Top Ten Replacement Protagonists

This is something new that I'm going to try. Maybe it will become a regular thing.

Often, a successful game is given a sequel. Usually, that sequel continues the first game's story. But sometimes that requires a new protagonist. Many of these characters are hated, but some are loved. For what it's worth, here are my personal Top Ten Replacement Protagonists.

Number 10: Malcolm Somerset (7 Days a Skeptic)
Trilby, Trilby, Trilby. 5 Days a Stranger introduced us to this gentleman thief who found himself in a classic horror setup. The sequel, 7 Days s Skeptic, however, gives us Doctor Malcolm Somerset, the psychologist on a spaceship several hundred years in the future. While Malcolm himself is a rather shallow character, he did give us a rather unintentionally funny line, which has become a minor meme:
"I JUST WANTED TO GO INTO SPAAAAAAAAACE!!"
And good times were had by all.

Number 9: Leon Kennedy (Resident Evil 2)
Don't get me wrong. I don't dislike Chris or Jill at all. But giving Chris two fewer inventory slots in a game filled with item-based puzzles gave those of us who prefer male characters a harder time playing the game. Resident Evil 2's Leon Kennedy, however, didn't have that problem. Plus, Leon reappeared in 4, and we all know what a great game that was.

Number 8: Ezio Auditore da Firenze (Assassin's Creed II)
I love you, Altair, I really do. But Ezio is just a far more detailed character. Assassin's Creed II shows us his slow shift from innocent young man to vengeful assassin, and we really get to know the guy over the course of the game. This kind of depth created one of the best characters ever to grace an action game.

Number 7: Haseo (.hack//G.U.)
Haseo is perhaps my favorite Jerk-with-a-Heart-of-Gold of all time. Much of his development is, admittedly, not in the games themselves, but in the tie-in anime, .hack//ROOTS. But after both watching the anime and playing the three games, one can look at the full story of Haseo's experience in "The World." They paint a rather detailed picture of the boy's rise, fall, and redemption. We get to see him start off as a kind, naive teen, spiral down into madness after losing everything, and then return from that madness, stronger than ever.
For all that Kite was a fun guy, Haseo has a lot more depth and development to him.

Number 6: Roxas (Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days)
358/2 Days is an interesting case. It starts off with a very happy, feel-good plot, but then it falls and finishes with one of the most tragic endings I've ever seen in a game. Simply getting to know Roxas makes the tragedy all the more pronounced. With the ability to read his journal, and know his innermost thoughts, I found that I came to understand him far more than Sora himself.

Number 5: Trevor Belmont (Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse)
While I don't much care for Trevor himself, I can't deny his importance to the Castlevania series as a whole. It was the switch from previous hero Simon to his ancestor Trevor in III that started the detailed series timeline that spans over a millennium. By changing protagonists between games, Castlevania was able to innovate and evolve, creating some fantastic gameplay features, such as Soma's Tactical Souls or Shanoa's Glyphs. We have Trevor to thank for that.

Number 4: Adell (Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories)
It's tough to beat Disgaea protagonist Laharl as a character. He's a kindhearted demon prince who wants nothing more than to be the most evil bastard ever, and he fights his way through Hell, Earth, and Heaven to do so. He's awesome. Adell somehow managed to be a worthy follow-up. Why? Let me put it this way:
Adell is, in fact, a damned genius. So why is he more concerned with honor than acting smart? He doesn't act stupid to be crafty; he just thinks it's more fun to solve problems with his fists. I don't know about you, bit I think that's hilarious.

Number 3: Nero (Devil May Cry 4)
Dante is a fun, great character (which is why his re-imagining by Ninja Theory pisses me off so much). But Nero is just so much more admirable. The boy's entire motivation is to protect his childhood friend cum love interest, Kyrie. Nero fights his way through a city filled with demons. He gets stabbed, shot, beaten, and otherwise brutalized. He punches out a physical god. All to save her. That is dedication to one's love. And that is impossible to resent.
The demonic arm doesn't hurt, either.

Number 2: Raiden (Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty)
I know I'm going to get a lot of hate for this, but hear me out. The only reason that no one liked Raiden is that they never gave him a chance. No, he isn't Snake, but he isn't supposed to be. Sure, he starts out playing just like our main hero, but that changes later. Once Raiden gets his hand on his sword later in the game, the entire gameplay style changes. The overarching theme is Raiden finding his own identity, and tying that into the gameplay was a brilliant move. Snake is great and all, but Raiden has his own special place in my heart.

And the Number 1 Replacement Protagonist: James Sunderland (Silent Hill 2)
I don't think I need to explain my reasoning for this here, but I will anyway.
Silent Hill introduced us to Harry Mason, an everyman who went to extraordinary lengths to save his daughter. Admirable in the manner of Nero, above. But the sequel shifts its focus to James, a tragic hero with a dark history, and numerous psychological problems. Through the game, we get to live his denial and psychosis. This is the kind of thing that great horror is made of: psychology.
Peeling back not only the layers of illusion created by the town itself, but James' delusion as well, to find the truth, creates a very compelling narrative. And as any fan of Silent Hill 2 will tell you, the narrative is where the game truly shines. James is complex, tragic, and most of all, believable: we all have our demons to deal with. But it takes a special kind of inner turmoil that brings those demons to life, and that is what makes James number one on this list.

I hope you enjoyed this Top Ten, and maybe the next time your favorite series is given a new hero, you'll be more inclined to give him a chance.

--Kotaro

Guinness World Records' Top 50 Game Characters: A Rebuttal

Here's Guinness' list and my thoughts on it:

• 1. Mario (Donkey Kong, Nintendo, 1981)
• Mario really isn't much of a character. He's just bland. Luigi has more personality!
• 2. Link (The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, 1986)
• A Silent Protagonist does not an interesting character make.
• 3. Master Chief (Halo: Combat Evolved, Microsoft, 2001)
• No. Just no. My deep-seated hatred of all things Halo is well-known, but Master Chief? Come on! He's just a boring Mary Sue.
• 4. Solid Snake (Metal Gear, Konami, 1987)
• Snake really does deserve a spot on the list. Very true.
• 5. Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII, Square, 1997)
• Out of all the characters in  Final Fantasy VII, Cloud is actually the least interesting. Hell, any given character in VI was more fun!
• 6. PAC-Man (PAC-Man, Namco, 1980)
• Does Pac-Man really count as a character? He's just a ball with a mouth.
• 7. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider, Eidos 1996)
• Gaming's first sex symbol. While she isn't very deep, she does deserve props for being so influential.
• 8. Gordon Freeman (Half-Life, Valve, 1998)
• Gordon doesn't count as a character. He never says one. Single. Word. Throughout the series! Alyx, Barney, or even D.O.G. should have been here.
• 9. Kratos (God of War, Sony, 2005)
• Kratos was very well-defined in the first God of War, but the sequels pretty much erased all his character development, so I'm not sure he should be here.
• 10. Sonic (Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega, 1990)
• Considering that i like the character more than his games, I have to agree with this one.
• 11. Crash (Crash Bandicoot, Sony, 1996)
• Seriously? Do I even need to say how ridiculous this is?
• 12. “Soap” MacTavish (Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Activision, 2007)
• I could never get into Modern Warfare, so I don't know much of the character.
• 13. Nico Bellic (Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar, 2008)
• See my comments on MacTavish above.
• 14. Samus Aran (Metroid, Nintendo 1986)
• Samus really should have been higher up on the list. While we are all still hurting from Other M's brutal desecration of her image, she remains one of gaming's leading ladies.
• 15. Ratchet (Ratchet & Clank, Sony, 2002)
• I cannot voice my support for Ratchet enough. God was this guy fun.
• 16. Nathan Drake (Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Sony, 2007)
• Honestly, I think Nathan should be in the top 5 or so. I've never actually played Uncharted but even I know that Nathan has more personality than almost every other game protagonist ever made.
• 17. Captain Price (Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Activision, 2007)
• See my comments on MacTavish above. Again.
• 18. Kirby (Kirby’s Dream Land, Nintendo, 1992)
• Kirby has no personality!
• 19. Marcus Fenix (Gears of War, Microsoft, 2006)
• Once more, see my comment on MacTavish above.
• 20. Pikachu (Pokemon Red/Green, Nintendo 1996)
• Uh, no. I like you, Pikachu. I love you, little guy. But you're not much of a character. Sorry, buddy.
• 21. Yoshi (Super Mario World, Nintendo, 1990)
• What can be said about Yoshi's character? "He eats people." And that's about it. He doesn't belong here.
• 22. “CJ” Johnson (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rockstar, 2004)
• Again, see my comments above on MacTav... f*ck it. You know the drill.
• 23. Mega Man (Mega Man, Capcom, 1987)
• Yeah. Every incarnation has had a unique personality. From the kindhearted classic Mega Man, to the reluctant hero X, to the antisocial Star Force Mega Man, he's always been a beloved icon.
• 24. Sam Fisher (Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, Ubisoft, 2002)
•  Another game I never played.
• 25. Shadow (Sonic Adventure 2, Sega, 2001)
• I never had much love for Shadow.
• 26. Jak (Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Sony, 2001)
• While he was bland in the original Jak & Daxter, he became one bad-ass dude come Jak II, and has remained a memorable character ever since.
• 27. Duke Nukem (Duke Nukem, Apogee, 1991)
• One-dimensional, yes. But he has a lot of personality.
• 28. Dante (Devil May Cry, Bandai, 2003)
• Kind of like Duke Nukem, but add a bit more depth.
• 29. Naruto (Naruto: Konoha Ninpoch, Bandai, 2003)
• Anime characters do. Not. Count.
• 30. Altair (Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft, 2007)
• I wholeheartedly agree.
• 31. Zelda (The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, 1986)
• While she's got more character than Link, she's still usually bland.
• 32. Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII, Square, 1997)
• Er, no. Kefka was a much better villain. As was Garland. Sephiroth is the same generic bad guy we've seen time and again.
• 33. Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong, Nintendo, 1981)
• Yet another mostly-character-less character.
• 34. The Prince (Prince of Persia, Broderbund, 1989)
• The Prince really should be near the top, as anyone who's played The Sands of Time will tell you.
• 35. Ezio (Assassin’s Creed II, Ubisoft, 2009)
• Why is he below Altair? Love you, Altair, but Ezio was much more interesting.
• 36. Leon S (Biohazard/ Resident Evil, Capcom, 1996)
• It's "Leon S Kennedy." And he's from Resident Evil 2. But I can't disagree with him being here.
• 37. Ash Ketchum (Pokemon Red/Green, Nintendo, 1996)
• Ash isn't even in any of the games, just in the anime. Do they maybe mean Red? Even he was just a silent avatar for the player.
• 38. Guybrush Threepwood (The Secret of Monkey Island, LucasArts, 1990)
• Oh yes.
• 39. Spyro (Spyro the Dragon, Universal, 1998)
• Agreed.
• 40. “Ghost” Riley (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Activision, 2009)
• Um, no. Hailing from Modern Warfare II's insane clusterf*ck of a worthless plot automatically disqualifies one from being a decent character. Sorry.
• 41. Goku (Dragon Daihikyoe, Epoch, 1987)
• See the entry on Naruto above.
• 42. Max Payne (Max Payne, Rockstar, 2001)
• Would you believe I've never played this one either?
• 43. Jill Valentine (Biohazard/ Resident Evil, Capcom, 1996)
• Personally, I found Barry "Jill Sandwich" Burton to be more memorable.
• 44. Princess Peach (Super Mario Bros., Nintendo, 1985)
• Peach has literally no personality aside from being kidnapped. She's more a plot device than a character.
• 45. Larry Laffer (Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards, Sierra, 1987)
• Interestingly enough, the entire motivation for everything Larry does in his games is the desire to get laid. No joke. At least he's interesting.
• 46. Augustus Cole (Gears of War, Microsoft, 2006)
• Still haven't played Gears.
• 47. Bowser (Super Mario Bros., Nintendo, 1985)
• Well, well, well. One of the most inconsistent characters ever. Sorry, Bowser, but if you're going to waver between "grave threat" and "minor annoyance," you're not a good villain.
• 48. Eddie Riggs (Brutal Legend, EA, 2009)
• He was written by Tim Schafer and  voiced by Jack Black. What's not to love?
• 49. Ryu (Street Fighter, Capcom, 1987)
• Who the heck plays fighting games for the story?
• 50. Sackboy (LIttleBigPlanet, Sony, 2008) 
• Hey! It's another silent player avatar! In this case, he's literally a blank slate.

Good lord, man. It's like they didn't even care! No Companion Cube (Portal), no Andrew Ryan (BioShock), no Wander (Shadow of the Colossus), no Neeshka (Neverwinter Nights 2), not one character from the Ace Attorney series...
I need to lie down.

--Kotaro