Top 30 Satisfying Villain Deaths in Video Games

#30: Raymond "Skizzo" Sarkozi

“Days Gone” (2019)

From the moment Skizzo shows up on screen, it seems he was written specifically for us to hate him. He’s supposed to be an ally, but constantly bumps heads with Deacon, causing a lot more trouble than is necessary. Even though he works security for Iron Mike’s camp, the only thing he seems to care about is proving how much better he is than Deacon. He turns to villainy by betraying you twice, which then leads to Mike’s death. Hunting him down is one of the more satisfying moments from “Days Gone.” During a struggle, you turn his own knife against him. And before Deacon finishes him off, he gives a short but sweet speech about how much he’ll enjoy it. Us too, Deac.

#29: Dr. Angus Bumby

“Alice: Madness Returns” (2011)

We’ve seen twisted shrinks before, but this guy is horrific. Dr. Angus Bumby is a child psychiatrist who uses hypnosis to erase traumatic memories. This leaves his patients somewhat catatonic, so he can sell them into prostitution. And it gets worse. He also assaulted Alice’s sister and set fire to her family’s house, killing them in an act that Alice thought was her fault. When Alice confronts him, Bumby mocks her, claiming that no one would believe someone as crazy as her over someone as respected as him. That’s probably true, and so Alice pushes him in front of a train. Someone as awful as him arguably deserved something less quick, but it’s still satisfying to see Alice take him out.

#28: Vaas Montenegro

“Far Cry 3” (2012)

Vaas Montenegro is still considered by many to be the best character in the “Far Cry” series. But there’s no denying his villainy. He kills your brother, tortures your friends, holds you captive, nearly kills you multiple times, and generally screws with your head. When protagonist Jason finally gets a chance to end things, Vaas sets a trap. It takes a whole lot of fighting to reach him. And even then, the confrontation takes place during a strange, dreamy sequence where you take out multiple versions of him. Upon reaching the real him, Jason stabs him multiple times in the chest. Although you miss his presence throughout the rest of the game, we can’t say he didn’t deserve it.

#27: Rafe Adler

“Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End” (2016)

We love a poetic end to a villain, which is just what Rafe gets. The only reason he’s able to stay on the tails of the Drake brothers is because of his family’s wealth. He’s never earned anything for himself; all his knowledge of a grand pirate treasure is because of Nate and Sam, and all of his resources come from his hired mercenary group, Shoreline. Yet, he acts entitled to even more fortune, seeing it as a way to leave his own mark, even though the hard work was done by everyone else. So, it’s fitting that he refuses to give up the fight while a ship full of treasure burns around him, and he’s crushed by more than his weight in gold.

#26: Raven Beak

“Metroid Dread” (2021)

Once a respected warrior, Raven Beak slaughtered his own people and planned to control the Metroids to bring order to the galaxy. Pretty evil stuff. But on a personal level, he also manipulated Samus by pretending to be her AI. And he reprogrammed a group of killer robots to hunt her throughout “Dread” so that he could clone the Metroid DNA within her. The fight against him is also ridiculously difficult, but that only adds to the sweetness when Samus is victorious. When it seems he has the upper hand, Samus lets out an impressive roar of anger and drains the life from him. He then fuses with an X parasite, but Samus unleashes a mighty blast, completely annihilating him.

#25: Lionel Starkweather

“Manhunt” (2003)

It’s always satisfying to hear a loathsome villain beg for their life. Lionel Starkweather is the creator of snuff films, selling them on the black market. And as a death row inmate, you’re promised freedom if you can survive everything he throws at you, gangs and sadistic killers. But Starkweather never plans to stick to his word. He even goes as far as to kidnap your family in some kind of twisted way of turning you into his greatest star. When you finally get close to him, he flees and tries making deals for you to spare him. It’s karmic justice that you get to finish him off with one of his minion’s own chainsaws.

#24: Mecha-Hitler

“Wolfenstein 3D” (1992)

There is very little emotional investment or moving narrative with this particular death…just the sheer thrill of knowing you just blew the Fuhrer into bloody pieces! Effortlessly effective in its premise, the very idea of having to enter a firefight with a Hitler who happens to be armed with a mecha suit is just too hilarious not to be a fun time. After gunning your way through endless amounts of Nazis and undead mutants, you finally come to the piste de resistance; unloading clip after clip until the leader of the Third Reich is packed with so much lead he practically melts. Classic.

#23: Uberto Alberti

“Assassin’s Creed II” (2009)

Karma truly does come back to bite you in the ass, or in this case, stab you multiple times in the chest with a hidden blade. Once a friend to the Auditore family, this member of the Templar Order betrayed his friends and arranged the public executions of Ezio’s family for the sake of his financial wellbeing. Regardless of whether he regretted his actions or not afterwards, he doesn’t have much time to dwell on it as Ezio soon takes his vengeance by assassinating him in public. Guess money can’t save you from everything after all.

#22: Thaddeus Campbell

“Dishonored” (2012)

Thaddeus Campbell is one of several people responsible for Corvo Attano being framed for his Empress’ murder, imprisoned, and labeled as a traitor. Thankfully, it isn’t long before Corvo escapes. And the justice he eventually brings to Campbell is very rewarding. Once you track Campbell down, there are a variety of ways you can dispose of him. However, as revealed in the sequel, his canonical fate is that Corvo knocks him out and uses the Heretic’s Brand on his face, a symbol that gets him shunned and cast out. This leads to him contracting the rat plague, which, as the game tells us, leads to an incredibly slow and gruesome death. Couldn’t have happened to a better guy.

#21: Pandak "Baby" Panay

“Just Cause 2” (2010)

No matter how many times we do it, there is just no feeling quite like taking out a brutal dictator who considers himself untouchable. Despite ruling over the island of Panau with plenty of military might at his back, it becomes clear that Panay has lost control of the situation given the amount of insurgency groups rising to take control of the island for themselves, something we and Rico Rodriguez are happy to assist in. In the most Hollywood of clashes, Panay and Rico exchange blows while on top of a missile, which the despot ultimately loses, leaving him on a one way ticket to boom town. Hasta la vista Baby.

#20: The Prophet of Truth

“Halo 3” (2007)

The Covenant of “Halo” is an overarching group of villainous aliens trying to commit genocide against humanity. And the Prophet of Truth was one of its most prominent members, holding a lot of power and influence over the others. As if genocide wasn’t bad enough, he also treated the Arbiter like his own twisted errand boy to accomplish his goals. The Prophet of Truth branded him with a mark of shame, and forced him to go on missions with little chance of survival. Eventually, he would come to regret these decisions. In “Halo 3,” he was infected by the Flood, a parasitic race, before being run through by the Arbiter’s blade.

#19: Handsome Jack

“Borderlands 2” (2012)

There could not be a more fitting end to the CEO of the Hyperion Corporation and would-be ruler of Pandora. As the Vault Hunter, you’ve had to endure Jack’s non-stop taunts, death threats and bouts of insanity throughout the entire game. And while his selfish nature is ridiculously entertaining, it still feels so good to obliterate his plans and watch him give his final complaints. You can either listen to him ramble about how he is the hero that Pandora deserves or just shoot him then and there. Not so handsome anymore, aye Jack?

#18: Devin Weston

“Grand Theft Auto V” (2013)

After spending so much time with our three majorly flawed protagonists and overcoming insurmountable odds together, who honestly could choose anything but Option C for the game’s finale? Out of the douchebags that Franklin, Michael and Trevor have come across, Devin stood out as the worst. Far too rich for his own good, spineless and as vain as they come, the boys finally got their revenge after kidnapping him, locking him in the trunk of a car and pushing him off the edge of a cliff. It may not be the bloodiest of endings. But the build-up is so pitch perfect that by the time that car heads over the edge, it’s almost beautiful.

#17: Andrew Ryan

“BioShock” (2007)

The death of Andrew Ryan is a complicated one. His ideology and actions played a huge role in the downfall of Rapture, his underwater would-be utopia. And he sends countless goons after you as soon as you step foot there. While you’re being manipulated by Atlas to go after Ryan, there’s no denying he gets what’s coming to him. When you make it to his office, he willingly gives his life after revealing your true origins as his illegitimate, genetically aged son, brainwashed as a sleeper agent. It’s one of the greatest twists in video games. And Ryan refuses to die without dealing a final blow to his enemy’s plans, using your trigger phrase to coax you into savagely beating him with a golf club.

#16: Odin

“God of War Ragnarök” (2022)

The pain caused by Odin is so widespread, we hear all about it in the 2018 game before we meet him in “Ragnarök.” He’s a master manipulator, he cursed Freya to be stuck in Midgard, tortured Mimir for years, and he led the near-genocide of the Giants. In “Ragnarök,” he disguised himself as Tyr to create strife between Kratos and Atreus, murdered Brok when he caught on, and murdered Thor, his own son, for disobeying him. It was incredibly satisfying to pummel him in the final fight, where Atreus trapped his soul within a spiritual stone, which was smashed by Sindri as revenge for Brok. Even better, he died never getting any of the answers he sought.

#15: Irene Engel

“Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus” (2017)

Taking down a suped-up version of one of the most evil people in history is ridiculous fun. But Irene Engel is genuinely chilling, making it all the more satisfying when you’re finally rid of her. In each of her scenes, her glee at acts of violence and cruelty gets under our skin. Towards the beginning, she beheads one of BJ’s closest allies and chops off the arm of another. Later, she shoots another ally trying to rescue you, before having BJ beheaded on national TV. Through some sci-fi shenanigans, BJ is revived, and tracks Engel down on a talk show. He swiftly delivers a hatchet to her face, before he and his allies deliver a message of war to the world at large.

#14: General Shepherd

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” (2009)

He might think of himself as a patriot, but the actions of this one soldier are pretty far removed from the American Dream. After losing his faith in his nation following the deaths of 30,000 unrecognised soldiers, Shepherd sought to escalate the strife between the U.S and Russia in order to bring about World War III. To this extent, he goes as far as to kill members of his own Task Force, including Ghost and Roach. It all culminates into a final confrontation to avenge your fallen comrades, with one of the most satisfying knife throws ever.

#13: William Carver

“The Walking Dead: Season Two” (2013)

Survival is everything, though some individuals choose to take it too far. As Clementine ventures into the undead infested world, she and her new group find themselves in the clutches of Carver, the merciless leader of a sanctuary whose disciplinary actions often led to someone either dying or getting horribly maimed. Just ask Kenny. However he doesn’t stay on top for very long. As the sanctuary is overrun with walkers, Kenny decides to get even by breaking apart Carver’s skill with a crowbar. Whether you want to stay and watch the brutality is up to you, but either way it’s truly a messy way to go. And we loved it.

#12: GLaDOS

“Portal” (2007)

She is one of video game’s greatest villains, and the fact that her defeat left you feeling wholly satisfied as a result just adds to her psychotic appeal. Throughout the various lethal tests you’ve had to endure, GLaDOS has been there, mocking you every step of the way. Always trying to have you killed, lying about the cake, messing with your companion cube. By the time we reached the heart of the Aperture Science Facility, we were done being petrified and ready to put this A.I in her place. After melting her various A.I Cores, we could only watch in delight as the machine with a god complex faced the reality of losing. At least until “Portal 2.”

#11: Imlerith

“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” (2015)

Out of all the members of the Wild Hunt, this was the one we were most looking forward to driving a sword through. Not only did this elf relentlessly chase after Ciri, but his participation in the battle of Kaer Morhen led to the death of Geralt’s mentor and father figure, Vesemir. As you can imagine, we were ready for a sword swinging showdown. And while Imlerith’s strength is undeniable, he’s still not powerful enough to survive a fire blast to the face. Guess that’s what happens when you mess with a Witcher.

#10: Maester Seymour

“Final Fantasy X” (2001)

Have you ever met that villain that just doesn't know how to stay dead? Yeah, well Seymour's that guy. After learning of his treachery, Tidus and his party go to kill him and end up being branded traitors. Then he reappears alive, now getting married to Yuna, and kills one of Auron’s friends in the process, where you fight him again. But he’s still alive, and then he wipes out Khimari’s Tribe on his 3rd life. His tyranny finally comes to an end inside Sin, when Yuna provides him with a long overdue sending.

#9: Zeus

“God of War III” (2010)

After succumbing to Zeus's betrayal in God of War 2 with the Blade of Olympus draining his power, Kratos gets the opportunity to give the king of gods the beatdown of his life. Oh yeah, and did we mention Zeus was Kratos' father? And that he led to the deaths of Kratos’ mother and brother? Talk about family dysfunction. After stabbing him rather fittingly with the Blade of Olympus, Kratos follows up by finishing him with his bare hands. As our screens filled with blood, we were in awe of Kratos’ desire for bloodshed against the father who caused him so much misery.

#8: Shao Kahn

“Mortal Kombat 11” (2019)

Shao Kahn is a villain who needs no explanation, the bane of every fan since his debut as the final boss in “Mortal Kombat 2.” His defeat in “Mortal Kombat 11” is wholly satisfying, since it leads to Kitana, the true heir of Outworld, claiming her throne. But his actual death in the “Aftermath” DLC is a sight to behold. He teams up with his old allies, Sindel and Shang Tsung, to cause more trouble. But the sorcerer ends up betraying Shao Kahn and Sindel, sucking out both of their souls and leaving them as harmless husks. Shao Kahn caused a lot of pain and suffering. So, it was nice to see his plans blow up in his face in such a way.

#7: Frank Tenpenny

“Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” (2004)

It never got more crooked than the crooked police of Los Santos, although the definitive centerpiece of the unruliness was no other than Officer Frank Tenpenny. Through extortion and blackmail, Tenpenny pulled the strings to the dirty doings of the city, exclusively using protagonist CJ as his personal pawn. In Tenpenny's effort to escape Los Santos, he was thwarted by CJ in a desperate car chase. Crashing and running over an overpass, the broken and battered Tenpenny suffered a slow, pitiless death.

#6: David

“The Last of Us” (2013)

David leads a faction of cannibals and comes across Ellie in an infected ambush. Upon discovering his ill intentions, Ellie attempts to escape, but later finds herself locked in an old abandoned building with him alone, and worse; its implied he intends to rape her. Maneuvering herself quietly to escape, Ellie must play the creepiest game of hide and seek we've ever encountered. In a final desperate struggle, Ellie breaks free and hacks away at his face with his own machete. On top of his demise, it's also a relief to see Ellie survive what was clearly a traumatic experience.

#5: Micah Bell

“Red Dead Redemption 2” (2018)

He shot up a whole town just for the sheriffs confiscating his guns, he acted as a mole within Dutch’s gang for the Pinkertons resulting in the gang falling apart, and he killed Arthur. What a jerk. Eventually John Marston and Sadie Adler track Micah down to the mountains, but in a last minute reveal; Dutch is with Micah, as the two are supposedly rebuilding the gang. Yet thanks to John’s smart wits, Micah gets a reward that only a traitor deserves. Even better; you get to deliver the final blow.

#4: Vladimir Makarov

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” (2011)

The overarching villain of the “Modern Warfare” trilogy and the leader of a terrorist group, Makarov has done some pretty horrendous things. He led a massacre against innocent civilians to start a war, he kidnapped the Russian President, and used his daughter to get his country to invade Europe. Oh and it turns out, he was responsible for that nuke in the first “Modern Warfare” game. Damn right this bastard deserves to die. He is eventually killed by Captain Price in a brutal scene where he's beaten through a glass roof and hung by a stray cord. Now that's justice.

#3: Mr. X

“Resident Evil 2” (2019)

Sorry Nemesis, you’ve been dethroned. While you were satisfying to pump full of lead in the original, the remake turned you into a joke. But as it turns out, there was someone else worthy of the crown from one of the best “Resident Evil” games in recent years. Throughout your time at the police station, this walking indestructible tank will track you down to no end, causing a lot of fear and anxiety within the player. But stick through Leon’s campaign and you’ll finally get a chance to take him down, but not before taking him on in one of the toughest battles in the “Resident Evil” series. That’s why it’s so damn sweet to blast him off his feet.

#2: Edgar Ross

“Red Dead Redemption” (2010)

The man who kidnapped John Marston’s wife and son in order to use John to take out his old gang was a clear no brainer. It was bad enough that John was forced to do the Government’s dirty deeds. It was worse when Ross tried to later have John and his family killed to cover up his actions. Although John sacrificed his life to ensure his wife and son escaped, witnessing his son loading Edgar up with rounds and seeing him rot in his own filth was the perfect conclusion to this Wild West tale.

#1: Ganondorf

“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” (2023)

In “Breath of the Wild,” we saw how much misery Calamity Ganon caused; the destruction of Hyrule and the deaths of untold numbers, including Link and Zelda’s closest friends. In “Tears of the Kingdom,” we got more detail on the man at its core. Ganondorf murdered Queen Sonia, stealing her Secret Stone to transform into the Demon King. He then led an army of monsters, bringing desolation to every corner of the kingdom. His death toll is likely higher than any other villain on this list. That’s part of what makes the game’s ending so momentous. Seeing him lose his mind by turning into a dragon, only to still fail and go out in an exceptional explosion, is almost too fantastic to describe.

Which video game villain were you glad to dispose of? Share your thoughts in the comments!