History ContrastingSequelAntagonist / VideoGames

** In ''VideoGame/Sly2BandOfThieves'', [[spoiler: Neyla]] is a far more active antagonist, not at all shy to go out in the field to get [[spoiler: her]] hands dirty to further [[spoiler: her]] goals. Whereas Clockwerk was already established as a villain due to being part of the Fiendish Five, [[spoiler: Neyla]] initially comes off as a charming, friendly INTERPOL agent who is sympathetic towards Sly's goals and acts as a FriendOnTheForce to the Cooper gang by helping them in their heists. This is before gradually revealing the [[BitchInSheepsClothing nasty]] and [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder traitorous]] individual [[spoiler: she]] truly is, [[HateSink becoming more and more despicable]] by selling out Sly and Murray to INTERPOL, along with Carmelita by framing her for working with the gang the whole time to get Clockwerk's parts so [[spoiler: she]] can get promoted, then turning out to be [[spoiler: a mentee to the Klaww Gang's tech expert Arpeggio by helping him take down the Cooper Gang and the other members of the Klaww Gang to get at whatever Clockwerk parts they have so Arpeggio can reassemble Clockwerk]], ''then'' [[spoiler: stabbing Arpeggio in the back by knocking him down, jumping into the completed Clockwerk frame to become Clock-La, and crushing him to death with her beak once the merging process was complete]]. While little to no information of Clockwerk's background was revealed until the end of the first game, anyone who read [[AllThereInTheManual the instruction manual for the second game]] would know that [[spoiler: Neyla]] was once a [[FromNobodyToNightmare penniless guttersnipe from New Delhi]] whose natural powers of persuasion allowed [[spoiler: her]] to get into an exclusive British University where [[spoiler: she]] conned classmates into doing schoolwork for [[spoiler: her]] until the con was discovered and broken by the authorities, who were impressed enough to offer [[spoiler: her]] a job at INTERPOL on the belief that [[spoiler: she]] could win over any criminal she faced. Also, up until [[spoiler: merging with the Clockwerk frame at the final stage of the game]], [[spoiler: Neyla]] was for the most part a BadassNormal who could give Sly a run for his money and needed little more than her wits and [[WhipItGood whip]] to get ahead in the game.

** The Calypso twins in the third game contrast with Handsome Jack, most obviously being that the Calypso twins now command the bandits of the world instead of aiming to destroy them. [[spoiler:And while Jack had genuine, if extreme affection for his daughter Angel, Tyreen isn't above consuming Troy's life force just to stay alive and spite the Crimson Raiders]].

** [[VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield Generation VIII]] features Team Yell, who are more like the Pokémon world's version of FootballHooligans. They just so happen to be {{loony fan}}s of Marnie, one of TheRival characters to the player, and want her to become the next Champion of the Galar region. As such they go out of their way to obstruct the other participants of the Gym Challenge so that Marnie is unchallenged. This makes them the first villain team to be directly connected to the player character's journey to become Champion. [[spoiler:Their "leader" Piers is a Gym Leader like Giovanni, but unlike the Team Rocket boss, his association with Team Yell isn't hidden, having their symbol adorn his gym and shirt. His only goal is to retire from his Gym Leader position and have his sister Marnie take over. He even helps the player out post-game. The real villain is Chairman Rose, who has been using the tournaments to gather energy in order to awaken Eternatus.]]

** The ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'' games contrast their villains too. The ''Explorers'' villains try to create a BadFuture [[spoiler:to preserve their own survival]] while the villains of ''Gates of Infinity'' are a suicide cult who have grown so depressed at the state of the world and the uncaring attitudes of those in it that they are willing to let an EldritchAbomination destroy it. Meanwhile the villains of ''Super Mystery Dungeon'' are BrainwashedAndCrazy by the local EldritchAbomination as opposed to the other villains who were willing participants in villainy. [[spoiler:The Bittercold]] from ''Gates'' was also more of a force of nature than a character that was defeated by rejecting it while ''Super'' had [[spoiler:the Dark Matter]] which was sentient and was defeated by accepting it.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria'' turns out to be a prequel to ''[[VideoGame/TalesOfZestiria Zestiria]]'', but the point remains. Artorius is the first Sheperd in history and is a VillainWithGoodPublicity, loved by most of the citizens because his actions allowed Malakhim to become controllable, which allowed people to rein in the problems of daemons roaming around. He was also a tragic hero with HiddenDepths, with his ultimate goal being [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-meaning]]. In contrast, Heldalf was mostly made out to be nothing but pure evil and having little to no desire of doing anything but spreading Malevolence wherever he appeared. He does eventually get revealed to be a bit more of a Woobie, cursed with loneliness, but he remains irredeemible. There's also how they relate to the game's protagonist: [[AntiHero Velvet]] has a very personal connection with Artorius, since he's her brother-in-law and he killed her younger brother, while [[WideEyedIdealist Sorey]] has zero connection with Heldalf, except that he's the Shepherd whose duty it is to defeat the Lord of Calamity. [[spoiler:Though there are implications that Heldalf may be Sorey's father, unbeknowst to the latter.]]

** In ''VideoGame/Sly2BandOfThieves'', [[spoiler: Neyla]] is a far more active antagonist, not at all shy to go out in the field to get [[spoiler: her]] hands dirty to further [[spoiler: her]] goals. Whereas Clockwerk was already established as a villain due to being part of the Fiendish Five, [[spoiler: Neyla]] initially comes off as a charming, friendly INTERPOL agent who is sympathetic towards Sly's goals and acts as a FriendOnTheForce to the Cooper gang by helping them in their heists. This is before gradually revealing the [[BitchInSheepsClothing nasty]] and [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder traitorous]] individual [[spoiler: she]] truly is, [[HateSkink becoming more and more despicable]] by selling out Sly and Murray to INTERPOL, along with Carmelita by framing her for working with the gang the whole time to get Clockwerk's parts so [[spoiler: she]] can get promoted, then turning out to be [[spoiler: a mentee to the Klaww Gang's tech expert Arpeggio by helping him take down the Cooper Gang and the other members of the Klaww Gang to get at whatever Clockwerk parts they have so Arpeggio can reassemble Clockwerk]], ''then'' [[spoiler: stabbing Arpeggio in the back by knocking him down, jumping into the completed Clockwerk frame to become Clock-La, and crushing him to death with her beak once the merging process was complete]]. While little to no information of Clockwerk's background was revealed until the end of the first game, anyone who read [[AllThereInTheManual the instruction manual for the second game]] would know that [[spoiler: Neyla]] was once a [[FromNobodyToNightmare penniless guttersnipe from New Delhi]] whose natural powers of persuasion allowed [[spoiler: her]] to get into an exclusive British University where [[spoiler: she]] conned classmates into doing schoolwork for [[spoiler: her]] until the con was discovered and broken by the authorities, who were impressed enough to offer [[spoiler: her]] a job at INTERPOL on the belief that [[spoiler: she]] could win over any criminal she faced. Also, up until [[spoiler: merging with the Clockwerk frame at the final stage of the game]], [[spoiler: Neyla]] was for the most part a BadassNormal who could give Sly a run for his money and needed little more than her wits and [[WhipItGood whip]] to get ahead in the game.

** In ''VideoGame/Sly2BandOfThieves'', [[spoiler: Neyla]] is a far more active antagonist, not at all shy to go out in the field to get [[spoiler: her]] hands dirty to further [[spoiler: her]] goals. Whereas Clockwerk was already established as a villain due to being part of the Fiendish Five, [[spoiler: Neyla]] initially comes off as a charming, friendly INTERPOL agent who is sympathetic towards Sly's goals and acts as a FriendOnTheForce to the Cooper gang by helping them in their heists. This is before gradually revealing the [[BitchInSheepsClothing nasty]] and [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder traitorous]] individual [[spoiler: she]] truly is, fist by selling out Sly and Murray to INTERPOL, along with Carmelita by framing her for working with the gang the whole time to get Clockwerk's parts so [[spoiler: she]] can get promoted, then turning out to be [[spoiler: a mentee to the Klaww Gang's tech expert Arpeggio by helping him take down the Cooper Gang and the other members of the Klaww Gang to get at whatever Clockwerk parts they have]], ''then'' [[spoiler: stabbing Arpeggio in the back by knocking him down, jumping into the completed Clockwerk frame to become Clock-La, and crushing him to death with her beak once the merging process was complete]]. While little to no information of Clockwerk's background was revealed until the end of the first game, anyone who read [[AllThereInTheManual the instruction manual for the second game]] would know that [[spoiler: Neyla]] was once a [[FromNobodyToNightmare penniless guttersnipe from New Delhi]] whose natural powers of persuasion allowed [[spoiler: her]] to get into an exclusive British University where [[spoiler: she]] conned classmates into doing schoolwork for [[spoiler: her]] until the con was discovered and broken by the authorities, who were impressed enough to offer [[spoiler: her]] a job at INTERPOL on the belief that [[spoiler: she]] could win over any criminal she faced. Also, up until [[spoiler: merging with the Clockwerk frame at the final stage of the game]], [[spoiler: Neyla]] was for the most part a BadassNormal who could give Sly a run for his money and needed little more than her wits and [[WhipItGood whip]] to get ahead in the game.
** ''VideoGame/Sly3HonorAmongThieves'' gave us Dr. M, a demented Mandrill MadScientist who comes into conflict with the gang because they both want to get inside the Cooper Vault that contains centuries worth of stolen treasure that the Cooper clan has accumulated over the years. Unlike the villains of the last two games, Dr. M was a much more reclusive antagonist with [[OrcusOnHisThrone no interest in leaving Kaine Island to commit any crimes or leading some international criminal group, and focuses all of his efforts on cracking the Cooper Vault and maintaining his fortress]] while Sly and Bentley travel the globe to recruit more members for the gang to help them break into the vault, making him the villain with the least involvement in the game's main story. Additionally, while the game's prologue reveals his species, his significance to the plot as the main obstacle between the gang and the Cooper Vault, his [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist aptitude in the fields of genetics and robotics]], and his familiarity with the Cooper dynasty, it is not revealed what his beef with the Coopers is until the final stage of the game. At that point, Dr. M reveals [[spoiler: he was a [[EvilFormerFriend previous partner]] of Sly's father Connor back when he was alive and in charge of the Cooper gang, with Dr. M being [[TheSmartGuy the brains]] of the team similar to how Bentley is to Sly's group until he began to resent Connor due to feelings of being little more than a sidekick.]]

** ''VideoGame/Sly3HonorAmongThieves'' gave us Dr. M, a MadScientist who comes into conflict with the gang because they both want to get inside the Cooper Vault that contains centuries worth of stolen treasure that the Cooper clan has accumulated over the years. Unlike the villains of the last two games, Dr. M was a much more reclusive antagonist with [[OrcusOnHisThrone no interest in leaving Kaine Island to commit any crimes, and focuses all of his efforts on cracking the Cooper Vault and maintaining his fortress]] while Sly and Bentley travel the globe to recruit more members for the gang to help them break into the vault, making him the villain with the least involvement in the game's main story. Additionally,

** ''VideoGame/Sly3HonorAmongThieves'' gave us Dr. M,

** In ''VideoGame/Sly2BandOfThieves'', [[spoiler: Neyla]] is a far more active antagonist, not at all shy to go out in the field to get [[spoiler: her]] hands dirty to further [[spoiler: her]] goals. Whereas Clockwerk was already established as a villain due to being part of the Fiendish Five, [[spoiler: Neyla]] initially comes off as a charming, friendly INTERPOL agent who is sympathetic towards Sly's goals and acts as a FriendOnTheForce to the Cooper gang by helping them in their heists. This is before gradually revealing the [[BitchInSheepsClothing nasty]] and [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder traitorous]] individual [[spoiler: she]] truly is, fist by selling out Sly and Murray to INTERPOL, along with Carmelita by framing her for working with the gang the whole time to get Clockwerk's parts so [[spoiler: she]] can get promoted, then turning out to be [[spoiler: a mentee to the Klaww Gang's tech expert Arpeggio by helping him take down the Cooper Gang and the other members of the Klaww Gang to get at whatever Clockwerk parts they have]], ''then'' [[spoiler: stabbing Arpeggio in the back by knocking him down, jumping into the completed Clockwerk frame to become Clock-La, and crushing him to death with her beak once the merging process was complete]]. While little to no information of Clockwerk's background was revealed until the end of the first game, anyone who read the instruction manual for the second game would know that [[spoiler: Neyla]] [[AllThereInTheManual was once a [[FromNobodyToNightmare: penniless guttersnipe from New Dehli]] whose natural powers of persuasion allowed [[spoiler: her]] to get into an exclusive British University where [[spoiler: she]] conned classmates into doing schoolwork for [[spoiler: her]] until the "homework ring" was discovered and broken by the authorities, who were impressed enough to offer [[spoiler: Neyla]] a job at INTERPOL on the belief that [[spoiler: she]] could win over any criminal [[spoiler: she]] faced.

** In ''VideoGame/Sly2BandOfThieves'', [[spoiler: Neyla]] is a far more active antagonist, not at all shy to go out in the field to get [[spoiler: her]] hands dirty to further [[spoiler: her]] goals. Whereas Clockwerk was already established as a villain due to being part of the Fiendish Five, [[spoiler: Neyla]] initially comes off as a charming, friendly INTERPOL agent who is sympathetic towards Sly's goals and acts as a FriendOnTheForce to the Cooper gang by helping them in their heists before gradually revealing the [[BitchInSheepsClothing nasty]] and [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder traitorous]] [[spoiler: she]] truly is, fist by selling out Sly and Murray to INTERPOL, along with Carmelita by framing her for working with the gang the whole time to get Clockwerk's parts so [[spoiler: she]] can get promoted, then turning out to be [[spoiler: a mentee to the Klaww Gang's tech expert Arpeggio by helping him take down the Cooper Gang and the other members of the Klaww Gang to get at whatever Clockwerk parts they have]], ''then'' [[spoiler: stabbing Arpeggio in the back by knocking him down, jumping into the completed Clockwerk frame to become Clock-La, and crushing him to death with her beak once the merging process was complete]].

** In ''VideoGame/Sly2BandOfThieves'', [[spoiler: Neyla]] is a far more active antagonist, not at all shy to go out in the field to get [[spoiler: her]] hands dirty to further [[spoiler: her]] goals. Whereas Clockwerk was already established as a villain due to being part of the Fiendish Five, [[spoiler: Neyla]] initially comes off as a charming, friendly INTERPOL agent who is sympathetic towards Sly's goals]] and acts as a FriendOnTheForce to the Cooper gang by helping them in their heists before gradually revealing how [[BitchInSheepsClothing nasty]] [[spoiler: she]] truly is, fist by selling out Sly and Murray to INTERPOL, along with Carmelita by framing her for working with the gang the whole time to get Clockwerk's parts so [[spoiler: she]] can get promoted, [[

** In ''VideoGame/Sly2BandOfThieves'', [[spoiler: Neyla]] is a far more active antagonist, not at all shy to go out in the field to get [[spoiler: her]] hands dirty to further [[spoiler: her]] goals. Whereas Clockwerk was already established as a villain due to being part of the Fiendish Five,

** Clockwerk, the leader of the Fiendish Five in ''Videogame/SlyCooperAndTheThieviusRaccoonus'', was for all intents and purposes a hands-off antagonist who chose to [[OrcusOnHisThrone remain in his volcano fortress in Russia while his subordinates carried out their own criminal schemes free of his supervision]]. For the most part, [[TheGhost we are given little to no information about him until the final act of the game]], at which point his species is narrowed down to being some kind of [[FeatheredFiend bird]] based on images of an avian silhouette in the backgrounds of images of Sly's ancestors in the Thievius Raccoonus, which curiously resembles the image of Clockwerk Sly has in his police case file and makes us wonder if there's more to Clockwerk's vendetta with the Coopers then we know. At the final level of the game, Clockwerk finally reveals himself to be [[spoiler: a [[LargeAndInCharge MASSIVE]], [[OminousOwl terrifying robotic owl]] who reveals that

** Clockwerk, the leader of the Fiendish Five in ''Videogame/SlyCooperAndTheThieviusRaccoonus'', was for all intents and purposes a hands-off antagonist who chose to [[OrcusOnHisThrone remain in his volcano fortress in Russia while his subordinates carried out their own criminal schemes free of his supervision]]. For the most part, the player is given little to no information about him until the final act of the game, up until which his

* Though ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'' is not an outright sequel to ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', [[spoiler:the King of Spades]] can be seen as this to [[TheGoodKing Asgore]]. Though he does have a pretty tragic backstory, by the time you confront him he's clearly beyond redemption, and has no qualms about [[spoiler:[[OffingTheOffspring killing his own son]].]]

** [[VideoGame/Rayman2 The second installment]] introduced the world to the one and only Admiral Razorbeard. Despite being an OrcusOnHisThrone like Mr. Dark, he differs from him by being [[TheNapoleon diminutive]], wears a red and white garb, and gets significantly more lines of dialogue than Mr. Dark (Who only spoke ''once'' in the entire game). Also, unlike the previous villain, Razorbeard cannot use magic but rather relies on machinery (As evidenced by his pirate gang being robots and [[spoiler: his piloting of the [[HumongousMecha Grolgoth]] at the end]].
** ''VideoGame/Rayman3HoodlumHavoc'' has Andre the Dark Lum Lord, a black-bodied, unclad, black-comedy spewing, and very small vermin who turns the red lums into his loyal followers and spends a large portion of the game in Globox’s stomach. In contrast to the robot-commandeering Razorbeard, Andre relies on tearing off pelts of animal fur in order for his lum goons to stand any chance against Rayman and building everything from scratch since he and the other black lums just came into existence. [[spoiler: The other major antagonist of this game, Reflux the Knaaren, is also dark-bodied but much larger, wears a sienna loincloth, wields a magic staff, has very few funny quirks compared to Andre, and is primarily motivated by revenge against Rayman after losing to him in their first encounter. By the time he [[BigBadDuumvirate teams up with Andre in the game’s closing moments]], they become the very first contrasting-antagonist twosome in the series]]. On top of that, [[spoiler: dueto the fact that part of his essence continued existing inside of Globox after his defeat]], Andre becomes the main threat again in ''Hoodlum's Revenge''. [[spoiler: Although the original Reflux is KilledOffForReal, Andre manages to transform the [[DemonicPossession hypnotized Globox]] into a clone of the disgraced Knaaren warrior, preserving the shared state of BigBad that they shared when they first met to some extent]].

** Ripto in ''VideoGame/Spyro2RiptosRage''. In a stark contrast to the aforementioned Gnasty Gnorc, Ripto is short, action-oriented, and has somewhat better experience with magic, being able [[spoiler: turn orbs into robotic mounts during the final battle]]. Also, while he also despises dragons as a whole, no explanation is ever given as to where that hatred came from. Not only that, but most of the enemies in the game are random threats that Spyro runs into while trying to collect the talismans, rather than goons working directly for Ripto.

** Grendor in ''VideoGame/SpyroSeasonOfIce''. He stands out from the rest of the antagonists by starting off as a puny mook who is unhappy with his position as a librarian. In a desperate act to heighten himself socially, he attempts to learn some of The Sorceress’ magic, only for it to go awry and transform the poor Rhynoc into a two-headed (And on top of that, [[RedOniBlueOni split between being constantly depressed and frustrated on each side]]) scourge. He also sticks out [[spoiler: for being one of the only antagonists to perform a HeelFaceTurn, who even decides to appreciate his job of being a librarian after Spyro reverts him to his non-magical state]].

** Ripto in ''VideoGame/Spyro2RiptosRage Ripto’s Rage/Gateway to Glimmer''. In a stark contrast to the aforementioned Gnasty Gnorc, Ripto is short, action-oriented, and has somewhat better experience with magic, being able [[spoiler: turn orbs into robotic mounts during the final battle]]. Also, while he also despises dragons as a whole, no explanation is ever given as to where that hatred came from. Not only that, but most of the enemies in the game are random threats that Spyro runs into while trying to collect the talismans, rather than goons working directly for Ripto.

** The [[VideoGame/Fallout2 second]] and [[VideoGame/Fallout3 third]] games have The Enclave, one of the most advanced factions in the series, who saw most the Wasteland's inhabitants as [[ANaziByAnyOtherName impure, do to their exposure to radiation and sought to wipe them out]]. [[spoiler: Though by the third game, most of them have decided to settle on just ruling over, other humans, as long they're not too soaked with radiation.]]
** ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has Caesar's Legion, a fanatical slave army, that saw reliance on modern technology and medicine as a weakness, only begrudgingly using modern weaponry out necessity, led by a brilliant and charismatic, but delusional [[AncientRome Roman wannabe]].
** Depending on the player's own personal views, The Institute and The Brotherhood of Steel from ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' can both be seen as this, both of which are technologically advanced {{Knight Templar}}s. The Institute is one of the few factions continuing to pioneer science in the post-apocalypse, but they're homicidally short-sighted by lack of government and have their every physical whim granted by their personal machines and {{Artificial Human}}s. This utterly disgusts The Brotherhood of Steel into a desire for genocide against The Institute for playing God and sucking at it, and the synths under the justification that they are too dangerous to allow to live.

** Urizen from ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' is the first full-blooded demon to be an antagonist since Mundus from the first game. He is also the first villain since Vergil in ''3'' to defeat Dante in their first battle [[spoiler: which isn't surprising given he is Vergil's demonic half made flesh.]]

** ''VideoGame/DevilMaryCry3'' features a BigBadDuumvirate consisting of the half-devil Vergil [[CainAndAbel who is Dante's brother]] and the human Arkham who seeks to claim the power of Sparda to become a powerful demon himself.

* In ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'' and ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'', Gwyn and Nashandra contrast pretty heavily. The former was a king who founded his kingdom, is associated with light and fire, may have been manipulated to some degree by [[TheManBehindTheMan Frampt]], sacrificed himself to preserve the First Flame, and is found in an essentially mindless state defending said Flame; the latter was a queen who brought the kingdom to ruin, is associated with darkness and death, manipulated Vendrick into the actions that brought Drangleic to ruin, seeks to claim the Throne of Want (which appears to be tied to the First Flame) for herself, and is an active, intelligent participant in the fight. The final battles even contrast: Gwyn is at the First Flame already, while Nashandra goes there once you've cleared the way, to the point that she ''walks through the boss fog'' if you've met the conditions before killing the Throne Watcher and Defender. Of note, ''II'' pulls this as a BaitAndSwitch; Nashandra barely gets a mention, with everyone talking about King Vendrick, so it looks like Vendrick is going to be a RecurringElement resembling Gwyn in the same way that other bosses echo ones from the first game...and then you actually ''find'' Vendrick, now a giant, completely mindless Hollow who can only stagger around in circles and won't even fight you unless you aggro him, and realise things are a bit different now...

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' features the return of Ganon, having used the alter ego of Agahnim as he sought to regain power. ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames'' also have this effect, as the two games are meant to be played one after the other: Onox is a large, armor-clad monster who relies on brute force and brings chaos to Holodrum by sending the seasons out of order. Come the final battle, he [[OneWingedAngel transforms into a dragon and revels in his newfound power]]; Veran is small, slight, relies on magic, and spends most of the game possessing other characters. She travels back in time, corrupting Queen Ambi and convincing her to force the people of Labrynna to build the Black Tower. Veran assumes her insect forms in the final battle, but [[GodzillaThreshold only as a last resort]]. ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'' features the Nightmares, who differ from all other villains in that they want to ''save'' the world, as while they are a threat that keeps the Windfish asleep, defeating them and waking up the Windfish will cause Koholint Island and its inhabitants to disappear.