Think of a player who annoys you, someone who always has something to say when you just want them to be quiet. You're probably picturing Fabian, Alem40, or maybe Ashn. These players have one thing in common: they play the villain role well. They're not bad people, but they're great at being the bad guy, the one who isn't afraid to talk trash or say something outlandish after clutching a round. Every good story needs a villain, and in North American Siege, that seems to be a fading art form.

One issue

If Ashn comes to mind, another name probably does too: JJBlazt, the IGL of FiveFears. He might be the only player who can match Ashn's energy in the lobby. Both players have the villain personality, but neither has the results to back it up, with both teams near the bottom of the NAL rankings.

FiveFears showed more fight after upsetting Wildcard, improving their record over Wildcard in the NAL to 4-2. Afterward, JJ still had the ‘cojones’ to talk trash, saying in his post-game interview:

“I made more majors than half these people this year, I’m awful and made more majors.”

Once FiveFears and M80 find form again, whether that's before the Six Invitational or after, it'll be worth watching who steps back into that role.

The future

First, shoutout to Serx for a strong effort in his first interview. He went a little over the top, so it might be a while before we see him mic'd up again — still, credit where it's due.

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DarkZero, the reigning Major champs, also must be considered. At least for me, one could say they are too 'nice'; courtesy might be a better term. They do lean into the dark side, since it is their ally, but the villain shoe just doesn't seem to fit any of the players on that roster.

A few strong candidates are in the NAL's upper tier. Panbazou, with his underdog run on Cloud9, fits the part well: a player and team that isn't supposed to win but still upsets your favorite squad. Spoit could also lean further into his personality; his 1v1 streams show he's got trash talk in him.

A Former Villain Appears

My safe pick is 100 Thieves, specifically HotanCold. He’s on a team that can win and qualify for events, and he isn’t afraid to talk trash to an opponent’s face, as his brash interview this year showed. After being abruptly dropped from M80 following a poor kickoff event, he stepped in as an emergency sub and helped push Wildcard to a playoff appearance at the Salt Lake City Major. Now there’s a great story in him trying to prove he can still lead a team to an international win, and with an org as big as 100 Thieves, he has the roster and platform to do it.

On Day 6 of groups, HotanCold and 100 Thieves had some bad luck when Kason disconnected in Round 4 and didn’t rejoin until Round 9, with the team down 3-5. They still pulled off the biggest comeback of the stage, forcing overtime and winning 8-7. After the win, we saw more of HotanCold’s villainous side when he taunted FiveFears, poking fun at the scrim drama.

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Who’s next up

For now, the villains of the past are losing chances to get back on stage, while the newcomers are still growing into the role. So, until someone new or old claims it, we'll have to wait and see who North America's next villain will be.