The Guardian is the final villain of the Ultima series of computer role playing games. He is an extradimensional being that seeks to conquer Britannia and subjugate its people. In Ultima VII, VIII and IX the Guardian was voiced by the actor Bill Johnson.

The Guardian first appeared in Ultima VII: The Black Gate, when he tried to use an organization that he convinced some Britannians to found, called The Fellowship, to create a gate for him to enter. The Avatar discovered the plot and stopped him. The former leader of the fellowship, Batlin, fled to Serpent Isle; the Avatar found and stopped him, but at the cost of the life of his friend, Sir Dupre.

The Guardian's appearance as a dumpy red figure led some Ultima fans to call him a big red muppet. Serpent Isle (1993) also has an alternate (Easter egg) intro where he tells Batlin his face is "most muppet-like". It's uncertain whether the fans came up with the comparison before Serpent Isle's release, or whether it came from the Easter egg.

In Ultima Underworld II, the Guardian created an impregnable dome of Blackrock around Castle British, which the Avatar destroyed, after freeing several worlds from the Guardian's influence. These worlds included:

• The "Prison Tower" - Situated on Fyrna, a world ruled by goblins.
• Killorn Keep - A fortress floating in the sky, situated on a parallel universe opposite to Britannia.
• The Ice Caves of Anodunos - A frozen world littered with the remnants of a civilization destroyed by the Guardian.
• The Scintillus Academy - A mage school, devastated by the Guardian.
• The Tomb of Praecor Loth - A hero from the same world as Killorn Keep, in the world of Rhiannon.
• The World of Talorus - An alien world populated by the enigmatic taloroids and the servile vorz.
• The Pits of Carnage - A prison and duelling arena where the Guardian deposits his foes.
• The Ethereal Void - A strange dreamworld with floating glowing paths and teleports.

In Ultima VIII: Pagan, The Avatar was then banished to the world of Pagan by the Guardian, who had conquered it centuries ago. The Avatar eventually defeated the "Titans", who the Guardian had tricked the inhabitants into creating, but ultimately ended up destroying most of their world. The Avatar became the Titan of Ether and left Pagan. He (the character is now gender-specific) stands on a tall rock formation, dressed in formal clothing, before an enormous statue of the Guardian. Before Ultima IX was released the possibility was discussed that it would be set on the Guardian's homeworld, however it was finally decided that the Avatar went back to Britannia. This has raised eyebrows among Ultima fans regarding the consistency between the games, as the Avatar starts out on Earth in Ultima IX.

In the final game (Ultima IX: Ascension), the Guardian has established himself in Britannia, and the avatar must cleanse the shrines of Virtue and remove the Guardian's influence. In the final version of the game, it is learned that the Guardian and the Avatar are the reverse of one another, the Guardian being created from the less-than-virtuous aspects of the Stranger/Avatar. In the original abandoned version of the plot of Ultima IX (the so-called "Bob White plot"), the Guardian was described as the combination of the Shadowlords from Ultima V. Many fans are unsatisfied with either explanation of the Guardian's origin, because the Guardian strongly seems to be separate from the Avatar, and has demonstrably existed far before the Stranger ascended to Avatarhood in Ultima IV (for instance, a reference to the Guardian is made in Ultima VII part 2's expansion disk Silver Seed, which is set in ancient times).

The Avatar eventually defeated the Guardian with a contained spell of Armageddon, which led to his own ascension and the Guardian's defeat (and in the original plot, Britannia's destruction).

Ultima characters | Computer and video game villains