Facebook – Top 100 FAVORITE Video Games: “Just Us Justice Ducks”

So, this is a list of my top 10 protagonist characters. Its simply a list of the people that you have in your party, are the lead characters in their respective games, or the person you play as the most. In my experience, a good game can only be carried by a strong, interesting character. The following 10 folks are – in my opinion, anyhow – the best of the best in regards to character development, involvement in the plot, and joy to play as. So, here we go.

Top 10 Protagonists in Video Games:

10: Ramza (Final Fantasy Tactics)

tiny head, big heart

I love this guy for two reason: first, he’s so dedicated to his quest. By this, I mean he’s got a clear drive and focus, despite the overwhelming things in his path. Second, he’s so nobble about it all. His reasons are his own, but they are not selfish. He’s a great example of a hero who puts his interests before nothing, letting his mission determine his actions, not his heart. This is not to say, of course, that his heart isn’t in it, though.

9: Duke Nukem (most notably Duke 3D)

i’ve got balls balls balls balls balls. balls balls. balls of steel.

Yes yes, he’s nothing but an amalgamation of witty one-liners and male bravado, but that is what makes him what he is: a great action hero. Think about Duke Nukem 3D and how many action films the game rips off. The thing that makes that game so great is Duke’s unflinching bloodlust and ability to quip at just the right moment. Every time you blow someone up to the sound of a “Daaaamn!” is a great moment in the game, and it happens all the damn time. A silent protagonist wouldn’t work and having too much to say or do outside of shooting things bogs down the experience. Duke’s ego and sense of indestructibility make him a great character to shoot monsters through.

8: Commander Shepard (Mass Effect series)

i’m commander shepard and this is my favorite picture on this list

Yes, its true that the man (or woman… Rachel) can be anyone you want, but one thing remains true: Shepard is a goddamned hero, through and through. Some criticize the fact that, no matter what side you pick (Renegade/Paragon), you end up saving the galaxy. Why is that a bad thing? I really like that the universe is in such peril that we look to someone that can handle things for salvation, regardless of his/her moral standing. Sure, Shep can be a regular dick, but he gets the job done every time. The Reapers might be coming weeks or months or years from now, but here’s someone who is shooting us now to get what he/she wants. No bother, though, because he’s/she’s going to stop those evil machines.

7: Samus (Metroid series)

quote from metroid 2: “………..”

Its easy to disregard Samus as a nothing character with little-to-no real development, and that’s (half) fair, I suppose. Not counting her expository dialogue in Metroid Fusion or the new voice work for the character in Other M, Samus has only really been described in game manuals (referred to as male the first time out). So, why the place on this list, then? She’s a thrill to play as. Her story lacks depth during the first decades of her narrative, but that doesn’t matter as much, because you know she stands for justice, and does so with a ton of ass-kicking awesomeness. Her adventures are always breathtaking and full of excitement and, in an action-exploration game, all you need is motivation to get from A-to-B, and Samus provides.

6: John Marston (Red Dead Redemption)

after shooting a saddled horse: “sometimes i feel like a sad, lonely man…”

The biggest surprise in gaming this year was how great John Marston was to get to know. What a damn treat. The uneducated-but-seemingly-educated language, the smug attitude toward people, the high morals he had regarding prostitutes, and his devotion to his family are so well broadcast through the game its kinda ridiculous, but awesome. Saying hilarious things all the time doesn’t make a character stand out, but saying interesting things and having reason behind his actions goes that distance, and John’s character development throughout the course of the game goes from awesome to more awesome as you progress and get him closer to saving his family. His dark past, which is only hinted at, comes through loud and clear as he hunts down his former brothers-in-arms, and the pain he feels for his actions does, too.

5: Zack Fair (FFVII – and Crisis Core)

lvl 10 sword of compensation

A throwaway character whose only real point of existing is to provide some light reason and backstory for Cloud to be who he is, Zack has come through as being twice as interesting as his “legacy” in the end. By the time you’ve finished Crisis Core, you stop caring about Cloud’s “love” for Aeris, his need for answers, or his vendetta against Sephiroth. All of that is useless in comparison to the trials and tribulations Zack has to overcome. Square managed to squeeze more tears out of me with the FFVII franchise by having the end of the game take place with an honest to God action sequence, rather than be fully played out in cinematics. While his interactions with the cast in the main game, his involvement in the sequel film, and development everywhere else is limited, Zack has become a character that is starting to be more loved than he really should, considering his origins.

4: Leon S. Kennedy (Resident Evil 2/4)

don’t know why i picked this one. oh, no, i do: because its awesome

Chris and Jill suck in comparison to Leon in Resident Evil 2. No one cares about Claire, either. Everyone loves Leon. That’s why his games are the best in the series, because even the makers over at Capcom know who the favorite is: Leon. A devoted action hero and just tough-as-nails and all hell, too boot, Leon comes across as human in an inhuman world. Unlike Chris in Resident Evil 5, he’s not strong enough punch boulders out of the way and he can’t pull of a mini skirt like Jill. He has no involvement with series baddie Wesker, and really was in on the whole thing due to bad timing on his part. But the fact remains that this everyman in the RE universe takes the prize as far as coolest and most awesome characters go. Also, that stupid gangster costume in Resident Evil 4 makes him look totally badass.

3: Harry Mason (Silent Hill)

a man with a mission… and a pipe

The primary reason this guy is so damn high on this list is because of one thing: he isn’t a hero. He’s just a father looking for his daughter amongst the fog and sirens of Silent Hill. He has no experience fighting anything, let alone giant, leathery beasts. He has no idea how to aim a gun properly. He has no ability to comprehend the things that are happening around him. No, he’s just a man who is dealing with supernatural bullshit by the bucket load while he hunts down his daughter. He ends up solving a ton of problems, causing a few others, but all in the name of fatherly love. When all is said and done, and he retires to his home and is murdered before his daughter can save him (in Silent Hill 3), you get to know more about the man through the notes he’d left behind. His tragic story will never be forgotten by me. RIP, man. RIP.

2: Solid Snake (Metal Gear franchise)

“eeeenghgn”

I had a whole paragraph about him written, about how he takes a ton of shit (and not just from missiles and bullets and cyborg ninjas and the like) but that he has to deal with all the backstabbing, lying, cheating, double and triple and quadruple-crossing and overall general dickery that surrounds him and fills every game in the franchise. The fact that he does all this stuff is amazing and he just keeps going – even as an old man – proving his is mostly unstoppable. Having said that, the previous attempt at this paragraph was much better, but it got deleted in an accident and I don’t remember what I’d said so, here is this, instead.

1: Vivi Ornitier (Final Fantasy IX)

orko’s cousin

Vivi is the best protagonist in video game history for two reason. First, he’s just so damn charming! You never hate the guy or disagree with his stance on anything. He’s just a delightful little guy with a big ol’ heart that is always always always in the right place. The second reason he’s so damn great, though, is because he’s the most useful character in any FF game, period. Yes, yes, it would be fair to argue this point, but you’d be oh so wrong. His magic is destructive, his bonus abilities (like imbuing swords with magic power!) are awesome, and his limit only makes him twice as powerful with half the cost. If well utilized and cared for, the little bastard is the most powerful black mage in FF history, let alone the most powerful character to grace any title. Stack the little guy against any RPG character, actually, and I’ll just call you an idiot for thinking – for a moment – that Vivi would lose. You fool.

Honorable Mention: Ziggy (Xenosaga series)

(david bowie/ziggy stardust joke)

Why not KOS-MOS? While a great character to have on your party, she’s not that interesting a character. Not like Ziggy, here. He’s tough as nails and has no reason to be emotionally attached to anything, but his sense of justice wins out every time (being a former officer of the law) and he feels strongly toward helping right the wrongs of the series’ plot. His past is deeply troubling, his desire to die (after centuries, I believe, of living in cyber-hell every day) is tragic, and his love for Momo is heartwarming. He just wants to be human or be dead, but can’t accomplish either thing. His tale is a true drama.

 

 

 

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Who are YOUR favorite guys and girls that lead the fight for truth, justice, and overall good? Sound off, yo!

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Added April 11, 2017
I’d have to seriously spend some time thinking about it, but I wonder what my list would like, these days. Definitely no Ziggy in the HM spot, that’s for damn sure.
In the comments I say I used an image of Shep with no face to display the genderless quality of the character’s role, but I couldn’t find it – so instead I just used one with the default Male and Female models.