There are heroes and there are villains in every story, following a fight of good vs evil in practically every incarnation it can gather.
There are, however, some characters that don’t fit into either mould. By looking out entirely for themselves, these characters are not black and white when it comes to their morals, but instead shades of grey.
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These characters are known as anti-heroes, people who are morally questionable (especially in their methods), but may technically not be right or wrong.
By either working out of their own self-interest or through unconventional pathways, these characters don’t mind getting their hands dirty, but won’t take a side.
WarioWare/Mario Bros.
WarioWare: Move It!
One of the first examples of an anti-hero that children are able to understand,Wariois rude, brash and greedy. He and his brotherWaluigiare notoriously rivals of theMario Brothers, introduced as villains meant to be polar opposites in every way.
It also doesn’t help the fact that their names are derived from the Japanese word “warui,” which literally meansbad.
However, in some games (especially in more recent entries), he’s shown to be more well-aligned when he wants to be, choosing to help Mario with savingPrincess Peachrather than actively work against him.
Now, his image is simply complicated. He’s not outright evil, but his greed is definitely not a desirable trait for a hero, either.
9Shadow the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic X Shadow Generations
Shadow the Hedgehogis one of the most popular characters in theSonicfranchise, no small thanks to his role in the narrative.
Shadow is known to go his own way about doing things, to get things done on his own terms and listening to nobody else nor their opinions. He made a promise to keep the world safe, but that will come after his revenge.
He despises humanity (understandably, considering his backstory literally involves a child being shot to death), butisn’t an outright villain anymore, he won’t let the world be destroyed and conquered. He has good intentions, sure, but his methods going through with these intentions tend to put him against Sonic in several instances.
Shadow is incredibly flawed, mostly in his morals and methods to his madness, but it comes from being legitimately traumatised. Just saying, watch the neutral ending to his game – it’s clear that his hatred comes from hurt, and that even though he doesn’t do heroic things, he still cares.
Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry HD Collection
Dante, right off the bat, doesn’t care if he’s seen as a hero – in fact, it’s something he’d laugh at, right in someone’s face. Born of a human mother and a demon father, Dante is the cocky protagonist of theDevil May Crygames.
If possible, he doesn’t want the world to fall into ruin, but he also embraces the chaos that comes to him with one-liners and bullets. He’s a mercenary, after all, even if it’s for the supernatural, he has to laugh at something.
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His fight against evil isn’t due to the greater good, but as a result of vengeance – for his mother, who was killed, and for his brotherVergil, who was corrupted. It’s not just what’s right,it’spersonal, and that’s why he fights in the first place.
His flippant and carefree attitude definitely makes him a nontraditional hero right off the bat, but given his history and his near-addiction to fighting, it would be bizarre to think of him as anything other than an anti-hero with a heart of gold.
7Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad
Assassin’s Creed
Despite beingone of the most important assassinsto exist inAssassin’s Creed,Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahadis an anti-hero of circumstance. After arrogantly breaking all three tenets of the creed and being marked as a traitor to theBrotherhood, the rest of the game follows Altaïr’s incredibly bumpy redemption.
Unfortunately, it does not go all as planned, as Altaïr will find himself having to kill his mentor,Al Mualim, and his former childhood best friend,Abbas Sofian, who both betray him as time progresses. Being forced into self-exile with theApple of Eden, he was once again considered an enemy, despite how hard he fought for good.
That said, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t always just — innocent people are not safe from him, and just because he respects his creed doesn’t mean that he always honours it. In fact, he’s not above being outright rude and brash in order to achieve his goals, it’s just, thankfully, his goals tend to align with the good of the world.
God of War (2018)
God of War
Kratosis a tragic characterwho was essentially doomed from the startin his own life story. After going through the unimaginable pain of losing his wife and daughter, he becomes a straight-up villain to theGreek Pantheon. The earlyGod of Wargames were particularly brutal, unflinching from violence and a harsh world with an even harsher character.
It’s not until he’s gotten older and wiser with his sonAtreusthat he starts to simmer down. Sure, he’s still full of rage and vengeance, but he’s tired – he’s done with being a monster.
In these recentgames centred around Norse Mythology, Kratos is taking on more of an anti-hero role. By swearing to be better for his son and for those he cares about, but by remaining ruthless in battle and confrontation, it’s clear his heart his in the right place, even if his methods are a little more questionable.
5Arthur Morgan
Red Dead Redemption 2
IfArthur Morganis anything inRed Dead Redemption 2: it’s brutally honest about himself. He’s the main muscle for a gang, he’s aware that he’s not a good person and has done terrible things. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s evil.
If anything,Arthur is particularly sensitive. He harbors a lot of deep love for the others in the gang and wants to ensure that his found family is taken care of. If this means that he has to lie, cheat, steal, and literally kill to survive and to make it happen, then he will.
He’s an outlaw with a very lengthy rap sheet, but he doesn’t go out of his way to be a despicable human being.
Of course, this isn’t even considering if he’s played with Low Honor or High Honor, as they each show very distinct and unique sides to Mr. Morgan.
4Alex Mercer
One of gaming’s most notorious anti-heroes,Alex Merceris the protagonist of the firstPrototypegame, but switches to being an antagonist in the sequel. While he is a straight-up villain in the second game, in the first game, he’s more of a bloodthirsty anti-hero.
Afterwaking up from death with amnesia, Alex spends most of the game trying to figure out who and, more importantly,whathe even is. This includes saving the world from a nuclear threat.
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He could best be described as morally grey in the first game, since there’s no penalty for innocent casualties or destruction. Plus, this doesn’t even consider his need to consume.
In the first game, he put himself at risk to save the world, which made his blurred lines and questionable methods somewhat more excusable.
TheThiefgames are notoriously loads of fun. Playing asGarrett, the focus of the experience is literally robbing everyone of all their valuables. It’s not that he’s out for blood—far from that—he just wants to steal in peace.
Sure, stealing is wrong, buthe has a strict code of not killing anyone, claiming that he issimply a sneak thief, not a murderer. Even then, most of his thievery iscontract work, and it’s implied that he doesn’t steal from allies or from the poor, either.
Garrett is operating on his own self-interest, not wanting to be involved in the drama and politics of the world around him, and most especially not any ofThe Dark Project. He just wants to be able to make ends meet, regardless of what he has to do — and honestly, he can’t be blamed too much in that regard.
Hitman World of Assassination
Agent 47, infamously, is an asset — not a person. At least, that’s what theHitmangames portray: it’s not personal, just business. It’s just contracted murder.
Being a murder-for-hire, Agent 47 is one of the most notorious cases of an anti-hero in video gaming. Things cannot be more shades of grey than simply doing a job, even if the job itself is an illegal and immoral act.
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He’s professional, all the way down to the way he dresses, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be corporate-friendly. He’s clean and efficient as a ruthless killer, able to assassinate even the most impossible targets with anything at his disposal.
Plus,everyone he kills is a bad person anyway, but he doesn’t kill them because they’re bad people — he kills them because it’s his job, simple as that, so the moral dilemma thickens even more.
Resident Evil
Resident Evil 4
Ada Wong, the iconic woman in red, is a double agent acting of her own accord throughout theResident Evilgames. Her alliance is constantly questioned, and she’s always vague in her answers.
She’s introduced in the second game as a mysterious ally tothe series' infamous Leon Kennedy, until it’s revealed that she worked for theUmbrella Corporationas a corporate spy. She’s remained freelance in her operations, to where many aren’t sure if she could be considered as a villain.
She’s shown not to rely on blind loyalty, however, such as with her actions on the escape helicopter inResident Evil 4. After discovering the sample she acquired would be used for millions of casualties, she immediately holds the pilot at gunpoint to reroute, choosing not to follow through with her original mission.
She follows her own code and her own rules, betraying the corporations that employ her if she sees fit. With a true allegiance to no one, Ada remains the best anti-hero in video games.
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