I’m starting to think I’m either completely desensitized to horror, or the standard villain in these games aren’t particularly scary. You can, however, get a fright from elsewhere. Terror isn’t always lurking in the most obvious places. Most horror takes place in the background, brewing away in your mind as your imagination runs wild. But there are cases where the look and behavior of a villain is unforgettable and haunts you. They spring back to life in moments when you jump, reminding you that you survived something far worse.
These are the scariest villains in video game history, accumulated through many years of gaming and across different genres. Of course, horror game villains will appear throughout, but a few of these entries may surprise you. These are what we’ve found to be the scariest, not the best. Otherwise, that list would look very different. So let’s dive in, shall we?
14) SCP-096
Game(s): SCP: Containment Breach
It’s easy to get distracted by the most obvious SCPs. Like SCP-173, who kept me on edge for blinking in front of it would result in a broken neck. 106, a man made completely of black mass, would appear from any surface and transport me to a nightmarish realm. And 049, the plague doctor’s touch kills to use your body for one of his experiments. But nothing could prepare me for 096. Hiding its face in its hands, a single look could get you killed. But you wouldn’t know you’d sealed your fate until you hear the thuds of charging footsteps heading your way.
13) Guardian Ape
Game(s): Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Nothing is ever as it seems with FromSoftware games. If the boss fight felt too easy, there’s probably something else going on that the team didn’t tell you about. In this instance, decapitation wasn’t enough to keep this ape down. The parasite residing inside its body springs to life following the evil “Shinobi Execution” message, tricking you into a false sense of comfort. Now, with brand new moves acting as the second phase of the fight, a headless ape charges erratically to haunt your dreams for the rest of time.
12) Mannequin / Patients
Game(s): Resident Evil 8: Village – Shadows of Rose DLC and Little Nightmares II
Perhaps the most overused enemy mechanic in horror games is the weeping angel (term coined in Doctor Who‘s 2005 episode “Blink”). These enemies can only move when you turn your head away from them. Although we’ve seen this mechanic time and time again, a handful of horror games have managed to instill fear and panic. Containment Breach is one of them, but the Mannequins and Patients also stand out for the excellent use of lighting and surprise appearance in games where they don’t really belong. They don’t fit in with the rest of the horror, yet this unpredictable arrival makes them surprisingly effective.
11) Ludwig the Accursed
Game(s): Bloodborne – The Old Hunters DLC
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One of the scariest bosses in existence is Ludwig for his horrifying appearance, sound design, and voice acting. While Orphan of Kos has a particularly haunting sound design, paired with very erratic movement, Ludwig takes top spot for the eldritch horror design that combines beast with man. This knight is an amalgamation of horse and human, having a grotesque design that’s difficult to look at. Many FromSoftware bosses have a Berserk feel about them, where the scariest ideas often leave me in awe for their wicked design. But Ludwig makes me feel sick.
10) Berserker
Game(s): Gears of War
The Berserker didn’t have much screen time, but my word, she sure made a lasting impact on me. The sight of this shackled beast instills dread and panic, where hopelessness feels like an appropriate response to such a terrifying creature. Even as I played as one of the henchest men in gaming history, I felt like the rat that got squished in an earlier cutscene. The encounter appeared so soon in Gears of War, yet I thought the end was nearing as I didn’t think I’d survive her wrath. She heard me no matter what I did, for stealth wasn’t really a possibility. I had no choice but to face my fears, seeing as I had to let her charge at me to escape.
9) The Suitors
Game(s): Amnesia: The Dark Descent – Justine DLC
Two blind entries back-to-back, The Suitors are the primary villains in Justine. Most Amnesia monsters are scary, but I was genuinely anxious playing through the DLC because you’re forced to slow down and watch what each Suitor was doing, and remain completely silent whenever they spawned in. This is how you effectively use stealth while keeping the horror in front of your face at all times. I genuinely struggled progressing through this expansion as I was in a perpetual state of anxiety, like I was trapped playing the opening hour of The Dark Descent all over again. It’s safe to say: I lived out a nightmare with this one.
8) Walter Sullivan
Game(s): Silent Hill 4: The Room
While The Twins are (in my opinion) the most terrifying monster in Silent Hill history, Walter Sullivan takes the cake for bosses. Yes, Pyramid Head is the most iconic figure from the franchise, and Abstract Daddy is utterly disturbing, but Sullivan is the perfect stalking villain that appears throughout the game to traumatize you. He becomes increasingly more active the further you get, making him an unbeatable threat that can jumpscare you at any moment. You know he’s around, but he could be anywhere, making him all the more terrifying to deal with as his presence is on your mind at all times.
7) Tuurngait
Game: Penumbra: Black Plague
The scariest Frictional Games monster was the Tuurngait, a human infected by a parasitic and telepathic creature that connects one another with a hive mind. These naked beings moved around like any ordinary human, yet hunted me down like I was trespassing on their property. There are countless terrifying moments that made me pause the game or run out of the room for fear that too much exposure to the game would result in me hearing Clarence’s voice in my own head. Their lack of clothes and tendency to charge at me was a recipe for a nightmare, but it acted as the perfect practice to prepare me for Outlast.
6) Mother Apollonia
Game(s): Nun Massacre
This crazed knife-wielding nun doesn’t have a horrifying appearance, unlike other entries on this list. I mean, nuns aren’t scary, right? What makes Mother Apollonia the scariest Puppet Combo villain is the sound design and erratic movement when she finds you. Mother reaches in and pulls scream after scream from me, inducing panic and running into walls for safe measure. Escape feels impossible when she sees you. Static warns you she’s near and the screeching inhuman wails, paired with the shine from her kitchen knife, render me completely useless. If this is what church is like, you won’t be seeing me Sunday anytime soon.
5) Mr. X
Game(s): Resident Evil 2
RELATED: 8 Best Resident Evil Boss Fights
One of the greatest, most iconic stalking villains is Mr. X. He towers over Leon, already putting us in our place as a miniscule and inconsequential threat. Weapons are completely useless against him so get used to seeing him follow you around a lot. The presence won’t ever leave you, even if you’re in a new area or haven’t seen him for a while. There’s that persistent itch at the back of the brain like he could arrive any minute. You have to be prepared—not for a fight—but for the nearest exit. How can he be so fast when he’s only walking?
4) Marta
Game(s): Outlast 2
Edwin Gluskin is up there, but the cultist members are terrifying all by themselves; lurking in the tall grass, standing proudly on their porches, eyes glowing in the darkness. Everyone seems to know where I am at all times, like I don’t even stand a chance. I’m on their land, in their houses. They know my time is up. There’s no freedom or moment to breathe, because Marta is around. She’s muttering her nonsense, yet her movement is hauntingly ethereal, as if she’s floating like the grim reaper of Outlast. One wrong step means I’m getting a scythe straight to the abdomen.
3) The Hunter
Game(s): Dead Space
The fantastic sound design truly brings this entry to life, making it hard to pluck one enemy out at the scariest. But Hunter takes the crown for its cinematic entrance and frequent appearance, which means you can never truly count this creature out. He seems smarter than other Necromorphs as the Hunter trudges along, getting increasingly quicker with every encounter. He roars in the distance, a concerning indicator that he’s nearby. Smashing through the environment like it’s nothing, I fear a single touch from the Hunter will be the end of me. Thank goodness for stasis.
2) Marguerite Baker
Game(s): Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Capcom placed Marguerite in a slow-cooker as her terror takes a while to build, but when it finally hits—it’s absolutely terrifying. She doesn’t seem like much of a threat to begin with, especially following Jack. Yet Marguerite has the most horrifying appearance in the entire franchise. There are no words to accurately describe how grotesque and frightening she truly looks. It’s borderline uncanny valley, but you don’t have time to properly take her in when the boss fight has ensued and she’s on you like a rash the entire time. Her boss fight entrance includes a fantastic jumpscare, followed by the reveal of a twisted version of Marguerite. Capcom sure cooked with this one.
1) Xenomorph
Game(s): Alien: Isolation
The Xenomorph is the scariest video game villain of all time because of its unpredictability. Naturally, the apex predator would strike fear in the hearts of many, but it’s in its coding where the Xenomorph becomes your worst nightmare. Adapting to your playstyle, you won’t ever feel safe. You may be packing, but the flamethrower and motion tracker won’t do much to save you. Sure, you can plot your route, wait for the coast to clear, and pray to God for safe passage. But the Xenomorph will always find you, so best get cough syrup and adult nappies at the ready—you’re gonna need them.
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