Virtual Heroes

Top 5 Video Game Heroes

5. Link (Legend of Zelda)

Link deserves a mention for being the silent and unsung hero. Link rises time and time again to face evil wherever it stands, and at any age. As a child he's faced a number of enemies, and as an adult he faced many more. There's not a lot that you can say about his character because of his silence, but he's still one of the greatest swordsman heroes of all times.

4. Neku Sakaruba (The World Ends With You)

Perhaps the first character that openly comes out as being emo right from the get go. He's tossed into the Reaper's Game without any memories other than his own name (which he later finds out is because his memories were his entry fee into the Game). Hating everyone, being forced into a Game where survival depends on a reliable Partner. The first Game he plays he is teamed with Shiki Misaki, a girl who is a little too bubbly for his liking. Yet, over the course of the week, the kid that goes from hating everyone comes to learn that friendship isn't all that bad. His emo urges still hold strong, but he's changed enough that when he is forced into a second Game they make Shiki his new entry fee.

During the next Game he is determined to win feeling that its his fault Shiki never got her second shot at life. He teams up with Joshua, who he comes to believe is none other than the person that put him in the Game to begin with. Still, he continues to cling onto advice given to him to trust his partner and, although he believes it was Josh that killed him, they come to win the Game, but at a price. Josh sacrifices himself for Neku's sake after it is revealed he didn't kill Neku. Neku then enters the third Game with another reason to win, to make the best of Josh's gift.

Although being harried by Beat during the second week, Neku easily forgives him an accepts him as his partner in week three (although he really has no choice). He manages to go from the drudging type to actively encouraging his partner, although still in his own sharp tongued way. As he learns to open his horizons, he gains the strength necessary not only to beat the third Game, but the Conductor as well. Then he recieves a revelation as Josh returns. Josh killed him, and Josh is the Composer. Josh offers Neku the chance to be Composer through a duel, but Neku will die if he loses. As they hold their guns, Josh counting down, Neku drops his gun and lets Josh shoot him in the name of their friendship. Neku earns his place on the list due to his extreme personality change but in a believable way.

3. Snow Villiers (Final Fantasy XIII)

This position comes due to one thing: Snow is different. Snow is a hot shot self proclaimed hero who's known for his line "if you don't know which one to save, you just save them all." He and Serah mark the only Final Fantasy couple that get engaged to be married (all other relationships are unofficial throughout the games) and even though she turns to crystal he keeps to his vows and never turns away from his love for her, determined to find a way to save her no matter what it might cost him. He's one of the few Final Fantasy main males that doesn't have a serious attitude problem, but rather tries to inspire people and is willing to defend anyone. Also, there's no denying that the fact he fights with his BARE HANDS is just another star on his list. Overall, his different outlook during the game makes him a memorable character in my book.

2. Starkiller (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed)

Link was the silent hero, Starkiller is the unnamed hero. Starkiller is a codename made up merely because they needed something to call him, Starkiller has no real name. His father was killed by Darth Vader during the Sith Lord's hunt for the surviving Jedi. Darth Vader, upon killing his father, was confronted by this young boy and decided that, rather than killing him, he would use him as a tool to further his designs. Starkiller follows Vader believing that he is Darth Vader's assistant in seizing control of the Empire from the Emperor. Even after Darth Vader supposedly kills him (although he later has Starkiller reconstructed in a similar matter to him) Starkiller continues to follow Vader's orders. Starkiller brings together the Rebel Alliance that becomes so well known throughout the series, and he is ready to use them to take on the Emperor when his real purpose is made known. Vader follows Starkiller to where the Rebel Alliance is first meeting, tries to kill Starkiller and captures all of the Alliance leaders. Vader tells him that the only reason he kept Starkiller alive was to help him find those responsible for the Empire's woes. Starkiller manages to escape, and he assails the Death Star single handed to free the Rebel Alliance leaders, and he even defeats Darth Vader and the Emperor. However, when one of his Rebel friends is about to be attacked by the Emperor, Starkiller tells them to leave while he defends them. He manages to hold off the Emperor's assault, and in doing so ends up dying. He is the only main character that has ever died at the end of the video game (out of ones I've played) and his unique character easily earns him this spot.

1. Cole MacGrath (inFAMOUS)

This is rather incomplete as I have not entirely finished the game, but Cole already stands out as one of the top video game characters. It's a superhero story in a fashion. Cole delivers a strange package to the center of Empire City, a package that ends up expoding and taking out every single person within a six block radius... except for Cole. He walks away with newfound electrical powers, and he has a choice to make. Use his powers to help the people who are now quarantined within the desolate city, or else use them for his own gain. His face is known, his powers are known, and his reputation among the streets changes with each move he makes. No one has more pressure than him when it comes to deciding which path to follow as all eyes are upon every move he makes. Hunted by Reapers and law enforcement alike, he has all of the makings of a great protagonist. He holds number one at the moment, hopefully continuing to play will reassure him this position.