They’re the characters you love to play as. They’re the villains you love to fight. They’re the ones who can dish it out just as well as they can take it, and they look good doing it. For them or against them, you don’t want to be in their way. For the select few that encompass all of these traits, we have but one hyphenated word…BAD-ASS.
Our Guidelines:
1) No more than one character may be chosen per game.
2) Characters must be judged by their actions/appearance within games. Any appearance in a comic book or movie was not taken into consideration.
3) There is no exact definition to bad-ass. At best, it can be describes as a combination of power, toughness and style.
20) Miles Edgeworth (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attourney) – Some men fight with guns, some fight with swords, this one fights with the law. Though opinions are split on his renaissance style wardrobe, one thing is certain; when he slams his hand on the table and shouts “OBJECTION!” everyone in the room takes notice.
19) Hunk (Resident Evil) – In Racoon City, thousands of people screamed as flesh was torn from living bone and the streets ran red with blood. This guy slept soundly through most of it, then blasted his was out with enough G-Virus to ensure many sequels to the series.
18) Bowser (Super Mario Bros.) – With legions of baddies-on-a-half-shell, this fiery red-head has waged the longest running war in video game history. Maybe someday he’ll admit he has a crush on the princess, but until then, he’s content kidnapping her on a seemingly annual basis.
17) Wander (Shadow of the Colossus) – He doesn’t look like much, but with nothing but a shiny sword, his trusty steed and balls of steel, this fearless lad takes down 16 skyscraper sized beasts.
16) Riku (Kingdom Hearts) – Sure, he bathed in darkness and fought along side the likes of Oogie Boogie and Captain Hook, but this guy earned his place on the list for one astounding accomplishment: He taught Micky Mouse to embrace the darkness! It’s only a matter of time before he gets the Disney icon to smoke.
15) Sheik/Zelda (Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time) – Finally, a princess that takes a stand on being kidnapped. Though not the toughest ninja, she gets points for breaking in new ground in female bad-assness.
14) King of the Cosmos (Katamari Damacy) – Power, style, millions of adoring fans, laser eyes; The King of the Cosmos has it all, and a catchy theme song. If you took The Beetles, rolled them up into a ball and granted them all the power in the universe, this is what you would get. And yes, he is in fact bigger than Jesus.
13) Raziel (Soul Reaver) – He was torn apart, thrown into a burning pit and turned into a soul eating fiend. All that just for sprouting a kick-ass pair of wings. But that didn’t stop him from running through time just to rub his awesome appendages in Kane’s face.
12) Ryu Hayabusa (Ninja Gaiden) – How could we have a list of bad-asses and not include a real ninja? Huh? (Sorry, but I’m not counting Shiek) Wielding a sword forged from a dragon’s bone, Ryu is the video game world’s original ninja.
11) Barret (Final Fantasy) – Sorry fan boys, but the consensus opinion says that Sephiroth is seriously overrated. Barrett is bigger, meaner, manlier and has frickin’ Gatling gun for a hand. He's also quite the poet; "There ain't no gettin off of this train we're on."
10) Luca Blight (Suikoden 2) – In one of the most epic struggles in RPG history, it takes three full parties of heroes, a few dozen arrows through the chest and a game of rock/paper/scissors to bring this beast of a man down.
9) Simon Belmont (Castlevania) – Not only did hunt down and kill the world’s most notorious vampire, he liked it so much that he put the old man back together just so he could kill him again. Talk about a grudge!
8) Prince of Persia (Prince of Persia) – Sure, everybody thinks he’s great because he does back flips, runs across walls and dances through deathtraps, but does anybody mention how he balanced the Persian budget and instituted healthcare reform?
7) Auron (Final Fantasy X) – Drinking on the job would get anyone else in trouble, but this guy takes a swig of his sweet sauce before every swipe of the sword. Worried he’ll get a liver disease? Ha! He’s already dead!
6) Akuma (Street Fighter) – He’s stronger than Ken, faster than Ryu, can launch two hadokens at once, and his shun goku satsu attack is the most powerful (and complicated) move in all of Street Fighter. Did I mention he’s also quite good at macramé?
5) Master Chief (Halo) – 1) Jump onto wraith tank. 2) “Neatly” rip armor plating off with hand. 3) Insert grenade. 4) Enjoy the show. When fighting an enemy that’s hundreds of years ahead of you technologically, you gotta do some serious collateral damage for them to call you “The Demon.”
4) Samus Aran (Metroid) –She travels across the galaxy in a ship shaped like her head, hunting pirates and flying jell-o molds. Proving that clothes really do make the man, err…woman, her suit is decked out with enough firepower and gadgets to make Boba Fett jealous. Now, if she could only keep the damn thing from breaking down between games!
3) Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid) –Though dozens of characters have been based on him, this grizzled soldier forgoes any pretense of being a role model, sneaking in a pack of smokes onto every mission. His reason being, “You never know when a pack will come in handy."
2) Kratos (God of War) – Testosterone…pure, concentrated and coursing through his veins. I think Poseidon gave him a little boost too. Wannabes say they’ll rip someone apart with their bear hands. This guy does it for real.
1) Dante (Devil May Cry) – One-half demon plus one-half human equals number one bad-ass. Whether he’s chopping up nightmare creatures with a sword or laying down a rain of lead with Ebony and Ivory, everyone can find something to like in this multitalented hero. “And,” as one female fan posted, “he’s like, totally hawt.”
Honorable Mentions: Nobody voted for them, but that’s just because they’re so bad people are afraid to utter their names in public. But these fearsome 5 are the true example of Bad-assness
Jason (Blaster Master) – Some people quest to save a princess, some people to avenge their family, but true bad-asses are out to save their pet frog. Plus he had a pimp ride.
Spy Hunter (Spy Hunter) – Life is a winding road without end, and Spy Hunter makes sure nobody pops your tires on it. Oh yeah, he too had a pimp ride.
The “Z” Block (Tetris) – It falls from the heavens at a steady pace, fully aware that no matter how well arranged a tower you have, all will crumble under it’s awkwardly shaped weight.
Kirby (Kirby’s Dreamland) – When life hands him lemons, he spits lemonade right back in life’s face. Always rolling with the punches, Kirby proves that just because you suck, doesn’t mean you can’t be cool.
Bottomless Pits (Every Game Ever) – Their construction is a secret known only to the evil architect union, but everyone knows the devastation they wreak on heroes. No matter how tough Mega Man’s armor, or how high Mario can jump, nothing can save you once you’re in the grasp the ultimate servant of evil: The Bottomless Pit.