Maniacal Monday: Frieza, from Dragon Ball Z

Dragon Ball Z is one of the more well-known manga/anime to come out of Japan, and certainly the most well known of its creator, Akir Toriyama. The sequel of the manga/anime Dragon Ball, it follows the chronicles of Goku as he defends the universe from all things evil with his fists, and massively unnecessary explosions. While the series has its ups and downs, one cannot deny that it has some of the most entertaining and terrifying villains ever created, even if they can sometimes look ridiculous (See Majin Buu). This week is none other than the tyrannical overlord known as Frieza.

Maniacal Monday: Seymour, from Final Fantasy X

The Final Fantasy game franchise is widely regarded as one of the best RPG series’ of all time.  And with over thirty game titles to their name, it’s certainly one of the largest. The first Final Fantasy was released in 1987 in Japan, as a last-ditch attempt to save the Square company from bankruptcy, and it quickly grew one of the largest fanbases in videogame history. Each new title in the main series brings an entirely new story, a new battle system, and new characters. Like any good story, however, it needs  good antagonists. And one of the most intriguing is Maester Seymour, from FFX.

Maniacal Monday: Gilderoy Lockhart, from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

What can I say about the Harry Potter books besides the fact that I think they are some of the best things to ever happen to this world? Well, I guess that says it all, really. And like in any decent story, Harry Potter has his fair share of enemies. From the maniacal Lord Voldemort to the control freak Dolores Umbridge, the villains of the Wizarding World are diverse and colorful, each bringing their own brand of evil to the table. And before we return to the more sinister villains that I love, I thought it would be nice to end our little trip into the world of humor with the wonderful character known as Gilderoy Lockhart.

Maniacal Monday: Gaston, from Beauty and the Beast

Disney is full of the most wonderful stories of our generation. But “The Happiest Place On Earth” certainly has some of the most frightening villains as well. From the insane Cruella de Vil to the pious Minister Frollo, Disney certainly knows how to play to the fears of all people. However, not all Disney villains are quite as obvious as the audience is led to believe at the beginning of their films, at least not until they show their true colors near the climax of the movie. Many times, they seem like a genuinely good guy, or just an annoying character that serves to set the events in motion. “Beauty and the Beast” illustrates this perfectly with Gaston.

Maniacal Monday: Dr. Nefarious, from Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal

This week, we’ll be taking a break from the heavy, terrifying villains in favor of a more comedic villain. When it comes to bad guys in the world of comedy, their actions tend to be over-the-top and farcical. Their plans are crazy, and are usually either horribly convoluted to the point where you have NO idea how it works, or so spectacularly simple that you wonder where they learned how to be evil in the first place. Just like normal villains, however, they have just as varied and deep a background as any other (usually) and are the driving force behind the plot of the story. Enter Dr. Nefarious, from the Ratchet & Clank game series.

Maniacal Monday: The Overlord, from the Overlord game series

We all love villains. Whether they are a sleazy, nasty slimeball or a sophisticated supervillain, everyone secretly adores bad guys because we somehow find a way to feel for whatever plight has led them to become evil, and their initiative in trying to make the world a better place, even if their methods and ultimate goal are not what we would consider “better.” And while many books exist that examine events from the viewpoint of villains, coming across a tale where you ARE the villain is very rare. Enter the Overlord, the stereotypical fairy-tale villain, and protagonist of the Overlord game series.

Maniacal Monday: Artemis Fowl II, from Artemis Fowl

The literary world is home to some of the greatest villains of all time. Aside from the fact that it is the oldest media, dating back since our origins in caves, the fact that books are not constrained by time limits allows a more in-depth look at everything that’s going on. This is especially true for villains, as the increased space allows for even more room with which to develop their character, backstory, and reason for becoming evil, which enhances their villain-ness exponentially. By getting to know the character, it’s possible to either love them or hate them depending on their reasons for doing evil things, again allowed by the fact that you have more time to get to know them. Sometimes you might even find “villains” in the role of protagonist, and one of my favorite books that demonstrates this duality is the villain Artemis Fowl II, from Artemis Fowl.

Maniacal Monday: The Shadow, From Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Winner of the "Scariest Game Ever" Award

Few things are more frightening to the human psyche than darkness, though we truly fear the unknown which lurks inside the darkness rather than the darkness itself. It stands to reason, then, that the most frightening villain of all is one that we cannot see, and that is truly the case for The Shadow from the game “Amnesia: The Dark Descent.” This is, without a doubt, one of the scariest games I have ever played, period, and this is a direct result of the effect of The Shadow on both the character and the player. Why is this villain so terrifying? Read on to find out.

Maniacal Monday

If there is one thing upon which we can all agree, it’s that bad guys are evil. They do evil things for evil reasons, (and sometimes no reason at all) and it’s up to the protagonist of the story to stop them. And though we cheer when good inevitably triumphs, we’d all be lying to ourselves if we didn’t admit that there were times when we were rooting for the bad guy. Let’s face it; villains are usually much more interesting characters than heroes. Villains have motives, they have selfish desires, and we can relate to them in a way, whereas heroes seem to exist for the sole purpose of defeating the bad guy and restoring peace and balance to the world. So, in honor of these baddies, I am proud to announce a new weekly segment: Maniacal Monday! Where we will honor the best of the worst, and find out just what makes them tick. 

This Monday: The Shadow, from Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Hero or Villain? Choose your path in inFAMOUS 2.

inFAMOUS 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed PS3 game, inFAMOUS.