One more despicable thing about Ghetsis: in the Black and White manga, after Ghetsis is defeated by the main character, Black, Black’s Reshiram begins to transform back into the light stone since its role has been fulfilled. Ghetsis, determined to get the last laugh, launches one last attack at Black, blasting him into the light stone, trapping him within it for two in-canon years. Even worse, the series went on a hiatus after this, meaning Black was stuck in that damn rock for FIVE real-life years. All because of Ghetsis’s petty ass.

That monologue in the number 1 spot was absolutely beautiful. 😢

It's so easy when you're evil~... This is the life, you see, the devil tips his hat to me. I do it all because I'm evil~. And i do it all for free... Your tears are all the pay i'll ever need

An additional nugget involving Ghetsis: it’s pretty fitting that Ghetsis uses Hydreigon, a Pokémon that is an explicit reference to King Ghidorah, one of the most evil Kaiju in all of fiction.

Very VERY minor correction to Dr. Nefarious' scheme in Rift Apart, he doesn't invent the Dimensionator, he steals it from Ratchet and Clank after Clank rebuilt it so that he and ratchet could go dimension hopping to find the rest of Lombax-kind The reason WHY he stole it is exactly as you said though

Honestly, that throwback to Chaos Theatre and the greater Countdown Community made me so happy. As a teenager, I always wanted to be a countdown maker, specifically because I remember watching your videos while waiting for the activity bus after school. Now, I'm about to be a high school teacher, and even if I'm not making countdowns, taking nuanced looks at games has deepened my love of the hobby and helped me make a lot of friends with similar interests. So thank you for all you do, these countdowns are always a highlight to look forward to!

I don't know why, but I love the whole "villain is incompetent but also an actual threat at the same time" trope, it's hilarious

What makes Edelgard acting similar to Rhea somewhat ironic is that she uses the sword of Seiros in all routes that aren’t hers….and Seiros is Rhea so you know there is some irony there

How ironic is it that the most terrifying villains, are those with hero complex.

They may be villains, but are they SUPER villains? "What's the difference?" (Posing) PRESENTATION!

55:16 there’s also one other aspect to Gannondorf that I don’t hear people talk about. There is a reason that he was the one chosen by Demise, it’s because he is a descendent of Groose. The guy who helps Link in a few cases fight demise, he even says at the end of the game that he’s going to go and create his own kingdom the ‘Groodo’ So it adds a bit of narrative weight that Gannondorf was corrupted by Demise, Since he was one of the 3 that stopped it: Link, Zelda, and Groose.

Thank you Oscar, Josh, QG, And Logan for being here, after all these years

Thank you. The number 1 entry made me realize how much I owe to the community that was formed, so. Thank you for these videos and the breaks from the world's chaos and nihilistic pushes. I cannot offer much currently but a humble thank you. And a reminder you will always have this weirdo's support.

"I left out a lot of famous recurring villains, but, dude... Ridley hits different!" He certainly does, Oscar; he certainly does. 😎😎😎

I've been a loyal viewer for years, of pretty much the entirety of that old school community. I remember The Autarch, Old Josh, Old Greenscorpion, Old QG. I still go back to some of the older videos now even if they aren't quite as good. And I'm glad to see the progression. See, here's what you didn't say. Growing as a person doesn't mean leaving your past behind. There's characters you liked, opinions you had, things you did that were maybe subconciously manipulated by the opinions of other people that you respected, but that doesn't mean they weren't yours. I've still never played Shadow of the Colossus, I still think Cecil is the best final fantasy protagonist, and some of my absolute favourite games of all time like Xenoblade Chronicles and Tales of Berseria are ones people rarely talk about. We grow, we change, we improve. But we're still us deep down. And that's never going to change.

Clockwerk is one of the coolest video game villains and the best Sly Villain. The idea the guy was filled with so much hatred it kept him alive for centuries is haunting to consider. I just hate that three games after the first we never learned what caused his hatred or where he got the tech from. Which is sad as the photos and the easter egg in Sly 4 heavily imply Clockwerk hunted down the Coopers throughout the years and murdered each one.

Beautiful speech, man. I've always compared the political situation in Three Houses to a Jenga tower. Rhea wants to preserve a precariously-balanced tower, Dimitri (when he's sane) and Claude want to play the game as you're supposed to (carefully pulling out and rearranging the blocks without causing a collapse), and Edelgard just wants to knock the whole thing down.

I want to talk about Metal Face. The world of Xenoblade opens up with what looks like a fairly understandable ‘good vs evil’ conflict, with humanity, or ‘Homs’ as they call themselves in this world, waging an endless war against the soulless and unthinking robotic Mechon. The Homs win the day thanks to their best warrior wielding a strange sword, (geddit? Xenoblade?) called the Monado, and piece stands for a time. We’re then introduced to our hero Shulk, an engineer living in Colony nine at the Bionis’s left ankle. An otherwise peaceful day is shattered by a full scale Mechon invasion, lead by a mysterious new ‘Faced Mechon.’ Not only does this new enemy act far more intelligently than the rank and file Mechon, he proves himself to be utterly invulnerable, even to the Monado! Shulk is rendered stunned and helpless forced to watch as his childhood friend Fiora tries to face the machine on more even footing with a commandeered mech, only to be immediately defeated, and EXECUTED, then tossed aside for the smaller Mechon to pick apart. Yah these robots eat people. It’s this act of cruelty that sets the entire game in motion, as Shulk swears revenge and sets out on his quest to destroy all Mechon. The next time Metal Face makes an appearance is just after the defeat of Xord, another faced Mechon, and a talkitive on at that. And Metal Face just got that upgrade too, as he’s all too eager to demonstrate, mocking Shulk’s anguish over Fiora’s death, and only being driven off by a Telethia sent by Alvis. From Xord, both Shulk and the player begin to question the nature of the Faced Mechon, and this comes to a head next at Prision island, where Metal Face in quick order executes Zanza, and Emperor Sorean Antiqua, putting Melia on the same path of revenge as the party, but not in time to prevent the Monodo to receive a potent upgrade that nullifies his once invulnerability, leading to a much earned thrashing by Shulk. But the finishing blow is intercepted by another Face Mechon, revealing just what’s in side them. For the Silver Face, it is none other than FIORA! The two of them retreat together, leaving everyone with far more questions than answers. We get those answers at the foot of Valek Mountian. Silver face comes to Parlay, but she is interrupted and subsequently held hostage by Metal Face. It is here we finally meet the man in the machine, someone long thought dead by all. Mumkar. So why did he turn on his friends? His people? His very humanity? Envy. Mumkar was so consumed by jealousy that when he was offered the chance to tear down everything Dunbar held dear, he didn’t even need to be brainwashed after his conversion. He couldn’t hack it as the hero, so he chose to become the nemisis. At this point it takes the leader of Mechonis stepping in personally to order him to retreat. What makes Mumkar a compelling antagonist is how his portrayal evolves with Shulk’s own view of Morality. He starts out silent and menacing, a clear evil to be overcome, then he opens his mouth and absolutly hams it up like a cyberpunk Troll (both bridge and internet kind). As Shulk begins to mature and see the humanity in his foes, Mumkar himself is revealed, and it’s not so much of a surprise to anyone when it happens. In their final confrontation, Shulk is even willing to spare Mumkar, locking blades with Dunban to keep him off the cycle of revenge. Can you imagine Samus ever choosing to spare Ridley? It’s like that. In the end it’s Mumkar who seals his own doom, meeting the same fate as Fiora, Zanza, and the Emperor, run clear through by a sharp end spire that he knocked loose, that Shulk foresaw and was unable to prevent. Mumkar manages to run through a full spectrum of evils as the game progresses, and serves to parallel Shulk’s own growth throughout the first half of the game, starting out as the primary motivator, until the hero’s views progress enough that he simply is no longer worth killing, not when there is a war to end. His self inflicted death comes as a weight lifted off the party’s shoulders, to where they can then move on to take the fight to their real enemy, and beyond.

1:06:03 Never thought I’d hear such uplifting, self reflecting and true words in the tale end of a Villain’s count down of all things. Keep living the way you love everyone, you might bring happiness to others through it, just like this humble Scorpion. Thanks for the video man👏🏾

That #1 segment was so beautifully said... Well done on both that and the list as a whole! 🥲

Regarding the final entry, I feel I need to weigh in. When I discovered the Chaos Theatre way back, I was still coming to grips with my grandfather's death, my best friend had moved out of state and a massive fight had torn my family apart. Watching a bunch of goofy know-it-alls have fun while compiling things they liked and disliked about their favorite medium really helped me to pull myself together in those dark days. Ten years later, most of my friends have moved away, died and one or two of them ran away from home. I make more money at a full time factory job but have less to go out and do and even less company to share my free time with than when I was working at a cheap part time job. My grandmother died a month ago and things that used to fill me with joy and help me get through the day now feel like chores or obligations. Very few things still fill me with the happiness and wonder I got looking looking at old videos from you, Josh, Will, and even then, going back and rewatching old countdowns from the old days still feels nice. Nostalgia can be cringy or cheesy, but the formative years aren't always something to be ashamed of. We learn and grow, and when we build both our professional identity and who we are off camera, we learn what works and what doesn't. I'm grateful to have these videos in my life and I'm grateful to still be watching you and everyone who is still here. You guys do a lot more for us than you will ever know.

Nihilism is a recurring theme in Final Fantasy when you look into it. Garland want to create an endless cycle of war because fighting is what he enjoy, Zemus is so consumed by hate he want to destroy the earth out of sheer pettiness, Exdeath think being able to unmake things is the greatest power to exist, Kuja think all existences are meaningless because they don't last forever... the list goes on.

I know Oscar's upload schedule can be spotty, but we can always count on him to deliver on April Fool's and during the Halloween season.

Glad to see your grand return Oscar. So many villains to choose with so little time. Thank you for highlighting Ridley, Ghetsis, and Clockwerk as they are some of my favorite villains. Some of favorite villains that weren't highlighted here were William Afton/Springtrap, Eggman, King K.Rool, Dark Matter/Void, Sigma, Fawful, and Flowey. I could list more, but this personal list would go on for too long. That final segment made me feel some things that I never felt before. The way you wrote it was something else.

I think the reason why you were able to return to Kefka because he's more than a villain, he's THE villain that everyone will talk about. Even if they don't have him as their #1, its mainly because that Kefka is so great, he became their #0, a tier so high up that literately no one can be able to reach, every villain would WISH they could be like Kefka, who actually destroyed the world and became a god. Ganondorf came close in Breath of the Wild but he fell short because he was just malice.

Two things you forgot/neglected to mention for Edelgard: 1, it wasn’t just her that was experimented on by the Argartheans. She actually has TEN siblings, ALL of which died in the experiments. 2, it’s entirely possible that, like Lysithea, her lifespan was dramatically shortened. It could be that she takes such drastic measures because she literally doesn’t have time for slower but less brutal methods.

Spec Ops is is a perfect example on how you can not only deconstruct a genre or sub-genre, but in a game. It's also a good way to show how certain tropes can be seen as a negative if we indulge in them without consequences. Despite never playing the game, I agree the point wasn't to shame people who like the genre, just be mindful on the things to glorify when making it. Especially if it's based on real life timelines and locations.

This ended so heartwarming. I really like that. I know I'm not happy with Kefka being number 1, but that long explanation was really nice

Time for a look through: 10. Wow Eggman lost to this guy... well I guess he brings laughs more often than not... 9. Dang... she fits, and I know a guy who would stand with her without a second thought 8. The classic nemesis... and btw I am planning on reading that prequel comic some day 7. Those classic threats hit you right in the feels. For me it was Silver from Pokemon 6. Not surprising given this fallen hero 5. Also not surprising given his final battle theme in the first BW game was haunting 4. I would actually call him an anti-hero but the villain angle works too 3. Wow... If only this guy were featured more... I would actually think of a character based on him 2. Again not surprising given he fights your number 1 hero 1. Wow... things may not have changed but way to look back dude. Kudos!

Fun fact: While the white phosphorous bit was Spec Ops' signature scene, it was originally going to be optional. It was possible to refuse to use the stuff and continue onwards from there. This element was taken out because most test players refused to use the stuff. Making it a choice was only ever going to lead to that, of course. The more upstanding players would find the idea abhorrent, while even the most bloodthirsty of gamers would never take an option that would turn a possible shooting gallery into a cutscene. Oh, also, Ghetsis' B2W2 Hydreigon isn't the same as his BW one! The second Hydreigon is a lower level than the first, which is a little odd. It's also physical instead of special-based. And there's the Frustration thing. But the kicker is that his original Hydreigon is still in the game! _Iris_ has a Hydreigon that's below the evolution level in the initial battle, and, in both the Challenge mode initial fight and the rematch on all three modes, it has the same moveset as Ghetsis' BW Hydreigon. So basically, Iris saved Ghetsis' original Hydreigon and healed it enough to use on her champion team, and Ghetsis stole another one, abused it into evolving early, and it hates him for it.

That long explanation is why I personally feel that you're the best between the Chaos Theatre countdown makers. It just touches right in the heart. Similar with that AVGN Contra episode, James Rolfe made a long monologue about how that good game will always still be there no matter how time evolves. There's just a lot that I feel relatable with it. Constantly fighting against nihilism, and trying to make us feel like our opinions matter. I constantly fight against it, even if the nihilism I'm talking about is probably different from what you think and may even be horrific to your eyes. Even if I still don't think I'll ever be a match with you guys due to reasons, I still struggle and continue to make countdown on my own. Even if it's just in the format of BORING blogs. Because in the end, it reminds me of my childhood. Where I wasted so many empty books trying to write my Top X things. You guys remind me that I like making my own Top X List. Eventually I came to realize that the best countdowns needed to come from my own heart and I realized that back then, I was not being true to myself. I tried to emulate especially you, and in the end, the result was not that satisfactory and I ended up having to take down my blog. But it's now rebooted and I've been trying to make a list that's more about my own memory and experience. Maybe it sounds like I'm rebelling not just from the normal mindset, but also rebelling from the mindset set upon by the Chaos Theatre. But I have to be true to myself and use my own experience rather than a borrowed experience from what I beheld or see from KZfaq. ... Wow, I just spent a few paragraphs speaking nonsense... Anyway... good luck with future videos! Whatever it is, I'm still saying that you're the most inspirational! (For one, you inspired me to dig into the MOBA genre and finding love for it amidst of the extreme toxicity surrounding it!)

Funny thing about Dr Nefarious's "create a world where the hero always loses" plan, we actually see that reality in Rift Apart and it's basically the complete other extreme. Ratchet and Clank is extremely cynical underneath all the goofy antics and off the wall weapons.

The dialog from the number one entry was breathtaking excellent work as always man

As a viewer of the countdown community for just as long, it's truly the weirdest feeling to be nostalgic for that time gone by. Autarch was one of the first channels I ever came across on this platform, followed by The Fiery Joker, Rabbidluigi, Fawful's Minion, Quarter Guy, then to you. Y'all have been a big inspiration for my writing, to be able to express my thoughts on the things I enjoy. As a decade-long viewer, you were the one to introduce me to League of Legends and its menagerie of champions. It be well over half a decade later I'd actually be able to play it, spend uncomfortable amounts of money on it, drop it, and have my passion for the characters & world reignited through Legends of Runeterra. Thank you for that. Keep counting down, Green Scorpion.

I'm proud to see that reflection you gave. I didn't expect the countdown community to mature, much less as much as it did. Congrats on lasting as long as you have.

I remember watching all those old countdowns. They introduced me to so many games, but I think the real value came with the people I saw and watching them grow. Alex Rochon is an incredible voice actor, and one of my inspirations in the craft. Seeing the styles evolve for people like Benjamage, Itionoben, and CJSZero01. Watching Joshscorcher, Rabbidluigi, and now you finding love and community has been incredible, and seeing how you’ve helped inspire others like Count Shaman and Wambu have been delightful. It may not mean a whole ton, but I’ve loved watching you grow as a content creator and a person. I’ve been watching for…oh goodness…a bit over 10 years? I don’t know what the future will hold, but I’m gonna keep trying to do my best and help fight that metaphysical nihilistic clown that says I don’t matter and show them I can make a difference in someone’s life. After all, you’re fighting them too…and I’m hoping you’re doing well against them.

Honestly, that reflection during the final segment was one of the best moments, and the videos from the old Chaos Theater days did influence a good number of thoughts back then. Admitedly, I am still jaded, to put it lightly, but I am glad this little community has evolved into something just as good. Fun fact, your first weapons month vids were my first exposure to the community. I would've liked to suggest the Lord of Dark from a certain rerelease, not saying the game since that itself is a spoiler, but I figure you know who I'm talking about.

Says a lot that 4 of these baddies have persisted since your first villains list YEARS ago. You’ve grown so much, and every time I flock to your channel once in a while, I’m proud of you.

When it comes to Final Fantasy villains, I'd argue Emet-Selch is the creme of the crop. I still think about that character very often. Not only is he oddly sympathetic despite his absolutely insane scheme that obviously needs to be stopped, but he's also just really fun to have around.

As someone who liked Kefka before KZfaq even existed, I gotta say I'm a bit confused by the emphasis on the community of listmakers. Like...Kefka is number one because he's just that good at being bad. He stays with you after you close the game. He lingers in your mind in a way the other villains in the series, in most other games even, never do. He's fun, flamboyant, and so bitterly detestable in a way that pulls you every which way. As a Pokemon villain fan, I'll always find it hilarious that Ghetsis is without question the most evil character in the franchise when his games put him between "I'm going to system wipe the universe because I'm afraid of my own emotions" and "I'm going to nuke France because people are parasites". He's nowhere near as compelling a character as Cyrus or Lusamine, but he's without a doubt the most evil. The second most evil is probably Purple Eyes from Ranger 3 (the only character to be *personally* punished by *Arceus itself*), and there's still a huge gulf between them.

Clockwork is a surprisingly dark villian for a game like Sly Cooper. I think that's kind of why Thieves in Time was underwhelming, because the most interesting thing about that game was the Clockwerk easteregg, where in all levels he is watching you from a distance. It felt like wasted potential with the time travel mechanic of the 4th game given the 1st game pretty much implies that Clockwork stalked the Cooper family from their conception and killed them off one by one to the present. He's a simple villian, but they somehow made him very intimidating in the 1st and 2nd game from a narration standpoint.

You really out here making me tear up at midnight from that final entry. Wonderful list. Didn't expect a discussion of villains to have such a hopeful ending, I absolutely loved it!

Great villains are those who can make you hate them, make you love them, or make you pity them.

I love how in the beginning we talk about An evil Mustache Twirling Baddy to talking about why the game people do the stuff they love and all of that

Didn't expect the list to get so deep towards the end. Almost brought me to tears honestly. Anyways, I've always loved villains like Hades and Mephiles. Hades for reasons almost everyone has mentioned, and Mephiles because he's so twisted and dark which makes him stand out the most given that he's a Sonic villain.

Anyone else get the feeling that Joshscorcher will love the fact that Kefka is on this list?

You did an amazing job with this countdown Oscar. I have been watching the countdown community for years and I am glad I saw your videos as well as many others. Thank you so much.

It's honestly incredible to think back and look how much of an impact this countdown community has had on 10 years of my life.

the thing about Spec ops: The line is that they HAD an option to do the mission as ordered THEY TOOK IT OUT BECAUSE TO MANY PLAYTESTERS TOOK IT.

Man this has been a fantastic trip to the past once again. Thanks GS for everything!

Some personal favourite video game villians Doctor maruki: never felt more understanding of a villians understanding Handsome jack: that dude CARRIED borderlands for a while and the void he left was so noticeable Emet selch: smug evil grandpa The first hero: starting out as a simple "oh im a hero but actually evil: troupe only to reveal a more naunced character Lila: just... holy shit

23:17 you know I wouldn’t be surprised if he had something to do with what happened to Penelope. Let’s face it, they were clearly already planning for a fifth game at the time, and (considering some stuff I saw scribbled on the time blimp blueprints) they were probably going to do some reveal that clockwerk actually had something to do with that whole time travel scheme. He might have survived somehow (probably some digital mind stuff or that body just being some external rig) and did something with her mind to give her this sudden hatred of copper. That or she found the fragments of the hate chip and it infected her somehow. My rule when it comes to sudden changes in personality, always consider the possibility of them being brainwashed.

Regarding what you said in the number one segment... Can I just point out one of the biggest heal turns of the community since those days was the view on Dr Eggman? I can remember when people thought he was a *bad* villain. My, how that has changed these days. Nowadays he's a consistent runner in many people's eyes as one of the best characters in the series. Then again, you can't really argue with the one consistently entertaining character.

That was beautiful, bravo green scorpion. You've come a long way and I'm proud to call myself your fan.

Edelgard may be immorally just depending the player’s point of view, but coming from a die hard fan of her like myself (plus Crimson Flower being my first, most unique, most replayable and overall FAVORITE route of Three Houses), I’m willing to hear her side of the story with compassion (and at the same time willing to forgive her and forget what she did to me before the timeskip phase). And considering imperfection is inevitable, as well as redemption being morally necessary: “What is better - to be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?”

Some good choices I feel would include Vaas Montenegro from Far Cry 3, Handsome Jack from Borderlands and Mother Miranda from Resident Evil Village.

Vaas was literally made for the actor because his audition was so chilling. Hoyt was supposed to be the one true bad all along, but they tried to fit him in as much as possible. we're lucky we got what we did

that ending hit me in the feels bro this is why u are one of my favorite content creators Oscar u are the G.O.A.T. to me.

Another great countdown, and that final entry was so insightful. I've heard the tales many a time, even if I haven't played the game myself, and I never thought of it that way. This is why you're my favorite countdown artist. Some villains I've grown to love (to fight) over the years: Arthas (Warcraft), Aldrich (Dark Souls III), Makarov (Call of Duty), Egil (Xenoblade), Dong Zhuo (Dynasty Warriors)

Your old Top 10 video game villians countdown was the 1st ever countdown I ever watched from your channel. Although it was so long ago, for some reason it doesn't feel that long ago. But it takes no mad king, genius, or psychotic clown in the sky to say you've gotten a lot better. Here's to better times man.

I personally remember your first villains list as being the first, and at the time, only video I ever watched from you. It's so interesting for you to go back on that moment in time and how much has changed since then.

Why do you gotta hit us in the feels so much with these countdowns at the end of these? 🤧

You know, as someone who struggled with Nihilism not too long ago and still feels the urge to relapse into that mindset and general existence every day, that end bit really spoke to me. As it stands I'm kind of just existing until I find a reason to at the very least be more optimistic, so it isn't easy to say the least. I'm trying though, for whatever that is worth.

One of my favorites is Masayoshi Shido. He's just such a powerful, intimidating figure that KNOWS how to pull the strings in order to screw you over. Not to mention his boss fight compels me to quote Senator Armstrong and sing It Has to be This Way. Another one of my favorites is Persona 4 spoilers: Tohru Adachi. Everything he says and does is just so raw and chaotic, I can't help but love and hate him. He's the Persona equivalent of Kefka Palazzo, and everything he says sends chills down my spine. Update: Georg Weissmann the Faceless, Bleublanc the Phantom Thief, Campanella the Fool, and Gilbert Stein from Trails in the Sky are now some of my favorites

Glad to see someone give #10 and #7 their just due. Honestly, the whole list delivered, but I felt ridicously estatic seeing those two. #9 was described so accurately, I've only gotten into #8's series in the last 12 months to begin learning how terrifying they really are, #6-#3 was more I've heard through hearsay, #2 holds a legacy all their own... but I was laughing to see who #1 was. That being said, the speech you gave had me pause for thought and remember another villain people didn't stop yammering on for a while in those older years (but I agree with since I'm a fan of his series): Veger from Jak 3. We may not talk about him much now, but I think he still works for tying in how 2 and 3 are connected and (in my opinon) overshadows Errol as the final boss since I felt there was no one central villain the anarchy the war from Jak 3 circulated around except for the guy who pulled a bunch of strings behind the scenes. I'm honestly let down a little at how much of a pushover Errol is (which sucks because I thought he could've been better than he turned out), but some of that thunder is stolen by Veger and how he manipulated things for so long.

Glad to see your spark of life come back. Beat that clown.

Holy shit. I did not expect to hear such a motivating speech. It happened in a time I needed to hear it most… thank you!! I matter!! I matter I matter I MATTER!! I will make meaning in this life!! Thank you Oscar! You really are my senpai!! ❤

Drek is a _Chairman_ and he proved to be one of the most *evil* villains in the franchise, even though he was literally the first.

Finally a top 10 list more of this please

That final speech… how did you make me cry? 😢 That was brilliant writing my friend. You matter, I matter, we all matter. I thank you for this entertaining and surprisingly moving video. I salute you. 🫡

I’m still watching the video, but I just wanted to point out that Thos Who Slither In The Dark are called « Les Serpents des Ténèbres » in the French version, which can be translated by « The Snakes from Darkness », or the « Darkness Snakes » mirroring the Black Eagles, Golden Deer and Blue Lions. I never got why they are just called Those Who Slither In The Dark in English 😅

Yeah Edelgard's route was not my first choice in 3H, I initially chose the Blue Lions route as I kept drawing connections with ROT3K or Dynasty Warriors, especially since KT was involved with 3H. My initial thought was that Blue Lions were Wei, Black Eagles were Wu and Golden Deer were Shu. After my first playthrough BL and BE swapped and I found myself more drawn to Edelgard's side as I found Claude too Neutral, hell he sidesteps the main conflict and basically just lets it happen. Dmitri too broken, hell I swear we seem him commit more horrors directly than Edelgard in his route. Rhea's just a monster and basically the cause of so much wrong with Fodlan. Hell to some extent I'd even be willing to see what Those Who Slither In The Dark/TWSTD (I pronounce it Twisted)/The Agarthans would do over those other three.

What a video. Love the speech you gave at #1 Also Ghetsis is the Pokémon version of Von Karma -kinda

41:11 minute mark I agree with Ruby about Revolver Ocelot narrative & motivation WTF dude!

Ahh...I love Edelgard. I would seriously disagree about calling her a fascist, though. I forget where, but she mentioned intending to abdicate the Adrestian throne once she finds a worthy successor. But yeah, everything else you've said I agree with. Her values are just, but her war is not. She should have talked to Claude; I think they'd find they have a lot in common.

Woo! I was actually watching a few of your “old” countdowns today and wondering when this would be out. My question has been answered!

In order to avoid the Three Houses discourse for now... Edelgard isn't the 'mad king' of the game, it's Dimitri. All three of the leaders are based off of old Fire Emblem villain archetypes, in fact. It was confirmed by the creators that Edelgard is meant to be the atheistic conquering emperor, Dimitri is the mad king, and Claude is the scheming duke.

Honestly was hoping for an Ace Attorney villain, but still a good list. And tbh, if he added what i consider to be the best villain in that franchise, there would have to be a massive spoiler warning lol.

I'll admit it's been a bit since I last saw one of your top tens, but man was it a return, great video. While not the biggest gamer, I've grown an interest with gaming's worlds and characters. Which is why I thank you for helping me learn so much, and getting me into Skull Girls. I love hearing your insightful and moving words about your entries, #1 here really struck some cords. You do great work my friend, you should be proud. Also, Ms. Rose! I didn't expect to get a cameo from one of my new favorite leads, but happy all the same. RWBY has been a major support to me in the last few years. So seeing it cross paths, if briefly, with one of my favorite KZfaqrs is a great treat.

I'm so glad that Clockwerk is on this list. He's my favorite villain from the Sly series. He did get what he deserved, but not without causing minor Despair before he was silenced for good. But it left me worried about one thing: his soul still lingers, waiting to return via a host body.

I think Odio from Live a Live, Flowey from Undertale, and Monika from DDLC could be serious contenders on this list. Some might not consider them to remain villains by the time the credits roll, depending on the ending you choose, but the sheer mental anguish they can cause to you the player, makes them quite memorable and devious imo.

This have to be the longest countdown of the green scorpion

I appreciate that honesty in number 9. This one is a VERY devisive subject.

Im so glad you had nefarious in the list, he is such a good villain people dont talk about enough.

What also makes Revolver Ocelot memorable is that from MGS 2 onwards he has resisted the influence of Eli's/Liquid's nanomachines and has maintained control of his own mind.

Funny enough, I also did a small list of best video game villains because it was almost Halloween at the time. Posted it on Twitter. I made it a small rule to myself to only pick one per franchise, besides in the Honorable Mentions, so... Honorable Mentions: Kefka (FFVI) - OG destroyer of worlds. Mordegon (DQXI) - Discount Kefka, but still effective. Xehanort (Kingdom Hearts) - Mad scientist for darkness. Gets roasted by a toy once. Giovanni (Pokémon) - ‘Ultra’ gang leader for animal cruelty. Ghetsis is also a good villain to replace Giovanni with. Geese Howard (Fatal Fury) - Buff businessman who defies death itself. Malos (Xenoblade Chronicles 2) - Dark thoughts taken physical form, from someone else’s desires. 10. “Monokuma” (DanganRonpa) - Despair fetish. That’s basically it. 9. Albert Wesker (Resident Evil) - Complete. Global. Saturation. 8. Dr. Robotnik/Eggman (Sonic) - Mad scientist against animal who can also be funny. 7. Tohru Adachi (Persona 4 Golden) - Persona 4 spoilers. 6. Bowser (Super Mario) - Classic Princess-napper turned frenemy. Though sometimes they go karting and hits me with a blue shell. Truly evil. 5. Hades (Kid Icarus: Uprising) - Hades from Disney’s Hercules, but a lot chattier and does more evil things. 4. Porky Minch (EarthBound/Mother 3) - A bratty kid raised by a bad family who never grew up properly, led astray by a dark alien force. Actual real-life scenario, minus the dark alien forces. 3. Ganondorf (Zelda) - Classic villain who never truly dies. 2. Luca Blight (Suikoden II) - Too many war crimes and crimes against humanity. 1. Emet-Selch (Final Fantasy XIV) - Go play this MMO and find out. Seriously, I’m not spoiling shit. If you're wondering why Kefka wasn't even on my list... Well, first off, one per franchise rule, and second... I think Emet-Selch blows Kefka out of the water by a metric ton. Like, seriously. I can't really explain or go into detail about everything he's done because it would take too long, and also spoilers. Shadowbringers is the expansion where he properly shows up, so it's a good chunk of the story you have to play through to even see him. But it's worth it, I promise you. I would insert the FFXIV meme here, but I don't feel like I need to. It is sad that most people don't play FFXIV just because it's an MMO or just don't have the time, which is understandable, but still sad. I do have a suggestion. There's a YT channel called Play Frame that is playing the base game from scratch, just to do the main story of Final Fantasy XIV. They are currently in Post-Heavensward, just in case if anyone was curious. I highly recommend this series to anyone who is interested in the story of FFXIV, but just doesn't have the time to play it because it is a massive game.

Props to everyone involved in making this list and video.

what also makes Nefarious works is the voice: Armin Shimmermen was just perfect casting. He's Quark on Star Trek Deep Space Nine, for those who never heard of him

37:32 To be fair - it fits for Pokemon games, to be Childmurderers. Some Pokemons are known to do so (Hypno, Balloon one, Goth Twins and some pokemons are straight up ether killing their own trainers, or Souls of dead kids (or just Lickatung))

Honorable mention to Dutch van der linde and Micha Bell and Officer Tenpenny Rockstar knows how to make the most hatted monsters in human skin to put are favorite criminals in the hero spot same with Devin Weston as a honorable mention.

This is a 🔥 video. I’ve learned a lot, thank you very much! 🙏🏾

It took me a few days to finally watch this due to work. With me watching this at 4 am. I just want to say the number one entry made me think. Thank you Scorp. Ever since i found your weapon month videos i've been watching every countdown i can of yours. You got me to look into series i never had an interest in. From Final Fantasy to League of legends to ARMS. I may not be able to play each of them but the simple fact you made it interesting enough for me to do reasearch on my own. Alot of said research leading to me writing my own characters inspired by them with my friend. I just want to say. Thank you. For all the years of smiles and a few tears. I also still haven't forgiven you for tragic boss fights and infamous 2 ending.

Has anyone told you how wonderful your thumbnail is？ There's some fanfic to be made.

Nice to see another list of yours. I think I would put Sigma from Mega Man X on my list. He's also equally as persistent as guys like Ridley and Ganondorf, and caused just as many near world ending threats like manipulating Dr. Doppler, Repliforce or crashing a space station into the earth. Heihachi from Tekken is up there too. Simply because this is the man who threw his son into a volcano and shot his grandson. And that's just the start of it.

Honestly... your thoughts on Gannondorf reflect a lot of my own and it made me realize... Gannondorf IS one of if not my top video game villain. Thanks for another great video!

the ending really got to me well done brother

Ah, so every villain on the list are different types of archetypes? 10: The laughable, but still intimidating 9: The both anti-villain and anti-hero 8: The archenemy 7: The small role, big impact 6: The fallen hero 5: The deconstructor of the entire franchise 4: The chessmaster 3: The one the player eventually becomes 2: The legacy villain 1: The pessimist (or something, I Don’t know that much about Kefka) Nice (edit: I think I found one for number 5)

Impressive list Oscar, I liked how you went into detail about each villain and why they got a spot on this countdown. I especially liked your reasons for Dr Nefarious, Edelgard, Clockwerk, Walker, Vaas and Ganondorf and if you have any honorable mentions I would love to hear them and why you like them. Also, don’t worry about Kefka being number 1, we change but what we like doesn’t have too, I’ve watched lots of cartoons and I still consider SpongeBob SquarePants to be my favorite. Keep making these great countdowns Oscar, I can’t wait to see what your top 10 water levels in video games are, Green Scorpion forever!!!

I'm excited! That ending makes it very clear that he's redoing his top 10 Water Levels. That's the list where I discovered Oscar's channel waaaay back almost a decade ago!

I can´t wait!! I´m going to watch the old one before to compare how have changed your choices