The 10 GREATEST Video Game Villain Final Forms

10 Greatest Video Game Villain Final Forms

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at video game villains who surprised players with an intense final form.

Monster Ock

“Spider-Man” (2000)

Most Spider-Man villains just have the one form. But in this classic for the original PlayStation, developer NeverSoft decided to spice things up and scare a whole generation of kids in the process. As Spidey reaches the end of his adventure, he defeats both dual antagonists, Carnage and Doc Ock. However, Cleetus Cassidy’s symbiote then fuses with the unconscious Doc, forming the nightmare-inducing Monster Ock. This final form is so overwhelming that Spider-Man can’t even fight it, instead fleeing through a facility while Monster Ock chases him. It may not look like much now, but the horrifying design and chase structure left an immense impact on those who played it.

Gongen Wyzen

“Asura’s Wrath” (2012)

Capcom’s “Asura’s Wrath” is one of the studio’s more over-the-top releases, which is both saying quite a lot and very obvious from the get-go. It follows the demigod Asura, who seeks vengeance against his former allies for murdering him thousands of years ago. And first up on the chopping block is Wyzen. After pummeling the boss, who’s already twice Asura’s size, he turns to stone and grows to the size of a mountain, becoming Vajra Wyzen. You might think that’s insane, but then he does it again! Larger even than the planet Asura stands on, Gongen Wyzen is a testament to this game’s ability to escalate.

True Ogre

“Tekken 3” (1998)

The third installment in Bandai Namco’s beloved technical fighting series brought a lot new to the table, including a brand new villain named Ogre. Known for targeting martial artists and the murder of Jin Kazama’s mother, Ogre is a vile yet extremely powerful combatant. At the end of the third King of the Iron Fist tournament, Ogre is defeated in combat. However, he then absorbs Heihachi’s power, transforming into a much harder version known as True Ogre, an imposing, winged beast. Being met by this monstrous design in arcades came as quite the shock. But it also made the villain and climax more memorable.

Mother Brain

“Super Metroid” (1994)

Appearing as the main villain and final boss of both the original game and “Super Metroid,” Mother Brain’s design is fairly simple: basically, a big brain in a jar. But at the end of the SNES entry, we get a surprising new look. After laying waste to her the same way as the original, Mother Brain rises once again with a new, disturbing, biomechanical body, now towering over Samus. As an added bonus, with wide eyes and a gaping, sharp-toothed maw, the brain itself had kids shaking in their space suits. Which is fitting, because this phase is incredibly tough compared to the first. Mother Brain’s final form is now an iconic moment, for good reason.

Osmund Saddler

“Resident Evil 4” (2005)

When it comes to “Resident Evil” villains, choosing your favorite final form is really just a matter of preference. They all basically do that, and to terrifying effect. But for our money, the creepy cult leader, Osmund Saddler, is one nasty beast deserving of the crown, especially given his recent gruesome refresh in the 2023 remake. Everything about the design makes our skin crawl. The eyeball protruding from his mouth. The fleshy tendrils. The limp, human body hanging from the real form. It’s all horrifically hard to look at, which is really the highest compliment we can pay to a villain from this particular series.

Izanami

“Persona 4” (2008)

By following the route to reach the True ending of “Persona 4,” you learn that Izanami, a demon, has been behind all the trouble all along. Naturally, you and your murder mystery solving friends can’t have that. You face off against Izanami in battle, whose form is characterized by restraint, from her straight jacket to her tightly-wound braids. But then the second phase comes, and she lets loose, so to speak. Every restraint comes undone, revealing the vicious, multi-armed, bloody skeletal design beneath. Now THIS is what a mighty demon from “Persona” should look like. This literal reveal set the daunting tone for the rest of the fight.

Photoshop Flowey

“Undertale” (2015)

Flowey the psychopathic flower is a disturbingly dark treat throughout “Undertale.” Whether he’s breaking the fourth wall to threaten you or following your character in the background, he’s the type of vicious cuteness you find charming since there’s nothing he can do to harm you…until he actually can. At the end of the Neutral Route, which most players will reach on a first playthrough, Flowey absorbs six human souls and transforms into the ungodly behemoth you see before you. Photoshop Flowey is a total barrage of chaotic design, and we mean that in the best way possible. The flashing faces on the TV and distorted human features, mixed with robotic and plant-like qualities; it’s a great design for this type of villain, in a game as odd as “Undertale.”

Dettlaff

“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine” (2016)

There’s a lot to love about this DLC for “The Witcher 3,” including its villain. “Blood and Wine” follows Geralt taking a job where knights are being murdered under mysterious circumstances. Turns out, the culprit is a vampire named Dettlaff. When we finally face off against the vamp, he takes on expected features like elongated claws and sharp teeth. However, while Geralt had faced types of vampires before, Dettlaff is a higher vampire, the important distinction of which is made very clear when he transforms again. His final form is the depiction of vampires at their most monstrous, complete with gigantic wings. Maybe it’s because so much of pop culture shows them as humanoid, but having Dettlaff take on this form added another positive layer to his legacy as a villain.

Ganon

“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)

Even though the big bad of “Zelda” was first established in his beast form, Nintendo still managed to reimagine that design and repurpose it as one of the standout moments in “Ocarina of Time.” For a majority of the game, the Gerudo leader, Ganondorf, lays waste to all things peaceful in Hyrule. But after a climactic battle, he uses his last bit of power to transform into Ganon. Gone was the somewhat silly pig wizard from previous appearances, replaced by something far more imposing. A towering height, huge tusks, dual blades, and eyes that shone with hatred through the darkness. Nintendo wanted to intimidate us and it surely did.

Safer∙Sephiroth

“Final Fantasy VII” (1997)

In terms of iconicism, it’s hard to top Sephiroth’s final form. “Final Fantasy VII” has a lot of features that give it legendary status. Among them, the cruelty of its villain inspiring undying hatred. When the long journey reaches its conclusion and players face off against him, he first takes on a form befitting his monstrous acts. However, his final form, Safer∙Sephiroth, is strangely ethereal. As he sits atop a cloud with giant, angelic wings, he takes on the celestial appearance many would attribute to a God. And since he’s been bragging about his divine destiny the whole game, it does feel like that’s what you’re standing in the presence of.

What’s your favorite final form of a video game villain? Let us know in the comments and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great gaming videos every day!