Summary
- Alex Smith from Man Of Medan disappoints due to lack of development, making him difficult to like.
- Luca from MADiSON breaks immersion with annoying voice acting; mute option available for relief.
- P-3 in Atomic Heart's nihilistic persona can become grating due to repetitive translation in dialogue.
As the character that the player is going to spend the most time with during their playthrough, it is important that the protagonist of any game is a figure that they can engage with on some level. The hero is usually relatable and easy to sympathize with, while some are unlikable on purpose, turning out to be characters that players love to hate.
In horror games, there are plenty of main characters that are problematic, although these games tend to examine their rationale and present a chance to confront their flaws. Yet, despite developers' best attempts to craft well-rounded and authentic protagonists, unfortunately, some insufferable ones slip through the cracks. These are some of the most unlikable horror game protagonists, from the irredeemably annoying to the inexcusable wrongdoers.
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Spoiler Warning: some of these entries contain spoilers
10 Alex Smith (Man Of Medan)
Being Boring Can Be A Deal-Breaker
The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan
- Released
- August 30, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Supermassive Games
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- The Dark Pictures
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
A majority of the unlikable characters in Supermassive's games are intentionally so, with many of them having cliquey attitudes or a frustrating lack of social skills that align with their backstory. Man of Medan is the first title in the Dark Pictures Anthology series of games.
Alex Smith is (respectively) the boyfriend and brother of two other playable characters, Julia and Brad. His insecurities around his and Julia's relationship seem to be his entire personality, which otherwise falls disappointingly flat. Despite being a rational character, his lack of development makes Alex difficult to like.
9 Luca (MADiSON)
Notoriously Annoying Voice Acting
MADiSON
- Released
- July 8, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- BLOODIOUS GAMES
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X/S
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle, Indie Games, Adventure, Action, Simulation
Beyond other issues like the inventory system and save bugs, MADiSON has been criticized for having an annoying protagonist. Luca points out the obvious often and very loudly — which, when being stalked by demons, is not well-received as it massively breaks the immersion.
The character letdown is unfortunate, as MADiSON is an otherwise genuinely scary game, if somewhat derivative of P.T. With a gripping narrative, unique mechanics, and unnerving soundscape, players shouldn't let Luca deter them from playing. To the relief of many, there is a mute option.
8 The Painter (Layers Of Fear)
Career Before Family
Layers of Fear
- Released
- February 16, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bloober Team
- Publisher(s)
- Aspyr
- Franchise
- Layers of Fear
- Platform(s)
- Switch, PlayStation (Original), Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- Horror
Some protagonists are unlikable in a moral sense. Unlike Silent Hill 2' s James Sunderland, who has a complex motive and apparent genuine remorse for his actions, the Painter in Layers of Fear is hard to sympathize with, pushing the limits of the "tortured artist" appeal.
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Admittedly, he was evidently unwell and, likewise, his wife was by no means a saint. Their marriage struggled beforehand with jealous toxicity and drinking problems. However, the Painter's blatant disregard and sensitivity to his wife's condition, and his neglect of their daughter, leave a lot to desire.
7 P-3 (Atomic Heart)
The Nihilistic Persona Gets Old
Atomic Heart
- Released
- February 21, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Mundfish
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, FPS
P-3 is a spec ops agent and the protagonist of Atomic Heart. Granted, he has traumatic brain damage and has just been thrown into a dystopian world of biomechanical body horrors and hostile robots, but his lines can become repetitive and offer little in the way of being productive for the player.
Many feel that these issues are largely due to translation. Much like a lot of anime dubs, P-3's translated dialogue doesn't land the way it's intended to, drawing away from the immersion and becoming rather grating. Playing with the original Russian voice over makes P-3 much more tolerable.
6 Kyle Crane (Dying Light)
A Case Of Cognitive Dissonance
Dying Light
- Released
- January 27, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Techland
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Brothers Games
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Dying Light
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Survival Horror
Dying Light is a zombie survival horror following undercover agent Kyle Crane, who is dropped in the middle of a conflict between bandits, survivors, and the GRE. Being pulled from multiple angles, it's no wonder that Crane has some moral difficulties, but many players find him disingenuous.
Throughout the game, Crane's dialogue and attitude are often in direct opposition to his actions. Despite openly being against some of his objectives, he ends up doing them anyway. Lots of fans of the game would prefer to see Kyle standing up for himself more through actions.
5 Daniel (Amnesia: The Dark Descent)
Committed Atrocious Crimes
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
- Released
- September 8, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Frictional Games
- Franchise
- Amnesia
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Android, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror, Indie Games, Adventure, Action, Puzzle
The Amnesia franchise has its fair share of abominable protagonists who have committed terrible crimes, from delusional sacrifices to twisted experiments. One that stands out in particular, however, is Daniel from The Dark Descent.
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Unlike the other protagonists, Daniel committed his doings prior to drinking the amnesia potion while still of sound mind, albeit afraid. Despite acting desperately out of an understandable fear of death, it's undeniably selfish to kill so many to save himself. He altogether seems more vengeful than remorseful.
4 Abby (The Last Of Us Part 2)
Skewed Priorities & Unsympathetic
The Last of Us Part 2
- Released
- June 19, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Franchise
- The Last of Us
The Last of Us Part 2 follows two opposing protagonists, Ellie and Abby (whose father was the Firefly Doctor that Joel killed). Whether any of the main characters were really "good" or "bad" is debatable; the emotional and political contexts make matters of morality significantly more complex.
Nonetheless, Abby became the target of a lot of hate, and it's not impossible to see why. Messing with fan favorites is bound to stir up resentment. Torturing and killing Joel, a beloved character, gained her instant bad rep. She also has little hesitation shooting her fellow WLF members and almost kills Dina, knowing she was pregnant.
3 Frank West (Dead Rising 4)
Character Assassination
Dead Rising 4
- Released
- December 6, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
After the enjoyable horde hack-and-slashing of the previous games, Dead Rising 4 came as something of a disappointment in terms of both story and combat, not to mention the stark changes in the recurring character, Frank West.
Once a charming, witty protagonist, in this title Frank is immature and almost unrecognizable in personality. There is a running joke in the community that this Frank is actually a different character, "Hank East". Something has gone seriously wrong when fans make up their own headcanons to excuse the poor characterization.
2 Ellen (The Witch's House)
Malicious & Deceitful
The Witch's House MV
- Released
- October 31, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
The Witch's House is a 2D pixel horror following a young girl, Viola, as she seeks refuge in a mansion while trying to escape the forest she woke up in. Navigating the puzzles and traps, it soon becomes apparent that there is something much more sinister afoot, going by the name of Ellen.
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This game has one of the most tragic twists in horror games, with the main character, Viola, being revealed to be Ellen herself: a girl who switched bodies with Viola and tricked her into making the swap permanent. The secret ending elaborates on the brutal way Ellen went about doing so, evaporating all sympathy for who is, at first, portrayed as a sickly young girl.
1 Jimmy (Mouthwashing)
Committed Unjustified & Unforgivable Offences
Mouthwashing
- Released
- September 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Mouthwashing is an all-around disturbing game, complete with dark themes, tragic narratives, and unnerving visuals. The game follows the stranded crew of a crashed space freighter as they try to survive, and the subsequent fallout, including dwindling resources, relationship tensions, and physical trauma. Revelations about the player-character are difficult to come to terms with.
Eventually, the player has to come face to face with the fact that they have been controlling one of the most diabolical characters of all time, Jimmy — abusive, jealous, and murderous. They are led down a distressing path that reveals all the ugliness of his deeds and psyche. The eventual appearance of a guilty conscience, bringing with it a belief that he can redeem himself by saving another crew member, has the opposite effect of making Jimmy even more unlikable. There is no excuse or possible redemption for such a character.
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