Villains in video games are portrayed in the traditional manner. They’re either ego-maniacal characters hell-bent on destroying the world for their personal reasons or they underwent an “enlightenment” that made them veer off the path of righteousness.
As we’ve discussed in a previous article, some villains may have good intentions for doing what they did. The hero, on the other hand, is expected to be the font of good that foils that villain’s plot. However, beating the villain can make the hero do some questionable, almost evil, decisions. So if you’ve got these games on the best gaming laptop from Sager Notebook, here are some good guys that made choices only a bad guy would naturally do:
Hawke (Dragon Age 2)
Hawke from the second installment of Dragon Age is a refugee fleeing the strife in Ferelden caused by the fifth blight. Escaping with his/her mother and sibling, Hawke reaches the city of Kirkwall in the Free Marches. After a series of events, the ruling Viscount of the city is murdered, and the Arishok along with the rest of his Qunari brethren turn hostile.
Moreover, the Templars and Mages of the city are in open conflict with one another. All of this is exacerbated by the fact the Chantry is demolished at the hands of one of your companions. Oh, and all those problems? It was caused by Hawke, one way or another. Dragon Age 2 is filled with choices, but no matter what you choose, you’re going to be the cause of all that turmoil.
Darth Revan (Knights of the Old Republic)
Like every setting of Star Wars, Knights of the Old Republic is set in a galaxy in disarray. The Jedi and Sith continue their ancient enmity, with the Sith being led by the Darth Malak. In the middle of this brutal conflict is the player character. Your character is trained in the Jedi arts to face Darth Malak.
During the game, you uncover various references to Darth Malak’s master, Darth Revan. However, you never see him in action in it. Eventually, you find out why… SPOILER ALERT: you’re Darth Revan. How can that be? It turns out that the Jedi captured Revan and performed a mind-wipe which is why you’re given the freedom to customize your character. If you choose to go Dark Side in the game, that makes your hero, a villain.
Haytham Kenway (Assassin’s Creed III)
Haytham Kenway is the playable character in Assassin’s Creed III, and while he might look like a sailor, he has all the necessary Parkour skills to make it in the world of Assassination. While you play as Haytham, you get to meet Charles Lee who is trying to prove that he’s part of your group. However, during the game, Charles is discovered to be the leader of the Templars who is seeking to destroy the Assassins.
The rest of the game has you play as Haytham’s son Connor. As Connor, you’re seeking revenge on the Templars. So why is Haytham in this article? Due to Haytham’s misjudgment, Connor lost his mother and is thrown out of his home.
Frisk (Undertale)
How can Frisk ever be on this list? Undertale can be finished without doing anything remotely evil. But that’s only in hindsight. If it’s your first playthrough, you will have no idea that there were other ways to beat the game. Our typical RPG instincts tell us that we have to beat all the bosses which means you kill them. As you continue your path of destruction beating the bosses, eventually you find out the game treats you as a murderer, as it turns out ‘exp’ doesn’t mean experience points, it means “Execution Points.”