Psychology has always been a subject that has piqued my interest as a child. Getting down to the root of why people do what they do is one of the great mysteries of life, and with enough time, you can start to truly understand those around you. The same is true about the many characters we enjoy in video games. 

To create an enticing character you have to put yourself in the shoes of another person altogether, which is something that writers do on a regular basis. Today, I’ll be analyzing some of the evilest villains in video games and blurring the line between psychology and video games to create a truly unique reading experience.

Dutch (Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2)

The man who inspired this article, Dutch is the leader of Arthur’s gang in Red Dead Redemption 2. Although he made his first appearance in the first Red Dead Redemption, we get to see what contributes to Dutch’s psychotic mindset in the second one.

To lead the evil you have to be evil, which is true for Dutch and his gang. Your level of charm has to be on another level if you could ever dream of leading murderous thieves across the U.S, which is a charm that Dutch possessed.

Perhaps his most important skill was his ability to give superficial speeches to those in his gang in times of crisis. At one point these speeches were heartfelt and honest, eventually, they became selfish and grandiose in an effort to save faith and keep the gang together. Playing through Arthur’s story, you get to see psychology at work as a once-great leader unravels before our very eyes. 

Vaas ( Far Cry 3)

Probably one of the most notable psychopaths to ever make an appearance in video games. Vaas is one of a kind. From the onset of Far Cry 3, Vaas makes you feel uneasy from the very beginning by toying with the protagonist (Jason) as he tried to find his way after a debilitating turn of events. 

Vass’s desire for destruction and chaos is something that only true psychos are able to exhibit. Constantly causing harm to those around him with no regard for anyone but himself, Vaas is one of the most entertaining and ferocious villains to ever appear in a video game. Which makes him my favorite video game villain of all time.

The Joker (Arkham Series)

You can’t have a psycho character list without putting the number one psychotic villain on it. The Joker is perhaps the most evil of them all. His need for anarchy and pain is unmatched by any other character you can think of. Psychopaths are willing to do anything and everything they can to reach their goals, which holds true for The Joker in the Arkham series. Obsessed with defeating Batman, the Joker ended up turning himself into a grotesque Titan and ultimately led to his own demise. 

The Joker displays malicious and self-deprecating behavior that only true madmen could conjure.

Trevor (Grand Theft Auto 5)

The funniest psycho ever. Though he isn’t officially a villain, Trevor belongs on this list nonetheless. Trevor has a certain vigor that is difficult to pull off when creating an entertaining character. My guess is that the writers at Rockstar couldn’t go overboard and be too dark when they created Trevor because was a character that players would have to control throughout the Grand Theft Auto V story.

That’s not to say that Trevor doesn’t have his fair share of malicious acts because there are plenty (the infamous torture scene comes to mind). No, he’s just a likable psycho who goes on booze-induced rampages before waking up in his underwear on a set of train tracks. This comical side of psychopathy isn’t seen much in movies or video games and praise goes to rockstar for bringing this character to life. 

Baldur (God of War)

What can be said about the man who can feel no pain? Bringing Baldur into this list hints at a question that psychologists everywhere have argued about, are psychopaths born or created? 

The main characteristic of Baldur is his need for stimulation, which is one of the red flags for psychopaths. In Norse mythology, Baldur’s circumstances were a lot different than they were God of War, but his inability to feel anything was still a big factor.

With a growing resentment toward his mother, Baldur sought out anything that would produce the feelings he lacked whether they were pain or pleasure. With his constant lust for stimulation, Baldur continued his pursuit until it led to a confrontation with his mother and his inevitable end.

In Baldur’s case, his inability to feel anything is what led him to his psychopathic behavior, thus concludes that Baldur’s psychopathy was created from the actions of his overprotective mother.

That concludes my list for now. This is an experimental article as I would like to see how the community responds to the material of this nature. I hope it goes over well because I have plenty of more article ideas that deal with the same subject.

If you enjoyed this article and you want more psychology themed articles, please share this with your friends. As always, thanks for reading. Stay, Gritty, Gamers!

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