Top 10 Female Video Game Villains

“Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations” (2004)

You never know what lies behind an innocent smile. If you’re really unlucky it may end up being a serial killer who uses her ladylike innocence to get away with her crimes. Sharp as a knife and completely without empathy, she’s not above framing others in order to get away with her crimes! Even if that means impersonating her own sister from beyond the grave. … No really. While she almost succeeded in bringing down our favourite defence lawyer, you can’t escape justice when Phoenix Wright is on the case!

“Final Fantasy VIII” (1999)

It’s bad enough when you’re fighting a sorceress hell bent on controlling the universe, it’s even worse when she’s also the puppet master of an already lothable women, in this case Ambassador Edea Kramer. Ultimacia’s ultimate goal is to compress all of space and time into a singular moment, thus allowing her to become god ruling over all of existence. In order to accomplish this goal she sends her consciousness into the past to take control of Edea, whom she selected because of her political position. Thus through most of the game you feel like Edea is the end all villain, especially when she stabs Squall through the chest.

“Banjo Kazooie” series (1998-2008)

You know those villains that won’t get the hint and just keep coming back from the dead? Gruntilda trumps them all! Originally wanting nothing more than to be beautiful, this witch goes out of her way to kidnap the protagonist’s sister and drain her of her good looks. Of course Banjo and Kazooie put a stop to that when they knocked her off of her own castle and dropped a boulder on her. But the old gal didn’t stay down for long, as even when she’s a walking corpse, she’s always there to ruin Banjo’s day.

“Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?” series (1985-2015)

We know it’s an educational game that teaches children important lessons and facts about history and geography…but by god if this criminal mastermind is not the most infuriating fugitive! Just when you think you’re going to arrest her she leaps out of another window and is halfway around the world before you know it! Still, there was no greater sense of accomplishment than when you finally caught the master thief. Not to mention, no one can pull of a read trench-cat like she could!

“Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception” (2011)

She may have gotten on in years and look like a rather frail member of high society, but whatever you do, do not underestimated this woman! A member of a hermetic order created by Queen Elizabeth I to protect Great Britain from the shadows, Ms Marlowe has a particular dislike for a certain cocky treasure hunter. In pursuit of the Iram of the Pillars, a legendary city lost to the desert, she’s not above beatings and assassination in order to achieve her goals. Unfortunately a secret society and a wicked tongue has no power over quicksand…

“Metroid” series (1986-2010)

What could possibly be responsible for the spread of all those horrific, gelatinous, toothy monstrosities known as Metroids? Well that would be this artificial intelligence. While originally programed by the Chozo, it turned out that she was too smart for her own good and had a bit of a meltdown, taking over the Space Pirate organisation that eventually wiped out the Chozo race. As such, she’s one of Samus Aran’s mortal enemies. Unfortunately taking her down isn’t as easy as shooting a fish in a barrel, as she has an abundance of mutated forms!

“System Shock 2” (1999)

Picture it, you wake up on a star-ship alone, stricken with amnesia and surrounded by infected crew-members who want your head. Your only guidance comes in the form of a survivor who leads you through the various decks via radio, filling you with hope and a sense of certainty that you’ll survive this nightmare. And then you reach her, and the survivor turns out to be nothing but a corpse. Whose been talking to you? Only an insanely creepy and sadistic A.I whose been playing you like a fiddle. Twisted to the core, but your only chance at escape, Shodan is the very definition of necessary evil.

“F.E.A.R” series (2005-11)

It’s hard not to feel sorry for Alma, but that doesn’t stop her scaring the ever-loving crap out of us! A powerful psychic, she became nothing more than a living experiment for most of her short life, even forcefully made pregnant in order to breed psychic soldiers. Is it any wonder she started killing people? Throughout the franchise she’s shown to be capable of crushing people with a thought or administering illusions that’ll drive anyone insane. Whether you find her to be a monster, tragic figure, or even disturbingly attractive, she is not to be messed with!

“Portal” series (2007-11)

She’s the queen of dry wit, murderous testing and zero mercy when it comes to her human lab-rats. And we love her for it! As you think and portal your way through the seemingly endless Aperture Facility, the signature robotic ring of GLaDOS’ voice plagues you wherever you go. Either making you laugh your ass off or fill you with absolute dread. We’re not sure what’s more scary about her, the fact that she’s dead set on snuffing the life out of you, or that when she discovers a remnant of her old humanity, she chooses to erase it without a second thought.

Before our number one pick reveals themselves, here are a few honourable mentions!

Juri Han
“Street Fighter” series (2010-)
Medusa
“Kid Icarus” series (1986-2012)
Mileena
“Mortal Kombat” series (1993-)
Alexia Ashford
“Resident Evil: Code Veronica” (2000)
Morinth
“Mass Effect 2” (2010)
Queen Myyrah
“Gears of War” series (2008-11)

“Starcraft” series (1998-2015)

She was once an agent in service to a revolutionary movement, now she is known throughout the cosmos as the Queen of Blades; ruler of the Zerg and quite possibly the most dangerous thing in the universe! While she could have easily become a victim, her evolution from human to ruler is multi-layered, deeply investing and just downright badass. A character fuelled by vengeance, yet torn between who she was and what she has become, there was little doubt that despite being staged as the greatest threat to the galaxy, we were all in the Queen’s corner!

Do you agree with our list? Which female villain in video game do you think should have taken the top spot? With new videos published every day be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com!