Funny, no one mentioned Krelian yet…
Hard to pick just one villain though. There were so may I truly enjoyed going up against, and for so many reasons. If I had to narrow it down to the top few, I think it would have to go a little something like this:
Most Potential: Xehanort
Those not wanting aspects of KH2 spoiled for them would be wise to skip this one
A newcomer to the S-E universe, Xehanort is fascinating to me due the fact that we’ve fought aspects of him in three KH games (his Heartless in KH1, his shadow in KH: CoM and his Nobody in KH2) now, and we still know next to nothing about him. And though he has brought the worlds into chaos twice and played not one, not two, not three, but four keybearers into doing his will, the World of Light has yet to deal with the actual man himself. Some might consider it a bit of a copout that Square has used him three times now, but I cant shake the feeling that they are building to something truly epic with Xehanort, and I cant wait to see what it is.
Ok, its safe now.
Most Successful: Lavos
This one is a no brainer. Lavos didn’t almost destroy the world (like say, Sephiroth) didn’t brag about its lofty goal and ultimately unattainable goal (Ultimecia), didn’t pine for a power that would eventually destroy it (Gestahl), and was not the puppet of some greater mind or ’higher purpose’ (Golbez, Sin, Eve, Sephiroth’s forgettable clones from Advent Children), and was beholden to no force greater than itself to accomplish its goals (Classic Garland, Kuja) Where other villains talk, posture, and scheme, Lavos just kept its extraterrestrial mouth shut and ended the human (and demi-human) race once they had served its purpose. It won. This is not speculation or prophecy. It is history. It happened. It was not something that could be prevented by any means… save for time travel.
Though an argument can be made for the Time Devourer becoming even greater threat eventually, all I remember him doing was casting a bunch of powerful status-affecting elements, making him about as big a threat as Necron really. When it comes to actually getting the business of evil done, the TD was a disappointment. So lets just stick with Lavos.
Most Evil: Kefka
The Original Wicked Clown. His garbled, 16-but laughter will follow me to my dying day. He set fire to a castle to find one woman. He poisoned a kingdom because it was faster. He committed whole genocide against the Espers. He killed the emperor out of convenience. He re-arranged the face of the planet, killing who know how many people just because. Lavos may have gotten more done, and yes Kefka eventually lost. But the insanity! The complete lack of morals! That outfit! Evil in its most pure, crazy form.
Honorable Mentions:
Most “Classic”: Golbez.
Most Overrated: Sephiroth.
Yes he was good, but not as good as everyone makes him out to be. And for the love of Mog, can we please keep him out of KH3? How many times do I have to kill him, really? Ballpark figure? Anyone?
Necrosaro (DW IV)
The idea that he becomes, for all intents and purposes, the Devil by using the Secret of Evolution just tickles me for some reason. The fact that he made the transformation because of a girl makes me laugh out loud.
Deus
God is dead! And I killed him! Nuff said.
Worse Villian: Carltron
No. Just, no.
