IT'S THE ESO BEST VILLAIN FORUM POLL COMPETITION!!! (Spoilers)

Saucy_Jack

....Sort of. This is the part where we determine the parameters and possible competitors of the competition! Hooray! So let's get a few guidelines out of the way:

1. "Villain" is defined as any specifically named NPC who is actively making Tamriel a worse place. This has a couple of implications:
- regular mobs like "red rook bandit" are out. Not specifically named.
- this does NOT include any actual players, even if they're a low-down, no-good, snake-in-the-grass cheater/griefer. NPCs only.

2. "Best" for the purposes of this competition is NOT defined as "the one people like the best" or "the one with the best dialogue" - in this case, "best" is defined as THE ONE WHO HAS THE MOST NEFARIOUS AND/OR MOST WELL-THOUGHT-OUT PLANS.

Beyond that, let's get some suggestions! If there are other considerations that you guys think should be discussed, or think that my guidelines are bullcrap, let's talk about it! And once everything's all set up and we have enough competitors, we'll GET THIS PARTY STARTED!

FrancisCrawford

Some suggestions, in no particular order:

• The God of Schemes.
• The greatest necromancer in history.
• The poitician in Clockwork City who was obviously modeled after a real-world figure.
• Angof.
• Kinlady Estre.
• Both villains in Bangorkai, especially the one who isn't a Tharn.
• The chief villain in Wrothgar, if you're willing to be that spoilerish.
• Meridia.
• Various other daedric princes.

I'm trying to think of dungeon villains to suggest, but nobody rises to the level of deserving to be on the list.

zvavi

I can see only dlc dungeon/trial enemies as actually evil, all quest villains are too anticlimactic for me. So my pick is z'maja.

nukk3r

I choose Magistrix Vox because she stood up to the false gods' authority. Don't approve of her methods tho.

Tommy_The_Gun

Pacrooti ?

zvavi

Tommy_The_Gun wrote: »

Pacrooti ?

Xddddd well played.

Saucy_Jack

FrancisCrawford wrote: »

Some suggestions, in no particular order:

• The God of Schemes.
• The greatest necromancer in history.
• The poitician in Clockwork City who was obviously modeled after a real-world figure.
• Angof.
• Kinlady Estre.
• Both villains in Bangorkai, especially the one who isn't a Tharn.
• The chief villain in Wrothgar, if you're willing to be that spoilerish.
• Meridia.
• Various other daedric princes.

I'm trying to think of dungeon villains to suggest, but nobody rises to the level of deserving to be on the list.

Hmmmm, good point; gonna have to put

SPOILER in the title.

bluebird

FrancisCrawford wrote: »

Some suggestions, in no particular order:

• The God of Schemes.
• The greatest necromancer in history.
• The poitician in Clockwork City who was obviously modeled after a real-world figure.
• Angof.
• Kinlady Estre.
• Both villains in Bangorkai, especially the one who isn't a Tharn.
• The chief villain in Wrothgar, if you're willing to be that spoilerish.
• Meridia.
• Various other daedric princes.

I'm trying to think of dungeon villains to suggest, but nobody rises to the level of deserving to be on the list.

Agreed with those. Daedric Princes are going to win tbh, some are just next-level nefarious.

Also, (dis)honorable nomination: Malur Rethan from the Vassir-Didanat Mine in Vvardenfell:

He asks for your help to investigate the mine, but it later turns out that he knew about what was happening all along. When you find out that someone was turning mine workers into living ebony to mine their body for ore, Malur sends you to confront his brother about the horrors in the mine... but his brother is dead by the hands of an assassin. Killing the assassin and reading their orders, you realize that Malur wanted to kill you and his brother and make it look like you two murdered each other.

He only used you to clear out the stonefiends (the transformed workers that were able to move and fight back), and was then on his way to continue this inhumane ebony farming process and sell it to the highest House bidder.

I mean... just wow

Suna_Ye_Sunnabe

Mannimarco is one of the most fascinating, influential, and well written characters of the long running franchise (not just in ESO) who achieved astonishing levels of power as his ambition shaped history. He has my vote, as a bonus for a being a character I both love and hate, like any good villain.

TheImperfect

Euraxia, don't know if she could be considered worst and might not be seen as villainous by some.

MercilessnVexed

FrancisCrawford wrote: »

...
• The poitician in Clockwork City who was obviously modeled after a real-world figure.
  ...

What politician? What real-world figure? (Alas, my desire to know overcame my common sense to leave certain things out of the forum, but IMHO, you started it!)

MerguezMan

Maik the liar (and sons)

Ri_Khan

Does Stuga or the "Dragons! In your homeland!" losers count? They're the worst I've encountered yet.

cyclonus11

Forge-Mother Alga
Veya Releth
The Serpent
Nerien'eth

RebornV3x

None really stand out other than Mannimarco everyone else just seems to cartoonish for me just being evil because there evil or for some cliche reason like world domination
Maybe High Kinlady Estre
Molag Ball
Meridia

The best villains to me are those that think there heros in there own story and can justify any wrong doing no matter the cost for a "Greater Good" or people like Aizen from the anime Bleach who have some master plan hundreds of years in the making waiting for everything to fall into place before finally striking out scheming behind the scenes and such.

WhyMustItBe

Ri_Khan wrote: »

Does Stuga or the "Dragons! In your homeland!" losers count? They're the worst I've encountered yet.

"Do you know how long I've been looking for you... IN HELL!" XD

Another honorable mention, The Duchess of Anguish.



From the Halls of Torment:

"How touching! Your friends are here to save you. Pity they arrived too late. It's time for your next round of torture. You'll enjoy this one."
"We appear to have some unwanted visitors in the Halls of Torment. Let's make them feel welcome, shall we?"
"Your friend always had the opportunity to free himself. All he needs to do is reveal the location of the Amulet of Kings, and you can all be on your merry way."
"Enjoy your visit. You will never leave the Halls of Torment alive!"
"Too late, once again. Come, my pet. Time for your next session!" – After defeating the Lyris Doppelganger
"We don't get many visitors in the Halls of Torment, but there's always room for a few more... permanent residents."
"Such tenacity! Such ambition! Such bravery! Such a pity we're going to skin you alive and feast on your intestines!"
"Fools! Time is meaningless in the Halls of Torment! Whether it takes a day, or a thousand years, Sai Sahan will be broken!"
"Where is the Amulet of Kings? This can all be over if you just tell me. You can finally rest. You'd like that, wouldn't you, Sai?" – Entering the Chamber of Agony
"Who dares to defy the Duchess of Anguish? I will tear out your heart and make you feast upon it!" – After defeating the Varen Doppelgangers
"What death do you prefer, mortal? Slow and painful, or quick and painful?"
"I think I'll kill you quickly, then resurrect you and kill you slowly―an eternity of agony. It will be glorious."

Nairinhe

cyclonus11 wrote: »

Forge-Mother Alga
Veya Releth
The Serpent
Nerien'eth

Exclude the second one, and that would be my top three

Also I'd like to add

Warlock Carindon

Olauron

Lady Estre is the best antagonist, but she is not a villain at all (since she is actively making Tamriel a better place, at least from her - and not only her - point of view).

Ectheliontnacil

I always liked the Crypt of hearts boss Nerien'eth. What makes the quest so interesting is that the real enemy isn't actually Nerien'eth but the ebony blade that has twisted his mind and turned him evil.
A blade that drives powerful sorcerers into madness is a pretty impressive villain imo.

Also Nerien'eth's opening dialogue is absolutely awesome.

His Wife: "Leave the students be! I'm the one you want!"
Nerien'eth: "I don't know how you lot escaped from torture, but it will resume."
His Wife: "You are not yourself, Nerien'eth—let me help you."
Nerien'eth: "Help yourself, wretch."
*Punches her ghost across the room*

Banana

AD

Banana

And the server

Ectheliontnacil

Banana wrote: »

AD

No enemy is more nefarious than the purple alliance.

Djennku

MOLAG BAL

Megatto

Warden bears

TwinLamps

"Do you know how long have I been looking for you"

Muizer

Finedrin

Nairinhe

Mudcrabs will be the secret final boss!

siddique

Z'maja, she has a good plan and strategy by corrupting the Welkynar and eventually other elite forces of Tamriel. Plus sloads are great sorcerers and Z'maja is just an overall badass.

Alduin, the greatest of them all.

Molag Bal and Mehrunes Dagon have had good strategies. The pesky anonymous hero ruins them.

Ectheliontnacil

siddique wrote: »

Z'maja, she has a good plan and strategy by corrupting the Welkynar and eventually other elite forces of Tamriel. Plus sloads are great sorcerers and Z'maja is just an overall badass.

Alduin, the greatest of them all.

Molag Bal and Mehrunes Dagon have had good strategies. The pesky anonymous hero ruins them.

Z'maja looks like the result of crossing a kaiju with a slug. That alone makes impossible for it to be a badass. ^^

Jaimeh

Fa Nuit Hen: talks about his world domination plans conversationally, but he created MA, and if his comments while the Vestige is fighting are anything to go by, he is one sadistic bas..., I mean, demi-prince.

Molag Bal: his end-game is self-admitted domination and brutality, and he's already made an almost successful pass at it. He had a good plan, the amulet of kings and the dark anchors, and the means to turn it to fruition, with the way he manages Coldharbour.

Mannimarco: he wants to become a God, and it's apparent in the main quest that he'll stop at nothing to do it. More than his talent at necromancy, it's his resillience and willpower that make him dangerous.

Meridia: she was introduced as benevolent, and gave the Vestige his soul back, but after the events of Summerset, Darien
warns us about her in his letter as being deceitful. She probably helps the Vestige so that they can do the dirty work for her, while she plots her own domination.

Lamae Bal: if she wanted to take over Tamriel, she would have been a formidable adversary due to the fact that she could have legions of vampires at her bidding

Mephala: a lot of plots were insigated by her and her artifacts, and although she is yet to have a major involvement (like Molag Bal, Nocturnal, etc.), she might be slowly spinning a web for eventual nefarious schemes. Plus, her methods although not immediately obliterating are very insidious and thus dangerous.

Olauron

I think that it is too early to include Meridia in the list. She is not a villain in ESO (yet?). She will be a patron of the villain in TES 4 Oblivion. The message from Darien is simply common sense, a word of caution, for others to not forget that daedra is daedra. Same with Meridia, same with Azura. Some daedra may be beneficial for mortal races, but they will always think about themselves first.