Some heroes are born warriors, and others are more reluctant. Both sides of the fence could have characters that won’t back down from a fight no matter for several reasons. They could be incredibly good, wishing to eradicate evil at its core. They could also just love the art of fighting.
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Whatever the case may be, these characters are easy to cheer for as they embody the very best of what it means to be a hero. That doesn’t mean they’re perfect, as even the best heroes have flaws, but they’re still magical. From across several genres, these are the characters players should strive to be like.
There will be spoilers.
Maelle (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
For Those Who Come After
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Released
- April 24, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
Maelle is one of the party members of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Like the rest of the crew, she witnesses countless horrors between unseen monsters and comrades falling before her eyes. She also has to come to terms with knowing that she is the daughter of the very person putting this world into turmoil, her mother, aka The Paintress. It’s more complicated than that, but despite every revelation that Maelle learns, she is determined to set things right for her family and the country, no matter what.
Zidane Tribal (Final Fantasy 9)
A Thief With A Plan
Final Fantasy 9
- Released
- July 7, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Violence, Mild Language
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Zidane is the lead in Final Fantasy 9, and he’s a charismatic thief. No matter what happens to him or the party, Zidane has something clever to say, but he learns when to be serious and when it’s okay to joke around. He’s not aiming to be a typical RPG hero, but when the honor of world-saving falls into his lap, he doesn’t run away either. He faces it head-on with the rest of his party, even after learning his brother is Kuja, the primary root of evil in the game. Zidane appears before his beloved Garnet in the ending one last time because nothing was going to keep them apart despite seemingly exploding in a previous event.
Zagreus (Hades)
Hell Or High Water
Hades
- Released
- December 6, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Zagreus is the lead of Hades and the only playable character, as is customary in a roguelike. Zagreus is the son of the titular Hades and lives in the underworld, but one day, he has had enough. He decides he wants to leave the underworld and see his mother on the surface, which Hades forbids.
Ignoring his father and the dangers within, Zagreus attempts to escape no matter how many times it literally kills him. Even after reuniting with his mom and dying as he cannot breathe surface air, Zagreus does not give up the fight.
Pit (Kid Icarus: Uprising)
Flying High
Kid Icarus: Uprising
- Released
- March 23, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
Pit is the hero of the Kid Icarus series, which didn’t demonstrate his true colors on the NES and Game Boy. Kid Icarus: Uprising was sort of like a reboot for the franchise and a great one at that, as Pit received a big upgrade in terms of personality and combat choices. He’s the type of plucky hero that spouts platitudes about good and evil and literally says he’s never going to give up. His earnestness may come across as a bit cheesy, but it’s easy to root for Pit as his actions speak louder than words.
Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
The Power Of Friendship
Kingdom Hearts
- Released
- September 17, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E for Everyone: Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Sora, from Kingdom Hearts, and Pit would get along swimmingly as the two have a lot in common. Sora’s entire belief system is in his friends. For such a young kid, Sora goes through a lot. He witnesses his beloved Kairi get kidnapped, his best friend Riku turn to darkness, and he even gets his personality split after becoming a Heartless. That’s surface-level stuff that happens in the first game, but there’s so much more to Sora’s story. His heart is the strongest in the series, despite his hardships, and it’s like a beacon of pure light that can guide anyone down the darkest of roads.
Ichiban Kasuga (Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth)
A Kind-Hearted Bruiser
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Released
- January 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Simulated Gambling, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Ichiban took over as the main character of the Yakuza series in the seventh main game, Yakuza: Like a Dragon. His purity shone through in that game as he only wanted what was best for his friends and fellow Yakuza members.
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Ichiban’s determination was showcased even greater in the sequel, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which found him waking up in a foreign city, Honolulu, thousands of miles away from his Japanese homeland. He uncovers his mom, whom he lost touch with, is in trouble, and stops at nothing to try and see her face one turn-based battle at a time.
Peter Parker (Marvel’s Spider-Man)
The Hero We Need
Marvel's Spider-Man
- Released
- September 7, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World
Peter Parker is a hero who seemingly needs no introduction as Spider-Man in the comics has existed in the comics since the 60s. Still, new takes on the hero are always appreciated, like Marvel’s Spider-Man, Insomniac Games’ first attempt at redefining the hero. Like most iterations, Peter is a kind character who cares for his aunt, friends, and even volunteers at a homeless shelter. Even as a superhero, Peter never wants to kill anyone and will give his enemies the benefit of the doubt. This leads to an emotional showdown with Doc Ock, who went from a father figure to a villain in the blink of an eye.
Mega Man Trigger/Volnutt (Mega Man Legends)
Determined But Nice
Mega Man Legends
- Released
- August 31, 1998
- ESRB
- e // Animated Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
The hero of Mega Man Legends can either go by Mega Man Trigger or Mega Man Volnutt canonically, but everyone just calls him Mega Man in the game regardless. This 3D action-adventure game did a lot for the character, who was more of a blank slate in his previous iterations on the NES and SNES. Mega Man gained a personality as a humble adventurer who didn’t always know what to say, but meant well. He may not be the most well-spoken hero, but Mega Man knows the difference between right and wrong and doesn’t give up, be it in the face of pirates trying to destroy the island or giant robots trying to destroy him in the dungeons.
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