Villains should never just be evil for evil's sake. They should have true things to strive for to make them more believable and compelling. And there are many potential goals they can have. For instance, some want to destroy the world, while others want to fill up their bank accounts.
Another common objective for an antagonist is to become a god or god-like being. Evildoers typically want this either because of the power or prestige it provides them. Unfortunately for them, though, the process of transforming into a god is generally a complex one. The following reprobates wanted to achieve this dream anyway.
7 Corypheus - Dragon Age 2 (Legacy DLC) And Dragon Age: Inquisition
Originally known as The Elder One, Corypheus is an evil Darkspawn who was imprisoned by a group called the Grey Wardens. Once he escaped, he set out to achieve his ultimate goal of becoming a god. However, the whole plan is a little more complicated than that.
During Inquisition, he attempts to find a way into a special realm called the Fade, as this would grant him access to the Golden City. This fancy-sounding place is where the gods of the Dragon Age universe are supposed to be. Corypheus wants to take it over, thus becoming a god himself.
6 Olivia Pierce - Doom (2016)
The main antagonist of 2016's Doom is Olivia Pierce. This woman is a Hell researcher who ends up opening a portal to the fiery place. As a result, plenty of demons make it to the mortal world, and Doom Guy has to deal with the situation as always.
The incident isn't a blunder by Pierce, as she actually does it on purpose. It can be hard to figure out her reasons just from playing the game, as storytelling isn't a priority for this action-packed title. Yet, one of the game's codexes makes it clear that she made a deal with the residents of Hell. If she helped with their invasion, they would make her a god.
5 Prophet Of Truth – Halo Series
In the early Halo games, the Prophets serve as major antagonists, and The Prophet of Truth is the leader of that particular crew. He is an underhanded and deceptive being, so his intentions aren't always clear. But his ultimate goal is pretty easy to understand, as he wants to activate Halo rings.
Doing so would exterminate all life forms in the universe. However, the Prophet Of Truth believes he's special. So, instead of dying, he thinks he will transcend. As a result, he would be brought into the world of an ancient race known as the Forerunners and live among them as a god.
4 Arius - Devil May Cry 2
Dante from The Devil May Cry series is one of gaming's greatest hunters. This is because his targets are often some of the strangest and most powerful in gaming.
One example appears in DMC2 as he attempts to stop a sorcerer called Arius. At the time, the sharply-dressed man intends to get his hands on a group of magical artifacts called the Arcana. With them, he wants to summon the all-powerful demon known as Argosax. Then the final step in Arius's plan is to absorb the demon's power to transform himself into an immortal god-like being.
3 Sephiroth – Final Fantasy 7
When it comes to gaming villains, Sephiroth is among the most famous. Before the events of Final Fantasy 7, he was an extremely talented member of Shinra's military division. Yet, he eventually found out that he was the result of an experiment, and he didn't take the news well.
He also learned that his 'mother' Jenova once tried to take over the planet, and he intended to do the same. So, in FF7, he plans to use the planet's Lifestream to become a god and rule the world. But first, he has to summon a meteor to damage the planet, which gives the heroes a chance to stop him.
2 Oswell E. Spencer – Resident Evil Series
Umbrella is among the evilest corporations in gaming. And the organization's evil tendencies come from its creator Oswell E. Spencer, who is the cause of several zombie (and other infected) outbreaks in the Resident Evil series. In fairness, those incidents are accidents. He doesn't usually intend to have people eating each other.
His actual aim is to use his unpredictable Progenitor Virus to change the human race. To be more specific, he wants to remake them in his own image. If he succeeds, he would pretty much become a god, as is his desire.
1 Ganondorf – The Legend Of Zelda series
Most villains seeking godhood only attempt to reach the goal once. Sometimes that endeavor lasts over several games, but it still only counts as a single try. Ganondorf from The Legend Of Zelda is different, as he continually tries to become a god-like being.
He can achieve his goals by acquiring the Triforce, which will transform him into the demonic god, Ganon. His typical reason for wanting this ultimate power is to take over Hyrule. The interesting thing is that he sometimes succeeds in transcending to godhood. His success rate with the rest of his objectives is questionable.