When Far Cry 6 releases in February 2021, it will be the latest addition to a series that has been in the works for 14 years. Including several main entries, spin-offs, and DLCs, Far Cry is a franchise that many like to love or love to hate. Arguably, however, its strongest trait has been its interesting, compelling, and powerful villains.
Far Cry 3‘s Vaas set a model that many thereafter would follow, practically since the moment he asked Brody, “did I ever tell you the definition of insanity?” Far Cry 4‘s Pagan Min and Far Cry 5‘s Joseph Seed would be cut from the same cloth, although Min’s cruelty was tempered with his flamboyancy and Seed’s was derived from a religious standpoint. Come Far Cry New Dawn, this formula was thrown out the window.
Far Cry New Dawn players may have had some gripes with the game, which is technically both a spin-off and a direct sequel to Far Cry 5. Taking on a new role post-The Collapse, players are able to see how Joseph Seed’s prophecies in the original eventually play out. The premise alone is interesting, but it dropped the ball in a few places. For example, many were upset about how it abandoned Far Cry 5‘s weapon customization system and the game’s inherent narrative dissonance, while others found the gameplay and chaotic fun factor charming. This resulted in its mostly mixed-to-positive reception, but there is one place that many agree it fell completely short of its predecessors.
Mickey and Lou were the new antagonists, characters who were doomed since day one to compare to previous antagonists. The problem is that, for all intents and purposes, the two characters take an “evil for evil’s sake” approach to the narrative, which no character before had. For example, while Vaas was truly demented, there is a complex story of his fall from the Rakyat, the corrupting nature of his sister Citra, and his rise under Volk’s empire. His acts of evil were often so easily complimented by his sheer charisma that it would force laughter, not any sort of negative emotion.
Far Cry 4‘s Pagan Min wasn’t as over the top in the same manner as Vaas, but his brutal rule as dictator came with a surprising twist: he had been preparing the country for protagonist Ajay. Depending on which side of the Golden Path Ajay outlines, it dictates the future of the country, but personally, the best ending leads Ajay to the very reason he came to Kryat: his mother’s shrine. On the other end of the spectrum, Joseph Seed did a lot wrong but in believing he was right—which he was. Joseph has to live with the consequences of his actions after the Collapse, but it is a satisfying character arc from insane cult leader to failed prophet.
However, Mickey and Lou never show the same levels of depths. They killed their father, and they love each other. That is Mickey and Lou’s entire character arc, as they lead the Highwaymen (which is sadly EXACTLY what it implies) in pillaging, looting, raiding, and more heinous actions for no other reason than they can. There is a inkling of a story about their mother, although it may as well not exist in the grand scheme of things, and the simple truth is this: Far Cry New Dawn‘s antagonists couldn’t hold a candle to Vaas, Pagan Min, or Joseph Seed on their best day.
Now, it’s worth addressing the elephant in the room here: Far Cry New Dawn is out, but Far Cry 6 is not. Because of this, it’s entirely possible that Anton fails to live up to expectations, as anything is possible. However, looks into Anton’s mindset, his relationship with his son Diego, and his home country of Yara, it’s clear that Anton has loftier ambitions than “evil for evil’s sake.” Played by Giancarlo Esposito, Anton is a brutal dictator who is trying to teach his son, who appears more than opposed to the idea, how to rule with an iron fist.
It’s not for his ego, however, or that’s how he paints it at least. Anton wants the best for his country and wants Yara to rise above many limitations set against it, but he believes that he is the one capable of directing Yara in the right direction. At the same time, Mickey and Lou just wanted to do what they want when they wanted. The depth here is astoundingly different, and while the execution thereof in Far Cry 6 is highly important, the very premise alone seems that Ubi set out with the goal of creating a villain unlike Mickey and Lou.
Far Cry 6 releases on February 18, 2021, on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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