There are a ton of dutiful and honorable characters in video games. Here are our picks for the eight most admirable heroes in gaming. These benevolent characters have very little to no history of dishonorable or villainous behavior.
The list is not based on any particular ranking system.
Kazuma Kiryu
Kazuma Kiryu is one of the greatest characters in gaming history. Despite being an ex-high-ranking member of the Yakuza, he’s very patient, kind, and caring. One could say that he’s the quintessential hero and that wouldn’t be too far from the truth. Kiryu is extremely strong-willed and he’s unbreakable by anyone.
As of the latest game, he rarely gets angry and acts out of uncontrolled emotions. Kiryu also really loves children; he was the ex-proprietor of the Morning Glory orphanage where he cared for eight children like his own. He’s nearly a God in human form. It’s ridiculously funny how villains in the games think that they have the slightest chance of defeating him.
Batman
The Batman from the Batman Arkham games is a terrifying being for every criminal in Gotham. At first, he wasn’t associated with the police. In fact, they considered him to be a criminal. But as we all know, Batman keeps Gotham safe from the evil that cannot be controlled by the police. While he doesn’t kill anyone, Batman is extremely violent towards criminals; those who fight him most probably end up living in a hospital for the rest of their lives. Despite his brutally destructive methods of subduing criminals, he is the hope of Gotham and is truly a hero.
The Dragonborn
The Dragonborn is the player character from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. His behavior completely depends on player choices. For this entry, let’s talk about a Dragonborn who is benevolent and is the last hope of salvation for the people of Skyrim.
From helping little kids to killing dragons and saving entire cities, the Dragonborn does everything a hero needs to do. As his name says, the blood that runs in his veins is that of a dragon; he’s essentially a dragon in human form. The Courier from Fallout New Vegas could’ve been a great pick for this entry as well. But with how powerful the Dragonborn is, I chose him.
Ezio Auditore
You play as Ezio Auditore da Firenze in Assassin’s Creed 2, Brotherhood, and Revelations. As these games progress, you see how Ezio changes from a playful and naive boy to a wise and heroic man. In Assassin’s Creed II, Ezio pursues revenge and is very violent and angry toward his enemies. But at the end of the game, he kills his targets because it’s necessary, not because he’s angry. In fact, he never lets anger or any emotions get in his way in the later games. Assassin’s Creed Revelations feature a wiser and stronger Ezio whose sense of justice is very admirable. It’s because of this calm and resolute behavior that he is the strongest Master Assassin.
Master Chief
This list would’ve been very incomplete if I didn’t include Master Chief. He’s mankind’s greatest weapon and is the most disciplined and strongest soldier in the Halo universe. From the genre-defining Halo: Combat Evolved to the latest Halo Infinite, he has saved the galaxy a ton of times. There is simply nothing villainous about Master Chief and he is one of the most fan-favorite protagonists.
Doom Slayer
In the DOOM games where everything is perishing because of demons, the Slayer is humanity’s last hope of survival. While he is a hero and God figure to Mankind, he definitely is the greatest and scariest villain to the Demons of hell. In a matter of mere minutes, the Slayer wipes out entire platoons of demons with the sleight of his hand.
Despite his looks, he actually is a fun person. In DOOM Eternal, you can find his room where he has an electric guitar, a gaming PC, a lot of comic books, and other stuff (he also had a few bags of empty pizza-flavored/takoyaki-flavored potato chips if I remember correctly). The reason why he hates demons is because they killed his pet rabbit.
Commander Shepard
Commander Shepard is a human soldier in the Mass Effect trilogy. No one knows much about his past but everyone recognizes his nearly superhuman capabilities. He’s a disciplined and tactical soldier who mankind depends on when it comes to galaxy-wide war. And every time he’s tasked to finish the war and save everyone, he does. In the games, your choices define how admirable Shepard can be, as it is an RPG. He’s such an iconic character from a brilliant franchise.
Bayek of Siwa
Bayek of Siwa is the protagonist of Assassin’s Creed Origins, which tells the story of how he founded the Assassin brotherhood. Originally, he was a Medjay. A Medjay is a protector of the people of Egypt and they are inclined to help people as much as they could.
Despite his tragic backstory, Bayek of Siwa manages to stay on the bright side and carry out his duties as a true Medjay, while also seeking revenge for his son’s death. Some might say that he’s too kind in some instances, and they might be correct. But Bayek is a strong and honorable hero who deserves every praise he gets.
What are your picks for the most admirable heroes in gaming? Let us know!
