In video games, as with film and literature, people love a good hero. Witnessing a protagonist triumph over their external or internal demons can be immensely satisfying to watch. This holds doubly true for underdogs: heroes that, on the surface at least, have seemingly no chance of succeeding.
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Video games have no shortage of such underdogs. In fact, compiling them all together would likely result in a truly massive list. Nevertheless, there certainly exists a handful of influential and famous underdogs that tend to stand out from the rest. These heroes have left their marks on the games that brought them to the forefront of the public mind.
Daniel – Amnesia: The Dark Descent
In the case of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, it would be an understatement to say the deck is stacked against the protagonist. Not only does Daniel have to contend with an unstoppable, otherworldly curse, but also a castle full of nightmarish monsters. To top it all off, Daniel can barely remember anything about his past — hence, the titular amnesia.
But poor Daniel's woes don't end there. He is forced to rely entirely on his wits and his trusty lantern, as there are no offensive weapons available for him to wield. Despite these seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Daniel is still able to confront his nemesis, Alexander, at the end of the game. Daniel may even survive his ordeal, based on which ending the player chooses.
Manny Calavera – Grim Fandango
In many respects, Manny Calavera from Grim Fandango is the quintessential "everyman." He's a normal guy (despite the lack of skin), having to put up with the drudgeries of work and a boss that kicks him around on a daily basis. Manny comes across as incredibly human and relatable, a feat that not every video game protagonist can pull off.
When Manny is dragged out of his depth and into a series of life-threatening misfortunes, he responds with perseverance and ingenuity. Putting the fantastical setting aside, there's nothing supernatural that drives Manny's actions. It's the strength of his character that enables him to succeed in the end.
Jack – Bioshock
Many video game protagonists lead pretty tough lives. Jack, the protagonist from Bioshock, should certainly be counted among their ranks. Unaware that his actions are not his own, Jack braves the underwater horrors of Rapture by the skin of his teeth.
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Making use of the resources around him, Jack is able to fend off the deranged inhabitants of Rapture with skill and cunning. Along the way, he's even able to overcome his brainwashing. Frank Fontaine, the perpetrator of most of Jack's troubles, receives his comeuppance in the end.
Henry – Kingdom Come: Deliverance
It tends to be a common trope in many open-world games for the protagonist to be supremely overpowered. Think of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for such an example. Henry, the hero of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, is quite different. He's not overpowered in any sense of the word.
Skills that Henry does learn, like swordsmanship, are the result of practice and hard work. Even then, combat encounters can still be dangerous. It's the sense of well-earned accomplishment Kingdom Come: Deliverance invokes that makes it shine among other RPGs.
Amicia De Rune – A Plague Tale: Innocence
In A Plague Tale: Innocence, Amicia de Rune is a teenager faced with a host of adult problems. She is forced to not only take care of herself, but her much younger brother as well. Coupled with a raging war and the outbreak of a deadly disease, Amicia definitely has her hands full.
However, with the aid of new friends and her own sense of bravery, Amicia is able to overcome her challenges. Despite being physically outmatched against every opponent in the game, the de Rune siblings and their allies triumph in the end.
Link – The Legend Of Zelda
It's a common trope in storytelling that real heroes often come from humble beginnings. Link from The Legend of Zelda franchise has embodied this idea from the very start. Although Link is usually a force to be reckoned with by the end of his journey, in the beginning, he's often depicted as just a regular person.
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It's the trials and tribulations Link faces throughout his journeys that makes him into a true hero. His task, defeating the evil Ganon and rescuing Zelda, is never an easy one. Much like Link's peers on this list, it's overcoming adversity against all odds that make Link a popular and recurring hero.
Mario – The Mario Franchise
There's no denying that Mario is a cultural icon. Even person who has never picked up a video game before has certainly heard of him. Although it may be easy to overlook now, Mario definitely represents the "everyman" archetype. He's a simple plumber, one who is tasked with overcoming significant odds to rescue a captured princess.
Mario's foes are many. As players over the years of the character's existence can attest, the path to Princess Peach can be a complicated one. Nevertheless, Mario doesn't allow his small stature to get in his way. He consistently overcomes his foes to achieve the storybook ending every time.
Gordon Freeman – Half-Life
Some may be inclined to think that scientists don't make good fighters, but Gordon Freeman would have some choice words for that summation. In the original Half-Life, Gordon Freeman looks the part of the stereotypical nerdy physicist. That is, until he dons his signature HEV suit and starts putting a serious hurt on invading extraterrestrials.
Along the way, Gordon makes use of more than just his signature crowbar to even the odds against his enemies. Still, what he manages to achieve is no easy feat, especially considering his lack of military training.
Ethan Winters – Resident Evil 7 & 8
To say that Ethan Winters has a rough go of things is once again an understatement. Unlike Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, Ethan doesn't possess any sort of training that prepares him for the string of disasters that await. He's just a man searching for his wife. In the process, however, Ethan opens a huge can of worms.
Ethan's continued toughness in the face of bio-engineered monstrosities is admirable. One need only reference the sequence of horrific injuries he sustains throughout his journey to establish proof of his determination. This is a man that can take more than a punch, to be sure.
Clementine – Telltale's The Walking Dead
Surviving a zombie apocalypse takes substantial grit. Most adults have a difficult time staying alive, let alone children. For a young girl like Clementine, the odds of living should be close to zero. Clementine, however, defies the odds through tenacity and sheer force of will.
Under the tutelage of Lee Everett, an underdog hero in his own right, Clementine is able to grow into an independent and capable survivor. In fact, by the time of the Final Season, she's in the process of mentoring another child even younger than herself. Clementine is, by far, one of the more memorable underdogs in recent memory.
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