2012 was a year filled with sequels a reboots, but even from this sea of numbered titles there emerged a series of well-realized and compelling characters, many of whom ended up as villains. These were the characters that stood out to us most over the year.

Far Cry 3: Vaas

Just look at those eyes. Michael Mando's performance as Vaas was one that reminded us of Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning Joker in the best of ways, but which dripped with a unique, island-flavored menace all its own. It was this character's savage unpredictability which made him threatening, and that made him all the more memorable.

Assassin's Creed 3: Haytham

What can we say about Haytham without ruining the experience of playing through Assassin's Creed 3's story for the first time? Almost nothing, really. Ubisoft did a great job of hiding the character from the world outside of their own development teams, and the resulting twists and turns concerning him are made all the more satisfying for that fact. Just know that it was Haytham's cadence, his sharp wit and well-toned disregard for all human life which didn't serve him, that made him such a memorable character. And if you haven't played through to the conlucison of the game yet, do so now. Haytham's arc with Connor is one of the more satisfying stories in video games.

Note: Since Ubisoft really couldn't acknowledge Haytham's existence in media, we have no screenshots of him. Have a picture of Connor stalking around with a giant club instead.

Borderlands 2: Handsome Jack

Now here's a guy we just loved to hate. The smarmy, annoying, self-absorbed and ultimately psychotic Handsome Jack was by the end of Borderlands 2 someone who players really just wanted to see dead. And that hatred made the conclusion of the game all the more satisfying to play out.

And the winner is...

Far Cry 3: Vaas!

Vaas was nothing short of a spectacular character, and it was his presence which cemented Far Cry 3 as one of the best shooters in years. Mando's performance has been so acclaimed that the actor has even taking to acting the part on his YouTube channel, and for good reason; games could learn a lot from the way that this menace was written and acted.