There are all kinds of magic users in video games. In this day and age, the average gamer is going to meet mages, warlocks, sorcerers, bards, and witches in the course of their travels. In role-playing games, the player character themselves can also fit into any one of these categories.The Witch, in particular, sometimes gets lost in the spell caster category under wizard or sorcerer. However, what generally makes them stand out is a selection of spells they use, which includes curses and hexes, and some visual signifier like a pointy hat, green skin, or having the typical visage of an old crone. When an evil witch appears in a video game, it often has a compelling story to tell or is notoriously difficult to slay.
7 Gruntilda Winkybunion, Banjo-Kazooie
Usually referred to as Grunty for short, Gruntilda is every inch the stereotypical modern vision of a witch. She acts as the main antagonist for the Banjo-Kazooie franchise and her magic seems without limit, except of course when it comes to the game's protagonist.
Like most respectable witches, Grunty has a cauldron, a few equally evil sisters, and a spellbook. This spellbook is a sentient being she calls Cheato, and even it doesn't like her, so much so that it eventually betrays her and fights for Banjo.
6 Cackletta, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
A fairly new addition to the Mario Brothers collection of antagonists, Cackletta's name is reminiscent of that laugh everyone associates with witches. When she enters her final boss form, Cackletta looks a lot more unconventional, but up until this point she's got the green skin and flowing robes that code her as a witch.
Cackletta is a mysterious character, but one thing clear about the witch is her motives. Cackletta loves beans, so much that she hatched a plan to kidnap the Beanstar using the stolen voice of Princess Peach. Cackletta's powers are mostly just sneaky tricks until the endgame when her true power is revealed.
5 The Ashen Lady, Pathfinder: Wrath Of The Righteous
There are a few witches in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, which isn't a surprise since it's a class in the role-playing game, but only one really evil witch. She's known as the Ashen Lady, and when the player meets her, she's trapped in Baphomet's Ineluctable Prison. There's a document the protagonist can acquire in the labyrinthine jail that describes the Ashen Lady, and beyond the fact that she's a heartless murderer, she seems to have a talent for putting dangerous curses on people.
As it happens in these kinds of games, the player learns this lesson by experience. Even if the character is immune to the curse, it still works enough to alert a monstrous creature to their presence. The power of the Ashen Lady is more in how she manipulates others to do her bidding.
4 The Hag, Baldur's Gate 3
The Hag earned a reputation as one of the hardest bosses from Act One of the latest RPG from the Wizards of the Sword Coast. Her full title is the Wicked Hag of the Bog, and like most scenarios with evil witches in video games, the main character has to make some kind of deal with her before they can beat her, provided she can be beaten at all.
This is the type of witch character that evolves into a boss eventually, but the player has to dodge her spells, curses, hexes, and other powers in order to defeat the Hag. Don't eat anything from the swamp, don't put the mask on, and most importantly, don't let her touch your eye.
3 Chaos Witch Quelaag, Dark Souls
There's a whole brood of evil witches in Dark Souls and their appearance reveals the depth of their malice. Chaos Witch Quelaag's mother, the Witch of Izalith, appears in the lore but not in the games other than to deliver some expository dialogue, otherwise, her name might be here instead.
Quelaag, like her sister, The White Lady, who also appears in Dark Souls, has suffered a horrible mutation that has caused her body to be fused with a giant spider. The effect of this union is both fascinating and gruesome. Not only does she have all the powers of a witch but also of a massive arachnid.
2 The Witch Of Hemwick, Bloodborne
In case you're wondering, that's her eyeball collection, not something that's growing out of her or some kind of familiar.
The Witch of Hemwick is every eyelash as creepy and evil as she looks, and although she's one of Bloodborne's optional bosses it's not recommended that players skip confronting her, lest they miss out on some handy items and extra abilities.
There are actually two witches the player has to fight when it's time for the boss battle, and one has to go down before the other. Once the player has that mechanic figured out it's a lot easier to defeat her and loot her cellar for a trove of enchanted witchy goodness.
1 Baba Yaga, Quest For Glory
The witch who has the longest history, both in the gaming universe and the real world, Baba Yaga is often invoked as the most powerful of her class. Her appearance in the franchise Quest for Glory could be good or bad, but it was always dangerous.
Thankfully, Baba Yaga never appears in these games as a boss because the player could never defeat her. Instead, she's part of the adventure, sending the Hero on timed fetch quests or making deals with them to move the storyline along. She's become a fan favorite in Quest For Glory and every time she appears, it's something different, but she's always an evil witch.