Certain enemies pop up repeatedly in video games, particularly in the fantasy genre. Players always seem to battle variations of orcs, goblins, trolls, living statues, shadow creatures, or plain human bandits. Among the most common adversary tropes are wizards, and it’s easy to see why.
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These guys come equipped with a heap of magical abilities. These not only aid in accomplishing their goals and staying one step ahead of the heroes, but they also provide a varied challenge through a plethora of spells. Some wizards, though, rise above the crowded market. When faced with such resourcefulness and sheer magical might, gamers can’t help but be impressed.
9The Magician - Rayman Origins & Legends
TheRaymanseriestypically frames the Teensies as innocent victims or colorful comic relief, so, surprisingly,OriginsandLegendsmake one of these big-nosed imps the overarching villain. Known as “The Magician,” this particular Teensie appears throughoutOrigins, helping Rayman stop the Bubble Dreamers and their machines in exchange for the Lums the hero collects. It turns out, though, that the Magician is the mastermind behind the robots. Granted, it’s easy to swindle when you have teleportation, conjuring, and other Teensie abilities in your corner. Regardless, the whole thing goes tails up, and the resulting explosion should have killed the Magician.
On the contrary, he comes back even stronger inLegends. He can now multiply himself into five dark mages. All that Lum magic must have worn off on him. If he keeps this up, he can overwhelm the other Teensies through sheer numbers.
8Tlaloc - The Tak Series
The vengeful villain of this jungle adventure was already a gifted shaman. Stealing the magical Moonstones granted him further power, specifically that of the divine Moon Juju. This lets him turn everyone in his village into sheep. It’s only through the efforts of Tak and the other Juju spirits that the baddie is thwarted, cursed to live as a sheep himself.
Such a sheepish (sorry) setback doesn’t slow Tlaloc down, though. The sequel sees the shaman gaining power over the dreamscape. He then manipulates the ethereal realm to wage a new war on Tak, this time within the hero’s own head. If the top shaman position was about power alone, Tlaloc would have it in the bag, as he’s displayed magical and interdimensional prowess well beyond those of his primitive peers.
7Zarok - MediEvil
Consideringthe aesthetic and protagonist ofMediEvil, it should come as no surprise that the villain’s main gimmick is necromancy. Zarok seeks revenge for past defeats by conquering the kingdom of Gollowmere. To do this, he raises the dead all over the land, in turn giving them a chance to get back at the living. The breadth of this spell speaks for itself, so Zarok has clearly lost none of his skill.
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He further proves that when bare-bones hero Sir Dan catches up to him. In addition to his regular skeletal mooks, the wizard brings forth a flaming, undead horseman to fight for his cause. When this fails, he takes a page out ofMaleficent’s book and turns into a dragon, assaulting Dan with fireballs and shockwaves. In the end, Zarok makes the knight earn his place in the Hall of Heroes.
6Ripto - The Spyro Series
Spyrothe dragon tangles with many magical enemies, but Ripto is the most sinister and powerful of all. He conquers the kingdom of Avalar with little trouble thanks to his slew of monstrous minions infesting the various worlds. The mightiest of these are Crush and Gulp, saurian behemoths who help the warlord establish dominance well beyond his short stature. Don’t let his size fool you, though. Ripto gives the purple dragon a run for his money.
He channels a storm of destructive energy balls through his scepter. Losing said scepter is only a minor setback, as he can turn any magical object–no matter how foreign and unfamiliar–into a new weapon. Once Spyro overcomes all of this, he still can’t put Ripto down for good. The wizard falls into a pool of lava only to return with a vengeance in later sequels. Lava is among the most common gaming tropes, so it pays to be that sturdy.
5Gol - Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
OnceJak & Daxtermoved into the future, their villains largely became technological and/or creature-based. As such, fans often forget about their debut bad guy: Gol the Eco sage. He’s one of several beings revered for their ability to channel Eco, the magical energy within the planet. Gol specializes in Dark Eco. This is a deadly substance capable of killing most who touch it.
The villain not only wields it himself but infuses it into numerous living things. Plants and animals all over the world become corrupted, unwitting pawns in a hostile takeover. Gol has essentially mastered death incarnate. The other sages, horrified as they are, cannot help but be impressed.
4Solas - The Dragon Age Series
You think you know a guy. Solas is an Elven mage ofDragon Age. He mostly serves as one of the heroes ofInquisition, but theTrespasserDLC reveals him asthe infamous Dread Wolf. This means he fought a cataclysmic war with mages of ages past, and he’s also responsible for the Darkspawn invasions and all manner of misfortunes befalling the land in the otherDragon Ageentries. In short, his mystical treachery changed the very fabric of the world.
Even taking out that backstory, Solas provides plenty of tangible examples of his strength. As one of the party members, his stats progress along with the player’s. Such progression soon ranks him among the world’s mightiest beings by default. This will make him tough to take down in the next entry.
3The Emperor - Final Fantasy 2
TheFinal Fantasyfranchisehas seen countless colorful baddies, and a number of them can wield magic as well as the heroes. None, however, have succeeded like the second entry’s antagonist.
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The mysterious Emperor conquers the land right out of the gate. He summons interdimensional demons, enslaves entire populations, and poisons those who defy him before the game even starts. The protagonists are no match for him as he swiftly overwhelms the would-be saviors with his superior power. Many JRPG villains draw out the conflict for one reason or another. The Emperor wastes no such time. He has the practicality and strength, and he puts them to excellent use in achieving his goal.
2Master Xehanort - The Kingdom Hearts Series
The grand puppet master behind the wholeKingdom Heartsseries, Xehanort is one of the Keyblade wielders. These are warriors equipped with mystical weapons to safeguard the disparate worlds. As a master, he comes with a lifetime of experience, using top-tier spells to weaponize the elements and bend reality itself. However, that’s nothing compared to the more underhanded tricks up his sleeve.
Xehanort’s true brilliance comes from his ability to plan ahead. He can send his heart into another’s body, engulfing his/hers and essentially turning the target into his vessel. This is obviously handy in prolonging his life, but the villain takes it one step further. He sends his heart back in time to commune with his younger self, subtly manipulating events over the next several years.
Combined with his immense understanding of Heartless and Nobodies,this allows him to create several versions of himself. All of these are equally powerful and malevolent enemies in their own right. Xehanort’s far-reaching evil leaves both characters and players in awe. He aims to remake the entire universe, and players truly believe he has the tools and foresight to do it.
1Ganon/Ganondorf - The Legend Of Zelda Series
Amongthe most prolific villains in video games, Ganon (or Ganondorf) has plagued the land of Hyrule in countlessLegend of Zeldatitles. He’s conquered the world several times, and it’s always a challenge for Link to stop him or even reach him. Legions of monsters flock to his command. If that’s not enough, he can possess others to do his bidding, pitting would-be heroes against their closest friends.
Not that Ganon needs military force, as he’s a godlike adversary on his own. He fires all sorts of elemental energy blasts to keep foes on their toes. If that doesn’t work, he whips out one of his alternate forms, growing to gargantuan size or changing into his demonic visage from a past life. For the cherry on top, he’s invincible to all but a few weapons, such as the Master Sword. No wonder Hyrule never gets a moment’s peace.
