Best Villains Ever #8
Dr. Wily (Mega Man series)
I’m going to get a lot of flak from Ghaleon for ranking Dr. Wily above him on the list, but it had to be done. Dr. Albert Wily is the sinister counterpart to the good Dr. Light, creator of Mega Man and benefactor of mankind. Wily tries several times throughout the eight original-series Mega Man games to conquer the world using his army of evil killer robots, but Mega Man always manages to thwart him in the end. The bad Doctor’s crazy hair and first name give him a more-than-passing (and less-than-coincidental) resemblance to Albert Einstein, and the sinister eyebrow-wiggle is one of the most enduring symbols of the eight-bit age. This is the character that served as the inspiration for twenty years of "mad scientist" villains, most especially Sonic the Hedgehog’s Dr. Robotnik.
But what really sells Wily is the battles. Every Mega Man game ends with the climactic fight against Dr. Wily, and he always has different tricks up his sleeve. He builds all kinds of crazy tanks, brings all manner of attacks, and sometimes even transforms into something odd, like a green floaty alien. The fights are multiple-stage affairs that really test the player’s skills and do a marvellous job as the climax for their games; they really do seem fitting as a final boss. And wouldn’t you just know that the Doctor’s always weak against whichever weapon is the most difficult to use? If he’s up in the air, it’ll be the one that hugs the ground. If he’s on the ground, it’s the one that shoots upward. Without fail.
