When it comes to gaming, there are some games that have become classics. We have seen those games that have become so iconic and famous that practically anyone will recognize them. Even if you weren’t a huge gamer, you would probably recognize characters from some classic games.

One of my favorite classic series is the Street Fighter series. They’re such amazing fighter games that are both fun and challenging. I also loved any of the 2D Zelda games. They were pretty hard sometimes, but it was a good kind of challenging.

In these classic games, you have some awesome characters. You’ve got a lot of amazing heroes that you can play as. Whether you want to save Hyrule from the forces of darkness, or you want to take down some dangerous space pirates, these games had you covered.

Since classic video games have quite a few fans, it makes sense that there’s a lot of fan art of the various characters. Fans like to play around with their favorite characters and change things up. Sometimes they like to change the looks of the characters or put them in different situations.

So, the question is what would some of our classic heroes look like if they were a little less... heroic? What would they be like if they were more like the villains in these games? Would they be creepy? Would they be crazy? Or would they be themselves, but just a little darker? Well, that’s what some fan artists decided to find out.

So here are 20 classic videogame characters that have been reimagined as villains. It’s time to go bad!

Think we missed some great characters? Make sure to let us know in the comments section below!

20 The Mushroom Kingdom Is Doomed

Via: kendricktu.deviantart.com

It’s hard to imagine Mario as anything but the courageous plumber that sets out to save the princess. Considering all the enemies he fights, Mario goes through a lot. Though you could twist it to make Mario the villain since he does take out a lot of Goombas and Koopas.

This art piece of a villainous Mario is beautifully done and pretty creepy. Mario is definitely unsettling as a villain since we rarely see him without a friendly smile. But this Mario looks seriously spooky as he’s taking on Toad. A villainous Mario would be pretty dangerous. Let’s just hope he doesn’t go to the dark side anytime soon.

Art by Kendricktu.

19 Don’t Let Him Be My Doctor

Via: baconbloodfire.deviantart.com

There really isn’t much difference between Dr. Mario and Mario. Dr. Mario is just the guy who helps fight off diseases and throws pills instead of fireballs. But considering he does try to help and knows a lot about diseases, he’s a pretty cool guy.

But this version of Dr. Mario looks like something out of a horror movie. It seems like this doctor has finally snapped and now no one is safe. That deranged smile and him being covered in blood is seriously creepy. I definitely don’t want this guy as my doctor, since he’d be more interested in ending me than healing me.

Art by BaconBloodFire.

18 Oh He’s Finally Snapped

Via: baconbloodfire.deviantart.com

Poor Luigi is always the perpetual underdog. He’s a pretty capable guy, but people tend to remember his brother more than him. He does have a couple of solo games, so he’s got that going for him. Like Mario, Luigi is a pretty nice guy, always willing to help save the mushroom kingdom, even if he’s scared out of his wits.

A villainous Luigi would be pretty spooky. 

Somehow, I think a villainous Luigi would be more frightening than a villainous Mario. I could see Luigi just snapping one day, and that would be pretty crazy. Plus, you shouldn’t underestimate the guy. He may be easily frightened, but he’s always pushed forward despite his fears. A man that determined should be feared.

Art by BaconBloodFire.

17 He’s The Fastest Demon

via: fanpop.com

Sonic the Hedgehog is a pretty cool guy. He’s incredibly fast and he’s got some impressive jumping skills. And while he can get pretty cocky, he’s always willing to help out and fight villainy. You know that no matter what, you can count on Sonic to save the day.

What’s really scary about this villainous version of Sonic is how demonic he looks. The artist did a great job of making villainous Sonic look incredibly intimidating. Everything about him just drips in malic, and the glow of the red eyes adds the perfect scary touch. Let’s hope Sonic stays good because if he does go to the dark side, we’re doomed.

16 Dark Samus Is Still Pretty Cool

Via: aminoapps.com (Iromagica)

Samus is probably one of the most iconic female characters in gaming history. She’s faced it all: space pirates, alien monsters, ghosts, dangerous planets, and even a dark version of herself. What’s pretty cool about Samus is that not much gets to her. She’s gone through some pretty spooky stuff, and yet she’s still there to fight. That’s one brave bounty hunter.

There actually is a villainous version of Samus called Dark Samus, and it’s one of her suits that got taken over by phazon. You don’t want to mess with this entity. But this artist did an amazing interpretation of Dark Samus. It’s beautiful and spooky.

15 He’s Epic And Villainous

Via; darklitria.deviantart.com

Out of all the Final Fantasy characters, Cloud is probably the most recognizable and popular. And for a good reason: he’s a brave warrior who’s not afraid to lay down his life for the greater good. Cloud is basically a good guy and we don’t deserve him.

Cloud would make an interesting villain. 

Which is why a villainous Cloud seems so wrong. I like how this artist portrayed him, though. Seeing half of his face overtaken by darkness with that glint in his eye is a great villain look. It would be interesting to see how a villainous Cloud would act, but I hope he doesn’t turn on us anytime soon.

Art by DarkLitria.

14 Don’t Let this Dinosaur Near You

Via: benigninferno.com

You can’t hate Yoshi. You just can’t. This adorable dinosaur is just too precious for words and he’s become just as popular, if not more popular than Mario with gamers. Yoshi is the definition of loyal, and he’s always there to help Mario out. (Well, until he gets hit, and then he runs. But can you blame him?)

The idea of a villainous Yoshi is spooky. The artist may not have changed much with this version of Yoshi, but the changes they did make are effective. Yoshi with claws is creepy enough, but add red eyes, and you’ve got some great nightmare fuel there.

13 It’s The Electric Mouse Of Doom

departedpro.deviantart.com

Did you know that Pikachu is insanely popular in Japan? He’s basically the Mickey Mouse of Japan. It’s impossible to hate this cute little guy. And who wouldn’t want a Pikachu plushie? He’s just so cuddly and huggable!

So, it’s really hard to imagine Pikachu as a creepy bad guy, but this artist went above and beyond to make this little electric mouse completely spooky. I think they were going for what Pikachu would be like if he went feral. I definitely wouldn’t want to go up against this little guy; he’d probably electrocute me and tear me into pieces.

Art by DepartedPro.

12 Not The Hero Of Legend Anymore

Via: juniorstyle.deviantart.com

Link is probably one of the most honorable warriors. Here’s a guy that’s always getting dragged into the middle of a crisis and is always willing to risk his life to save Hyrule. And he goes through a lot and nearly gets destroyed multiple times. This guy deserves an award (probably a vacation too).

Dark Link looks intimidating and intriguing. 

There is a dark version of Link called Dark Link, and we’ve faced him a couple of times. But this artist’s interpretation of Dark Link is amazing. The glow in his eyes and that creepy grin really makes your skin crawl. He looks amazing and intimidating. Let’s hope we don’t have to face him anytime soon.

Art by JuniorStyle.

11 This Game Got A Lot Creepier

Via: twisted-ky0.deviantart.com

Pac-Man is about as classic as it gets when it comes to gaming. Before all these other games, we had this guy running around, munching on dots, and avoiding ghosts. For many gamers, Pac-Man was their introduction to gaming, and the game is still pretty popular. And who could forget that sound he makes?

You could twist things around to make Pac-Man the bad guy, especially if you look at it from the ghosts’ perspective. And that’s what this artist did. Villainous Pac-Man is pretty spooky, and you feel for the scared little ghosts. We definitely don’t want to run into this version of Pac-Man.

Art by Twisted-Kyo.

10 That’s One Spooky Princess

Via: eranfowler.deviantart.com

I think Zelda doesn’t get enough credit. She’s had to protect her kingdom from various forces of bad while still running her kingdom. She’s also had to make some hard decisions for the sake of her kingdom, even if it meant she had to suffer. And she has all kinds of talents, from magic to archery. You really shouldn’t underestimate this princess.

I think Zelda would be a pretty spooky villain. With her capabilities, she could do some serious damage. While this art piece doesn’t exactly portray Zelda as a villain, she does look pretty intimidating. You definitely wouldn’t want to mess with this version of Zelda.

Art by EranFowler.

9 Villainy Never Looked So Good

Via: pinterest.com (Malik Mcalister)

Peach gets a bit of a polar reaction from fans. Some find her incredibly annoying and useless, while others think she’s a pretty awesome princess who’s had to deal with a lot. Considering she’s been taken multiple times by Bowser, I think she deserves a little love.

Villainous Peach looks absolutely amazing! 

This artist makes villainous Peach look both fabulous and intimidating. Who says you have to look bad when you’re villainous? This version of Peach could take you down without breaking a sweat (or a nail). Mario had better watch out; this princess is out to end him. (Maybe she and Bowser could team up.)

8 I Think Crash Went A Little Nuts

Via: stalktr.com

When you think of classic video game characters, you may not think about Crash Bandicoot, but this guy has been around since the 90s. And his games are still pretty popular. Crash may be a bit rough around the edges, but he’s just an experiment who wants to relax and live his own life. But he’s afraid to go out and foil the villainous Dr. Neo Cortex’s plans for world domination.

This artist’s version of a villainous Crash is seriously impressive because it’s a very chaotic piece. This isn’t just Crash going a bit dark; this is a completely psychotic Crash that wouldn’t think twice about ending you. Let’s just hope Crash doesn’t go down that path.

7 Talk About A Split Personality

Via: riznben.deviantart.com

Ratchet may not look like much initially, but this little mechanic isn’t afraid to go out and save the universe. It’s hard to not like this guy. He’s earnest, capable, and selfless. He just wants to travel and see the universe while helping people.

It is pretty hard to think of a villainous Ratchet. The guy isn’t exactly the villainous type. I do like what this artist did making Ratchet being torn between good and bad. It’s a pretty compelling art piece. And the villainous half of Ratchet is pretty creepy. I wouldn’t want to come across him on a dark night.

Art by Riznben.

6 This Bad Twin Thing Is Getting Ridiculous

Via: typeats.deviantart.com

Lara Croft from Tomb Raider is probably one of the toughest female characters we’ve seen in gaming history. This girl has been around for decades and she is still out kicking behind and taking names. She’s seriously such an awesome lady, and she’s as classic as it gets.

Villainous Lara would totally end you. 

There is a dark version of Lara Croft known as Doppelganger 8. And she looks pretty cool. This artist decided to portray the two side by side, and they both look pretty cool. But you definitely wouldn’t want to go up against a villainous Lara. She will end you and look awesome while doing it.

5 Don’t Let Him Eat You

Via: pixiv.net

Kirby is literally a cute pink puffball. It’s impossible to not like this little guy. Plus, he eats his enemies and absorbs their powers, which is pretty awesome. I don’t think there really is a bad bone in Kirby’s body (I’m not sure if he even has bones).

It’s hard to imagine Kirby as a bad guy since he’s about as opposite to villainous as you can get. But this artist decided to come up with a seriously spooky villainous Kirby. The vibrant colors are a pretty great contrast, and Kirby looks so freaky. Those demonic red eyes are going to be in my nightmares for a while.

4 That Is One Demonic Fighter

Via: noktyl.deviantart.com

Before Mortal Kombat, there was Street Fighter, and you can’t have Street Fighter without Ryu. The main protagonist is a pretty cool guy. He can be a bit of a rough character sometimes, but he’s an honorable guy trying to do the right thing. And what more can you ask from someone?

A villainous Ryu would be a pretty intimidating fighter. With his powers and his fighting abilities, this guy could do some serious damage. And this art piece of him is pretty awesome. Villainous Ryu looks both awesome and scary. He looks like a demon version of Ryu. You really don’t want to go up against this guy.

Art by Nokyl.

3 Don’t Go Up Against This Guy

Via: cristiansanchezart.com

Solid Snake is an interesting guy. He’s been through some pretty intense stuff and he’s fought a lot of battles. That’s part of what makes Snake a pretty complicated man. He has made some questionable decisions, but he did what he thought needed to be done. So, while he may not be your typical hero, he’s not really a bad guy either.

It wouldn't be hard to imagine Snake as a villain. 

There is kind of a villainous version of snake called Venom Snake, and he’s pretty freaky. And this artist’s portrayal of him is amazing and spooky. I love the attention to detail and making him look a bit more like a zombie. It’s an interesting take on him.

Art by Cristian Sanchez.

2 This Ape Is Out Of Control

Via: emiliorodriguez.deviantart.com

Donkey Kong really is the king of the jungle. He and his crew are often working to foil King K Rool’s devious plans. And while Donkey Kong may not be the brightest guy, he always means well. With the help of his gang, he usually comes out on top.

There actually are a couple of games where Donkey Kong is the villain, so it’s not completely crazy to imagine him as a villain. And this artist did a seriously creepy version of villainous Donkey Kong. You know that villainous Donkey Kong would totally go on a rampage. (Let’s hope he never does.)

Art by Emilio Rodriguez.

1 This Powerful Lady Will Destroy You

Via: thelastinterceptor.deviantart.com

Before Lara Croft, we had Chun-Li from Street Fighter. She is an amazing fighter and an Interpol agent. She’s dedicated to finding the man who ended her father, and she’ll do what it takes to bring him to justice. In general, she’s a pretty awesome lady that everyone wanted to be.

It’s a little hard to imagine Chun-Li as a villain. But if she was going to be one, an obsession with vengeance would be a good motivation. This art piece of her looks amazing, and the colors are incredible. She looks so powerful and frightening. This is a lady you definitely don’t want to mess with.

Art by TheLastInterceptor.