Hero Worship - 16 of the Greatest Heroes in Gaming
What makes a hero? Perhaps no one quite summed it up better than '80s Welsh singer Bonnie Taylor in her celebrated power ballad when she noted: "He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast, and he's gotta be fresh from the fight." Of course, when it comes to gaming's most iconic characters, you might also add "gotta be larger than life," considering the sheer number of guys and gals who have to save the universe, or themselves, from threats the likes of which this world (and often others) have seldom seen. So while we often take time out to celebrate the best new video games, we thought we'd also take a moment to celebrate the individuals who light up the gaming world — each a star in their own right. After all, if it wasn't for the efforts of all the MVPs below, who knows?, we could all be working for alien overlords, bowing down before Orc kings, or busy being hung by our toes somewhere around the third level of Hell at this point.
William Joseph "B.J." Blazkowicz (Wolfenstein series)
Captain Blazkowicz is arguably the "first" first-person shooter character, an American soldier who works for the Office of Secret Actions. During his career, he took part in numerous missions across Europe and was often lured back — or seemingly brought back — to Wolfenstein Castle, a setting which played home to some of hardcore gaming's most unforgettable moments. It was in this fortress that the world was first introduced to both the wise-cracking Blazkowicz (a one-man army who seemingly lives to kick Nazis in their wiener schnitzel) and the FPS genre. But we don't just love the guy because he digs socking it to the Third Reich. We also love him because he never gets sick of giving Hitler's henchmen a coronary: the dude's literally stopped at least seven games' worth of secret plots — enough to fill an entire season's worth of conspiracy-laden, late-night World War II documentaries. What can we say, BJ: thanks for the memories!
Duke Nukem (Duke Nukem series)
The closest thing to royalty that gaming gets, the "Duke of Destruction" (a cigar-chomping answer to '80s action heroes) never ceases to amaze with both his over-the-top approach to ripping adversaries a new one, and gloriously off-color one-liners. Rocking enough guns, bombs, and testosterone at any given time to make Gov. Schwarzenegger blush, you might not realize that he began his adventures as a side-scrolling hero back in gaming's halcyon days. (Seriously: once upon a time it was the dude's job to gather power-ups to get pumped up as he sought to find and defeat the evil Dr. Proton.) But in 1996, he went three-dimensional in Duke Nukem 3D, a watershed moment in first-person shooting history that managed to simultaneously lampoon Hollywood action films and incite controversy for its erotic elements, extreme violence, and endlessly crude remarks. As the game — a favorite amongst players to this day — proved, no one could do it quite like the Duke. A point many were ironically reminded of later on down the road upon discovering it took nearly 15 years to churn out a sequel to the title, which (amusingly) was just about as close to perfect as FPS gaming got to begin with.
Lara Croft (Tomb Raider series)
Who says video game heroes can't pull off the occasional bikini as well? Since her debut in the original Tomb Raider 20 years ago, slinky adventuress Lara Croft has run, jumped, and fought with the best of her male counterparts, capturing millions of players' hearts in the process. More Indiana Jones than Howard Carter (the guy who found King Tut) — apart from being a British aristocrat, of course — she's become a favorite with enthusiasts not just for her endless interactive globetrotting escapades. She's also won legions of fans by making the jump to the big screen in several popular films, and survived countless adventures in a number of media (comics, graphic novels, etc.) over the course of two decades. Amusingly, she also bears the distinct honor of making archery cool long before the world ever knew of The Hunger Games— you've got to give the lady props for style!
Marcus Fenix (Gears of War series)
Built more like a football player than a soldier, Fenix is your average, everyday archetypal badass bad boy who plays by his own rules, but yet knows the meaning of loyalty and honor. (Who knows, must be something they teach at virtual prep school...) Though he is as good with a chainsaw as a gun, you may find it amusing to note that Fenix actually wasn't destined to lead. It's only when his commanding officer is cut down in action that this hero stepped up and took decisive action to save humanity from an alien threat. The way he chose to do so? Mostly by plugging foes in the cranium with heavy artillery, or brutally carving them in half, much to the unabashed delight of millions of players.
Manny Calavera (Grim Fandango)
Being a travel agent in the Department of Death isn't an easy job to have, but Manny Calavera played it cool — not that he really had much of a choice. And the guy come off looking sharp thanks not only to his dry wit and white tuxedo, but also to the fact that he was the first adventure game hero to utilize 3D computer graphics overlaid on prerendered, static backgrounds. (As opposed to the typical 2D characters so commonly seen throughout genre hits from the prior two decades.) You've got to give the guy props as well for how he rolls: play the game, and you'll quickly discover it takes a special sort to star in an interactive tale that's more about saving a soul than saving the world. Deep, man!
Gordon Freeman (Half-Life series)
Action game heroes don't typically have a PhD from MIT, but Gordon Freeman isn't your ordinary gaming protagonist. He was the strong silent type — at least in that he never uttered a single word in the Half-Life saga. And while the guy didn't get to use his brainpower much, he was the everyman hero who always rose to the occasion. That's right: Freeman could take on aliens, mutants, and even a special team from the USMC, and be the last man standing every time. Saving the world single-handedly, hmm... Not bad for an Ivy League grad with horn-rimmed glasses.
Master Chief (Halo series)
He's no officer and he certainly is no gentleman, but Master Chief has long been Earth's last best hope for survival — and the alien Covenant invaders' worst nightmare. As the star of the popular sci-fi FPS Halo series, this guy deserves some respect: he's a man of few words and yet somehow always remains calm under pressure (energy-sword-wielding rampages notwithstanding). After all, how else could the dude have all but stopped a hostile alien invasion solo, and survived a fall from orbit? As comfortable behind a machine gun as in a jeep, spaceship, or floating tank, he's definitely someone you'll want on your side when the chips are down. Doubly so, because our main man Master Chief is packing a couple of extra plasma grenades — you should see what they do to opponents in the franchise's famed multiplayer match-ups.
Guybrush Threepwood (Monkey Island series)
Some heroes get better with age, and Guybrush (star of the legendary Monkey Island titles, among PC gaming's most hilarious and critically acclaimed adventures) clearly ranks among them. The more so because, as the series progresses, the guy goes from teenage ne'er-do-well slacker to 20-something buccaneer with cutting wit right before your eyes. As the central hero of one of the industry's biggest cult favorite franchises, it's no surprise that the guy gets the girl, he gets cursed, he gets revenge — and he'll get loads of laughs out of you along the way. Step into his shoes, and who knows?, you might have so much fun you forget how infuriatingly obtuse some of the puzzles that he's often asked to solve can be.
Maximus VIII Hero Alpha (Republic of Gamers)
Hero Alpha has been a pivotal character in the Republic of Gamers series which is celebrating its tenth season. Each and every generation, the ROG Maximus Hero annihilates the competition. Thanks to his intimidating armor which gets upgraded with every iteration (and added lighting this time), and being armed to the teeth for domination. Despite the onslaught of adversaries all fighting for supremacy, Hero Alpha is the quiet, dark type that everybody knows they can rely on to kick some serious ass, and there's an aura about him that makes people around him feel warm and confident. If anyone is in need, Hero Alpha can save the day. Some of his super abilities are: being omnipresent (can be found all around the world), power up and rise to the occasion (a.k.a. Overclocking), and insanely fast telepathy-like communication (whether jacked in via ethernet or without by using ac WiFi). You find out more here.
Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid series)
Few people, apart from veteran hockey players and washed up rock stars, can rock a mullet like secret agent Solid Snake — and he's about the only one among them that can also pull off a skintight cat suit. With an IQ of 180 and the ability to speak six languages, the star of many aMetal Gear Solid stealth adventure is a light-footed killing machine known for using furtiveness and cunning to take down foes instead of direct brute force. A former Green Beret and special ops infiltrator, you'll typically find him hiding behind boxes, knocking off adversaries, or sneaking through patches of shadow trying to take down armed guards or nuclear missile–equipped mechs. For a lone wolf, he's also surprisingly emotional as well: a loner with heart, he often stars in some of the lengthiest and most confusing gaming cutscenes you'll ever catch. It's all part of the grizzled veteran's cult appeal.
Frank West (Dead Rising)
Anyone can blow the festering, half-attached head of a zombie off with a .44 Magnum, but Frank West gets props as well for shooting them with a camera. Blame it on dumb luck: when the freelance photojournalist finds himself caught in the middle of an undead apocalypse while investigating strange events in small town America, anything goes. Surrounded by a horde of slavering cadavers, this guy's not afraid to get the scoop, or to get his hands dirty — you'll find it's a good thing he's not above grabbing anything that comes to hand and using it as a weapon as well. From braining baddies with baseball bats to flinging tables at them or madly flailing away with an axe, well...if you're looking to invent all sorts of insane ways to wail on the walking dead, you'll want to make Frank your go-to guy.
Link (Legend of Zelda series)
A young adventurer famed for his epic dungeon-crawling escapades, Link's been a favorite with role-playing game fans since his original 1986 Nintendo Entertainment System debut. Credit his sword-wielding skills, penchant for solving puzzles using boomerangs, bombs and more, and ongoing willingness to tackle candy-colored boss monsters the size of small skyscrapers. You can catch him in a variety of fantasy-themed tales for Nintendo systems dating back 30 years — including the just-released The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes for Nintendo 3DS, if you want to catch up with him.
Mario (Super Mario Bros. series)
Originally introduced in 1981's Donkey Kong, but best known for 1987 classic Super Mario Bros., a side-scrolling, platform-hopping adventure extraordinaire, the world's favorite Italian Stallion has been super sized, kart'ed, sent around the world on 3D epics, and so much more. As you may recall, Mario began life as a simple plumber who set out to save a princess from an oversized ape. But along the way he's also been a doctor, an archaeologist, and even president of a toy-making company — as well as making appearances on T-shirts, TV shows, films, cereal boxes, and more. A bona fide icon in the eyes of several generations of gamers, as well as millions of fans, gaming's most recognizable hero is perhaps best known for creating a successful empire for Nintendo and forever changing the way the world looked at interactive entertainment.
Doomguy (Doom series)
Game designer John Romero has gone on record as saying, "There was never a name for the Doom [hero] because it's supposed to be you." We'd be more apt to buy that description if most of us were badass space marines charged with using all sorts of deadly weapons to stop a demonic invasion from laying waste to our reality. (After all, isn't that everyone's typical weekend?) Either way, there's no question the guy gets results. As you'll quickly see if you play any of the groundbreaking first-person shooters in which he stars, he mostly lets bullets do the talking, and a pile of smoking corpses is always the much-appreciated result.
Nathan Drake (Uncharted series)
The hero of the Uncharted series stands out not because he is a hotshot adventurer, but rather because of his everyman style attitude and persona. Play through any one of his treasure-hunting, Hollywood action film–style odyssies and you'll notice that the fortune hunter may stumble while running or only barely make that impossible jump.
However, this doesn't stop him from wielding a pistol or shotgun with the best of them, and cracking jokes at any given situation. Strong-willed, gruff, and yet still human, he's among the most approachable of video game heroes, and the most entertaining — the reason so many fans consistently queue up to join him with each new globetrotting escapade.
Pac-Man (Pac-Man)
Source: Game Rampage
Before there were video games with starring characters, there was Pong, a game featuring two paddles bouncing a ball back and forth on screen. Little, yellow dot-gobbler Pac-Man changed all that forever. He's arguably the first gaming "character" and thus the field's first hero. And while short on dialogue, he always brings a winning attitude to the table, as you can see from that gigantic smile. Besides, you've got to hand it to the guy: he wasn't afraid of no ghosts and — when powered up — didn't hesitate to turn the tables on the specters chasing him through the endless mazes he's always navigating. Even the ladies had to pay their respect, as evidenced by the rapid appearance of a Ms. Pac-Man, one of gaming's first female protagonists, shortly after his debut.
