Square Enixis the undisputed top dog when it comes to successfully bringing iconic JRPGs into North America. FromFinal FantasytoKingdom Heartsto standalones likeBravely Default, Square Enix knows how to craft classic tales that follow heroes as they attempt to save the world.
But in order to tell a story about good rising up over evil, there are two important factors to keep in mind. First, the “good” in that equation needs to be pure, cheerful, colorful, and joyous. Second, the “evil” needs to be straight-up vile, duplicitous,and irredeemably cruel. Square Enix definitely knows how to play both sides of that coin. For all their fun and snazzily dressed heroes, the villains featured in Square Enix titles are oftenoozing with darknessto provide a suitable balance.
Gamers can blameThe Legend of Zeldafor making them assume that thecute fairy sidekickis always a trustworthy companion. ThroughoutBravely Default, Airy guides the Warriors of Light in awakening the four elemental crystals that protect their world. However, as their attempts only seem to fracture the world over and over again, they gradually realize that their fluttering friend is not what she seems.
In truth, Airy is a mole amongst the Warriors of Light. In reality, she’s an agent of ultimate darkness who serves the demon lord Ouroborus. She’d been manipulating the group the entire time using her benevolent appearance, tricking them so she can free her master. This villainous twist is a stroke of subversive genius, and it’s genuinely disturbing to realize how easily one can be betrayed by those they trust.
The main antagonist ofDragon Quest 9, Corvus, is an example of how love, betrayal, and misunderstanding can twist someone beyond recognition. Originally a Celestrian Guardian, Corvus fell in love with a human woman named Serena. Their happy life together would be short-lived, however, as the Gittish Empire closes in on Wormwood Creek. After Serena’s efforts to protect Corvus indirectly lead to his capture, Corvus is left feeling betrayed byhis one true love.
From there, Corvus descends into the demonic villain the Hero encounters throughout the game. His rage and resentment over the years have only made him more powerful, and he’s determined to unleash destruction to match his own suffering. As the saying goes, “hurt people hurt people.”
In the grand scheme of things, Don Corneo is a minor protagonist inFinal Fantasy 7. He is acrime lord in Sector 6, whose section in the original game and the remake prompted Cloud Strife to don a dress to infiltrate his lair. Though it may sound like a fun time, Don Corneo is one of those video game antagonists who will likely send a massive, slimy chill down players’ spine. He’s not fun to hate; he’s just hateable.
Don Corneo uses his illicit wealth and power to intimidate and coerce others, especially women, into doing what he wants. Every night, he chooses a beautiful “daily bride,” most of whom are never seen again (thanks to the monsters he keeps as pets). The game keeps it vague about what he does with these women, but it’s obvious that he’s a sadist who loves being cruel just because he can.
As anyKingdom Heartsfan can attest to, the series takes “darkness”veryliterally, and the rules of how it works tend to shift. Suffice it to say, when darkness consumes a person’s soul, it creates all manner of dark creatures, from Heartless to Nobodies. But when the dark side of apure-hearted soul like Ventusbecomes its own entity, that darkness becomes something else entirely.
That “something else” is Vanitas, a character who seems to be the physical manifestation of darkness itself. His purpose inKingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleepis to serve Master Xenhanort in his evil ambitions, which he himself recognizes. Vanitas is cold and twisted, refusing to acknowledge that he could ever be anything else. Even his ambitions to re-combine with Ventus aren’t for any noble ambitions of becoming whole. It’s sad, in a way, seeing characters as cheerful and joyous as Ventus and Sora being contrasted with someone so utterly empty.
Retcons, confusing timelines, and Disney characters aside,Kingdom Heartsis ultimately a story about the forces of light combating the forces of darkness. And the onepulling the strings behind the curtainlong before he ever formally appeared is Master Xehanort. The evil Keyblade Wielder seeks to summon Kingdom Hearts in the hope that he can purge the worlds of their impurity, along with everything that resides in them.
The lengths Xehanort is willing to go to for the sake of his plans are disturbing, to say the least. While most characters fear the possibility of having their own selves split apart, Xehanort did it to himselfthirteen times(giving the series no end of antagonists). His evil machinations and superiority complex even led to him manipulating Maleficent, the iconic “Mistress of All Evil.” Capable of one-uppingclassic Disney villains, it’s clear that no one can do “darkness” better than Master Xehanort.
