The landscape of gaming is full to the brim with amazing stories and memorable heroes. Players control these protagonists all the way to the end of a journey that takes hours, yet is worth every second. Video games have the power to enrapture audiences through their lengthy runtimes, with a good protagonist going a long way in ensuring that these moments sear themselves in the minds of players.
Of course, not all gaming heroes are paragons of justice — that would just be plain boring. However, in a bid to make these protagonists more interesting, some games go down the lazy route and just add a tinge of creepiness to these characters. Keeping this in mind, here are some of the most notable creeps in gaming who are lauded as heroes.
10Nathan Drake (Uncharted)
Nathan Drake is a wisecracking protagonist who serves asthe heart and soul of theUnchartedseries. While he’s a likable protagonist for the most part, there are times when his attitude towards ladies can venture into the extreme.
His status as a protagonist means that he gets the benefit of the doubt more often than not. However, the way in which he swoons over ladies in the series can be considered odd, especially given some of his rather crass remarks.
9Larry Laffer (Leisure Suit Larry)
Given the nature ofLeisure Suit Larry, it’s only a given that this game would make the list at some point. After all, these games feature one of the creepiest and most perverted protagonists in gaming history.
Watching Larry fail in his quest to seduce women time and time again might seem hilarious, but there’s no denying that his behavior is problematic. It’s easy to see whyLeisure Suit Larryis a game that hasn’t made a modern appearance for the longest time, given the questionable nature of its subject matter.
8Trevor Philips (Grand Theft Auto 5)
Trevor isone of the wildest video game characters of all time. Controlling him is a blast, with his antics being one of the major reasons whyGrand Theft Auto 5was such a resounding success.
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Trevor also has the penchant to be rather weird, with his torturous and sleazy behavior venturing into the realm of the bizarre at times. The stories of his “exploits” are pretty graphic for players who pay attention to the character’s ramblings.
7Duke Nukem (Duke Nukem)
Duke Nukem was one of the most iconic video game protagonists of the 90s. His games were nothing more than bursts of adrenaline where playersshot down waves of demonsas Duke uttered his signature one-liners.
However, the character’s personality hasn’t really aged well, andDuke Nukem Foreverdidn’t really help things either. Its crass attempts at humor are extremely offensive, and show why so many studios shy away from giving this threat the limelight it probably doesn’t deserve.
6Scott Shelby (Heavy Rain)
Heavy Rainis one of Quantic Dream’s best games by a country mile. The riveting murder mystery of this title is excellent, with the branching narratives of the four characters being a joy to explore.
However, later down the line, it’s revealed thatone of these controllable characters was actually the Origami Killerthat players were searching for all this time. It’s a harrowing moment, made creepier by the sheer depravity of this man’s actions.
5Irvine Kinneas (Final Fantasy 8)
Out of all the characters on this list,Irvine is pretty tame when it comes to his creepiness. However, his insistence to hit on the women in the group and not take no for an answer can get pretty uncomfortable after a point.
This gets even worse when it’s revealed that the main party knew each other all along from their times in the orphanage, with Quistis serving as the big sister of the group. If Irvine retained his memories all along, then why did he still flirt with Quistis anyway?
4Kiryu Kazuma (Yakuza)
This is easily the most debatable inclusion on this list, given that Kiryu is a perfect example of a gentleman who won’t even raise his hands to hit a woman. However, it’s the side content that players can access with him that makes his crystal-clear reputation take a hit.
Throughout the games, players can make Kiryu perform a bunch of perverted and sleazy actions that he doesn’t seem to mind — and actually enjoys at times. It’s definitely one of the oddest things about this character… but no one can’t deny that this duality ofYakuzais what makes it such a fun game in the first place.
3Yusuke Kitagawa (Persona 5)
Persona 5is one of the greatest JRPGs of all time, in no small part due to its large cast of memorable characters. One such party member who is introduced rather memorably to the group is the aspiring artist, Yusuke Kitagawa.
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For some bizarre reasons, Yusuke was hell-bent on trying to draw a nude painting of Ann, something that the model was clearly not keen on doing. However, the insistent Yusuke ignored these claims and forced Ann into a rather tough situation, which is a pretty creepy thing to do.
2Kratos (God Of War)
Themodern iteration of Kratosis nowhere near as raunchy or as bloodthirsty as his past incarnation. The Kratos of old was a different beast who didn’t mind indulging in the pleasures of the flesh from time to time as well.
In fact, Kratos would partake in these “games” even with the enemy right at the door. Talk about getting one’s priorities all mixed up.
1Commander Shepard (Mass Effect)
Just like Kiryu, Shepard is another character whose creepy nature is entirely dependent on the player’s actions. After all, this character can be everything from a Paragon of virtue toa rebellious Renegade.
As a result, Shepard can abuse his position of power to arbitrarily do away with certain crewmates, wantonly flirt around with multiple romantic interests, and accomplish heinous actions that only a villain would want to do. To be fair, this is a pretty interesting side to Shepard’s character that can be explored… but doing so in the very first playthrough would be slightly odd.
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