I’ve played every majorStar Warsgame out there. And while I usually stick to the light side, there’s something deeply satisfying about embracing “unlimited power” - even just for a little while.
To make this list, a game’s story must focus on the dark side or offer a balanced path with meaningful dark choices. It doesn’t need to be canon, but light side stories with optional evil endings (likeForce Unleashed IIorJedi Outcast) don’t qualify.
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You also have to play as a character or ship, so no RTS games. And that character must be clearly, unapologetically bad. Scoundrels and charming rogues like Kay Vess don’t make the cut.
I’ve ranked theseStar Warsgames by how well they capture theessenceof the dark side. Not all feature the Sith directly, butthe Code of the Sithis the best guide to what I’m looking for in a ‘bad guy’:
Peace is a lie. There is only Passion.
Through Passion, I gain Strength.
Through Strength, I gain Power.
Through Power, I gain Victory.
Through Victory my chains are Broken.
The Force shall free me.
The better the game embodies that spirit, the higher it ranks. With that said, let’s dive right in. “Do it.”
10Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars: The Old Republic
I have to includeThe Old Republic(‘SWTOR’) MMORPG. Although it seems to have fallen into obscurity in recent years, this brilliant game still consists of some fantastic storylines.
Of course, you have a number of character and story choices at the start, including a Sith Inquisitor and a Sith Warrior. And within each of those, your in-game decisions make a massive difference: the Jedi can flirt with the light side, and vice versa.
Now, it’s hard to specify precisely which storyline we’re thinking about in terms of this list. That’s why I’ve ranked it here. However, to be fair, when you do decide to be a bad guy,TORgives you just about unlimited approaches in which to do it.
Some dark side paths are comically evil. Others are disturbingly calm. But the best ones are the slow-burn manipulators, where you talk like a hero while leaving a trail of ruin behind you.
9Star Wars: TIE Fighter
I’ll Be The Empire’s Tool If It’s This Much Fun
Star Wars: TIE Fighter
TIE Fighteris the original ‘play as the bad guy’Star Warsgame. You’re a loyal Imperial pilot enforcing the Emperor’s will. There’s no revenge, no external motivations, no torturous doubts or decisions.
You’llspend all your time in spacedefeating traitors and terrorists. All you are is a tiny cog in the Imperial iron fist, and you’re determined to do your job well. End of discussion.
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The TIE Fighter itself is epic. It’s an incredible place to sit, and it really fulfills all the excitement thatStar Warsfans had about finally being able to fly one.
As the game progresses, you become a secret agent of the Emperor, so you get to do even more wild things. Ultimately, you aren’t just playing as the bad guy - you’re having bad-guy-immersion lessons.
8Star Wars: Battlefront II (2017)
Special Forces Meets Imperial Loyalty. For A Little Bit
Star Wars Battlefront 2
Not everyone was a massive fan of the supposed reincarnation ofBattlefront II. While I agree that it didn’t capture the magic of the original, it’s still a great game in its own right. Especially the campaign.
You’re Iden Versio. You’re the leader of a hit squad of Death Troopers - basically Imperial special forces - known as Inferno Squad. And you’re very good at your job.
But then you start to question things. After the Battle of Endor, Iden visits her homeworld, Vardos. She sees the Empire evacuating strategically important personnel and leaving everyone else.
That ultimately makes her and Del, one of her troopers, change sides and fight for the Rebellion. There’s an epic and personal final face-off against her old boss, Gideon Hask, and in the end, she and Del have a daughter, Zay, and everything’s okay. (Cough unless you play the DLC.)
7Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
Two Blasters, A Jetpack, And Credits
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
Okay, while I said I wasn’t going to include neutrals like smugglers and bounty hunters, I made an exception for Jango Fett. He shoots at Obi-Wan Kenobi. And kills that random Jedi (Coleman Trebor) inAttack of the Clones.He doesn’t like Jedi. He’s a bad guy. He counts.
You’re chasing a rogue Jedi and making your way through low-level death stick dealers to cartel enforcers. Everyone is fair game because the only thing that matters - the only objective - is money.
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At the successful conclusion of your mission, Dooku steps out of the shadows and offers Jango the clone contract. It’s an eerie way to foreshadow the true role of the clone troopers (especially when you remember that this game came out a couple of years beforeRevenge of the Sithand Order 66!).
There’s no moral dilemma here. No wrestling back and forth with your conscience. There’s just a man with a jetpack and a gun doing whatever he wants in pursuit of his own interests - money. And when you think about it, that’s basically the definition of a bad guy.
6Star Wars: Squadrons
Amazing Graphics, Fun Story, Poor Replayability
Star Wars Squadrons
Star Wars: Squadronscame outstrong but trailed off rather rapidly. It splits its campaign into two stories from opposite sides, a bit likeHalo 2. One of these is Vanguard Squadron in the New Republic; the other is Titan Squadron, elite pilots of the crumbling Empire.
Like the clone troopers inStar Wars: Battlefront II(2005), you truly believe that the Galactic Empire brings order, and you’ll kill anyone threatening to undermine that. You don’t question orders. You just blow stuff up.
In fact, the prologue alone involves a ruthless elimination of your commander, who has defected to the Rebellion. You chase him down and take him out.
You might imagine that somewhere along the lines, you’ll run into moral quandaries and difficult decisions that make you change sides. But nope. Yes, there are challenging moments, but you never waver in your loyalty to the Empire.
5Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
“Anakin Has Fallen To The Dark Side.” For Real
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Theincredible video game adaptationofRevenge of the Sithwas another favorite of mine growing up with my PlayStation 2. I loved how perfectly it mirrored Anakin’s and Obi-Wan’s actual fighting styles and stances.
Of course, the game follows broadly the same plot as the movie. That means you’re Anakin when Anakin snaps. You’re responsible for defeating Mace Windu and then carrying out Order 66.
There’s even an alternate ending where Anakin - now Vader - defeats and kills Obi-Wan Kenobi. I can’t watch. But imagine what could have happened in theStar Warsuniverse if that’s what had happened.
At the end of the day,Revenge of the Sithis a perfect entry for this list because of how well it captures Anakin. He’s full of rage, and his powers and lightsaber form exemplify that.
4Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Be The Sith You Were Born To Be (Or Not)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
For me,Knights of the Old Republic(or ‘KOTOR’ to fans) was the game that kicked off my fascination with allStar Warsvideo games. For its era - 2003 - it was world-beating.
You play as an anonymous character that awakens onboard a Republic ship under attack. With no memories of your past life, you forge an identity and eventually learn to use the Force through the Jedi.
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This being a list of baddies, you eventually learn that you’re Revan, the dark lord of the Sith. Malak, the main protagonist, was once your apprentice. Now you have to take him down - and it’s entirely up to you if you defeat the Sith or make them more powerful than ever before.
The story’s incredible here, and it fits nicely on my list because, no matter your choices, you’re still Revan. You would still have been the bad guy if you had known who you were. And some of those dark side powers were brutally effective - Force Death Field, anybody?
3Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005)
Protect The Jedi, Betray Them, Then Betray Everyone
Star Wars Battlefront II
Ah, what a nostalgic game. When I was growing up, this wasone of the best games on the PlayStation 2and probably the ultimate thing all my friends wanted to do after school. That could be partly because of its dark side campaign.
As a clone trooper in the legendary 501st legion and then a stormtrooper, you’ll be tasked with carrying out Order 66, massacring the Jedi and anyone who tries to help them. The same Jedi you fight alongside in the first missions.
There is, however, a sort of continuing tragedy. You’re a nameless and almost valueless cog in Palestine’s game and the Empire’s war machine. Nowhere is that more evident than in Mission 3 on Kamino, ‘Changing of the Guard’, where you’re sent in to kill rebels of your own kind.
This isn’t a story of moral dilemmas. It actually fits right in with the story of the clones in Star Wars. It’s just about following orders, and those orders happen to be from bad people. “Good soldiers follow orders,” after all.
2Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II
You Have The Power To Do Anything
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords
I absolutely loveKnights of the Old Republic II(or ‘KOTOR II’). If the first installment makes you feel like the ultimate conqueror, this one’s more twisted, broken, and mind-game-y.
You’re the Exile, a Jedi who has chosen to cut themselves off from the Force. Now, you’re dragged back into embracing your powers through a series of past choices - some yours, some made by others.
This game belongs on a list of baddies because you actuallystartwith blood on your hands. And with the philosophically treacherous Kreia whispering in your ear, the line between saving and manipulating fast disappears into whatever best services your interest.
Now, you can still make light side choices. However, the darkness is much more tempting here. Your use of the dark side isn’t emotionally charged like most Sith - it’s cold and personal. Rather than seeking power, you’re questioning whether the Force itself deserves to exist.
That’s the most ‘bad guy’ thing ever.
1Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
The Ultimate Dark Side Power Fantasy
Star Wars Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed- or justForce Unleashedto most of us - is exactly what it says on the tin. A theatrically dramatic power fantasy that takes the laws of physics and crushes them to pieces faster than that Imperial Star Destroyer.
You play as Galen Marek, the son of a Jedi,a character otherwise unheard ofinStar Warslore. Darth Vader defeats and executes his father and then kidnaps the toddler to train him in secret, keeping him hidden from everyone else, even the Imperials and the Emperor. Thus, he becomes Darth Vader’s secret apprentice.
You embark on a series of Jedi-killing missions, gradually upping your Force powers until they reach insane levels. At the peak, Galen has no problem defeating seasoned Jedi masters.
And then, he develops a love interest - his pilot, Juno Eclipse. After being discovered by Palpatine, Vader betrays Galen and leaves him for dead. He also manipulates him into forming the Rebel Alliance. Suddenly, the dark side isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
In the light-side ending (the ‘official’ end, even if it isn’t canon), Galen sacrifices himself for his friends, becoming the ultimate example of the light side of the Force. (There’s also the interestingUltimate Sith Edition, but that’s an alternate finishing point for another time.)
