For the month of October, we are highlighting the top villains in gaming. Andrew, Jeff, and Jeremie have teamed up to take all those guys you love to hate, and rank them. We will reveal them to you in a countdown, starting with #31 and ending with #1 on Halloween. Check us out each day of the month to see where your favorite villains rank!
#19: Giovanni
First Appearance: Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow
Most Noteworthy Appearance: Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow
Today’s character is one that is particularly unique because of how his presence has successful grown beyond the video games he first starred in to other forms of entertaiment. I’m talking about Pokémon’s main baddie, Giovanni. He first showed up in Gameboy’s Pokémon Red/Blue, as the leader of Team Rocket. Ultimately, Team Rocket is a criminal enterprise that wants to dominate the world by the exploitation of these cute little creatures. Really, anybody who has the nerve to steal and exploit everyone’s favorite little beasts has got to be competing for the world’s worst villain.
At the end of Red/Blue/Yellow, you beat Giovanni and he vows to disband Team Rocket and to give up his criminal pursuits. However, if you’ve played other Pokémon games, you know that Giovanni comes back. In fact, he never gave up his ways. He was just waiting and plotting for his next best opportunity. In later games, we found out that he even abandoned his own son. So not only is Giovanni in the running for worst villain, but he is also working rather hard to be the worst video game dad.
Besides being a criminal mastermind, exploiter of adorable animals, and horrible dad in the Pokémon games, Giovanni plays a big piece in the manga and anime versions of the beloved series. This time, he was out for Ash’s Pikachu – arguably the most endearing Pokémon of all. Some villains don’t always carry over into different mediums, but we have to hand it to Giovanni – that despicable dude has transitioned quite well into those other entertainment platforms. So here’s to you Giovanni – from our Gameboys to our comic books to our TV’s, you’ve made it easy for us to hate your guts. We’d give you a trophy, but you’ve probably already stolen it.