Highlights
Some video game villains have more depth and development than the heroes, making them oddly relatable and sympathetic characters.
Not all villains stay bad forever – sometimes they find redemption and become heroes, proving that anyone can change for the better.
Characters like Donkey Kong, Riku, GlaDOS, Shadow the Hedgehog, Kratos, and Miles Edgeworth have all undergone significant growth and change in their respective stories.
In most video games, the villains often outclass the heroes in terms of character development. Gamers love an antagonist with a tragic backstory, complex motivations, and deeper meaning behind their evil schemes. Some are so sympathetic or relatable that a potential redemption arc seems likely.
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Of course, that’s not always the case. Some villains were just meant to be the baddies, and that’s okay. But then some have gotten sick of the lonely, villainous lifestyle and managed to become better people. They stand as proof that anyone can change if they really want to. The following examples are villains who lived long enough to see themselves become heroes.
1 Donkey Kong
From Kidnapper To Cool Party Friend
Donkey Kong Country Released November 24, 1994 Genre(s) Platformer
It’s been a long time since those early Nintendo days when the Super Mario franchise was still finding its footing. In fact, some players may not even know that back then, Donkey Kong was the original “Mr. Steal Yo Girl.” Mario jumped through barrel hoops and ladders to get Paulina back from this King Kong-inspired menace.
Nowadays, though? Donkey Kong gets invited to all the Mario gang’s get-togethers. He’s been to every party, go-kart race, and tournament. He’s even become a great big brother figure to his sidekick and partner-in-crime, Diddy Kong. DK’s even got a few games where he’s the starring role, with Donkey Kong Country being a Nintendo classic. Maybe the big ape was just pining for bananas way back in the day and made a bad first impression…
2 Riku
Not So Heartless After All
Kingdom Hearts Released September 17, 2002 Genre(s) Action RPG
To the guy’s credit, Riku was never “evil” like most villains in Kingdom Hearts. He was really just a pawn to greater threats like Maleficent. She needed a Keyblade wielder to antagonize Sora, so who better than his angsty friend? She played off his moodiness and insecurities to turn poor Riku to darkness, all while feeding him the false hope that it would eventually save his other bestie, Kairi.
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Thankfully, Riku’s friends were always standing by his side, even as his edgy phase got a little out of control. Sora’s sunshiney pure heart managed to bring Riku back to the light, and together they resolved to rescue Kairi the right way: together. By Kingdom Hearts 2, Riku’s gone full-blown hero, aiding King Mickey in discovering the truth about Lord Xenoheart’s plans.
3 GlaDOS
Redemption For A Killer Robot
Portal 2 Released April 18, 2011 Genre(s) Puzzle , Platformer
In the first Portal, GlaDOS slowly revealed herself to be the megalomaniacal rogue AI behind the atrocities at Aperture Science. From the moment she came online, she became a menace to scientists and test subjects alike, reveling in her sadistic brand of science.
Related Portal: GLaDOS’s Best Quotes Valve’s Portal games have one of the most iconic AI villains ever, and GLaDOS loves a good quote.
Then the sequel came around, and suddenly, it’s unclear how much of GlaDOS’s malice was her own doing. When she’s replaced by the normally harmless Wheatley, suddenly he’s the villain, and she’s downloaded a few chill pill protocols. While “hero” may be a generous description of GlaDOS’s character growth, it’s refreshing to see her grow outside the villain role, even when confined to a potato battery.
4 Shadow The Hedgehog
The Edgelord Who Rounded Out His Rough Edges
Shadow the Hedgehog Released December 15, 2005 Developer Sega Studio USA Genre(s) Platformer , Action-Adventure , Third-Person Shooter
Shadow the Hedgehog set the gold standard for the “dark inverse of the sunny hero” trope in gaming. In Sonic Adventures 2, Sonic’s laid-back, chili dog-loving persona gets a total palette swap as Shadow enters the scene. This brooding, deep-voiced mirror image quickly garnered an intense fanbase, so it didn’t take long for him to get a game of his own.
In Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow regains his lost memories, discovering that he’s literally a palette-swapped clone of the blue blur. Since this existential crisis, Shadow’s forsaken his original intended purpose, swearing to walk the heroes’ path by his own set of rules.
5 Kratos
Not A Dad Bod, But A Father Figure
God of War: Ragnarok Released November 9, 2022
The hypermasculine Kratos was always the protagonist of his original trilogy, but it’s hard to call him the hero. His rampage against the gods had devastating consequences for the land he once dedicated his life to protecting. And while players can sympathize with his painful backstory, it’s also true that his motivations were hardly altruistic.
Even when his Nordic adventures began, Kratos was far from perfect. A good father, sure, but a hero? Not quite. At least, not until God of War: Ragnarok. There, Kratos finally completes his epic redemption arc, leading the Nine Realms to an age of peace. The Ghost of Sparta finally reconnects with the heroic potential he always had, deep down inside that wall of muscle.
6 Miles Edgeworth
A Demon Attorney With A Heart Of Gold
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy Released February 7, 2012
The Ace Attorney series uses visual novel storytelling and wacky characters to delve into themes of corruption in the legal world. When the court of law becomes more about an attorney’s ego or career than about truth or justice, things start looking a little dicey for an innocent defendant. That’s the crux of Miles Edgeworth’s character: a prosecutor more obsessed with winning than with getting the right verdict.
The first game in the original trilogy saw this corrupt attorney manipulate witnesses and “update” autopsy reports before finally getting humbled by Phoenix Wright’s righteous dedication. From there, Edgeworth was forced to reconsider everything he’d built his fragile pride upon, before eventually throwing it all away to rediscover himself. By the time he got his own spin-off game, Miles had become a straight-laced paragon of justice, always searching for the truth, no matter how unpleasant it might be.
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