A great Metroidvania is a balance between many things. Gameplay is certainly key for a lot of players and this goes beyond Metroidvanias as well since the medium was founded on good gameplay. Does the game control well? Is there a fun loop or is it monotonous? Are there innovations for the genre?
One could go on but then there are other elements to Metroidvanias like the story. Along with stories come heroes and villains. There have been many villains in this genre but few have stood out in a big way. That is except for the following villains who helped elevate the Metroidvanias that they inhabited. There will be spoilers in this breakdown of the best.
The 2017 reboot ofThe Mummyseries was a box office disaster for everyone involved. It killed Universal’s plans for a Dark Universe movie world, but there is one great thing about the movie. It brought Metroidvania fansThe Mummy Demasteredwhich was the movie’s prequel involving a bunch of soldiers trying to take down the titular Mummy, Ahmanet, industy deserts and ancient tombs.
She has a lot more personality in this game compared to the movie which isn’t saying much as she was barely a character on film. In this game, Ahmanet is constantly messing with players either directly or through villainous monsters like giant spider bosses.
Calaca is a giant skeleton demon who hails from the underworld ofGuacamelee. This is still one of the most unique Metroidvanias of all time as itstarred a wrestler, Juan, going after his wife whom Calaca kidnapped. Players can wrestle villains into submission and play around with alternate dimensions to solve puzzles. It’s a typical setup for a story, but even with cliches, Calaca and his underlings bring a lot of camp to the adventure. It’s a great representation of that culture as well which sits right up there with the Pixar classic, Coco.
The Metroidvania series would not exist if not forMetroid, but the villains have never been something truly amazing. Most enemiesSamus confronts in the seriesdon’t even talk. Perhaps the most iconic one for some may be Mother Brain, but she isn’t in that many entries plus she only appears at ending sequences.
The villain that does appear time and time again is the pterodactyl-like fiend, Ridley. From his fleshy form to his robotic one, Ridley is a constant thorn in Samus’ side and players can inhabit this villain inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. One of his most iconic appearances happens inSuper Metroid.
Dagan Gera is the main villain inStar Wars Jedi: Survivorwhich is in the ballpark of a 3D Metroidvania although there is more variety in the environments. Metroidvania opinions aside, our hero Cal finds Dagan Gera in a Bacta Tank. He was once a powerful Jedi but upon waking up, he goes full Sith.
Losing a loved one or being betrayed by a loved one is always going to make a character go crazy, especially in a Star Wars adaptation. That’s what happened to Dagan Gera and now he just wants power and control. There is a twist involving his ending, but saying more would go beyond spoiler territory.
Risky Boots is a pirate and the antagonist in many oftheShantaegames. She’s not as wicked as some other villains as she doesn’t kill for pleasure. She’s on the same scale as Jesse and James from Team Rocket in the Pokemon anime which is to say she is a Saturday Morning Cartoon villain.
She’s fun and watching her get a rise out of the titular Shantae is always fun. Her best on-display villainy appears in the second game,Shantae: Risky’s Revenge.
Vahram is one of the newest antagonists in the Metroidvania genre.Vahram’s turn inPrince of Persia: The Lost Crownis a twist because he is the leader of The Immortals, to whom the main character, Sargon, also belongs. Vahram was playing the long game as he was wronged as a child by the queen.
To get revenge, he kills the crowned prince and tries to suck up as much time and power from the mysterious ruins in the game as possible. What makes him great is that his plight is sympathetic. How he goes about getting revenge is deplorable but there is a trace of humanity left inside that players can see by the game’s end.
Batman: Arkham Asylumis another 3D Metroidvania but it adheres more to the traditional style. As Batman, players will get trapped inside the asylum and have to make their way out, one upgrade at a time. He will have to face the villains locked up in there too from Poison Ivy to Killer Croc.
Of all the villains,The Joker stands outas he is the main baddie in charge. Getting to hear Kevin Conroy as Batman talk to Mark Hamill as The Joker once again was amazing for fans ofBatman the Animatedseries. It was a smart move on the developer’s part to incorporate the cartoon voice actors as it helped players bond with both heroes and villains.
Could there be a more classic villain in popular culture than Dracula? InCastlevania’scase, he is typically the big bad at the end. Which version of him is the best is debatable as Konami liked to spice things up. Fans could go for the cheesy lines of Dracula fromCastlevania: Symphony of the Nightor they may be into Gabriel Belmont fromCastlevania: Lords of Shadowwho later became Dracula in the sequel.
From villain to anti-hero, Dracula has spent a lot of time on screen to stretch his bat wings and he keeps coming back for more. The big question is will Konami ever go back to this series to revive Dracula once more?
