monster – Gamer Peak

Monsters, Inc. – Greatest Disney BBEG?

Following on from Meet the Robinsons, my book tells me that the next entry is ‘Mickey and Friends’. That’s multiple movies and technically there’s some villains in there, but they are just goofy versions (pun intended, hyuk) of villains in other works.

Next is Moana. There’s no Big Bad Evil Guy there. Monsters galore, and a great adventure, but no one’s stepping up to be the main bad guy in this adventure.

Which means I get to talk about Monsters Inc. This is an interesting one, because there’s definitely a bad guy in this, but they’re not fully filling the role of ‘villain of the story’. This is not an adventure tale or heroes’ journey. The villain(s) in this case aren’t nice people… monsters… but they only really fill the villain role because of actions taking by the protagonists.

It also strains the ‘Henchmen’ aspect of our little discussion here. The main protagonist is only loosely henching for the BBEG/mastermind, and has their own objectives and motives.

Spoilers ahead.

Meet the Robinsons– Greatest Disney BBEG?

This is the first time that discussing Disney’s Big Bad Evil Guys has required me to do actual research. By that I mean I had to actually sit down, watch the movie and see its villain for the first time. I had a notepad nearby, so it counts as research.

I had zero memory of this movie. I do not remember its release, I did not recognize any of the characters. I only noted its existence because it’s next on the list in my copy of Disney Who’s Who, and no proverbial bells were rung.

Before viewing, I googled “Does Meet the Robinsons have a villain?” just to make sure it was worth my time. Google’s A.I. confidently interjected to state that yes, there is a villain. However, as if often the case, the A.I. got the details wrong. It insisted that ‘Bowler Hat Guy’ was the main antagonist, which (itty bitty spoilers going forward) is very very wrong.

Scar – Greatest Disney BBEG?

You don’t have to be a bad guy to the the bad guy, but it helps. So many villains, Disney or otherwise, have a loveable side, misunderstood in some way. If you want to be a true contender for greatest Big Bad Evil Guy, you really need to have that in your core.

For instance, someone who is ready to commit fratricide, nepiticide, abuse of multiple family members, a hostile takeover that leads to the breakdown of an entire ecosystem… well… they’re gunning for the number 1 spot.

Shere Khan– Greatest Disney BBEG?

So I’ve skipped Inside Out. Following my guide alphabetically, that leads us to The Jungle Book. You know, unless we want to look at Rage as the antagonist, and I don’t personally find that healthy…

Now this being an animal bad guy, in an animal based world, we might need to postulate a very particular kind of TTRPG for this to work. A group of humanoid D&D heroes taking on sentient snakes and orangutan might be fun, but tonally jarring. Perhaps The Jungle Book would play well as a solo campaign where you play as Mogli, or a the players take on the rolls of the animals getting him to safety?

Regardless, Shere Khan must be measured alongside all those that have come before, and measure equally. Sorry to say, but I don’t think he’s going to make the campaign villain Top 10 at this stage.

Frollo – Greatest Disney BBEG?

A great deal has already been said about Judge Claude Frollo. He’s not the mightiest or the scariest, but he’s in contention for the most troubling of all Disney villains.

His main motivations are “I am going to rid Paris of an entire group for God or burn the city down trying”, “I need to kill this woman so I don’t lust after her” and “I’m going to shut this baby in a tower after killing his mother because I have righteous works to complete.”

What we are therefore looking at here is a very dangerous villain. Not just because he enjoys executions, but because he is a tyrannical, zealous lunatic.

Professor Ratican – Greatest Disney BBEG?

21 people have played Moriarty on TV. Twenty One. Add up all the movies and stage shows and audio productions and we’re closing in on 100 variations. The Professor’s shown up in at least five different video games too.

It’s not simply because Sherlock Holmes is a compelling character/story. There are many storylines that do not include the Professor. He’s been seen and heard in so many times because he is a great villain. A Big Bag Evil Guy that enjoys begin mean and intelligent and better than everyone else. He is so successful that he will often bully Sherlock out of sheer boredom.

So a Table Top RPG villain based on Moriarty is a good idea. I would argue that, with clear evidence to prove it, that the rat crime lord based on Moriarty is an even better inspiration for your BBEG.

Amygdala: An Unskilled Guide

When my attempts on a Soulsborne boss reach the double digits, I like many, scan the wiki articles for what I might need to do differently. For the most part, these are only so helpful, because my level skill limits how I might implement the friendly advice.

In the case of Amygdala, I actually needed to ignore the guidance I first read, because it was making things more difficult than it needed to be. As with most bosses, I found a clumsy, simple, brute force method that works. It won’t work every time, in this case, but it’ll get you there eventually.

Vicar Amelia: An Unskilled Guide

Seen as Bloodborne is such a windy, optional-routes affair, this could be your second boss, or it could be your sixth. It really should be your sixth. The Witch and the Beast unlock so much useful stuff, and the training they give you will make the Vicar a bit more manageable.

Every experience is different, but I would personally say that Amelia is a ‘middling’ difficulty boss. She’s a heavy hitter, but she doesn’t bounce around like Darkbeast and is not as aggressive as Gascoigne. Most importantly, it didn’t require anything too clever for me to beat her. Dumb, brute force was required.

Yzma– Greatest Disney BBEG?

In this highly serious, prestigious and highbrow discussion, it is important maintain a strict standard. There should be no favouritism, no biases or personal prejudices.

The fact that Yzma is a particular favourite of mine should have no bearing of proceedings. We are here to determine her merit as your TTRPGs model for a quality BBEG. Individual preference must be placed to one side in order to maintain the validity of the debate.

As a wise scholar once said: squeak squeak squeakedy squeakley squeaky squeaken.

Darkbeast Paarl – An Unskilled Guide

When you are given advice on a boss in a Souls game, no one ever says how reliable that advice is. You see, some bosses can be definitely and consistently beaten a certain way. Some require a certain method but it is going to take a few goes to get right. And then there are some where the guidance seems solid, but there should be a list of caveats, addendums and warnings attached.

For example, the way I beat Darkbeast Paarl – with my distinct lack of skill – can be replicated. It is however, not necessarily going to be easy to replicate. This boss is a bouncing, trembling, pinballing, camera-shaking, chaos gremlin. The fight can go your way very quickly, but it can just as easily fall apart.