From Heroes to Punchlines: 5 Video Game Characters Who Became Jokes Over Time

Summary

Joke characters can become beloved but sometimes evolve into butt-monkeys due to popularity and flanderization.
Ganryu in Tekken shifted focus from sumo wrestling to an infatuation with younger women, leading to less serious narratives for him.
Larry Butz in Ace Attorney transformed from a goofy character to lecherous, immoral, and unreliable, becoming a butt-monkey.

In many games, you’ll find humor-infused characters known as comedic or jester characters. As their name suggests, these figures are usually portrayed in a lighthearted manner, often with an element of humor. Interestingly, even though they might start out as comic relief, joke characters can endear themselves to both fans and developers, leading to them being given more substantial roles in later games due to their popularity. However, it’s also worth noting that a character initially portrayed as serious or grounded can sometimes transform into what is known as a “butt-monkey” – a character who is constantly subjected to slapstick humor and mishaps.

In some cases, a character’s development isn’t solely determined by their initial popularity. Over time, a phenomenon known as Flanderization may occur, where a character’s dominant traits become more pronounced, often due to limited creativity in devising new actions for the character within a story. This can lead to these characters being perceived as less complex or serious after their initial introductions.

5. Ganryu

Tekken Series

Ganryu of Tekken has devolved near-exclusively to revolve around his infatuation with Julia Chang.

In many fighting games, as new characters are introduced and old favorites return, there can be a tendency for characters to become stereotyped or oversimplified. This happens because developers strive to keep the roster fresh while also appealing to fans. The downside is that these overly simplified characters may not contribute much to the game’s overall story, leaving less material for crafting a compelling narrative. Ganryu, a sumo wrestler from the Tekken series, is an example of such a character.

Despite not being a main character in the story, he earned respect as the youngest sumo wrestler to achieve the rank of Ozeki, yet his questionable moral character hindered his chance to become Yokozuna. Still, his power was noticed by Kazuya Mishima, who hired him as an underling. His task was to secretly take an amulet from Michelle Chang, a woman with Native American and Hong Kong roots. However, Ganryu couldn’t secure the amulet and instead found himself harboring feelings for Michelle that she did not reciprocate.

From this point onwards, you won’t find him in the Tekken series until Tekken 5. In Tekken 5, he develops a strong affection for Julia, Michelle’s adopted daughter. Although he has other passions and ambitions, his narratives have started to revolve predominantly around his vices, frequently with a humorous twist. His latest appearance in Tekken 7 lacks an in-game story, but the English and Japanese versions of his profile on the game’s official websites explain that he decided to become an influencer and participate in the tournament because he accidentally donated all the money needed to save his restaurant to Julia.

4. Johnny Klebitz

Grand Theft Auto Series

Johnny Klebitz, a major Grand Theft Auto 4 character, returned and died in humiliating fashion in Grand Theft Auto 5.

In the game “Grand Theft Auto 4”, Johnny Klebitz was a significant character who later took center stage in one of its expansion packs titled “The Lost and Damned“, which received high praise upon release. As Vice President of The Lost Motorcycle Club, Johnny frequently found himself navigating conflicts with other criminal groups or dealing with internal strife within his own organization. His relationship with girlfriend Ashley Butler was also tumultuous due to her drug addiction, leading her to make questionable choices. Eventually, Johnny chose to momentarily abandon his life of crime and ended things with Ashley, a situation that continued until the events of “Grand Theft Auto 5”.

Approximately at the 5th stage, Johnny reunites with Ashley and The Lost crew, but unfortunately, he falls into drug addiction himself. His girlfriend frequently betrays him with the new series’ main character, Trevor Phillips. In due course, Johnny gathers the strength to confront Trevor about this infidelity. However, this encounter happens concurrently with Trevor discovering that his former criminal partner, Michael Townley (now known as Michael De Santa), is still alive. This revelation enrages Trevor so much that he ends up killing Johnny using a beer bottle.

While Johnny isn’t traditionally characterized as a comic relief figure, his eventual return to his past and subsequent unfortunate end align well with the gloomy humor of the Grand Theft Auto franchise. As a result, Johnny appears to embody a more caricatured role of a victim, often subjected to misfortune, than he did during the course of events.

3. Hsu Hao

Mortal Kombat

Hsu Hao of Mortal Kombat has been hated by the developers seemingly since his inception and has become a joke in most iterations because of it.

Hsu Hoo is a cyborg with both Chinese and Mongolian roots, who was part of the Red Dragon Clan, an enemy group to Kano’s Black Dragon Clan. He secretly joined the Special Forces at Mavado’s orders, his superior within the group. His cybernetic heart makes him stronger physically. In a turn of events, another cyborg in the Special Forces named Jax Briggs ended up killing Hsu Hoo by tearing out his cybernetic heart, as shown in Jax’s personal storyline.

As a dedicated Mortal Kombat gamer, I’ve always wondered why Hao, such an intriguing character in Deadly Alliance, has never made a reappearance as a playable character beyond that game. It seems developers like Ed Boon and John Vogel found something not quite to their liking about him, which is a bit of a mystery to me. The only exceptions are Tournament Edition, a port of Deadly Alliance, and Armageddon, where he was included due to its requirement of having every character from previous games. It’s fascinating to ponder why Hao has been absent from the roster of playable characters in subsequent Mortal Kombat games. Some suggest it might be because of his resemblance to the wildly popular character Kano, or due to design elements that some argue are reminiscent of problematic Asian stereotypes.

Despite not being a playable character, Hsu Hao hasn’t escaped the stream of jokes at his expense in the game. In the prequel comic series to Mortal Kombat X, he was swiftly killed by Scorpion, and in Mortal Kombat 11, he had a brief and unflattering appearance as a corpse dragged by Erron Black during one of his intros. It remains uncertain whether Hsu Hao will be tied to the timeline of Mortal Kombat 1, but any potential appearances are likely to be short-lived.

2. Mr. Karate

Art of Fighting Series

Mr. Karate was the final boss in the original Art of Fighting, yet he has largely been a comic relief cameo otherwise.

One of SNK’s numerous fighting game franchises is called “Art of Fighting.” It introduced characters like Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia, martial artists whose combat style, Kyokugen-ryu, bears a strong resemblance to the Shotokan style (later named Anastsuken, which shares similarities with the one in “Street Fighter”). This overlap inspired the creation of the popular joke character Dan Hibiki, who blends traits from both Ryo and Robert. Additionally, Mr. Karate is another well-known figure associated with this series.

In the initial game, it was Mr. Karate – a skilled martial artist versed in Kyokugen-ryu and unfortunately thrust into criminal activities while hiding behind a tengu mask – who served as the final adversary. It wasn’t until later that he was unveiled to be none other than Takuma Sakazaki, father of Ryo’s daughter Yuri Sakazaki. In the subsequent game, Takuma discarded his mask and appeared without it, but by the third game in the series, which has been its concluding installment thus far, he was no longer depicted as a fighter.

From this point forward, some of the main characters from the original series have made appearances in other games, most notably “King of Fighters”, a multiplayer fighting game set in a different timeframe compared to “Art of Fighting”. Due to other characters like Yuri and King taking Takuma’s usual spot on the team under specific conditions, he has had fewer consistent appearances. In the endings for the “Art of Fighting” team, where he cannot be played as himself, he often appears disguised as Mr. Karate, even though the team is aware of his true identity despite his efforts to hide it.

In a somewhat non-traditional manner, the character of Mr. Karate managed to move away from his comedic reputation in the games SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos and King of Fighters 13. This transformation was portrayed as a more serious fighter, known as Serious Mr. Karate, reflecting Takuma’s immense power and skill. To differentiate him from the original character, he donned a black gi instead of his usual white one. Ryo later assumed the title of Mr. Karate in various games following Takuma’s retirement, but seems to have little affection for the theatrics associated with it. It is yet unknown whether an upcoming Art of Fighting game will incorporate the Mr. Karate persona or not, as it was announced at Evo 2024.

1. Larry Butz

Ace Attorney

Larry Butz was introduced in Ace Attorney as a somewhat goofy character, but he has only grown more immoral and gag-based with every subsequent appearance.

Characters in jokes or comedic roles are often at risk of becoming overly stereotypical, a process known as flanderization. This can lead audiences to view these characters less seriously as the series progresses. A clear example of this phenomenon is Larry Butz from the Ace Attorney series. Larry was a friend of both Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth, playing a significant role in bringing them together when he stole Edgeworth’s lunch money and helped Wright defend himself against the accusation. However, as the series progressed, Larry’s character became increasingly exaggerated and comical, leading some viewers to take him less seriously over time.

In the initial case of Phoenix Wright’s legal career in the original Ace Attorney series, Butz is portrayed as the defendant facing charges for murdering his former girlfriend, Cindy Stone. However, Wright manages to expose Frank Sawhit as the true killer, thereby clearing Butz of the crime. Later in the game during its fourth chapter, Butz reappears, this time running a hot dog stand. His testimony plays a crucial role in proving Edgeworth’s innocence for the murder of Robert Hammond. Additionally, Butz discloses the mystery behind Edgeworth’s missing lunch money and returns $38 to him, even though Edgeworth had already figured out the truth himself.

In essence, Wright’s dissatisfaction about being kept out of the loop regarding this issue appears to have influenced his perception of Larry, which in turn affects how he is depicted in the series. Larry, who is prone to breaking up with girlfriends and flirting with many women, often seems unscrupulous. For instance, in “Trials and Tribulations,” his second appearance in the series, he displays an unsettling eagerness to flirt with and date people regardless of their marital status, age, or even in one particularly questionable case, pre-pubescence. From then on, Larry is consistently portrayed as a lecherous, unreliable slacker who struggles to maintain employment or relationships. His loose morals and frequent shortcomings are frequently criticized, most notably by Wright and Edgeworth. Throughout the series, he serves as a recurring witness, making it challenging to decipher his testimonies due to his tendency to lie while still providing crucial evidence.

In the DLC “Turnabout Time Traveler” from the “Spirit of Justice,” which is currently the last installment in the series, it’s shown that his character has reached some level of artistic success, though it could be considered a fleeting moment as he’s labeled as a “one-hit-wonder.” However, Butz continues to prove his intelligence quotient is questionable, as he shamelessly flirts with Ellen Wyatt, who is about to get married. To top it off, he makes a threat to the police that could be interpreted as planting a bomb. His role as a comic relief character remains unchanged, as he’s pursued by characters like Maya Fey, Ema Skye, and Athena Sykes after catching the bouquet at the re-enacted wedding of Ellen Wyatt, the soon-to-be bride who was also Apollo’s latest client.

2025-04-17 05:38