Top10 - Gaming Pseudo - Heroes & Heroines

Ah, pseudo-heroes. The backbone of a game's storyline, and usually the most interesting characters ever. So... a pseudo-hero. What does it mean? A pseudo-hero is an important character, but not the main character, who is a hero who exhibits villain-like characteristics on many occasions. Pseudo-heroes are often genuinely likable characters (the kind of characters you "love to hate"), with often vague motives (some more than others). Some pseudo-heroes are villains who turn heroic near the end of a story. So, let's go through a short list I've compiled of a few of my favorites!

 

NOTE: Spoilers.

NOTE 2: Numbers 10 and 9 are mainly filler; 8 is where it starts getting interesting.

NOTE 3: Click their name for a picture.

NOTE 4: I've realized that four notes is two too many.

 

#10 - Shadow (Sonic Adventure 2 for the SEGA Dreamcast)

 

Type: Villain-turned-hero

 

Ah, Shadow. Nearly every good hero needs a rival, and Shadow is there to fill that role for Sonic. Shadow begins as a villain, assisting Dr. Robotnik with his goal of world domination. Throughout the course of the game, however, he does some soul-searching, and switches sides just in the nick of time... just quickly enough to sacrifice his life to save the world. And I'm not gonna even fathom how he's still alive in other Sonic games (which shall remain nameless due to mediocre-ness).

 

#9 - The Computer (Metroid Fusion, for the Game Boy Advance)

(No photo)

 

Type: neutral-turned-villain-turned-hero

 

Throughout Metroid Fusion, Samus is following the command of a computer... with no name. Anyway, she reflects on how the computer reminds her of an old CO of hers, Adam Malkovich. The computer helps her with her missions and helps her survive the deadly "X" parasites throughout the events of the game... but later, the Galactic Federation takes an interest in the parasites, and the computer turns on Samus. The computer then strings her along, attempting to keep her out of the way, but Samus finds out the truth for herself eventually. Eh, sorry, my description here is a little... "lacking", but there's not much to say about a character like this; I just felt that it should be somewhere on this list. Anyways, Samus manages to make the computer understand just how dangerous the X are, and the computer disobeys its orders to assist Samus in destroying the space station and planet that had been contaminated by the parasites. Also, it turns out that the computer was based off of the mind of none other than Adam Malkovich, Samus's old CO. Pretty strange, no?

 

#8 - Albus (Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, for the Nintendo DS)

 

Type: hero who appears to be a villain

 

(Stick with me, this might get a little confusing at times.) Albus and his friend Shanoa (the main character) are members of a guild known as Ecclesia; a group dedicated to finding a way to prevent Dracula from returning to life. To do so, they use the power of glyphs; magical symbols that can be placed on the body and used as weapons. The guild's master, Barlowe, eventually creates three glyphs, known as Dominus, that can supposedly rid the world of Dracula forever. However, whoever uses these glyphs will die. Albus promptly volunteers to sacrifice himself, but is instead sent on an errand by Barlowe. When he returns, he realizes that Barlowe instead chose Shanoa to host the glyphs, and only sent Albus away so that he would not interfere. But the entire reason that Albus wanted to host Dominus was to protect Shanoa, so he steals the glyphs and begins searching for a way to use them differently, whilst being hunted down by Shanoa. Eventually, Shanoa recovers Dominus and defeats Albus, only to realize that Dominus is actually Dracula's power, and Barlowe wanted her to use it so that he could revive Dracula. Shanoa defeats Barlowe, but before he dies, he sacrifices himself to revive Dracula, and Shanoa is forced to hunt him down. Eventually, she corners Dracula and uses Dominus to defeat him. However, before Dominus takes her life, Albus (who lived on through the piece of Dominus that Shanoa took from him) sacrifices what is left of himself to protect Shanoa. Quite the hero.

 

#7 - Knuckles (Sonic The Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, for the SEGA Genesis)

 

Type: villain-turned-hero

 

*sigh* I promised myself I wouldn't pick more than one character from a series, but Knuckles was too good to pass up. Anyways, Knuckles first appeared in Sonic 3, where he (seemingly for no reason) attacks Sonic and steals the Chaos Emeralds from him. Sonic chases Knuckles down, along the way recovering the Chaos Emeralds and defeating the evil Dr. Robotnik, while Knuckles does whatever he can to slow down Sonic's progress. Continue to the next game, Sonic & Knuckles. Sonic has recovered the Chaos Emeralds and put a halt on Dr. Robotnik's plans, and begins to hunt Knuckles down. Finally, they fight, and just before Sonic delivers the finishing blow, Dr. Robotnik flies by, with the Master Emerald that he had just stolen (which it's Knuckles's job to guard). Turns out, Dr. Robotnik tricked Knuckles by telling him that Sonic was the one who wanted to steal the Master Emerald, and while Sonic and Knucles were tired out form the fighting, Robotnik came by and grabbed the Master Emerald. Using what's left of his strength, Knuckles assists Sonic in chasing down Robotnik, and Sonic finally defeats him again, recovering the Master Emerald.

 

Next up... #6. A character I was considering taking off of the list, due to vague motives and my somewhat lacking knowledge on him.

 

#6 - Meta Knight (various Kirby games)

 

Type: unknown

 

Meta Knight is one of the stranger pseudo-heroes. At times, he hampers Kirby's progress throughout the games, and at times, he throws Kirby some items to help him. Then other times, they just fight. Anyway, there's not much else to say about him; sometimes a villain, sometimes a hero. Even now, his motives are still unknown; so far, all we really know is that he has some problem with Kirby.

 

Up next, #5. A character we all know. Some love him, some hate him.

 

#5 - Thel 'Vadam (Halo 2 and Halo 3 for the Xbox and Xbox 360)

 

Type: villain-turned-hero

 

Thel 'Vadam, more commonly known as "The Arbiter", is a shamed Elite from the Halo series. In order to redeem himself before his leaders, he is given the title of "Arbiter" and sent on a suicide mission. When he survives, he is sent on more missions. Eventually, he meets the Master Chief, and realizes the truth about the Halo rings and his leaders. He and his species join the humans in their attempt to defeat the Covenant and save the galaxy from the threat of the Halo rings and the parasitic organism, the "Flood". In the end, Thel and the Master Chief kill the Covenant leader, the Prophet of Regret, and use the fourth Halo ring to exterminate the Flood.

#4 - Miles Edgeworth (Phoenix Wright, Phoenix Wright 3, and Ace Attorney Investigations for the Nintendo DS)

 

Type: hero who exhibits villain-like traits

 

The magenta-clad king of prosecutors, Miles Edgeworth himself. Edgeworth became a prosecutor after his father was murdered and he was taken in by the legendary prosecutor, Manfred von Karma. Taught to strive for nothing but perfection, Edgeworth's ruthless yet effective courtroom tactics quickly solidified his nickname as "the demon prosecutor". Soon, rumors of forged evidence and illegal searches began to surround him, but he payed no heed. Eventually, he met his match in his childhood friend and rookie defense attorney, Phoenix Wright. Edgeworth would do anything to get a guilty verdict and make sure the guilty were put in jail, even if it meant putting innocent people behind bars as well. However, after spending time in the courtroom with Phoenix, he began to understand that innocent people should not suffer in jail, no matter what. Edgeworth mellowed out and left the country, only returning to assist Phoenix in a case two years later.

 

Up next is #3, and one of our more mysterious pseudo-heroes.

 

#3 - Ada Wong (Resident Evil 2, for the Sony PlayStation, and Resident Evil 4, for the Nintendo Gamecube)

 

Type: unknown

 

Quite the character, Ada is a secret agent for... well, no one knows that. She is attempting to... well, I guess no one knows that either. Anyway, she often helps out the hero of RE 2 and 4, Leon Kennedy, by working behind the scenes to help him progress. However, she does have her own agenda, and has fought with Leon before, and even gone as far as to hold him at gunpoint until he gave her a sample of a virus. In her time, she has feigned cooperation with countless factions and people, including Umbrella Corporation and Albert Wesker. However, she usually ends up betraying them. Essentially, the only person who still has reason to trust her is Leon.

 

Not much to say about a mysterious character like Ada, but next up is a character with some clearer motives; #2.

#2 - Felix (Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age, for the Game Boy Advance, and also presumably Golden Sun DS)

 

Type: hero who appears to be a villain

 

One of the main antagonists of the original Golden Sun, Felix betrayed his hometown of Vale by stealing four gems known as "elemental stars." If the stars are placed in each of their corresponding lighthouses, the power of alchemy (the combined power of the four elements, wind, water, fire, and earth) will be unleashed upon the world, and man will most likely use it for war and conquest. So, Isaac (the main character) sets out to stop Felix from achieving his goals. However, in the second game, Isaac discovers that without the power of alchemy, the world itself is actually dying, like an animal cut off from food or water. Turns out Felix was taking the risk in order to save the world. Now that's quite the decision; quietly wait for the world to end, or potentially end up destroying it yourself? Isaac joins Felix on his quest, and together, they light the four lighthouses, and release alchemy's power.

 

Mm-hm. Very nice characters, all of them. But #1 is one of the most amazing, deep, and complicated characters in any game, and all the others combined still pale in comparison to them. Who will it be?

 

#1 - Millenia (Grandia II for the SEGA Dreamcast, later ported to PS2 and PC)

 

Type: villain-turned-hero-turned-villain-turned-hero-turned-villain-turned-hero... well, it's just easier to call her insane.

 

And "insane" really does suit her well. Millenia is one of the playable characters in the under-the-radar RPG Grandia II. She is also one of the quirkiest, strangest, and most complex characters you'll ever see. It pretty much breaks down into this; she's 10% goddess, 10% devil, 10% sardonic tease, 10% shy child, 10% cynical beeotch, and 50% bat$#*%-insane, clingy stalker.

 

If you want a brief synopsis of her character, check the underlined section. But if you really want to understand, you're gonna have to read the rest as well. Major spoilers in that one.