Jon Irencius was robbed!

Tor.com has a list of the Five Greatest Video Game villains, and Jon Irenicus of Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn is not on the list.

Seriously?

“I… I do not remember your love, Ellesime. I have tried. I have tried to recreate it, to spark it anew in my memory, but it is gone… a hollow, dead thing. For years, I clung to the memory of it. Then the memory of the memory. And then nothing. The Seldarine took that from me, too. I look upon you and feel nothing. I remember nothing but you turning your back on me, along with all the others. Once my thirst for power was everything. And now I hunger only for revenge. And I… WILL… HAVE IT!!”

What’s so fascinating about Irenicus is that he’s a usurper. In Baldur’s Gate, the player character follows the Hero’s Journey narrative arc…until Irenicus shows up and literally steals his destiny. Of course, the player character (if you play through the game) defeats Irenicus in the end, which ironically only makes the PC much, much stronger, and ready to challenge for the Throne of the dead god Bhaal in the final game of the series.

So Irenicus is a powerful, compelling, tragic (but ultimately contemptible) villain, and in my opinion he’s one of the greatest video game villains in the history of the medium. And it doesn’t hurt that he was voiced by David Warner, who has made quite the career out of voicing compelling yet contemptible villains.

-JM