Top Ten Video Game BAMFs

Let's face it, no matter how great the concept is or how beautifully the surroundings are rendered, nothing sucks the enjoyment out of a game like a flat, unlikeable main character. After all, how are you supposed to get behind someone you can't stand? I want to be able to root for a protagonist, not secretly wish for them to go die in a fire! (coughAnisecough ...I mean, what!? Who said that?) That's why, when it comes to some of our favorite games here at 8-Bit Apples and Tea, strong characters are a must. So, mainly because we're lazy and lists are easy, we've each decided to name our top five BAMFy characters, in no particular order. These characters were selected based on their ease of control, what they've brought to the plot of their respective games, and overall likability.

Protagonist – Persona 3

Alright, I know what you’re thinking, he doesn’t even talk! You know what? He doesn’t have to. Never has the phrase, “actions speak louder than words,” been so appropriate as it is when considering this character. From the moment he stepped off the train and wound up in the middle of the Dark Hour, he was unshakeable. With well over 100 summons in his arsenal, as well as the ability to use any weapon in the game (even a suction-cup bow and arrow!), he’s the most versatile fighter I’ve ever seen in an RPG. Not to mention, this character has class. If you’ve played through to the end, you know what I mean. There’s no drama, no tears, anger or bouts of hysterical laughter. Just a smooth, seamless end. Who needs another whiny, long winded main character? As if the RPG world didn’t have enough of them! I’ll take the smooth stylings of this kid any day.

Solid Snake - Metal Gear Solid

It doesn’t get much better than sneaking around as Solid Snake. Try to play Metal Gear Solid without feeling the urge to swan dive over barriers, creep around your cat when it’s not looking, and threaten others in a low, gravely voice. Everyone wishes they could be as cool as Solid Snake (just look at the cosplayers!), and for good reason. Anyone who didn’t feel badass while chucking grenades into a tank, setting off C4 charges, out sniping Sniper Wolf, and toughing out Revolver Ocelot’s torture just isn’t human. The truth is, any man who thinks that he can fool his enemies (and wolves (but not Metal Gear…unfortunately)) by hiding under a cardboard box in plain sight must be a BAMF.

Link – Legend of Zelda

Now, we can all appreciate a classic. The sheer legacy of this character should speak for itself. I mean, I know who I would want to carry out my quests if I were a princess in distress! His character concept was truly original and you’ve got to give him credit for his resourcefulness. Strapping a bomb to your arrow and then still managing to shoot it with flawless trajectory is quite a feat. Yet, Link seems to utilize this technique in every game as if it were as simple a task as putting on his hat.

Heather Mason - Silent Hill 3

Heather's badassery is understated, and it gradually dawns on you over the course of the game just how awesome she is. Initially, I thought Heather was just another one of those wimpy survival horror protagonists that whine and complain and never move in the direction you want them to (thanks a lot tank controls!), but I was proved how wrong I was as I got further into the game. I mean, the "Oh by the way, you're pregnant with a God" scene followed by the "I'm just going to swallow this fetus now" scene, and, you know, the whole beating up a God thing...If that's not badass enough for you, then I don't know what is.

Alucard – Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Ah, Alucard, the powerful and rebellious half-vampire son of Dracula with a voice smoother than a cup of Foldgers. I really could just stop right here. Alas, I don’t think Player Two would be very amused. He scales every inch of Dracula’s castle, fighting every demon or creature he comes across (even Death himself!), until he finally finds and kills his father. Then, as if that weren’t enough, he does it all again… upside down! No, really, I think I’m done here.

Nathan Drake - Uncharted

Nathan Drake is the man who can do anything. Not only can he magically heal over thirty bullet wounds by hiding behind cover for fifteen seconds, but he also can climb everything. Helicopter? Check. Gigantic ice palace? Check. Train hanging precariously off a cliff? Check. He can do all of this with his bare hands; I envy his upper body strength. Playing as Drake makes you feel like the world’s greatest badass. “You saved a baby from a burning building today? Well I just climbed two hundred feet of machinery over a gigantic chasm just to pull a lever. No big deal.”

Thage – Eternal Poison

While not a well known RPG, I’m particularly fond of it. This is, in large part, because I truly enjoy the protagonist. Most females in RPG’s are supporting characters, usually playing the part of love interest. In no way does this describe Thage. In most cases, you accumulate your main party through a long and tedious introductory sequence. In a complete subversion of this, upon first beginning the game, Thage enslaves the last member of the main group using a dark spell to bind him to her will. As if this wasn’t BAMFy enough, you also have the option to have the entirety of your battle party consist of the enemies you’ve previously beaten into submission and captured.

Guy Cecil - Tales of the Abyss

“Enter the amazing Guy!” Guy makes his appearance in style. Not only does he jump off of a colossal landship, but in the process he also plucks the hostage out of enemy hands and deflects a bullet with his sword. One of the best fighters in the game, it is almost suicide not to have Guy in your party (as Player One and I have learned, since the computer loves switching him out with Anise during surprise encounters.) He has some of the best artes in the game, and an endearing personality and witty dialogue. If those don’t sound like the perfect elements for a BAMF, then seeing his mystic arte certainly will. Doesn’t getting engulfed in a phoenix made of flames just scream badass? I wish I could set myself on fire whenever I tackled people on the rugby pitch and not sustain any lasting injuries from the venture.

Lara Croft – Tomb Raider

Of course, I’m talking about the way she  scaled her way onto the scene in the very first game of the series. Truly, when this game first came out for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn, it was far different from anything anyone had ever seen before. The unique style of platforming made it an iconic game for its time. Lara could take out bears, wolves, and mountain lions while traversing perilous terrain like the lovechild of an Olympian gymnast and a ninja, all while making it look easy! No matter what connotation this character has acquired over the years, she’ll always be one of my favorite grave robbers.

Jill Valentine - Resident Evil

Every time I blow the head off of a zombie in Resident Evil, it is usually followed by the phrase “Bitch, I’m Jill Motherfucking Valentine! What did you expect?!” Jill is perhaps the only character that I will loudly congratulate on screen for being such a badass (much to the chagrin of my brother), and why not? I mean, she has fought off hordes of zombies in three separate games, single-handedly defeated Nemesis, beat the snot out of Sheva, almost became a Jill Sandwich, and is the only protagonist to be vaccinated against the T-Virus. Everything she does just screams badass, but what else would you expect from the undisputed Master of Unlocking? Also, any character that can survive an opening this horrific and still be one of the most iconic video game characters deserves to be called a BAMF.

So what are your top video game BAMFs? Let us know!