Anti-Villain/Video Games: Difference between revisions

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* It's hard to not feel sympathetic for ''[[First Encounter Assault Recon|F.E.A.R.]]'''s Alma when one learns of her background and finds out why she's doing everything she does, and it becomes even harder in the expansion when she {{spoiler|actively helps the Point Man by killing Replicas that are pinning him down}}. It's less difficult with Paxton Fettel, who starts off as a cannibalizing monster who has no problem killing civilians for getting in the way, and, later on, tries to kill the Point Man out of anger that the Point Man killed ''him''.

** Fettel's case becomes a bit more understandable when you consider the fact that {{spoiler|his grandfather deliberately made him that way.}}

* ''[[Fire Emblem]]: Genealogy of Holy War'': while it appears that Alvis makes a [[Face Heel Turn]] and kills all of Sigurd's army, he actually has a [[Freudian Excuse]] and isn't really that much of a villain, especially considering that {{spoiler|his son is far, far worse.}} He gives Sigurd's son his [[Infinity ~~Plus One~~ Sword]]. Yeah, killing him made a real difference...''not.''

* ''[[Fire Emblem]]: Genealogy of Holy War'': while it appears that Alvis makes a [[Face Heel Turn]] and kills all of Sigurd's army, he actually has a [[Freudian Excuse]] and isn't really that much of a villain, especially considering that {{spoiler|his son is far, far worse.}} He gives Sigurd's son his [[Infinity+1 Sword]]. Yeah, killing him made a real difference...''not.''

** One can also argue that Zephiel in ''Fire Emblem 6'' is also an [[Anti Villain]], even if he has a different [[Freudian Excuse]] for deciding that [[Humans Are Bastards]].

** One can also argue that Zephiel in ''Fire Emblem 6'' is also an [[Anti-Villain]], even if he has a different [[Freudian Excuse]] for deciding that [[Humans Are Bastards]].

** Definitely a valid argument - and all the Bern Generals except [[Smug Snake|Narshen]] count, given their dispositions: [[The Dragon|Murdock]] was loyal ever since [[Used to Be A Sweet Kid|his king was a young and kind-hearted prince]], and dies trying to hold off Roy's forces; [[Dark Magical Girl|Brenya]] goes into battle knowing her liege is dead and she will join him, entirely out of loyalty; and [[Big Brother Mentor|Galle]] feels he cannot turn sides even after {{spoiler|both Zeiss and Miledy}} try to convince him, because he's chosen his path and won't betray it.

** Fire Emblem (Rekka no Ken): the original Black Fang were heroes of the common folk for eliminating tyrannical members of their home country's government. It wasn't until [[Big Bad|Nergal]] showed up that they started attacking innocents.

*** There's also [[Worthy Opponent|Eagler]] from the first 1/3 of the game, who served [[Evil Old Folks|Lundgren]] because he was being blackmailed, and was truly loyal to Caelin. Kent and Sain even have fond memories of the man when Lyn asks.

*** In the main storyline, we have [[Well Done Son Guy|Kishuna]], who is {{spoiler|apparently the only morph Nergal created with emotions}}, and only fights your party out of a desperate desire to {{spoiler|prove himself to said [[Jerkass]]}}. Kishuna can't even do anything to you personally save negate your magic - which makes it [[Alas Poor Villain|really gutwrenchingly cruel in Hector's Story Mode if you fight him in his 3rd Gaiden chapter, because, this time, you]] ''[[Alas Poor Villain|must]]'' [[Alas Poor Villain|kill him to finish the chapter]]. The objective doesn't even ''say'' 'Defeat' so much as 'Kill'. [[Video Game Cruelty Potential|Why, Intelligent Systems...]]''WHY''?!

*** In the main storyline, we have [["Well Done, Son" Guy|Kishuna]], who is {{spoiler|apparently the only morph Nergal created with emotions}}, and only fights your party out of a desperate desire to {{spoiler|prove himself to said [[Jerkass]]}}. Kishuna can't even do anything to you personally save negate your magic - which makes it [[Alas, Poor Villain|really gutwrenchingly cruel in Hector's Story Mode if you fight him in his 3rd Gaiden chapter, because, this time, you]] ''[[Alas, Poor Villain|must]]'' [[Alas, Poor Villain|kill him to finish the chapter]]. The objective doesn't even ''say'' 'Defeat' so much as 'Kill'. [[Video Game Cruelty Potential|Why, Intelligent Systems...]]''WHY''?!

**** They further emphasis the sympathy factor with the [[Final Boss]] - {{spoiler|the Fire Dragon}}, where the objective is, again, not 'Defeat' but 'Kill'. Both boss fights are majorly depicted as [[Shoot the Dog]] scenarios.

** Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones' Glen, Selina, and, in some cases, Lyon.

*** ''Not even'' Glen! He disagrees with Vigarde's plans, actively opposes Valter, and refuses to harm Eirika when he finds her. If Valter hadn't killed him, he probably would've been automatically recruited for the next map.

** Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn has Zelgius, {{spoiler|Deghinsea, and Sephiran.}}

*** Raven King Naesala straddles the line between this and [[Anti Hero]], since his [[Chronic Backstabbing Disorder|allegiances shift]] during the game.

*** Raven King Naesala straddles the line between this and [[Anti-Hero]], since his [[Chronic Backstabbing Disorder|allegiances shift]] during the game.

* Miles Edgeworth in the ''[[Ace Attorney]]'' series. He's portrayed as an [[Amoral Attorney]] willing to do anything to get a conviction and keep his perfect record at first, but eventually, it's revealed that his use of questionable tactics are a result of genuine trust in the police's work and a massive hatred for unpunished crime, instilled in him by childhood trauma and a truly [[Evil Mentor]]. Though the change that comes over him is not as drastic as a [[Heel Face Turn]], he's easily one of the most interesting characters in the series.

** The murderer in the circus case from ''Justice for All'' would also fall under this trope. It's pointed out that the tragedy of this case is that nobody was really a bad person.

** Godot is a shining example in the series, blaming himself and Phoenix for Mia's death, which is his main motivation for opposing Phoenix in the first place (even if he flat out admits Phoenix is not to blame). Even Maya takes the fall for the guy later in the game.

* ''[[Mass Effect 1 (Video Game)|Mass Effect 1]]'''s {{spoiler|Saren Arterius seems to lean towards this, being a [[The Dragon|dragon]] who's just flat out weaker to [[The Man Behind the Man|Sovereign]]. He also seems to [[Well Intentioned Extremist|believe helping Sovereign is the best course of action, as he thinks that Sovereign's victory is inevitable, and so his aiding of him may allow the survival of some, as he hopes that Sovereign won't kill those he sees as useful.]] Add in the question of whether he's just horribly [[Brainwashed]] by Sovereign (and he may not even realize its extent, he attempts to deny and is terrified by the possibility of its current extremity and his usefulness to back it up, as more brainwashing by Sovereign destroys his capability...and, seemingly, even free thought) and you might feel some sympathy.}}

* ''[[Mass Effect 1 (Video Game)|Mass Effect 1]]'''s {{spoiler|Saren Arterius seems to lean towards this, being a [[The Dragon|dragon]] who's just flat out weaker to [[The Man Behind the Man|Sovereign]]. He also seems to [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|believe helping Sovereign is the best course of action, as he thinks that Sovereign's victory is inevitable, and so his aiding of him may allow the survival of some, as he hopes that Sovereign won't kill those he sees as useful.]] Add in the question of whether he's just horribly [[Brainwashed]] by Sovereign (and he may not even realize its extent, he attempts to deny and is terrified by the possibility of its current extremity and his usefulness to back it up, as more brainwashing by Sovereign destroys his capability...and, seemingly, even free thought) and you might feel some sympathy.}}

** Unless you've read the [[All There in the Manual|prequel novel]], in which he, {{spoiler|having been assigned to accompany a young David Anderson on a mission to a refinery to assess his candidacy for the [[Space Police|Spectres]], causes the refinery to explode, killing countless innocent workers, and then pins this on Anderson for the sole purpose of [[Fantastic Racism|preventing a human from becoming a Spectre]].}} [[Moral Event Horizon|Even worse]], {{spoiler|he later takes the last survivor of the refinery disaster off of life support so he can interrogate her, and then allows her to die right in front of him because he's too busy thinking about the ramifications of the information she gave him to plug the life support back in}}. And this was all well before he encountered {{spoiler|Sovereign}}.

*** He {{spoiler|(ie, Anderson)}} will reveal this if you talk to him enough in the main game. {{spoiler|Saren is a bastard, plain and simple. It's more likely that he was at least ''somewhat'' aware of the fact that he was being brainwashed, and as it becomes more and more obvious, and as you make him ''realise'' that he is actually under Sovereign's control (a discussion towards the finale allows you to convince him to off himself...allowing you to skip a fight, though Sovereign just brings him back as a supercharged Husk either way), he genuinely seems a little more scared.}}

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* General Forsythe from ''[[Advance Wars]]: Days of Ruin'', though he declares war against the player's country in the game, barely qualifies as a villain. When [[Mad Scientist|Caulder]] offers him powerful, but horrible, weapons that could guarantee his victory in one of the early missions, he is appalled and flatly refuses. Shortly later, it is revealed that he does not kill POWs, considering it to be dishonorable. To top it all off, {{spoiler|when he loses the war, he accepts full responsibility for the war so as to spare his soldiers and lower-ranking commanders, accepting execution by the [[General Ripper|insane, power hungry Commander]] Greyfield.}}

** Even the declaration of war is ambiguous, considering that Davis is the one who says that Lazuria started it, and he probably heard this from Greyfield ([[Sarcasm Mode|paragon of honesty, that man]]). It's more likely that Greyfield started the war and told everyone that Forsythe did, while Forsythe hopes to end the war by defeating Greyfield. Forsythe is a [[Hero Antagonist]].

* Inuart in ''[[Drakengard]]'' goes from being [[The Lancer]] of your group to a [[Rival Turned Evil]] thanks to the [[Big Bad]]'s [[More Than Mind Control|brainwashing]], assuming the position of her [[The Dragon|Dragon]]. He comes to his senses when his true love is killed as part of the [[Big Bad]]'s plans, and then becomes a [[Well Intentioned Extremist]], wanting to [[Necromantic|bring her back to life]]. Delusioned, perhaps, but one can't help feeling sorry for him and [[Unwitting Pawn|how he was manipulated.]]

* Inuart in ''[[Drakengard]]'' goes from being [[The Lancer]] of your group to a [[Rival Turned Evil]] thanks to the [[Big Bad]]'s [[More Than Mind Control|brainwashing]], assuming the position of her [[The Dragon|Dragon]]. He comes to his senses when his true love is killed as part of the [[Big Bad]]'s plans, and then becomes a [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]], wanting to [[Necromantic|bring her back to life]]. Delusioned, perhaps, but one can't help feeling sorry for him and [[Unwitting Pawn|how he was manipulated.]]

* Meta Knight from the ''[[Kirby]]'' video game series. Although technically an opponent of Kirby, he's a rather enigmatic character who follows his own code of honor, and always [[Let's Fight Like Gentlemen|throws Kirby a sword and power-ups before their one-on-one battles]]. [[Word of God]] says that Meta's main antagonism towards Kirby is a result of the latter's tendency towards [[Nice Job Breaking It Hero]] moments.

* Meta Knight from the ''[[Kirby]]'' video game series. Although technically an opponent of Kirby, he's a rather enigmatic character who follows his own code of honor, and always [[Let's Fight Like Gentlemen|throws Kirby a sword and power-ups before their one-on-one battles]]. [[Word of God]] says that Meta's main antagonism towards Kirby is a result of the latter's tendency towards [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]] moments.

** King Dedede is not only an [[Anti Villain]], but he probably got here BEFORE Meta Knight. [[Affably Evil]]? Check. Doggedly loyal to his minions? Check. Copious amounts of [[Foe Yay]]? Dear sweet god, check. Half the times they fight, Kirby only thinks Dedede's up to no good when he's actually not (or even [[Kirbys Adventure (Video Game)|trying to save the day]]). About the only thing keeping him a villain anymore is the fact that he stills wants to fight Kirby, but that seems like more of a [[Friendly Enemy|genial rivalry]] than anything else, given they [[Go Karting With Bowser|enjoy racing each other in their free time]]. And [[The Glomp]]...

** King Dedede is not only an [[Anti-Villain]], but he probably got here BEFORE Meta Knight. [[Affably Evil]]? Check. Doggedly loyal to his minions? Check. Copious amounts of [[Foe Yay]]? Dear sweet god, check. Half the times they fight, Kirby only thinks Dedede's up to no good when he's actually not (or even [[Kirbys Adventure (Video Game)|trying to save the day]]). About the only thing keeping him a villain anymore is the fact that he stills wants to fight Kirby, but that seems like more of a [[Friendly Enemy|genial rivalry]] than anything else, given they [[Go Karting With Bowser|enjoy racing each other in their free time]]. And [[The Glomp]]...

*** Dedede's Antivillain status is even included in the story mode for ''[[Super Smash Bros]]. Brawl'' where he starts stealing the trophies (corpses) of various heroes from Wario, presumably because he's trying to complete the same evil task as the other villains. He takes them to his castle and puts strange Dedede pins on them. Turns out, these pins are time-release detrophyfiers that bring said heroes back to life just in time for them to become the final resistance against the real villain. Dedede even selflessly gives his own pin to whichever Princess he captured when he realizes that he doesn't have enough to save himself and the heroes.

*** This does not, however, excuse Dedede's vices, like his [[Crosses the Line Twice|gluttony, which started his antagonism with Kirby in the first game]], and his determination to better Kirby in anything, no matter how pointless, which, ironically, are qualities shared by Kirby and, occasionally, Meta Knight, respectively.

*** Both are such a light shade of [[Anti Villain]] that fandom who don't know of the term often refer to them as a type of [[Anti Hero]].

*** Both are such a light shade of [[Anti-Villain]] that fandom who don't know of the term often refer to them as a type of [[Anti-Hero]].

* ''[[Vagrant Story]]'''s {{spoiler|Sydney Losstarot}} is actively trying to seal away Leá Monde, so as to defend it from the power-mad Cardinal and his [[Knight Templar]], Romeo Guilderstern. The entire game is a [[Batman Gambit]] to {{spoiler|have Ashley inherit all the power of the city and then willingly disappear from the world}}.

* ''[[Shadow Hearts]]''' {{spoiler|Albert Simon}} may be trying to end all life on earth, but he's doing it because he's fed up with the fundamental injustice of human society.

** ''Shadow Hearts: Covenant'': Kato was a mild-mannered, devoted NPC on the heroes' side in the first game, who lost the woman he loved. This leads to him becoming a major character in ''Covenant''. Though he works as part of the Japanese conspiracy which puts him in an antagonistic role to the heroes, he sympathizes with Yuri's loss and offers encouragement and support where he can. {{spoiler|He only shifts ''completely'' into the role of main antagonist after he loses his lover for a second time, and then, he offers the Emigre Manuscript to Yuri so he can attempt to resurrect Alice}}.

* In the ''[[City of Heroes]]'' expansion ''[[City of Villains]],'' we have one of Lord Recluse's four Dragons, Scirocco. Originally a [[Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters|freedom fighter in the Middle East]], he finds his scimitar and is granted the mantle of Scirocco, the Desert Wind. Unfortunately, as he technically stole the items, he was cursed to do only great evil, with everything he does being tainted (this might make it a subversion, as it IS a curse after all). His main motivation is to break the curse forcing him to be evil and find redemption. His actions toward heroes include mercy, fairness, and that sort of thing. When you meet him and choose him as your patron, his second story arc has you retrieve some magic artifacts for his plan to {{spoiler|essentially rewrite the universe, turning all villains to good (or possibly killing them outright, which would probably qualify as mass murder)}}. As a villain yourself, naturally, you end up having to stop him.

** There is some debate as to whether Scirocco truly is an [[Anti Villain]] under a curse that makes him evil, or if he is just deluded into thinking he is good, but is actually only unable to recognize his evil, blaming it on other people. Given how he comes to accept who he is after his plan to {{spoiler|change or kill all villains}} fails, the latter seems very likely.

** There is some debate as to whether Scirocco truly is an [[Anti-Villain]] under a curse that makes him evil, or if he is just deluded into thinking he is good, but is actually only unable to recognize his evil, blaming it on other people. Given how he comes to accept who he is after his plan to {{spoiler|change or kill all villains}} fails, the latter seems very likely.

* And back in ''[[City of Heroes]]'', you have the Clockwork King, who started out as a nice, nerdy young man obsessed with robots who could animate piles of scrap metal using his [[Psychic Powers]]. But when those robots killed a few police officers, [[Cowboy Cop|Blue Steel]] [[Berserk Button|got enraged]] and ended up beating him to the point where his robots put his [[~~Brainina~~ Jar]] and he kinda went a little insane. He is somewhat overprotective of Penelope Yin, a teenage girl who also has powerful [[Psychic Powers]], and who describes him as "A nice guy who just has a problem with heroes."

* And back in ''[[City of Heroes]]'', you have the Clockwork King, who started out as a nice, nerdy young man obsessed with robots who could animate piles of scrap metal using his [[Psychic Powers]]. But when those robots killed a few police officers, [[Cowboy Cop|Blue Steel]] [[Berserk Button|got enraged]] and ended up beating him to the point where his robots put his [[Brain In A Jar]] and he kinda went a little insane. He is somewhat overprotective of Penelope Yin, a teenage girl who also has powerful [[Psychic Powers]], and who describes him as "A nice guy who just has a problem with heroes."

* Axel of ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' fame. Even though Yen Sid says {{spoiler|that the Nobodies don't have hearts and are thus incapable of any genuine emotion,}} it's difficult to think of his motives as anything but sympathetic, not least thanks to his de facto {{spoiler|[[Heel Face Turn]] leading to a [[Heroic Sacrifice]] in the end.}}

** To some extent, nearly all the members of Organization XIII fall under this trope, particularly in the fandom. Although most would agree that [[Big Bad|Xemnas]] was always a megalomaniacal psycho who was manipulating the others' strong desire to reclaim their own hearts, even [[The Dragon|Saix]] displayed such pitiable qualities by the end.

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* Dhaos, the [[Big Bad]] of ''[[Tales of Phantasia (Video Game)|Tales of Phantasia]]'', appears to be a ruthless [[Sealed Evil in A Can]] that aims to destroy all of mankind. However, after his defeat by the heroes, he regrets that it didn't have to end that way and reveals that he was actually the leader of an alien planet named Derris Kharlan, which had become ravaged by a great war and was slowly dying without a tree of mana to support it. In order to obtain a mana seed, he came to Aselia, but that planet's mana tree, Yggdrasil, was in danger of dying itself due to the development of [[Magitek]]. He attempted to warn the leaders of the research in Midgard, beseeching them to stop, but when that failed, he decided that [[Humans Are Bastards]] and waged war on Midgard to force them to stop Magitek research. The heroes feel guilty, as they've effectively doomed Derris Kharlan by killing its would be savior. In the end, Martel, the spirit of Yggdrasil, transforms Dhaos' body into a mana seed and transports it to his home planet.

** For that matter, the [[Big Bad]] in almost ANY [[Tales Series]] game is an [[Anti Villain]], although some more than others, since they may be revealed at the end of the game or the last few hours.

** For that matter, the [[Big Bad]] in almost ANY [[Tales Series]] game is an [[Anti-Villain]], although some more than others, since they may be revealed at the end of the game or the last few hours.

** The supposed [[Big Bad]] of ''[[Tales of Destiny (Video Game)|Tales of Destiny]]'', Hugo Gilchrist, could count. {{spoiler|Turns out, he's being possessed by the true [[Big Bad]], Miktran/Kronos, to do every single one of his atrocities, and he only managed to save Rutee from being swept to the madness he's in, in the last moments of his sanity and could only tell everything just when he's on death's door.}} For that matter, a non-[[Big Bad]] example is Leon Magnus, who's only out for the safety of his surrogate mother figure, Marian, {{spoiler|who's being used by a possessed Hugo as a bargaining chip.}} Yes, this occurs in both the original and remake version.

** Shizel claims she is removing all the negative emotions from the world by destroying Eternia in ''[[Tales of Eternia (Video Game)|Tales of Eternia]]'', except this is more of a case of {{spoiler|her being possessed by Nereid, the evil twin of Seyfert, and what better for the God of destruction to favor if not saving the world by destroying it?}} Another set of twists involved {{spoiler|her coming to her senses and using the Dark Fibril at the end instead of Meredy, thus saving her daughter's life.}}

** ''[[Tales of the Abyss (Video Game)|Tales of the Abyss]]'' features many Anti Villains, even if they barely fit into this trope, considering that their idea of saving the world would wind up destroying it in the process.

** ''[[Tales of Symphonia (Video Game)|Tales of Symphonia]]'' loves this trope. Almost every villain winds up being an [[Anti Villain]] in their own way, even if some were moreso than others.

** ''[[Tales of Symphonia (Video Game)|Tales of Symphonia]]'' loves this trope. Almost every villain winds up being an [[Anti-Villain]] in their own way, even if some were moreso than others.

*** Even more in [[Tales Of Symphonia/Dawn Of The New World|the sequel]]. Richter continues this tradition even if there are some classic villains like Alice and Decus to try balancing it out.

** ''[[Tales of Legendia (Video Game)|Tales of Legendia]]'' had this with the Ferines and the Raging Nerifes, the primary antagonists of the second half of the "Main quest". The game reveals that the Legacy dropped from another world and eventually became land. While it drops tantalizing hints throughout the game that {{spoiler|that it was the Ferines that come from another world}}, at the very end, it is instead revealed by Maurits that {{spoiler|the Ferines were the original inhabitants of the world of ''[[Tales of Legendia (Video Game)|Tales of Legendia]]''. It was the Oerines, the people of the land, who came on the legacy and created land at the cost of many Ferines' lives. Moses puts it best when he said, "We're the invaders?!" thanks to many events happening in the history of Legendia where the Oerines had waged war on the Ferines.}}

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*** Except that {{spoiler|Duke}} also subverts it when {{spoiler|he is actually just knocked unconscious instead of being defeated after a two to three stage battle, then when Duke comes to his senses, he actually sees eye to eye with the main protagonists of the game and then joins them and ends up saving the day instead of keeping his ideals to the very end.}}

*** Although much closer to being a "true" villain than {{spoiler|Duke,}} even {{spoiler|Alexei}} could still be considered this because, as {{spoiler|he points out, his ultimate objectives are not all that different from Brave Vesperia's own objectives. Like them, he is attempting to end the Empire's stagnation and the various other problems in the world. The primary difference is that while Yuri is willing to use almost any means to reach his goals while working as a free man, and Flynn upholds Imperial law while attempting to reform the Empire from within, Alexei uses any and all means available to him, including resources outside of the Empire's sphere of influence. What cements him as this trope best is his own appeal to the party: "Not ONE of you believes the Empire is in the right!"}}

* The Magic Emperor from ''[[Lunar]]'' is a definite example. He plays a [[Genre Savvy]] [[Card Carrying Villain]] for most of the game, but his motives are not entirely selfish. {{spoiler|He decides to take over the world because the goddess Althena abdicated her role and left humanity to fend for itself.}} His true desire is to save humanity from itself, as is made obvious by his clear anguish during his [[Face Heel Turn]]. {{spoiler|He also pulls a [[Heel Face Turn]] in the sequel.}}

* The Magic Emperor from ''[[Lunar]]'' is a definite example. He plays a [[Genre Savvy]] [[Card-Carrying Villain]] for most of the game, but his motives are not entirely selfish. {{spoiler|He decides to take over the world because the goddess Althena abdicated her role and left humanity to fend for itself.}} His true desire is to save humanity from itself, as is made obvious by his clear anguish during his [[Face Heel Turn]]. {{spoiler|He also pulls a [[Heel Face Turn]] in the sequel.}}

** That was really the whole point of the second game, in fact. If you read between the lines enough, you can see that he figured out somewhere (likely by some ancient texts in the Magic Guild Library) that the [[Big Bad]] of the second game {{spoiler|would be coming back at some point, thanks to the events that took place fifteen years before the first game. So it was doubly true that Althena was leaving Lunar to fend for itself, both in terms of divine guidance ''and'' divine protection.}}

* Bian Zoldark from ''[[Super Robot Wars]] [[Original Generation]]'' (though apparently not in his original appearance in ''[[Super Robot Wars]] 2''). He interrupts a secret peace talk between the government and some aliens, starting a war in the process, and creates the Divine Crusaders under the premise that the government planned to surrender to the invaders, and only by overthrowing them and uniting mankind can the Earth be saved. What he doesn't mention is that he knew all along that the aliens were actually planning to betray them and enslave humanity, and he certainly wouldn't mind it at all if a group of heroes showed up that were capable of defending the Earth themselves. He even goes out of his way to make sure the protagonists make it to their final battle with him.

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* ''[[Touhou]]'' is ''loaded'' with these, almost to the exclusion of anything else. Virtually every [[Big Bad]] was simply misunderstood, or didn't realize the risks that their actions entailed, and could be convinced to stop...just as soon as the requisite [[Defeat Means Friendship|shooting was through]]. In fact, after the eleventh game featured a villain who actually had a [[The End of the World As We Know It|blatantly destructive and evil goal]], the game's creator, ZUN, decided to go for a far more light-hearted sequel.

** In fact, even Utsuho (the aforementioned evil villain) had an [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity|excuse]], and went more or less back to her [[The Ditz|old self]] after the events of the game. She is still the evilest Touhou character, though; so, to compensate, in the sequel, we got final boss Byakuren "[[Messianic Archetype|Youkai Jesus]]" Hijiri...

*** [[White and Grey Morality|No one in Touhou is really evil]]. Utsuho had a good reason, too, in addition to her [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity]] excuse. She [[Poor Communication Kills|misunderstood Kanako's explanation]] that her power over nuclear fusion could be used to 'fulfill the wishes of both the Underworld and the Surface World'. This actually meant providing nuclear power for the Kappa's technology, who were working for Kanako, but being a Hell Raven (and kind of an [[What an Idiot|idiot]]), as in a [[Blue and Orange Morality|youkai that lives in the fires of hell]], her interpretation was to [[Well Intentioned Extremist|wreathe the whole world in flame and rule over it since, from her point of view, that's a good thing]].

*** [[White and Grey Morality|No one in Touhou is really evil]]. Utsuho had a good reason, too, in addition to her [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity]] excuse. She [[Poor Communication Kills|misunderstood Kanako's explanation]] that her power over nuclear fusion could be used to 'fulfill the wishes of both the Underworld and the Surface World'. This actually meant providing nuclear power for the Kappa's technology, who were working for Kanako, but being a Hell Raven (and kind of an [[What an Idiot!|idiot]]), as in a [[Blue and Orange Morality|youkai that lives in the fires of hell]], her interpretation was to [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|wreathe the whole world in flame and rule over it since, from her point of view, that's a good thing]].

*** That tree, [[Sealed Evil in A Can|Saigyou]] [[When Trees Attack|Ayakashi]].

* [[Woobie Destroyer of Worlds|Count Bleck]] from ''[[Super Paper Mario (Video Game)|Super Paper Mario]]''. How many [[Big Bad|Big Bads]] do you know who treat their minions like family? Even if his goals [[Suicidal Cosmic Temper Tantrum|aren't exactly heroic]], that doesn't detract from his [[Woobie]] status.

* [[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds|Count Bleck]] from ''[[Super Paper Mario (Video Game)|Super Paper Mario]]''. How many [[Big Bad|Big Bads]] do you know who treat their minions like family? Even if his goals [[Suicidal Cosmic Temper Tantrum|aren't exactly heroic]], that doesn't detract from his [[Woobie]] status.

** To a lesser extent, Bowser himself qualifies as this in some games (like ''[[Paper Mario (Video Game)|SPM]]'' and ''[[Super Mario RPG (Video Game)|SMRPG]]''), but they have affected his evilness and he unwittingly shows he is even slightly capable of goodness. Also, from ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'' on, he has become more and more incompetent and his attempted "evil plots" are defective (especially in the Party games) and would never work, whether Mario defeats him or not. The ''Galaxy'' games are another story--his plots are clearly above his station and would only get himself killed with the galaxy he's trying to recreate, unless Mario intervenes. And as a result, Bowser has a better chance for survival being defeated by Mario.

* From ''[[Final Fantasy]]'':

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** The Shinra Corporation (or at least, key members of it, including the Turks) from the ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'' series has elements of anti-villainy. The ideals and methods used by AVALANCHE (of which the player's characters are members of) can even be seen as anti-heroic, for example, terrorism. Make no mistake, there are some outright villains in Shinra, but many of its members do have noble intentions, for instance, trying to stop Sephiroth from ending the world by launching a rocket with huge materia into space to destroy it (which the protagonists successfully disarm) and also firing the Sister Ray to kill Sephiroth (which, again, the protagonists thwart, but not before the barrier housing him is destroyed for the heroes to enter).

** In ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'', most of the Judge Magisters (Drace, Gabranth, and Zargabaath) qualify, as they're simply trying to do what they consider right. [[The Starscream|Ghis]] and [[Complete Monster|Bergan]], on the other hand...There's also a case to be made for Vayne and Venat.

*** It's rather telling about the [[Grey and Gray Morality|general tone of a story]] when its most depraved antagonists are dealt with earlier in the storyline, leaving the Anti Villains in charge for the final arcs...and also mention [[Alas Poor Villain|Doctor Cid]].

*** It's rather telling about the [[Grey and Gray Morality|general tone of a story]] when its most depraved antagonists are dealt with earlier in the storyline, leaving the Anti Villains in charge for the final arcs...and also mention [[Alas, Poor Villain|Doctor Cid]].

** In ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]'', Yaag Rosch and {{spoiler|Cid Raines}} both fit this role. Rosch only attacks the party to ensure Cocoon remains protected and safe, while {{spoiler|Raines}} attacks the party to stop Barthandelus' scheme.

* In the [[Retcon|ever-changing]] ''[[Mega Man X]]'' backstory, some of the mavericks only joined Sigma's rebellion out of loyalty (though others joined because of [[The Virus]] or willingly out of less noble reasons). Particularly sad is Storm Eagle, who, depending on the continuity, fought against Sigma before being defeated, and either joined him out of some sense of duty or due to being forcibly converted by the virus (retaining enough of his old personality to be reluctant to do what he does), or (in the manga) was actually a double agent working for the Maverick Hunters but didn't drop the act until after X did irreparable damage to him.

** In ''[[Mega Man X Command Mission (Video Game)|Mega Man X Command Mission]]'', [[Disc One Final Boss|Epsilon]], [[Noble Demon|Scarface]], and [[The Baroness|Ferham]] acted as Anti-Villains. Epsilon only orchestrated his big revolt so Gigantis could be a place just for reploids, free of human politics, and he simply had the humans leave the island without any casualties. And the whole purpose {{spoiler|of his crazy Supra Force Metal plan}} [[Well Intentioned Extremist|was to make reploids stronger]]. Scarface and Ferham, who were acting out of loyalty to him and belief in his cause, were the only Rebellion members he didn't keep at arm's length (even [[Dirty Coward|B]][[Fat Bastard|o]][[Jerkass|t]][[Small Name Big Ego|o]][[The Starscream|s]], the other Cadre member, seemed to rank lower than them). [[Never Hurt an Innocent|Scarface only attacks other Reploids if the other reploids attack him first, and he even heals them upon defeating them.]] And after the Rebellion is defeated, Ferham pulls a [[High Heel Face Turn]], taking away the Supra Metal fragment that let the true [[Big Bad]], {{spoiler|Redips (who had them classed as Maverick just to make the Hunters get them out of the way and take the Metal for himself)}}, [[Hopeless Boss Fight|absorb all damage]].

** In ''[[Mega Man X Command Mission (Video Game)|Mega Man X Command Mission]]'', [[Disc One Final Boss|Epsilon]], [[Noble Demon|Scarface]], and [[The Baroness|Ferham]] acted as Anti-Villains. Epsilon only orchestrated his big revolt so Gigantis could be a place just for reploids, free of human politics, and he simply had the humans leave the island without any casualties. And the whole purpose {{spoiler|of his crazy Supra Force Metal plan}} [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|was to make reploids stronger]]. Scarface and Ferham, who were acting out of loyalty to him and belief in his cause, were the only Rebellion members he didn't keep at arm's length (even [[Dirty Coward|B]][[Fat Bastard|o]][[Jerkass|t]][[Small Name, Big Ego|o]][[The Starscream|s]], the other Cadre member, seemed to rank lower than them). [[Never Hurt an Innocent|Scarface only attacks other Reploids if the other reploids attack him first, and he even heals them upon defeating them.]] And after the Rebellion is defeated, Ferham pulls a [[High Heel Face Turn]], taking away the Supra Metal fragment that let the true [[Big Bad]], {{spoiler|Redips (who had them classed as Maverick just to make the Hunters get them out of the way and take the Metal for himself)}}, [[Hopeless Boss Fight|absorb all damage]].

** The Guardians of Neo Arcadia in ''[[Mega Man Zero]]'' (especially Harpuia) are even more sympathetic.

*** Also, Craft, who was only a villain for two reasons. The first, because [[Big Bad|Weil]] controlled Neo Arcadia and could kill anyone he wanted with that power over the Reploids and humans. The second, so that Craft could rescue and protect Neige before Area Zero was destroyed. It ended up making him [[Love Makes You Crazy|go Maverick]] and fire [[Kill Sat|Ragnarok's]] laser cannon [[Heel Face Turn|RIGHT AT WEIL]].

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** In the prequel, ''Duodecim'', {{spoiler|Kuja}} is very similar to Golbez. Unfortunately for everyone involved, he gets [[Brainwashed]] by Kefka via application of [[Fake Memories]] near the end, ensuring his full-on villainy in the original.

** Cloud in ''Dissidia 012'' also acted as an Anti-Villain, given that he was on Chaos' side, yet also harbored some concern for the warriors on Cosmos' side. He also teams up with fellow Anti-Villain Golbez in order to fight Lightning and Warrior of Light in ''Prologus'', and also warns them that the previous villains (Garland, the Emperor, Kefka, Ultimecia, Sephiroth, and Cloud of Darkness), as well as Golbez and Cloud himself, were actually holding back their overall power. It's also heavily implied that his main reason for his concern was because a person he knew, Tifa, was on Cosmos' side. He eventually attempts to betray and defeat Chaos so Tifa will not have to experience the same pain he has to from his experiences in the wars, and ended up being spared and recruited to Cosmos' side.

** In the first Dissidia, Jecht acted as an [[Anti Villain]], as he only ended up fighting alongside Chaos so he could find his son Tidus and go home with him. {{spoiler|It's later revealed that he wasn't even a Warrior of Chaos from the start, but was originally a Warrior of Cosmos. It was implied that the only reason he switched sides was because the Emperor had him brainwashed by Chaos.}}

** In the first Dissidia, Jecht acted as an [[Anti-Villain]], as he only ended up fighting alongside Chaos so he could find his son Tidus and go home with him. {{spoiler|It's later revealed that he wasn't even a Warrior of Chaos from the start, but was originally a Warrior of Cosmos. It was implied that the only reason he switched sides was because the Emperor had him brainwashed by Chaos.}}

* Certain characters in ''[[Saya no Uta (Visual Novel)|Saya no Uta]]''. Yeah, Fuminori has crossed the [[Moral Event Horizon]] at some point, and continues to [[Kick the Dog]] by regarding Yoh as his sex slave after Saya mutates him. Still, you gotta pity him when he loses his beloved Saya, the one person who comforted him. His condition he's had from before the story started. Can't really blame him for hating everyone other than Saya. Saya, for her part, just wanted to find love, but it is in her nature to die and mutate the planet's entire population, and she also meant it as a gift for him to make his life still worth living after her's ended. Meanwhile, Kouji and Dr. Tanbo are out to kill the two of them, but only to avenge Yoh and to save humanity, respectively. And let's also mention Yousuke, who only killed his wife and daughter, and then tried to rape Saya because of psychosis after Saya corrupted his brain earlier on.

* {{spoiler|Ashur}} from ''The Pitt'' DLC of ''[[Fallout]] 3''. Based on what you hear and learn about him as the story goes on, he seems like a textbook [[Evil Overlord]]. Then you meet him yourself, and find out that {{spoiler|he's really just a (mostly) honest, fair-minded ruler who genuinely cares about his city and family, and actually takes no pleasure in his use of slaves and intends to release all of them once the mutation cure can be distributed.}} By this point, it looks like {{spoiler|Ashur}} is the good guy and ''{{spoiler|Wernher}}'' is the true villain. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that {{spoiler|Ashur's}} main servants are [[Always Chaotic Evil|Raiders]], he wouldn't even count as a villain.

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*** Although some suspect the huge Empire in the unexplored regions run by the original Sith might have ''something'' to do with it.

**** With the upcoming MMORPG, it's confirmed that the threat was the 'True Sith' spoken of by Kreia near the end.

* [[Oswald the Lucky Rabbit]] in ''[[Epic Mickey]]''. He wants to kill Mickey, but this is fueled by his feelings of neglect, Mickey's popularity, the fact the guy is responsible for the decaying of his world, and the fate of his "common law wife" Ortensia. [[Sliding Scale of Anti Villains|Type II.]]

* [[Oswald the Lucky Rabbit]] in ''[[Epic Mickey]]''. He wants to kill Mickey, but this is fueled by his feelings of neglect, Mickey's popularity, the fact the guy is responsible for the decaying of his world, and the fate of his "common law wife" Ortensia. [[Sliding Scale of Anti-Villains|Type II.]]

* Saavedro from ''[[Myst|Myst III: Exile]]''. Spending twenty years trapped in four uninhabited worlds while his people - including his wife and children - were stuck in dying world waiting for help that [[You Said You Would Let Them Go|would never come]] didn't do much for his [[Sanity Slippage|sanity]]. [[A God Am I|By]] [[For the Evulz|comparison]], he's much less [[Complete Monster|evil]] than those that had come before him.

* [[Alternative Character Interpretation|Depending on how you play the game,]] ''[[Heavy Rain]]'''s {{spoiler|Scott Shelby}} counts. {{spoiler|Throughout the game, he saves the [[Hooker With a Heart of Gold]] from being beaten by a former client, stops a convenience store robbery, prevents a woman's suicide attempt while also caring for her baby, and brings down a [[Psychopathic Manchild]]. Oh, and he also goes around drowning kids, all so he can force their fathers to go through [[Death Trap|DeathTraps]] because he had a terrible childhood.}} Ah, the wonders of [[Grey and Gray Morality]].

** And, {{spoiler|in the ending where only he and Ethan survive,}} he is so impressed with {{spoiler|Ethan's}} tenacity that {{spoiler|he offers to ''let Ethan kill him'', having finally seen a father willing to sacrifice everything for his son.}}

* Like with ''[[Xenogears (Video Game)|Xenogears]]'' above, the [[Does This Remind You of Anything|oddly similar]] ''[[Wild Arms 2 (Video Game)|Wild Arms 2]]'' has numerous villains, some of whom are antivillains.

* Like with ''[[Xenogears (Video Game)|Xenogears]]'' above, the [[Does This Remind You of Anything?|oddly similar]] ''[[Wild Arms 2 (Video Game)|Wild Arms 2]]'' has numerous villains, some of whom are antivillains.

** Cocytus member Ptolomea is [[A Father to His Men]], and has a strong streak of honor to him even as he's cooperating in committing acts of terrorism. {{spoiler|When he finally dies, his last request to his adversaries is trying to protect the lives of his men.}}

** [[Goldfish Poop Gang|Liz and Ard]] have ulterior motives for working with [[Western Terrorists|Odessa]], in that they believe it will help them {{spoiler|repair their spaceship so they can return home}}.

** {{spoiler|Irving Vold Valeria is finally revealed to be [[The Chessmaster]] of most of the game's events, having founded and bankrolled Odessa's operations while simultaneously doing the same for ARMS, in an [[Xanatos Roulette|elaborate gambit]] to force Filgaia to somehow mobilize all its resources to get ready to fight against an approaching [[Eldritch Abomination]] gradually devouring the universe.}}

* Before ''The Burning Crusade'' [[Flanderization|derailed his character into a one-dimensional madman]], Illidan Stormrage of ''[[War Craft]]'' spent much of ''[[Warcraft III]]'' as one of these after {{spoiler|consuming the Skull of Gul'dan and turning into a half-demon, half-night elf hybrid}}. He goes through the rest of his appearances using increasingly-dangerous and morally-questionable means to fulfill his goals, {{spoiler|allies with the series [[Big Bad|Big Bads]], the Burning Legion}}, and {{spoiler|nearly causes [[Earthshattering Kaboom|massive ecological devastation]] by using a powerful artifact to fire a spell at the Frozen Throne}} before being stopped by Furion and Tyrande. And the reason why? He wanted to prove to Tyrande and his brother that he had been rehabilitated and wanted to help, but kept thinking he needed just a ''little'' more power to do so. In addition, his [[Iron Woobie|sympathetic backstory]] as the [[Cain and Abel|Cain to Malfurion's Abel]] helps cement his status as an antivillain. No matter how well intentioned or well thought out, or even if he accomplished his goals, he was always considered a "failure" compared to his brother during the events of the War of the Ancients.

** [[Well Intentioned Extremist|Kael'thas Sunstrider]] also counts pre ''[[World of Warcraft]]'', where he was also derailed into card carrying villainy, considering he was left with no other apparent option to save his people during the events of [[Warcraft III]].

** [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|Kael'thas Sunstrider]] also counts pre ''[[World of Warcraft]]'', where he was also derailed into card carrying villainy, considering he was left with no other apparent option to save his people during the events of [[Warcraft III]].

* By the end of ''[[Blaz Blue Continuum Shift (Video Game)|Blaz Blue Continuum Shift]]'', {{spoiler|both Litchi Faye-Ling and Tsubaki Yayoi become this. Litchi is forced to become a [[Hero Antagonist]] due to Arakune being captured by NOL and the only way to save him and have him cured is to get on their side, while she's still the same good-hearted woman she is. Tsubaki almost lets go of her [[Knight Templar]] tendencies and contemplates leaving NOL, until [[Troll|Terumi]] force-fed her with very harsh truths about her best friend, Noel, 'stealing her place' at the worst time possible, leaving the girl in utter despair and confusion, thus cancelling leaving NOL afterwards. She's also Jin's possible lover or [[Morality Pet]].}}

* [[Conversational Troping|Conversed about]] in ''[[Persona 3]] Portable''. Junpei doesn't like anti-villains, because they're not as satisfying to beat. {{spoiler|1=If you played the original PS2 game beforehand and already know about his relationship with [[Dating Catwoman|Chidori]] and friendship with [[Tragic Monster|Ryoji]], you'll understand the irony.}}

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** [[Omnicidal Maniac|Their genocidal brethren]], the Kohr-Ah, are less sympathetic...but since they share the same background, they may still qualify.

* ''[[Arcanum]]'' has {{spoiler|Kerghan the terrible. He might be an Omnicidal Maniac but, in a way, he's making everyone happy forever.}}

* In ''[[Neverwinter Nights 2]]'', {{spoiler|the story baits you into thinking that}} Ammon Jerro is the King of Shadows. He commands an army of [[Our Demons Are Different|baatezu and tanar'ri]], murders three men and a member of the Neverwinter Nine to recover a [[MacGuffin]], and is canonically [[Neutral Evil]]. {{spoiler|Turns out, he's not the [[Big Bad]], not even [[The Dragon]] to the [[Big Bad]]. He's a [[Well Intentioned Extremist]] who did everything he did to save Faerûn from the [[Big Bad]].}}

* In ''[[Neverwinter Nights 2]]'', {{spoiler|the story baits you into thinking that}} Ammon Jerro is the King of Shadows. He commands an army of [[Our Demons Are Different|baatezu and tanar'ri]], murders three men and a member of the Neverwinter Nine to recover a [[MacGuffin]], and is canonically [[Neutral Evil]]. {{spoiler|Turns out, he's not the [[Big Bad]], not even [[The Dragon]] to the [[Big Bad]]. He's a [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]] who did everything he did to save Faerûn from the [[Big Bad]].}}

** {{spoiler|the [[Big Bad]] himself can come across as this, when you visit the Illefarn ruins and meet the ghosts of people who knew him before he became the King of Shadows. Everything he's done, from utilizing the [[The Dark Side|Shadow Weave]] as a power source when the original weave died, to waging war on Neverwinter, and all the carnage he's caused, is simply him trying to fulfill the purpose for which he was created, preserving the Illefarn empire.}}

** ''Mask of the Betrayer'' has {{spoiler|The Founder}}. She inflicted the player character with a terrible curse, and set in motion a chain of events that threatened the very fabric of the multiverse, all to save her lover from a fate more horrible than death. It is hard to consider her a villain, despite everything.

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* King Logan in ''[[Fable]] III'' is revealed to be one. While he is directly responsible for many terrible things (such as deforestation, making Reaver in charge of industry, and abandoning Aurora) he is revealed to {{spoiler|only be doing this to save everyone in the long run.}}

* Big Boss in ''[[Metal Gear 2]]'' probably qualifies as one. When fighting Kyle Schneider, he reveals that Big Boss was the one who saved his resistance from the Outer Heaven bombings commenced by NATO (in case you're wondering why this is notable, it's because Schneider was opposing Big Boss's group, Outer Heaven).

** Not just him, but his mentor, The Boss from [[Metal Gear Solid 3]], counts as well. She was branded as a traitor of America even though {{spoiler|she was actually a [[Fake Defector]] who was just trying to defend her country from the inside of Russia and would bear the World's hate on her shoulders to do so. It's her [[Tear Jerker|death by the hands of Big Boss himself]] that turns him into an [[Anti Villain]] in the first place.}}

** Not just him, but his mentor, The Boss from [[Metal Gear Solid 3]], counts as well. She was branded as a traitor of America even though {{spoiler|she was actually a [[Fake Defector]] who was just trying to defend her country from the inside of Russia and would bear the World's hate on her shoulders to do so. It's her [[Tear Jerker|death by the hands of Big Boss himself]] that turns him into an [[Anti-Villain]] in the first place.}}

** Solidus Snake created a terrorist group to oppose the Patriots, but he only intended to do so because the Patriots were trying to eliminate everything America stood for (Liberty, for one thing), and he also took in people no one else wanted (eg, Ocelot and Olga, who ironically [and unfortuately for him] turned out to be Patriot agents, although the latter was an unwilling agent), and not out of any desire for power. It's also hinted before the mass RAY battle that although he intended to kill Raiden, he was saddened to have to do so, especially when the Patriots essentially brainwashed Raiden.

* ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' has Templars, the main antagonists of the game who murder innocent people and attempt to conquer the world. The catch? They have exactly the same goal as the protagonists - world peace - except that the Templars would rather be quick about it and use {{spoiler|ancient mind control technology, instead of letting people decide for themselves.}} Another example of an Anti-Villain would be Rodrigo Borgia, who, after his {{spoiler|defeat in [[Assassin's Creed II]], softened up a lot and attempted to have the real big bad, his own son, assassinated to prevent him from causing further harm.}}

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* Though he has crossed over through antihero and into full blown hero by the end of the series, Kain of ''The [[Legacy of Kain]]'' fame fits the bill during ''[[Soul Reaver]]'' and ''Blood Omen 2''. He crosses into antihero-dom somewhere during ''Soul Reaver 2''.

** Though he believes himself to be [[The Hero]], it turns out that Raziel, by virtue of being an [[Unwitting Pawn]], is actually an anti-villain.

* From ''[[Silent Hill]]'' (of all places), we have [[Silent Hill 4|Walter Sullivan]]. Sure, he's an insane, quite possibly clinically socipathic [[Serial Killer]], who wants to kill 21 people to resurrect his "mom" (actually the ''apartment room'' where he was born)...and then you discover the [[Cold Blooded Torture|long]], [[Parental Abandonment|long]], ''[[Religion of Evil|long]]'', [[Mind Rape|LONG]] [[Trauma Conga Line|list of grievances]] he has against the world. In short, he has a [[Freudian Excuse]] that actually ''holds water''. By the end of the game, you want to kill him as much for wanting to kill you as [[Woobie Destroyer of Worlds|to put the guy out of his misery]].

* From ''[[Silent Hill]]'' (of all places), we have [[Silent Hill 4|Walter Sullivan]]. Sure, he's an insane, quite possibly clinically socipathic [[Serial Killer]], who wants to kill 21 people to resurrect his "mom" (actually the ''apartment room'' where he was born)...and then you discover the [[Cold-Blooded Torture|long]], [[Parental Abandonment|long]], ''[[Religion of Evil|long]]'', [[Mind Rape|LONG]] [[Trauma Conga Line|list of grievances]] he has against the world. In short, he has a [[Freudian Excuse]] that actually ''holds water''. By the end of the game, you want to kill him as much for wanting to kill you as [[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds|to put the guy out of his misery]].

** Also, from [[Silent Hill 2]], we have {{spoiler|James Sunderland}}, murderer, sexual predator, and all around sympathetic guy.

* Commander Vladimir from ''[[No More Heroes Desperate Struggle]]'' doesn't even realize that he's in a deathmatch with Travis when the two fight. He's just returned to Earth after twenty years in outer space and has no idea about the fall of the Soviet Union. Throughout the battle, he frantically tries to contact his defunct mothership, defending himself as best he can from Travis using his [[Kill Sat]]. By the end of the battle, when Vladimir finally catches on, even Travis feels sorry for him.

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* ''[[Dragon Fable]]'': Vayle {{spoiler|also known as the Necromantress}} joined Noxus {{spoiler|because he promised to help her revive her brother, Edgar, who Noxus killed just because he happened to be just another person in Noxus' way}}. She notably is not at all happy with the PC and Artix {{spoiler|after they destroyed the spirit crystal housing Edgar's soul}}. Later got an upgrade into near-full hero status.

** Xan is also motivated by more than simply killing stuff with fire. {{spoiler|Understandably, he's still pissed at Warlic for being a spoiled, immature dick and trapping Jannia in a crystal.}}

* [[God of War (Video Game)|Kratos]] is a [[Villain Protagonist|Type II Anti-Villain]], [[Evil vs. Evil|when he's not a]] [[Sliding Scale of Anti Heroes|Type V Anti-Hero]].

* [[God of War (Video Game)|Kratos]] is a [[Villain Protagonist|Type II Anti-Villain]], [[Evil vs. Evil|when he's not a]] [[Sliding Scale of Anti-Heroes|Type V Anti-Hero]].

* Arantir from ''[[Dark Messiah (Video Game)|Dark Messiah]]'' was determined to {{spoiler|keep your demon sovereign father from opening up back into the world, but to do so, he needed souls to empower the barrier. Being a necromancer with a large following, his decision was to terrorize the city of Stonehelm (a major setting) and kill the people living there. Hence near the end of the game how he said quote "A few lives for an entire world. Quite a bargain, really."}}

* A straight up playable example from the [[Grand Theft Auto (Video Game)|Grand Theft Auto]] series. Carl "C.J." Johnson from [[Grand Theft Auto San Andreas (Video Game)|San Andreas.]]