Is Irenicus a good villain?

[Atlantico]

You should brofist his first post. OH WAIT.

Irenicus was a badass when i was a teenager, now i think of him as a cliché/emo/mad/wizard.

His only post, retard.

 

[Dux]

If you think about the big picture, Jon Irenicus probably is one of the best of a bad bunch, as far as RPG villains are concerned. Rarely do you get to battle a worthy villain with actual depth and dimension. Jon wasn't just a mad bastard who wanted to take over the world for that sole reason. He was an exile who basically destroyed his own identity in order to distance himself from his past self. He dabbled in matters most people couldn't even begin to fathom. The whole thing about trying to tap into another's divine essence - like a parasite - through direct and indirect means in order to gain power is a refreshing take, in my opinion. Jon Irenicus isn't great but he is voiced by David Warner. So, there's that. How bad could Jon ever have been with a voice like that? Despite Beamdog's best efforts, Jon remains one of my favourite villains - if only because his methods aren't overt and he still remains somewhat mysterious to me. It doesn't really carry the whole way but BGII would be so much poorer without him.

That said, I still prefer Sarevok. He's just unabashedly old-school and awesome. He is the antithesis of Jon Irenicus, being a brutal and single-minded foe. Being voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson doesn't hurt, either.

 

[Theldaran]

Despite Beamdog's best efforts,

People generally consider the Batman movie with Bane in it good, and him a good villain. I find both BGs' villains to be alike to Bane, fine criminal masterminds. In truth, BG is much like Batman, with an (otherwise weak) evil path included.

 

[hell bovine]

Rarely do you get to battle a worthy villain with actual depth and dimension.

Unfortunately he has an annoying tendency to run from said battles, which ruined the character for me. At least Sarevok does it only once and you get to pursuit him shortly after.
(Which is why my favorite villain of the series is Firkraag. His plot might be simple, but it works, and fits his character perfectly; combining revenge with personal amusement at the suffering of others. And you get to kill a bunch of paladins. :D)

 

[hoverdog]

Jon Irenicus isn't great but he is voiced by Krzysztof Kolberger.

 

[Hobo Elf]

Irenicus who?

 

[prodigydancer]

I think people who deride Irenicus, take him out of context. Within the context of the FR and specifically the Sword Coast (i.e. plain tolkienesque high fantasy) Jon Irenicus is a great antagonist. He's arrogant, charismatic and uncompromising. His pride is his downfall - as it should be in heroic fantasy. He scores additional points for successfully continuing the "obsession with godhood" theme from BG1 without being yet another Bhaalspawn.