The evil scientist is primarily committed to rogue – scientific advancement is more of an afterthought. Oftentimes, evil scientists serve as the final boss for a game’s heroes to take down, ranging from cartoonish criminal to legitimately sinister. The greatest of these characters wants to reshape the entire world through their experiments, and are more than happy to make their ambitions clear with a well-timed monologue.
Though they haven’t quite returned to the heights they reached during the heyday of 3D platformers, evil scientists are still slaving away in their labs. When a game developer needs an army of killer robots, a zombie plague or a genetically modified super soldier with a big sword and bigger anime hair, an evil scientist is ready to carry out his plan.
8 dr. Dutch (Borderland)
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dr. Zed’s evil twin brother, Dr. Ned, is responsible for the events of Borderlands’ Zombie Island DLC. Next to his well-maintained mustache is Dr. Ned is known for turning the residents of Jakob’s Cove into his personal zombie army. He also created Wereskags, when he tried (for business purposes) to heal the resuscitated employees of the Jakobs company using Skag DNA.
dr. Ned looks suspiciously like the good Dr. Zed – the mustache over the surgical mask is a little hard to explain. However, be sure that Dr. Ned is not an alter ego, as the twins have been confirmed as separate characters by Gearbox. Also, only one of them turns into a zombie.
7 dr. Neo Cortex (Crash Bandicoot)
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The creator of his own nemesis, Dr. Neo Cortex, is Crash Bandicoot’s main enemy. Born to a family of circus clowns, Cortex was bullied as a child for his interest in science. At one point, his tormentors forcibly tattooed his now trademark “N” (for “nerd”) on his forehead. Dreaming of world domination, Cortex enrolled in Madame Amberley’s Academy of Evil, where he learned the tools of the evil genius trade.
Cortex is no stranger to creating both mechanical and genetic monstrosities, but sometimes ends up on the receiving end of his evil plans, forcing him to team up with Crash to correct his mistakes. In his spare time he likes to go karting.
6 Professor Hojo (Final Fantasy VII)
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Professor Hojo from Final Fantasy 7 is not only a genius, but also a terrible human being. Manipulating, mocking and watching his subjects brings joy to Hojo. As the head of Shinra’s Science Research Division, this deranged researcher is responsible for the SOLDIER program, which has created many elite troops to take out Cloud and his allies.
If nothing else, Professor Hojo deserves some credit for being the evil spirit behind the Jenova Project S. These were the experiments that resulted in the birth of Sephiroth, one of the most memorable antagonists in the Final Fantasy series – if not RPGs in general.
5 dr. Nefarious (Ratchet and Clank)
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dr. Nefarious embraces the role of evil scientist. Although he accidentally turned into a robot, don’t think this is his tragic backstory. He was bad to the metal bone long before that happened. Intergalactic war is Nefarious’ favorite pastime. If he had his way, all organic life would have been robotized decades ago. Nefarious has traveled through time, jumped between dimensions and – like all classy super villains – has a butler, Lawrence.
Since the PS2 era, Ratchet and Clank have had to foil Nefarious’s plans at least once per console generation. Despite these frequent clashes, they still found time to team up in 2011’s All 4 One, with Captain Qwark rounding out the squad.
4 GLaDOS (Portal)
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Driven to continue its scientific research regardless of the damage caused to the residents of the Aperture Science facility, GLaDOS began as an effort to create an artificial intelligence advanced enough to capture the mind of Cave Johnson, the founder. of the company to be controlled. Once activated, GLaDOS seized control of the Enrichment Center by releasing a deadly poison.
In Portal and its sequel, GLaDOS torments protagonist Chell under the pretense of testing the Portal Gun. Although GLaDOS excels at conducting experiments, unconcerned about the well-being of the test participants, she tries to take out Chell after making her way through all of the facility’s test rooms.
3 dr. Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik (Sonic)
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Between the glasses, the mustache and that iconic egg-shaped figure is Dr. Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik one of the most instantly recognizable video game antagonists. From humble beginnings turning forest animals into machines, Dr. Eggman continued to build doomsday devices, create a robotic version of his greatest opponent, and even compete in the Olympics.
Eggman is anything but cunning and always comes up with new plans to put Sonic and his friends to the test. He’s also surprisingly slippery, escaping almost every time his master plan falls apart to plan another day.
2 Albert Wesker (Resident Evil)
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If the Terminator-style sunglasses and leather jacket left you clueless, Wesker is calm, composed, and acts with no regrets. Injected with a prototype version of the t-Virus, Albert Wesker used his superhuman abilities and knowledge as a virologist in an attempt to wipe out humanity as we know it in the Resident Evil series.
Wesker seemed invincible at times, but was the ultimate obstacle for players from his betrayal of STARS in 1996 until his passing in 2009. With his memorable design, inhumane strength and willingness to coolly remove anything that stands in his way, Wesker is still the most unforgettable villain of the Resident Evil series.
1 dr. Willy (Mega Man)
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dr. Albert W. Wily is responsible for eleven games of robot enemies and can turn just about any machine into a destructive force. Of course Bomb Man, Tomahawk Man and Magma Man sound dangerous enough, but do we really need to use the Blue Bomber to take on Bubble Man or Sheep Man? Apparently so.
What Dr. What sets Wily apart from so many other evil scientists is how much of a legacy he has in his universe. Before his death, Wily created the Maverick Virus, as well as the future Maverick Hunter Zero, both of which play pivotal roles in the Mega Man X and Mega Man Zero series.
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