Summary
Any good story needs aheroto lead it and represent all that’s right in the world. Regardless of the plot, heroes are always the narrative element that makes a tale exciting, as they’re usually brave, selfless, and very able in combat. But what happens when the leading character in a game, who’s supposed to be the hero, isn’t the typical “good guy” everyone thinks of?
In some games,the line between a hero and a villain is extremely thin, leaving players to wonder whether the character they’re controlling is actually a good individual, or if they were wrong about them. An ambiguous moral compass is often what makes a game or a franchise’s leading character interesting. Here are some of thebest games featuring non-traditional hero archetypes.
Released in 2015,Undertaletells the story of a child named Frisk who falls into a secluded magical area under the surface of the Earth known as the Underground. As the child tries to emerge to the surface, they will encounter different enemies and obstacles that they’ll have to overcome. What makesUndertalea perfect addition to this list is that there are multiple endings to the game, each unlocked through different actions.
If players decide not to kill any monsters throughout the game and instead opt for non-violent approaches, they will get the True Pacifist ending. This ending does follow the archetypical idea of a hero, but other endings don’t. The Genocide ending, for example, is unlocked when players decide tokill everything that moveswithout giving the value of life a second thought. For the closest approach to a non-traditional hero, players should choose the Neutral Route, which is unlocked when Frisk does kill monsters, but only out of necessity and self-defense.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrificetells the amazing story of a Celt woman who travels to Helheim in hopes of reviving her murdered lover, Dillion. The game not only features a wonderful and immersive narrative, challenging puzzles, and spine-chilling moments, but also a constant state of psychosis going on inside Senua’s mind. In fact, the developers recommend playing the game with headphones on to get the full experience and hear Senua’s head voices more realistically.
While there’s absolutely no shame in suffering from a mental illness, it’s a sad truth that most heroes are almost never portrayed with a psychological condition, which makes Senua an exception to the rule. Unlike most heroes, her actions are completely selfish and not for the greater good. However, she’s still a heroine for facing all the horrors she encounters and pushing forward regardless. Even when she’s fighting a losing battle, she refuses to give up, and if that’s not a heroine’s quality, it’s hard to say what is.
Dishonoredis a masterpiece in every sense of the word. It has an obscure theme, a unique art style, a story of wrongful conviction for a crime, and lots of combat and supernatural powers. Once the bodyguard for Empress Jessamine Kaldwin, Corvo finds himself a fugitive within the first few minutes of the game after being blamed for an infamous murder. LikeUndertale, this title offers players the chance to complete each level in any way they prefer, and their actions will determine the ending they get.
While it’s possible to finishDishonoredwithout killing anyone, players will often find it very difficult to complete a level without being detected. If players only kill when necessary, and spare every life they can, Corvo will remain a hero, even if he doesn’t fit into the traditional hero archetype due to having shed blood. Players should avoid shedding more blood than necessary throughout their playthrough. Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because, otherwise, the last level of the game will be much more difficult due to a betrayal from the person they least expect.
The world whereThe Last of Usis set leaves almost no space for heroes. Everyone’s looking out for themselves as they attempt to survive and lead a nightmarish life surrounded by humans-turned-monsters, raiders, and other dangers. That said, even in such a bleak scenario, there are often glimpses of heroism and selflessness within many individuals, and one of them is Joel Miller. Devastated by the loss of his daughter, Joel is understandably not the man he was before the infections started; however, his fatherly love can still be seen sometimes as he watches over Ellie.
And while there’s nothing wrong with Joel looking out for the closest thing he’ll ever have to an adoptive daughter, throughout the game he makes many questionable decisions that are even selfish in nature just to protect her. Joel is a hero because he cares about Ellie and the innocent; however, some of his actions are self-centered, making him someone with an ambiguous moral compass, which isn’t something an archetypical hero would have.
Lastly, there’s Kratos, the Ghost of Sparta, the bane of Olympus.God of War (2018), introduced longtime fans to a much older Kratos, who once more has become a family man. Having moved away from Olympus and relocated to Midgard, he and his son, Atreus, are in the middle of mourning a significant loss in their lives, when suddenly, they’re attacked by none other than the god Baldur. This unleashes a series of events that culminate with Kratos proving that, despite the white hairs in his beard, he’s still a force to be reckoned with.
Although Kratos preaches self-control to Atreus throughout most of the story, there are a few times when he lets his Spartan Rage loose, giving players a glimpse of his former self. This alone would be enough to justify him not making this list, as the Kratos from Ancient Greece was cruel and sadistic. That said, the older Kratos is much more deserving of the title of hero, as he only kills when it’s necessary, and almost strictly in self-defense. Not to mention that he does everything in his power to raise Atreus to be a better man than he was.
