History TheHeavy / VideoGames

* ''VideoGame/{{Nier}}'' has the Shadowlord, [[spoiler:aka Gestalt Nier ([[DecoyProtagonist the very same Nier from the prolouge]])]]. [[spoiler:While Devola and Popola are directing the events of the game]], he is one who commands the Shades and his kidnapping of Yonah is the focus of the main plot after the TimeSkip.

** In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', [[spoiler:Ganondorf is the BigBad]], but the heroes don't even meet him until right before the final battle. [[spoiler:TheDragon]] Zant is the threat for most of the game, and has a closer connection to Midna than [[spoiler:Ganondorf]] does (though arguably not to [[TheHero Link]]).

** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones'', Vigarde's invasion of Renais kickstarts the plot and defeating him is the goal of the first two thirds of the story. However, he's just a reanimated corpse, who is controlled by his son Prince Lyon. Lyon himself is actually The Heavy of the game being the one who resurrected and was controlling the corpse of the late emperor. [[spoiler:Lyon and Vigarde in reality are both revealed to be dupes for the true villain Fomortiis, who was possessing the Prince into resurrecting the Emperor, and instigating a continent spanning war, in an attempt to destroy the other nations Sacred Stones that sealed the Demon King's body away]].

** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones'', Vigarde's invasion of Renais kickstarts the plot and defeating him is the goal of the first two thirds of the story. However, he's just a reanimated corpse, who is controlled by his son Prince Lyon. Lyon himself is actually The Heavy of the game being the one who resurrected the corpse of the late emperor. [[spoiler:Lyon himself in reality has been possessed by Fomortiis the true villain of the story, who was using the Current Prince to resurrect the Emperor, and start a continent spanning war, in an attempt to destroy the other nations Sacred Stones that sealed the Demon King's body away]].

** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones'', Vigarde's invasion of Renais kickstarts the plot and defeating him is the goal of the first two thirds of the story. However, [[spoiler:he's just a reanimated corpse, and Fomortiis and the possessed Lyon are the true villains of the story]].

* ''VideoGame/DeadRising'' has its share of Heavies whose actions are motivated by a conspiracy by the US government.

** ''VideoGame/TouhouSeirensenUndefinedFantasticObject'': Shou Toramaru is Byakuren's lead disciple, who instigates the games events with her attempt to release her.
** ''VideoGame/TouhouShinreibyouTenDesires'': Seiga Kaku is the one presiding over Toyosatomimi no Miko's resurrection for the first half of the game, as well as the one who taught Miko Taoism in the first place.

* ComicBook/TheJoker serves as this in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity''. Although Hugo Strange serves as the real BigBad [[spoiler:with ComicBook/RasAlGhul as a GreaterScopeVillain,]] he winds up becoming the cause of most of the actions Batman takes in the game to save everyone in Arkham City, and he is even encountered much more frequently than either of the other villains. Even after [[spoiler:Strange and Ra's are both killed]], the Joker remains at large and ultimately serves as the FinalBoss of the game's story. [[spoiler:Metaphorically, at least; Clayface serves as the final fightable boss while Joker just watches.]]
* [[CardCarryingVillain Yuuki Terumi]] from ''VideoGame/{{Blazblue}}''. He initially presented himself as a harmless captain of [[TheEmpire the NOL's]] intelligence division in the first game, but reveals his true colors in the ending and shows just how much he's had a hand in shaping the series' plot. He unleashed the [[EldritchAbomination Black]] [[{{Orochi}} Beast]] upon the world 100 years prior to the games' primary plot, chopped off TheHero's arm in his backstory, brainwashed the hero's younger brother, {{Mind Rape}}d a young hapless soldier into a killing machine, the list goes on. Almost every single major event in the plot is directly connected to him in some way and everyone is gunning after him.

* [[SerialKiller William Afton]] of ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' manages to be this, the BigBad and the GreaterScopeVillain at the same time. He is the character that kicks off the plot, by murdering the children who would later possess the animatronics that he himself created (though is aware of it) and is indirectly responsible for all the deaths of security guards, and later the restaurant chain being closed down. And yet, throughout the games, we never see Afton outside of cutscenes [[spoiler:until TheReveal of the third game, where he himself is possessing the only animatronic in the building, Springtrap. Then the sixth game came around, where he returns as Springtrap, [[KillItWithFire where he dies]]... until the VR game reveals he barely survived and [[ItMakesSenseInContext became a virus inside the VR game, possessing the protagonist, Vanny]]]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{inFAMOUS 2}}'' Joseph Bertrand III is responsible for most of the conflict in the game. He's the one who leads the Militia faction, created the Corrupted, and hired ''and'' [[EmpoweredBadassNormal empowered]] the Vermaak 88. That said, stopping The Beast is still the main goal and serves as a much bigger threat than Bertrand in the long run.

* [[SerialKiller William]] [[WouldHurtAChild Afton]] of ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' manages to be this, the BigBad and the GreaterScopeVillain at the same time. He is the character that kicks off the plot, by murdering the children who would later possess the animatronics that he himself created (though is aware of it) and is indirectly responsible for all the deaths of security guards, and later the restaurant chain being closed down. And yet, throughout the games, we never see Afton outside of cutscenes [[spoiler:until TheReveal of the third game, where he himself is possessing the only animatronic in the building, Springtrap. Then the sixth game came around, where he returns as Springtrap, [[KillItWithFire where he dies]]... until the VR game reveals he barely survived and [[ItMakesSenseInContext became a virus inside the VR game, possessing the protagonist, Vanny]]]].
* Franchise/{{Halo}} generally has a different one for each game.

* ''Franchise/Metroid''- Ridley played this role in most of the series.

* Fawful has this role in ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory''. He causes the blorbs virus that infects the Toads, tricks Bowser into eating Mario and the rest of the main cast, takes over all the castles in the land and tries to use the Dark Star's power to conquer the world. He also gets the most lines in the entire game by far, which is rather good considering his status as a LargeHam throughout.

* In ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'', Bowser Jr. fills this role in nearly every game he appears in. It's most notable in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'' and ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'', where he is the driving force behind the plot. In most other appearances, he directly confronts Mario more often than Bowser himself.
* Dimentio in ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario''. He appears the most out of [[BigBad Count Bleck's]] minions and advances the plot more often than Mario or Bleck himself. [[spoiler:He's PlayingBothSides and the game's true BigBad.]]