Being the main character means you get most of the screen time, but shining bright comes with its share of struggles and challenges. Sometimes it’s manageable, but other times players face downright brutal and awkward situations. To give you a better idea, here’s the top 10 unluckiest protagonists in gaming. Check them out!
Raiden
Raiden has had some seriously unlucky moments, like discovering his wife was a spy, having his limbs chopped off multiple times, being forced to complete missions while barely clothed, and famously slipping on bird poop.
Metal Gear fans see him as a comedic figure, but he got his own spin-off with Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance to redeem his reputation. Funny enough, right at the start of that game, Raiden’s arm gets chopped off again, and he just sighs, “Not again!”
Isaac
Isaac is a lonely boy with no toys, no friends, and not even a scrap of clothing. His mother takes away his drawings and even shaves his head. Fearing his mother might sacrifice him, Isaac runs away to survive, only to face even scarier horrors.
Isaac has to fight for his life, and after the game ends, this poor protagonist even suffocates inside a toy chest. Thankfully, in the Repentance DLC, Isaac finally gets a more hopeful ending, much better than the original game.
Isaac Clarke, Dead Space series
Isaac Clarke is a space miner and the main character of the survival horror Dead Space series. In the first game, he visits the spaceship Ishimura to see his long-time girlfriend Nicole, only to find the crew dead and transformed into terrifying zombie-like creatures called Necromorphs. Sadly, Nicole is gone too.
Though not a soldier, Isaac must use whatever tools he has to fight off the space zombies. Since he lacks proper weapons, he has to rely on mining equipment, which isn’t very effective, making the experience brutal for both players and Isaac himself.
Venom Snake, Metal Gear Solid 5
Venom Snake was just a trusted medic soldier beside Big Boss. He witnessed the destruction of their base and the death of comrades. With Big Boss hunted worldwide, Venom Snake is tasked with becoming Big Boss’s double, allowing the real Big Boss to rebuild his forces.
Forget the tough missions and painful decisions Venom Snake faces in Metal Gear Solid 5. The hardest moment is waking up from a coma only to find he’s taken on Big Boss’s identity and leadership role. No one knows who Venom Snake really is, they just see Big Boss or his phantom. That’s why Metal Gear Solid 5 is called The Phantom Pain.
Booker DeWitt, Bioshock Infinite
Booker DeWitt, the protagonist of Bioshock Infinite, is a troubled ex-soldier. After losing his wife during childbirth, he spirals into depression and alcoholism. He even sells his daughter to pay gambling debts. Filled with regret, he goes to Columbia to rescue her, only to find she has superpowers and is targeted by powerful forces.
Booker wants to free her, but life isn’t that simple. Throughout the story, he realizes that for her freedom and a better fate for Columbia, he must die. In different timelines, Booker accepts baptism to atone for his sins and is reborn as Zachary Comstock, the game’s villain. So Booker’s sacrifice is meant to prevent Comstock’s existence. But since other versions of Booker might not make the same choice, neither players nor characters know if his sacrifice will truly matter.
From GVN360
