Game Characters Who End Up Losing Everything

Highlights

Game characters face hardships and sacrifice everything, inspiring players to keep going in tough times.
Clementine, Jin Sakai, and Sculptor’s tragic stories show loss, sacrifice, and redemption in games.
Despite tragic endings, characters like Emil and Messmer display resilience and selflessness in their journeys.

As a storyteller, I must say that each of these tragic characters leaves a profound impact on us players, making us empathize with their struggles and appreciate their resilience in the face of adversity. From the Sculptor’s downfall due to his own inner demons, to Artorias’s selfless sacrifice for loyalty, to Emil’s heart-wrenching journey of loss and redemption – these characters teach us valuable lessons about sacrifice, resilience, and the human spirit.

Life seldom offers a level playing field, and for certain individuals, it can be exceptionally tough and arduous. Many video game characters embody this sense of powerlessness through their distressing lives and pasts. Yet, in the face of such adversity, these characters consistently make enormous sacrifices, often giving up everything they have – sometimes even their own lives.

These characters, though filled with emotion, frequently serve as a motivational spark for players. They’re much like a selfless lamp, always ready to exhaust itself to illuminate the way for others. Their intentions are as pure as they come. Adored by many, these characters can stir emotions so deep in gamers that even their names might provoke a few tears.

6 Clementine – Telltale’s The Walking Dead Series

An Unfortunate Character Who Faces Tragedy More Often Than Not

Game Characters Who End Up Losing Everything

Playable character: Briefly playable in Season 1 and acts as the main protagonist in the following games.

Clementine’s tale is filled with adversity and heartache at every corner, as depicted in the initial season of Telltale’s The Walking Dead. Here, we meet Clementine, an 8-year-old girl who has recently lost her parents, and Lee, our main character in the first season, becomes her surrogate father figure. Throughout their journey together, Lee offers support to Clementine until a heart-wrenching moment arrives where she must decide whether to let Lee transform into a walker or take his life.

For the next three years, Clementine battles to maintain her humanity amidst harsh and unforgiving humans, the ever-present danger of walkers, and the heartbreaking loss of friends time and again. What keeps her going is AJ, a child whose mother, her friend Rebecca, passed away during childbirth. Although her tale concludes on a relatively positive note, there were numerous moments along her journey when she was completely bereft.

5 Jin Sakai – Ghost Of Tsushima

Put Those He Cared For Before Himself And Lost Everything

Playable character: Yes.

In feudal Japan during the year 1274, when the Mongols launched an invasion on the island of Tsushima, this PlayStation game offers an open-world experience centered around Jin Sakai, a samurai whose unwavering devotion to his nation and people leads him to give up everything he cherishes.

In this scenario, the samurai suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of the Mongols, leading to Jin’s uncle being captured by Khotun Khan, the Mongol ruler. During an attempt to rescue his uncle, Jin nearly loses his life. This ordeal triggers a transformation in Jin, as he learns from both enemies and allies, eventually abandoning his traditional honor and teachings in order to protect Tsushima from the Mongol invasion. Despite defeating Khotun Khan, Jin’s sacrifices result in him being disowned by his uncle, exiled from his clan, and branded a criminal by the samurai.

4 Sculptor – Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

A Story Of Redemption That Results In Failure

Playable character: No.

In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, there’s no character with a more heart-wrenching backstory than the Sculptor, whom players encounter at the start of the game. Originally a strong shinobi and an expert swordsman, the Sculptor was driven to the brink by his insatiable thirst for blood, teetering on the edge of becoming a Shura – an individual devoid of morality. However, his life takes a turn when he crosses paths with Isshin Ashina, who, instead of killing him, spares his life and leaves him under Dogen’s care.

The artist spends his entire life crafting Buddha figures. Upon encountering a disgraced and limbless ninja named Wolf, he recognizes himself in this character and exerts all his efforts to aid Wolf in fulfilling his objectives. However, eventually, the artist yields to his inherent traits, transforming into the Harbinger of Hatred.

3 Artorias And Sif – Dark Souls

A Sorrowful Tale Of Loyalty And Sacrifice

Playable character: No.

In the somber world of Dark Souls, a duo’s tale stands out as particularly poignant. Artorius, one of Gwynn’s four knights, was responsible for preserving order in Lordran. By his side was his steadfast canine companion, Sif. Artorius was burdened with the impossible mission to face the Abyss, a place that turns all who enter corrupt. It was here that he met his end. Despite being overwhelmed, Artorius fought valiantly to overpower it. Just before succumbing to the Abyss, he selflessly sacrificed his mighty shield to protect Sif.

Artorius’ mental stability and reputation crumbled, leaving him as a mindless, corrupt warrior indiscriminately attacking those near him. Following Artorius’ descent, Sif committed himself to guarding his master’s tomb and the Abyssean Ring that grants access to that dark dimension from potential thieves. Regrettably, even Sif falls in battle against the player, who must seize the ring to traverse the Abyss.

2 Emil – NieR Series

A Character Who Sacrifices Everything To Protect His Friends

Playable character: No, but they join the party in NieR Replicant.

Emil, initially an ordinary human child, transforms into a significant figure within the NieR series, marked by hardship, self-sacrifice, and continuous suffering. Despite his immense abilities, Emil strives to maintain his goodness, shield those he cherishes, and avoid causing harm unintentionally. As a young boy, Emil, together with his sister Halua, became the subjects of cruel experiments aimed at manufacturing weapons of devastating power. Empowered with the ability to turn anyone who gazes upon him into stone, Emil, fearing harm to others, opted to wear a blindfold and distance himself from all connections.

Emil sacrificed his human form by merging with his sister and becoming a skeletal figure with an unsettling, ever-smiling face, just to save his friends. At this stage, Emil is so strong that he can pulverize entire villages with a single blast, and towards the game’s end, he sacrifices himself to defeat Devola and Popola to save Nier and his friends. He survives that battle, and thousands of years later, players meet him in NieR: Automata, a game in which he struggles to remember his past and is constantly faced with loneliness. Despite losing everything, he still harbors a strong sense of goodness and a desire to protect the world.

1 Messmer – Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree

A Tragic Villain Who Meets A Miserable End

Playable character: No.

In the highly praised expansion pack for FromSoftware’s open-world game, a fresh demigod character named Messmer The Impaler was unveiled in promotional videos. Interestingly, despite his menacing title, he doesn’t live up to his name’s fearsome reputation; instead, his heartrending past is presented, making him appear more sympathetic and less like a stereotypical villain with only one dimension.

In a twisted turn of events, young Messmer was dispatched by Queen Marika to the realm of Shadows, tasked with a vengeful crusade against the Hornsent. This act was retribution for the heinous acts perpetrated by them against his mother and her people. Obeying his mother’s instructions with unwavering devotion, Messmer pursued this campaign despite being branded as a ruthless usurper by the world at large. However, Queen Marika never once attempted to contact him after sending him away. In the game, Messmer can be found brooding in a dimly lit chamber beneath a statue of Marika. Upon his defeat, he acknowledges his abandonment and, with his final breath, sorrowfully condemns his mother.

2024-08-08 10:33