ccording to Batman, criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot. Apparently he's never played a videogame. The bad guys in games are usually the last thing stopping the hero from getting the girl or saving the world. They typically don't run away, and they are often the ones setting nearly insurmountable obstacles for heroes to, well, surmount. Even after the heroes run their gauntlet, the villains are ready for a throwdown.

So what makes a great villain? He or she not only has to pose a real threat to the hero, but they have to be memorable. It's a villain's destiny to be defeated. That's just how it goes. But when the villain lives on in our hearts rather than the hero, they've won in their own way.

Here is our list of the best villains in games. Some scared us. Others made us laugh. All of them stayed with us long after we turned the game off.

We'll be unveiling 10 villains a day starting on Monday, May 3rd, so keep checking back to see if your favorite baddie made the list.