In the gaming world, there are plenty of stories featuring protagonists betraying justice to become villains. However, there are also cases where the opposite happens: initially a bad guy, but due to living too long, they become “enlightened” and turn saintly. This twist leaves fans both astonished and overjoyed, realizing that no evil is unbeatable.
Let’s continue with part two of “the top 10 villains who lived too long and became… heroes” in games!
Achenar – Myst IV: Revelation
In Myst, Achenar is very cruel and calculating, enjoying torture and creating bizarre and extremely dangerous “toys.” Achenar, along with his brother Sirius, planned to imprison their father and loot his wealth. When things went awry in Myst IV and their sister Yeesha was kidnapped, these two brothers obviously became the prime suspects.
Achenar tried to prove his innocence, but with a stolen artifact in his possession and a bizarre demeanor, no one believed him. But this time, Achenar was telling the truth.
Sirius had controlled Yeesha’s mind and was planning to do the same with their father. Gamers must infiltrate the mind to rescue Yeesha, but upon returning to reality, they encounter Achenar slowly dying as he sacrifices himself to save both when the ceiling collapses. Achenar’s death is incredibly heroic and moves the father to love his daughter more.
Dr. Judith Mossman – Half-Life 2
Mossman is a member of the Resistance fighting against the Combine. She is serious yet approachable, friendly with her teammates, and shows excitement at the return of Gordon Freeman. Therefore, when she is kidnapped, players are eager to rescue Mossman. However, we later discover that she was behind the attack at Black Mesa.
Nevertheless, Mossman is aware of the havoc she has caused, so she pretends to betray again. She appears to be extremely ruthless only to pull a surprise move that aids the Resistance in achieving victory. Thus, Mossman redeems her mistakes and is hailed as a true hero.
Galen Marek – Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
As a “secret” apprentice of the infamous Darth Vader, Galen Marek is drawn into an assassination plot against the Emperor. Of course, many gamers will know not to trust a Sith Lord too much and should question this plot. But Marek is different; he blindly trusts Darth Vader and gets stabbed in the back. It is at this moment that Galen realizes that Vader sees him only as a tool to eliminate the Rebel Alliance.
After being saved, he is furious and decides to team up with Juno Eclipse, joining the Rebels to resist together. In a battle with Palpatine, to save his teammates, Galen absorbs the Force and releases all that energy. This sacrificial act creates a shockwave that eliminates stormtroopers and destroys most of the area. This noble sacrifice transforms Marek from a villainous character into a true hero.
Beatrix – Final Fantasy IX
At first glance, Beatrix is a proud, elite, and terrifying warrior. She is willing to sacrifice herself to protect the people of Alexandria, the queen, and the princess. She continuously defeats heroes, leads a brutal conquest of Bermecia, and personally retrieves artifacts for the queen to fulfill her ambition to control the entire Mist Continent.
But when Beatrix discovers the queen’s plot to kill the princess, she decides to do the only thing that her honor allows. That is to oppose the tyrant and save the princess. Beatrix fights alongside other heroes against the wicked queen and rectifies the consequences she has caused.
Poison Ivy – Batman: Arkham Knight
Poison Ivy is one of the most alluring and dangerous foes in Batman. She has the ability to control plants, manipulate others’ minds, and can kill someone with just a light touch. In the game, you’ll learn that Scarecrow’s plan is to eliminate Batman by releasing poison gas throughout Gotham City. Ivy does not oppose killing Batman, but she opposes the use of poison gas that would simultaneously kill all the plants in Gotham. This is also why Batman finds Ivy imprisoned at the beginning of the game.
Consequently, Ivy agrees to help Batman, showing him how to neutralize the poison gas through the ancient tree growing beneath Gotham. Ivy and Batman go underground, bravely fighting hundreds of Arkham Knight’s soldiers to reach the roots of the ancient tree and awaken it.
However, after completing this mission, the tree is still not strong enough to eliminate all the poison in the city, so Ivy channels all her strength into this tree, willingly sacrificing herself to help Batman one last time.
Usually, for a villain in comic books, sacrifice is a rare occurrence. But a sacrifice made out of love for nature like Ivy allows us to see her as a hero. Even Batman must show respect for this noble act.
Source What Culture translated by Gearvn