This Iconic Nintendo Character Has Been Named the 'Best Video Game Villain Ever'—and Fans Still Debate It
A legendary Nintendo character has been named the greatest video game villain ever. The iconic antagonist who has appeared in video games for decades topped a major ranking, beating out the rest of the most famous villains in gaming history. However, fans are still debating whether Ganondorf, also known as Ganon, from The Legend of Zelda series truly is the best enemy to ever appear in a video game. Weigh in on which character deserves the title below.
Why Ganon/Ganondorf Was Ranked the No. 1 Video Game Villain Ever
In March 2024, Den of Geek published its "25 Best Video Game Villains Ever" list. It had a long list of iconic antagonists to choose from, including Bowser, Sephiroth, Dr. Eggman, Vaas Montenegro, Albert Wesker, Shang Tsung, and others. Despite those strong options, the outlet named Ganon/Ganondorf from The Legend of Zelda Series as the best video game villain ever.
The Ganon version of the character debuted in The Legend of Zelda, which was released in 1986, while his human form, Ganondorf, first showed up in 1998's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Ultimately, one of the two versions has bedeviled players in a long list of beloved video games.
The outlet explained that, unlike other gaming enemies who are funny, maniacal, or "weasel-y," Ganon/Ganondorf is evil incarnate and a "straight-up badass." They also described the character as being muscle-bound and intimidating, yet highly intelligent, which keeps him from being a one-dimensional brute. Finally, they compared the Link and Ganon/Ganondorf rivalry to something similar to David and Goliath.
The Full List: Den of Geek's 25 Best Video Game Villains Ever
- 25. Lionel Starkweather – Manhunt
- 24. Magus – Chrono Trigger
- 23. The Player – Tyranny
- 22. General Shepherd – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- 21. Ridley – Metroid Series
- 20. Illusive Man – Mass Effect Series
- 19. Baldur – God of War
- 18. Steven Armstrong – Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
- 17. Andrew Ryan – BioShock
- 16. The Master – Fallout
- 15. Shang Tsung – Mortal Kombat Series
- 14. Micah Bell – Red Dead Redemption 2
- 13. Tim – Braid
- 12. Frau Engel – Wolfenstein Series
- 11. Pyramid Head – Silent Hill 2
- 10. Handsome Jack – Borderlands Series
- 9. Dracula – Castlevania Series
- 8. Albert Wesker – Resident Evil Series
- 7. Vaas Montenegro – Far Cry 3
- 6. SHODAN – System Shock Series
- 5. Arthas Menethil – Warcraft Series
- 4. Bowser – Super Mario Series
- 3. GLaDOS – Portal Series
- 2. Kefka Palazzo – Final Fantasy IV
- 1. Ganon/Ganondorf — The Legend of Zelda Series
Why Fans Still Debate the Pick Today
Even though Den of Geek crowned Ganon/Ganondorf as the greatest antagonist in video game history, plenty of fans disagree. In fact, some would even argue that The Legend of Zelda franchise has produced better villains.
In July 2021, Cian Maher wrote an article for The Gamer arguing that "Vaati Is A Better Zelda Villain Than Ganon Will Ever Be." Before that, a June 2020 post on the r/zelda subreddit asked users to name the franchise's best villain. The top-most-upvoted comments highlighted Ghirahim, Octoroks, and Zant before any of them pointed to Ganondorf. Despite the debate over the greatest video game villain ever raging on, there aren't many gamers who would deny Ganon/Ganondorf's iconic status.