As a storyteller and a connoisseur of heart-wrenching narratives, I find myself deeply moved by the tales of these three tragic characters: Arthur Morgan, Solid Snake, and John Marston. Each one has faced an unyielding fate that leaves us, the audience, in a state of sorrow and admiration for their resilience.
As a dedicated gamer, I can’t help but notice that some main characters in video games seem destined for an unhappy ending. It’s not always their fault; there are numerous elements at play that ultimately lead to a heartbreaking, almost unthinkable outcome. These tragic stories leave me feeling a deep sense of sorrow and loss.
Sometimes, though, these characters are doomed by the narrative itself.
It might stem from a character’s personal choices, past experiences before the game, or simply being in the wrong situation at the wrong moment. Regardless of whether it’s fair or not, what happens to them is their destiny.
That’s the tragedy of these characters; they were completely doomed from the start.
This article contains heavy spoilers for all characters and their respective games.
10 Isaac Clarke
Dead Space
In Dead Space (including its remake), the crew members aboard the USG Ishimura didn’t realize they had been inadvertently sent on a one-way trip to their demise.
The foremost organization in the space mining sector, known as the Concordance Extraction Corporation (CEC), was reportedly operating an unauthorized mining operation on planet Aegis VII. This is where they found Marker 3A, a discovery that sparked the creation of the Necromorphs and set off the chain of events in the game.
In the science fiction horror game, Isaac Clarke, functioning as the ship’s engineer, was the lone survivor among the crew. The Church of Unitology, leveraging their influence within the CEC, staffed and retrieved this marker, regarding the crew members as disposable.
Although his survival might not have been ideal, especially once he encounters the ominous Red Marker, it pushes him over the edge into madness. His intellect, now corrupted by the Marker, splinters, and he can’t escape its domination or the distressing memories of the initial game’s events.
Due to this, EarthGov assigns him the role of a “Marker Signal Presenter” in upcoming games, but it doesn’t work out favorably for him either.
He was doomed to die, but met a far worse fate by surviving.
9 Joel Miller
The Last of Us
In the harsh, merciless universe portrayed in ‘The Last of Us’, Joel Miller, the central character in the first part, experiences an incredibly sad and relentlessly grim tale from beginning to end.
Following the heart-wrenching death of his sole child, Sarah, the narrative unfolds with him leading a hazardous life as a black marketeer, in an already perilous world that grows even more treacherous. Yet, destiny takes a turn when he consents to transport a 14-year-old immune girl named Ellie to the Fireflies.
At the game’s conclusion, Joel is left with a heart-wrenching dilemma that remains contentious: either using Ellie’s genetic material to develop a cure, which could mean her death, or preserving her life and dooming humanity. In the end, he opted for her survival, a choice mirrored by numerous players, including Troy Baker, who voiced Joel.
However, this action would have dire consequences. He was later hunted down and killed by Abby, the daughter of the surgeon handling Ellie’s operation and the main antagonist of Part II, and strained his relationship with Ellie by doing so.
Regardless of whether someone else might have done it, his fate was sealed from the moment he encountered Ellie and accepted the task of accompanying her cross-country.
8 Link
The Legend of Zelda
The Zelda series of video games is well-known for its intricately connected timeline, a vast tapestry woven across numerous titles and deep narratives.
Before the occurrences of Skyward Sword, the goddess Hylia gave up her divine status so she could hold the Triforce, guaranteeing that she and her knight would keep coming back to life indefinitely, thus preventing the Demon King from rising again and again.
Her Knight, in particular, would reincarnate as Link.
This is an inescapable, irrevocable sequence of events, which essentially means that Link’s role is fated to battle Ganon and every one of his forms throughout eternity. His life seems to revolve entirely around this, giving it the feel of a tragic destiny rather than simply ending in failure.
7 Cameron “Caz” McCleary
Still Wakes The Deep
In the grimy, unforgiving realm of Still Wakes The Deep, I find myself utterly overwhelmed. It’s a world shrouded in despair, burdened with weight and chill. There’s no glimmer of light or promise at the end of the path we tread. Each day feels like a futile attempt to meet the company’s relentless profit targets and maintain the game’s integrity. It’s a never-ending struggle, an uphill battle that leaves us all drained.
On the Beira D. Oil Rig, there’s a sense of gloom that hangs heavy, echoing in the attitudes of all its inhabitants. This melancholy is particularly evident in the game’s troubled protagonist, Caz McCleary. He’s yearning for an escape from his predicament, much like the oil rig longs for relief from recurring budget constraints and deterioration.
If such action involves carelessly and unwittingly penetrating the enigmatic entity known as “The Shape”, the Lovecraftian monster from the game, then I’m prepared for that consequence. The resurrection of The Shape, compounded by the deteriorated state of the oil rig, would inevitably result in the demise of every crew member.
Furthermore, Caz made a noble, unselfish choice, a move that has sparked disagreement among many team members. Interestingly, despite the bleak outlook at the start and the game appearing to be a lost cause, the ultimate message conveyed in the ending is surprisingly hopeful, even amidst the unfortunate events.
6 Noble Six
Halo Reach
In the world of Halo, fans often come across the term “Reach”. This concept has been a symbol, an inspiration, and a battle cry throughout the franchise. It isn’t until the game Halo: Reach that players are given a profound, emotional backstory that sheds light on the game’s historical events.
As a gamer, I’ve just found myself on a world that was once a mighty fortress, now reduced to ruins in a heartbeat. Taking control of Noble Six, I’m immersed in the crushing reality of the Human-Covenant War, a conflict that carries an unimaginable weight for both newcomers and longtime fans alike.
Fans develop a strong bond with the Noble Team, anticipating the impending events, yet no one was prepared for what followed.
The conclusion of Reach is infamously among the most heart-wrenching in video game history, as the entire squad is systematically eliminated, one after another, in a tragic and symbolic twist.
In the end, it’s only Noble Six left, a solitary figure, or what one might call a “Lone Wolf,” who must bear witness to the catastrophic finale of the world with no power to stop it.
5 Ghost and Roach
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Without a shadow of a doubt, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 stands as one of the most acclaimed titles within the Call of Duty series. Lately, it has been reimagined, introducing significant modifications to the narrative and its personalities, offering a revitalized perspective for players.
One thing is consistent in both games, though: General Shepherd is a traitor.
In the original Modern Warfare 2, his treacherous unmasking leads to the immediate demise of two characters that players operate: Ghost and Roach. Shepherd then executes them, followed by cremating their remains. He disrespectfully spits on their graves and remembers them unfavorably.
It wasn’t until it was already too late that neither character learned about their impending doom, even though Shepherd and the entire crew were privy to the information.
4 Kratos
God of War
As a dedicated fan, I seldom find Greek Mythology offering a favorable outcome for mortals, and that certainly holds true for Kratos in the God of War series. In many ways, his story embodies the essence of a Greek Tragedy, with its action-packed hack-and-slash elements notwithstanding.
Through a fateful agreement with Ares, unaware of its consequences, Kratos doomed himself, along with his wife and daughter at that time. His liberation from divine control came at the price of annihilating the entire pantheon, which only solidified his status as the genuine God of War. Yet, he couldn’t shake off his past, a fact clearly depicted in the more recent games that delve into Norse mythology.
…disregarding the influence of the Three Fates, Kratos’ situation seems to be as hopeless at the outset as if his life’s script had already been penned in destiny before he came into existence.
3 Arthur Morgan
Red Dead Redemption 2
In the harsh reality of Red Dead Redemption 2’s world, there is little mercy for lawbreakers like Arthur Morgan.
Arthur frequently acknowledges the bleak end he faces within the game, often bringing it up at different stages. For instance, following the completion of a Stranger Mission where an electric chair is unveiled, Arthur pens in his journal that if ever apprehended, he prefers to be hanged instead.
To my dismay, I find myself facing an entirely different affliction in 1899 – Tuberculosis. This realization is as terrifying as it is heartbreaking, for it’s a disease with no cure and carries the ominous label of being terminal. Much like countless others before me over a hundred years ago, I grapple with the grim reality that my life hangs in the balance, held only by the absence of a cure.
It was widely anticipated that his character would meet an untimely end, given that “Red Dead Redemption 2” is a precursor to a game where Arthur does not appear at all. This sad turn of events was expected by many, even the storyline itself, as it seemed inevitable.
2 Solid Snake
Metal Gear
The lore of the Metal Gear franchise is immensely complex and convoluted, and it’s tough to follow with several different versions of Snake. Perhaps one of the most tragic, however, is the iconic Solid Snake himself.
I’ve always found myself going through an unbelievable amount in the world of Solid Snake. From the scars of war and the rapid passage of time to countless other heart-wrenching experiences spread throughout the series, it’s never been easy being him.
Despite any apparent resilience he might show, his fate is sealed due to being a replica of the renowned figure known as Big Boss. This fate will manifest through the FOXDIE virus coursing through his veins, a virus that triggers rapid aging. As his cells deteriorate beyond repair, they can no longer regenerate themselves, leading to an immediate and gruesome demise.
Regardless of Snake’s efforts, it’s an inevitable demise that can’t be escaped. As a clone, his destiny was predetermined even before he grasped the idea of destiny itself.
1 John Marston
Red Dead Redemption
As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but be moved by the heartrending saga of John Marston in Red Dead Redemption. What makes his tale so poignant is that he struggled so valiantly to attain a simple, peaceful existence – yet, alas, it remained elusive for him in the end.
John’s tale serves as an unmistakable reminder to other frontier bandits: no one can entirely escape their history, for it will inevitably track them down. This is a recurring motif that Rockstar often revisits in their video games.
Contenders join forces with John in an effort to regain control over the storyline, to restore the tranquil lifestyle they’ve labored to preserve. They won’t hesitate to eliminate, be it a sharpshooter or not, anyone who obstructs their path towards that goal.
All of this, just for John to die at the end, with a harrowing realisation to everyone involved: the Pinkertons never intended to let him live in the first place. He was always doomed from the very start.
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2024-10-09 15:09