There are a lot of video game protagonists who are idolised by their fans, and among them, some are admired for all the wrong reasons. These are characters who are important figures in the whole of the gaming world and come from various genres of games.
We made a list specifically picking out some of these characters who are put up on a high pedestal, but for all the wrong reasons.
Top Video Game Protagonist Who Should Not Be Idolised
Carl Jones (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas)
It’s only natural that we kick off a list about idolizing video game protagonists for the wrong reasons with Grand Theft Auto. Carl Jones, or CJ from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, is easily the most iconic and immortalized protagonist in the franchise.
Fans of GTA and gaming in general admire the character and try to mod him into other games. But let’s not beat around the bush and forget that the real nature of the character is filled with criminal records from the past.
In GTA, protagonists have the power to kill and steal at will, so players should not really idolize someone like that.
Jin Kazama (Tekken)
Fighting games are a genre where players don’t get to stick with a singular protagonist. But that said, there are some clear main characters in these games who are frequently idolized. One of them is Jin Kazama from Tekken, who is generally considered the noble one among the Kazama bloodline.
Though most fans forget that he is the character who brought death and destruction along with him once upon a time. In Tekken 6, assuming the role of leadership in Mishima Zaibatsu, Jin Kazama brings about a new world war to fulfill his own goals.
This leads the whole world to be engulfed in turmoil, even as far as introducing new characters in the franchise who are filled with a grudge against Jin.
Kratos (God of War)
When we talk about PlayStation as a brand, Kratos is a character who frequently comes to everyone’s mind. Modern gamers idolize him as this calm and collected father figure from the recent God of War games.
But that does not change the history behind his past, which still continues to haunt him in the newer games. Kratos was a savage murderer who drowned himself in vengeance after he killed his own family in a fit of rage. Someone like that is not to be idolized.
Alex Mercer (Prototype)
Everyone craves a new entry in the Prototype franchise, but the chances of that happening are almost zero. Regardless, gamers from the past decade had an absolute blast with the series, especially playing as Alex Mercer.
For every kid from the late 2000s, Alex was this video game protagonist with really cool abilities and personality. Once you grow up, you start to realize that there are things to look beyond that thin veil of good-looking character design.
Alex Mercer is not a good person and will kill countless innocent people for his own selfish needs. He has absolutely no sense of morality.
Duke Nukem (Duke Nukem)
Old school shooter game protagonists like Duke Nukem have always been a fan favorite for their comedic timing and quips. Every ten-year-old idolized him for his personality and thought of him as the pinnacle of what a real man should be like.
Well, some of the gamers from that era actually took it seriously, and that should not have been the case because he was never meant to be a role model figure. Duke was always supposed to be a parody of what is perceived as masculinity.
Duke Nukem is marked with misogyny and toxic male masculinity, which can be very harmful for younger kids if they start idolizing the character.
Joel Miller (Last of Us)
Stepping away for a bit from the fact that the whole gaming community came together to express their anger over the decision to kill off Joel, he is not a character to look up to, as he is imperfect. Of course, just like many others in the franchise, he is a protagonist who experiences loss and becomes relatable.
But in no way should he be treated as a figurehead who should be idolized. Even if he turned out to be the best father figure in gaming. Because he also doomed the rest of humanity, who were trying to figure out a way to cure the infection.
Travis Touchdown (No More Heroes)
Everyone loves a good comedian, especially if they are a main character in a video game while also being able to kick some ass. Travis Touchdown is a character from Suda51s No More Heroes series who is liked by everyone for his anime-esque sense of humor, blending with western crassness.
But Travis is the wrong kind of comedian to idolize if you are someone who has been thinking about it. He is a character marked by severe immaturity. Of course, there is the whole other side of him about being against racism, which should be a normal human nature.
It, however, does not change the fact that Travis is severely naive to the point of being easily manipulated, exhibiting signs of misogyny.
Doom Guy (Doom)
Yes, the Doom franchise is extremely good, having an extremely likable silent protagonist who is literally called the Doom Guy. But under the rubble of all the spectacular fights against demonic hordes, the Doom Guy should not be taken seriously in real life.
The character is designed to be extremely violent, with a focus on extreme measures of gore marked by toxic masculinity. As much fun as the gameplay in Doom games is, the person behind the guns should not be held up on a pedestal.
Especially since the original Doom did have harmful influence on a historical tragedy, which resulted in a high school shooting back in the late 90s.
Aiden Pearce (Watch Dogs)
Watch Dogs is a great Ubisoft franchise that sought to expand beyond the usual hurly burlys of yearly Assassin’s Creed titles. The game is set in a modern world that heavily leans on sci-fi aspects of online privacy.
Aiden Pearce is a character from the first game who initially felt like he was going to be an Ezio or Altair-like figure, but from modern times. Both of those characters are admired by fans of the Assassin’s Creed series.
But Aiden turned out to be a very different type of character, completely separate from the normal protagonist, and takes more of an anti-hero role. He frequently gets into situations that can cause collateral damage to the general, innocent public.
Vergil (Devil May Cry)
Vergil may not be the main character of the Devil May Cry franchise, but he definitely is a protagonist who is heavily admired in the fanbase. He is an internet pop culture icon, appearing in multiple memes and videos because of his personality.
But fans should not take inspiration from Vergil literally in real life, because he is not really a good person in the traditional sense. He cares more for his own goals and is racist towards races that are not akin to his own stature.
Vergil is also a very bad father figure because he literally abandoned his son, who plays a major role in the franchise in later games.
