10. Dracula – Castlevania
Castlevania is basically a hodgepodge series of ghosts and monsters from every mythology ever, and sitting atop all of them sipping his wine is Bram Stoker’s original vampire himself. Dracula’s appearance and mannerisms may vary a lot across the franchise, but one thing he’s always been is a lot of fun. Whether he’s a voiceless sprite who just appears at the end of a Castlevania game or some voice-acted ham who chews the scenery in overly dramatic dialogue, it’s always a treat when Dracula is onscreen.
The “What is a man?” speech from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night remains one of the most memorable dialogue exchanges in all of gaming history, and the quote is still thrown around plenty today. Factor this in with an ancient Gothic aesthetic and a lineup of buff Belmonts to fight against and you have a recipe for a great and memorable villain. Considering all of this, then, why is he so low on our list? Well, quite simply, it’s because he’s Dracula. A big part of what makes this villain so iconic is the entire mythos outside of video games. His lore was already well-established before Castlevania, so he’s got a significant head start over the other villains on our list who have forged their own unique legacy through gaming alone.
