in order to get the players to kill him), Illidan Stormrage of ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'' spent much of ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'' as one of these after [[spoiler:consuming the Skull of Gul'dan and turning into a half-demon, half-night elf hybrid]]. He goes through the rest of his appearances using increasingly-dangerous and morally-questionable means to fulfill his goals, [[spoiler:allies with the series [[BigBad Big Bads]], the Burning Legion]], and [[spoiler:nearly causes [[EarthShatteringKaboom massive ecological devastation]] by using a powerful artifact to fire a spell at the Frozen Throne]] before being stopped by Furion and Tyrande. And the reason why? He wanted to prove to Tyrande and his brother that he had been rehabilitated and wanted to help, but kept thinking he needed just a ''little'' more power to do so. In addition, his [[IronWoobie sympathetic backstory]] as the [[CainAndAbel Cain to Malfurion's Abel]] helps cement his status as an antivillain. No matter how well intentioned or well thought out, or even if he accomplished his goals, he was always considered a "failure" compared to his brother during the events of the War of the Ancients.

* Despite being the first villains introduced, the members of Torna actually end up serving an anti-villain role in the grand scheme of ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade Chronicles 2}}''. They are smaller, less influential, and all motivated to stop [[spoiler: Amalthus]], who has more reason to being called the main villain of the game

** ''Fire Emblem'' as a whole has the Camus archetype, which falls between this and HonourBeforeReason depending on the character. While some are just suicidally loyal to a cause they don't believe in with a ruler they don't like, some of them see genuine positivity where the problem is not the cause that's being fought for, but the individual in charge. There's also cases such as the [[VideoGame/FireEmblemFates Nohr siblings (minus Xander in ''Birthright'')]], who abhor the villain but can't defect without significant consequences.

** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'': the original Black Fang were heroes of the common folk for eliminating tyrannical members of their home country's government. It wasn't until [[BigBad Nergal]] showed up that they started attacking innocents.

** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' has [[spoiler:Dheginsea]], who did everything he could to prevent TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt and has given up and accepted judgement by the end and [[spoiler:Sephiran]], who completely lost faith in humanity after the Serenes Massacre and engineered the end of the world so that the suffering would just end already.

** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' has the Flame Emperor [[spoiler:a.k.a Edelgard Von Hreslvelg]], a WellIntentionedExtremist who believes Fodlan needs to be reforged in fire, specifically by removing the CorruptChurch's leader. All of the changes they want to implement would be for the better, and most of the main cast agrees with them on at least some level. They just want to force those changes at sword point rather than attempt to change Fodlan through peaceful means (though it's all but stated to be impossible to do so peacefully in the Ashen Wolves DLC), and the heroes take issue with that.

* Big Boss in ''VideoGame/MetalGear2'' probably qualifies as one. When fighting Kyle Schneider, he reveals that Big Boss was the one who saved his resistance from the Outer Heaven bombings commenced by NATO (in case you're wondering why this is notable, it's because Schneider was opposing Big Boss's group, Outer Heaven). His men all follow him, not out of any fear or brainwashing, but because they genuinely love him, [[AFatherToHisMen as he cares about all of them]].
** Not just him, but his mentor, The Boss from ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3'', counts as well. She was branded as a traitor of America even though [[spoiler: she was actually a FakeDefector who was just trying to defend her country from the inside of Russia and would bear the World's hate on her shoulders to do so. It's her death by the hands of Big Boss himself that turns him into an AntiVillain in the first place.]]

* [[spoiler:Surprisingly, Pagan Min himself. Despite being the despotic king of Kyrat, Pagan is surprisingly friendly towards Ajay, treating him like a surrogate son, and disapproving of his {{Dragon}} Yuma's intent to torture Ajay's mind. Additionally, if Ajay stays at the dinner table for 10 minutes when Pagan leaves it at the start of the game, Pagan will return, thank Ajay for waiting, and take him to the place where Ajay can put his mother's ashes to rest, bloodlessly (except for that poor old man who Pagan sent off to be tortured beforehand). And ultimately, whichever of the [[LaResistance Golden Path's]] co-leaders you bring to power and replace Pagan with ultimately [[FullCircleRevolution proves to be no better than him]].]]

* Dr. Noore Najjar, the vice-lord of Kyrat who runs the [[GladiatorGames Shannath Arena]], is a former human rights activist who [[TheCaligula Pagan Min]] had invited to her country, and then [[IHaveYourWife took her husband and sons captive]] to force her into selling drugs and sex slaves in order to get them freed. [[spoiler:When she finds out from [[PlayerCharacter Ajay]] that Pagan actually had them killed years ago, which means everything she's done was AllForNothing, she decides to [[DrivenToSuicide kill herself]].]] That said, Noore deconstructs the premise of an anti-villain, if you read the various notes scattered throughout her territory: she tries presenting herself as more reasonable than Pagan's other {{Dragon}}, [[TortureTechnician Paul "De Pleur" Harmon]], by giving people drugs and booze as rewards for compliance, but she's just as much a BadBoss to anyone who disappoints her (we see her cutting the throat of a soldier who annoyed her at the start of one mission), and Pagan thinks [[BecomingTheMask she might have actually started to like running the Shannath Arena]]. The only difference between her and Paul is that Pagan's forcing her to do his dirty work.

* The Kurvasz Special Ops from ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}''. In addition to being able to find pictures of them [[VillainsOutShopping goofing off]], [[spoiler:they believe they're just following orders, though Opéra later admits she questioned Bruno's sanity as time went on and was mostly loyal to him based on how he had been years before.]] After you defeat Bruno, they [[spoiler:even do a HeelFaceTurn and begin helping Red, turning their methods for controlling Lares into a method for permanently stopping it.]] Béluga counts as well, as [[spoiler:he was only working with the Kurvasz to try to spare Elh the pain of having to do the [[HumanSacrifice Rite of Forfeit]] to seal Lares again.]]

* In ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'', [[spoiler: the [[BigBad mastermind]] is revealed to be Izuru Kamukura, i.e. [[TomatoInTheMirror Hajime himself]]. Unlike [[GreaterScopeVillain Junko]], Izuru took no pleasure in the suffering of others or ''anything'', as the experimentation that turned him into the UltimateLifeForm also turned him into an EmptyShell with little-to-no emotions other than boredom. He only started the new [[DeadlyGame Killing Game]] for a mix of getting answers and getting back at Junko, and all of the game's victims were revealed to be NotQuiteDead before he manages to bring them back. In addition, the [[Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakHighSchool anime]] showed that most of the murders he was accused of were actually a FrameUp, with the only one he actually ''did'' do being self-defense. However, while none of his actions were done with malice, his plan had a risk of restarting TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt which he was willing to take as [[TrueNeutral he was curious what would happen]].]]

* General Forsythe from ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars: Days of Ruin'', though he declares war against the player's country in the game, barely qualifies as a villain. When [[MadScientist Caulder]] offers him powerful, but horrible, weapons that could guarantee his victory in one of the early missions, he is appalled and flatly refuses. Shortly later, it is revealed that he does not kill [=POWs=], considering it to be dishonorable. To top it all off, [[spoiler:when he loses the war, he accepts full responsibility for the war so as to spare his soldiers and lower-ranking commanders, accepting execution by the [[GeneralRipper insane, power hungry Commander]] Greyfield.]]
** Even the declaration of war is ambiguous, considering that Davis is the one who says that Lazuria started it, and he probably heard this from Greyfield ([[SarcasmMode paragon of honesty, that man]]). It's more likely that Greyfield started the war and told everyone that Forsythe did, while Forsythe hopes to end the war by defeating Greyfield. Forsythe is a HeroAntagonist.

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'': This game's Ganondorf spares the lives of prisoners he has no need for, even going so far as to ''subdue,'' rather than ''kill'', Link himself [[spoiler:(at least until his goal is destroyed and he completely snaps for the final battle)]]. He also explains his original motive for wanting to take over the world: The harsh desert winds brought death, suffering, and ruin to his people, but in other, greener regions, it meant something very different.
-->'''Ganondorf:''' I coveted that wind, I suppose.

* Due to the way the ''{{Franchise/Nasuverse}}'' treats antagonists, you can end up as enemies of people who may be really, ''really'' evil or crazy; they, at least, have good kills. [[{{VisualNovel/Tsukihime}} For example, Arcueid and Akiha]] are both love interests, and they can also go rather {{yandere}} over Shiki. [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Ilya]] is a confused girl who can't decide if she hates Shirou for being Kiritsugu's (apparent) favorite or likes him because [[spoiler:she's his sister]], or Lancer, who serves [[spoiler:Kotomine]] out of his personal sense of honor and, because [[spoiler:Kotomine]] has none, turns on him in both ''Fate'' and ''UBW''. Even Kotomine gets an A for Effort in ''LightNovel/FateZero'' and Heavens Feel route despite numerous [[KickTheDog rather unpleasant]] to [[MoralEventHorizon downright sadistic]] things he does {{for the evulz}}. Also, [[VideoGame/MeltyBlood Walachia/Tatari]] is a horrible, horrible monster because... he's trying to avert the doom of mankind, which can't be done, but as far as he knows, turning himself into what he is now is his only shot. MotiveDecay is sort of inevitable when you stop being an actual entity though.

** Though he believes himself to be TheHero, it turns out that Raziel, by virtue of being an UnwittingPawn, is actually an anti-villain.

* [[VideoGame/StarControl The Ur-Quan.]] Especially the green Kzer-Za. Sure, they enslave other races and they're merciless to those who disobey them, but that's all due to their FreudianExcuse, which they will explain once you learn the ArcWords. In addition to their sympathetic backstory, they also seem to have a sense of honor; if you [[NonStandardGameOver surrender to them]], they promise to spare your crew. They are also willing to let you peacably leave their space (once) if you warn them about the return of the cause of their FreudianExcuse, regardless of you still being their enemy.
** [[OmnicidalManiac Their genocidal brethren]], the Kohr-Ah, are less sympathetic...but since they share the same background, they may still qualify.