Top 10 Most Evil Kids in Video Games

Top 10 Most Evil Kids in Video Games Kids can be delightfully wholesome characters in the world of gaming... but they’ve also got the capacity for truly heinous acts. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Most Evil Kids in Video Games. For this list we’re examining the young characters who manage to radiate cruelty and contempt for humanity in their every action or word. We’re ruling out characters who acted badly because they were possessed, such as the Skull Kid from “The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.” As we’ll be exploring the underlying nature of certain individuals, spoilers will be discussed here.

#10: Bowser Jr.

“Super Mario” series (1985-) (xref) Though the seven Koopalings may be more ingrained in “Mario” canon as youthful troublemakers, it’s the confirmed son of Bowser who we felt best embodied the notion of an evil child. Right from his introduction in “Super Mario Sunshine,” there’s no doubt about how committed Bowser Jr is to living up to his father’s villainy. He remorselessly vandalizes Isle Delfino, frames Mario, causes all manner of mischief across the island, and even manages to kidnap Princess Peach. In later appearances, Bowser Jr would further contribute to the elder Koopa’s efforts in trying to conquer entire realms, never once expressing regret or second-guessing Bowser’s plans. To top it off, he’s also a real jerk about it.

#9: Bobby Barrows

“Clock Tower: The First Fear” (1995) Conceptually, the prospect of a short, vaguely monstrous-looking kid chasing people around with glorified scissors might seem too absurd to be genuinely terrifying. Yet, “Clock Tower” managed to take the eight-year-old demon child Bobby Barrows – better known as Scissorman – and render him utterly unsettling. Though he doesn’t speak a single line over the course of the game, Bobby’s malicious attitude towards the heroine Jennifer and her friends is made crystal clear through his actions. He takes every available opportunity to ambush and frighten the girls, before slaughtering them in gruesome fashion with his large shears.

#8: Ellen

“The Witch’s House” (2012) Parricide, human sacrifice, cold-hearted betrayal – there’s a lot to unpack here. Those starting up “The Witch’s House” may find themselves drawn to the plight of Ellen, the eponymous witch with a grim history. Ellen’s diary entries paint a picture of a troubled girl, made miserable by an incurable disease and left in a hopeless state of being. Alas, it’s slowly revealed that Ellen is the willing servant of a demon, manipulating and killing countless people in order to earn the cure to her ailment. So dedicated is Ellen to her path of carnage that she even tricks a girl into switching bodies... specifically the girl you’ve been playing as the whole time.

#7: Aventus Aretino

“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” (2011) We sympathize to a point, but murder ain’t the right solution here. Scouring the city of Windhelm, a keen-eyed player can happen upon the residence of Aventus Aretino, an orphaned boy with quite the grudge. Aventus seeks to get back at Grelod, the harsh headmistress of the orphanage where he once resided, by having her assassinated. That Aventus jumps so quickly to murder as a means of exacting revenge is troubling enough, but it’s taken one step further by the knowledge that he tried to sic the Dark Brotherhood on her. Whether or not players actually go through with his request, the whole affair still leaves us feeling uneasy about Aventus.

#6: Lucius Wagner

“Lucius” (2012) How did no one see this particular tiny terror coming? The literal son of the devil, Lucius Wagner takes to wanton slaughter like a fish to water. While not very keen on speaking his mind, the sheer fact that he sets about murdering family members on Lucifer’s orders indicates Lucius just does not care for human lives. Instead, he’s concerned with contriving an assortment of ways in which to kill people, often framing others for said murders in the process. Lucius’ patented silence and dead-eyed stare only add to the character’s creepiness, with many a person noting how unnerving the boy seems to be. Oh, if they only knew...

#5: Gary Smith

“Bully” (2006) Because of course Bullworth Academy would have its own wannabe criminal mastermind pitting people against one another. Despite being a teenager, Gary Smith already shows signs of being an unrepentant bastard of a human being. He cozies up to new student Jimmy and acts like a mentor of sorts, all the while plotting to undermine Jimmy and rise through the ranks to lord over the various cliques. He has no qualms about betraying or torturing other students, actively disparaging anyone and everyone – including teachers. Hell, he even thinks that an actual Nazi uniform is valid as a Halloween costume. Definitely keep an eye on this kid, folks.

#4: Chara

“Undertale” (2015) As is the case for many RPGs, “Undertale” asks the player to name their avatar early on... except it turns out that’s not quite what happened. Diving deeper into the experience reveals that the name belongs to a character known as Chara, the first human ever to end up in the Underground. Most playthroughs provide scant details about Chara – their distaste for other humans, their tragic demise – with only the Genocide Route clarifying their nature. Chara feels no love for the game world, to the degree that they approve of the player killing its inhabitants and opt to erase everything that still remains. To be so driven by spite and contempt as a child... damn.

#3: Porky Minch

“Mother” series (1989-2006) Even when initially speaking with him in “EarthBound,” Porky’s brusque attitude and abundance of snark was readily apparent. Things did not improve when he disappeared, only to re-emerge as priest of a cult and later a servant of the cosmic horror that was Giygas. His gleeful embrace of his new master’s chaotic rampage across all of existence carried over into “Mother 3,” where Porky became the leader of his own fanatical army. Porky worries not for the lives claimed by Giygas or his own Pigmask Army, nor does he think much of the harm caused to nature by his soldiers’ conquest. Truly, Porky is what happens when resentment festers for years and overtakes one’s identity.

#2: Alma Wade

“F.E.A.R.” series (2005-14) Great evil begets great evil, it would appear. Rendered a massively-powerful yet substantially traumatized psychic powerhouse by inhumane experiments, it makes sense that the young Miss Wade would want to lash out at her abusers. Unfortunately, Alma seeing virtually every person in close proximity as a threat spells doom for those caught in her sights. She oscillates between grotesque hallucinations, surprising victims with flashes of her child form, and outright acts of psychic violence. It matters not to Alma if you specifically worked for the malevolent Armacham Technology Corporation - all she wants now is bloodshed.

#1: Eli

“Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” (2015) What a piece of work. First crossing paths with this blond-haired British child makes evident what kind of a person Eli is: unceasingly disrespectful, easily provoked to violence, and especially keen to lash out against authority. It doesn’t get any better once Eli is brought aboard Mother Base. Rather, he doubles down on causing trouble and trying to hurt anyone who so much as gives him a weird look. One could imagine this angry boy becoming a real threat to people in the future... making it all too fitting that he’s destined to become the easily-provoked terrorist leader Liquid Snake.