10 RPG Villains Who Join Your Party

Summary

• Loghain from Dragon Age changes sides if you don't choose Alistair to duel him, an iconic RPG villain turned ally.
• Kongol from Legend of Dragoon becomes a party member after a key moment, showcasing a memorable character transformation.
• Sephiroth briefly joins the party in Final Fantasy 7, allowing players to control this iconic villain, a unique experience in RPGs.

One of the best parts of any RPG is the party that joins you on the adventure, supporting you through thick and thin as you try to save the world from dastardly villains. Sometimes, though, said villains end up joining your party, whether only temporarily or because they’ve had a real big change of heart.

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The moment when a villain joins your party can be one of the most unforgettable parts of any RPG, as it can show a different side to them and their character development. These are the best iterations of a villain joining your party across all RPGs.

Spoilers for various RPGs below!

10 Loghain Mac Tir

Dragon Age: Origins

Loghain is widely regarded as one of the best villains in gaming history, not just in the Dragon Age series, thanks to his three-dimensional character. He spends much of the game being presented as an evil general, causing a civil war and famously betraying the Grey Wardens.

However, at a certain point in the story, you’re given the option for your player character or one of your companions to duel with Loghain. If you choose anyone but Alistair to duel with him, he can be recruited into your party.

Alistair leaves your party if you recruit Loghain, so you can’t have both of them.

9 Kongol

Legend Of Dragoon

Kongol starts off Legend of Dragoon as a recurring boss, with you and your party facing him twice in the first chapter of the game. The second time you defeat him, Kongol begs your party to take his life, but the party spares him, leaving Kongol to wonder why you would grant him such a mercy.

Kongol appears again in the second chapter, where he saves the party from being crushed by a pillar. After this event, he becomes a permanent member of your party, with exceptional physical strength, but a severe weakness to magic attacks.

8 Sephiroth

Final Fantasy 7

Sephiroth is one of the most iconic and influential gaming villains of all time, so him joining your party, and even being able to play as him, makes for a memorable experience, even if it’s only temporarily.

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In the original Final Fantasy 7, Sephiroth is in your party during a flashback to the Nibelheim Incident, but you can’t control him. However, in this section in Rebirth, you can have full control over Sephiroth in the party and can play as him. It’s a great way to expand upon the original section of the game, adding in something as unforgettable as playing as one of the most famous villains ever.

7 Jin

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

As the head of Torna with the goal of capturing Pyra, and the one who stabs Rex right at the beginning of the game, Jin is a major antagonist in Xenoblade Chronicles 2. In Chapter 8, Rex finds Jin severely wounded, and Rex convinces Mythra to help him.

When he recovers, Jin temporarily joins your party, giving him the opportunity to speak directly with Rex and reveal more of his motivations and why he is siding with Torna. He also has some exclusive dialogue while in the party if you complete side quests with him.

6 Joshua

The World Ends With You

Joshua is an interesting case - when he joins you in the second week of the Reapers’ Game in The World Ends With You, you don’t actually know that he’s a villain and orchestrating everything behind the scenes just yet. He’s just a mysterious kid who (definitely) seems to know more than he’s letting on.

After the end of the second week, Joshua reveals his true identity as the Composer of the Reapers’ Game to Neku. Despite the betrayal, Neku learnt to trust Joshua when they were partners in the Reapers Game, which convinces Joshua to spare Shibuya from being erased.

You can see Joshua spying on Neku around the Hachiko Statue on the very first day of the Reapers' Game.

5 Basilio

Metaphor: ReFantazio

If you’ve played Metaphor: ReFantazio and know Basilio, you know ‘villain’ is an extremely loose term, but he was on Count Louis’ side for a lot of the game. He eventually joins your party in the late game, when he finally sees Count Louis for the tyrant he is and wholeheartedly believes in Will’s vision.

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Even though he goes through a tragic and irreplaceable loss right before joining you, he is a force of positivity in your party and always has a bright outlook.

4 Goro Akechi

Persona 5 Royal

Akechi is a very polarising character among Persona 5 fans. You either love him or hate him, but the additional content in Royal gained him a lot more fans. He joins the party and acts as Joker’s narrative foil, but there are hints throughout the narrative that he is the companion he paints himself to be.

Eventually, Akechi reveals that his true intention behind joining the Phantom Thieves is to defeat Joker, so you had a villain in your midst the entire time.

3 Magus

Chrono Trigger

Magus is one of the most infamous examples of a villain joining your party in an RPG. Initially in Chrono Trigger, he’s an antagonist known as the Fieldlord, and responsible for killing Glenn’s friend and turning him into Frog.

After progressing the story and encountering Magus a fair few times, you eventually have the choice to fight Magus, which would kill him, or spare him. If you decide to spare him, he joins your party. A little awkward for Glenn, having to fight alongside the guy who killed his friend, but he’s a strong ally regardless.

2 Hendrik

Dragon Quest 11: Echoes Of An Elusive Age

Hendrik is a loyal knight, so much so that, during the beginning hours of Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age, he blindly believes the king’s word that the Luminary is evil and the “darkspawn”.

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He spends the first few chapters of the game chasing after you with the goal of arresting the Luminary and taking him to the king to be duly punished. However, once it’s revealed that the king himself is being possessed by dark forces, Hendrik finally sees the truth, joining your party and becoming a worthy companion to the Luminary.

1 Bowser

Super Mario RPG

Bowser is Nintendo’s most iconic villain, so him joining your party in Super Mario RPG is a memorable experience for anyone who plays it. He joins the party at Booster Tower because he needs help taking back his castle, so Mario and the gang pretend to be a part of Bowser’s minions.

Considering he’s usually Mario’s enemy, he makes a great party member. As you’d expect from his appearance, he acts as the party’s tank, with great physical defence. Having Mario’s arch nemesis on your side for the journey certainly makes Super Mario RPG an experience like no other.

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