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VOICE OVER: Geoffrey Martin WRITTEN BY: Garrett Alden
Top 10 Video Game Characters That Refuse to Die
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the video game protagonists who have miraculously managed to survive crazy situations, or else who keep coming back to life - in universe. To be clear, these are just heroes - villains have a list of their own.
#10: Zero
“Mega Man X,” “Mega Man Zero,” & “Mega Man ZX” franchises (1993-2020)
Mega Man has had several darker and edgier counterparts in his storied franchise and spin-offs, but Zero is perhaps the most enduring. Originally introduced as the sword wielding, ponytailed mentor to X in the “Mega Man X” series, Zero is killed multiple times in the “X” games, yet still manages to be revived - or at least rebuilt - repeatedly. In “Mega Man Zero,” the now amnesiac Reploid hero is revived in the distant future to face new threats. To top it off, Zero’s essence survives in a biometal in the “Mega Man ZX” games! When you’re as cool as he is, dying isn’t an option.
#9: Sekiro
“Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” (2019)
Honestly, we could’ve chosen any “Souls”-related protagonist. However, we’d argue that Sekiro has the most character of the bunch. Sekiro is a ninja who becomes embroiled in a titanic conflict over immortality. And losing one of his arms is just the beginning of what he and the player have to go through! Chances are that Sekiro will die considerably more than twice. He’s resurrected again and again due to the power of the Dragon’s Heritage, the in-world explanation for Sekiro returning to life after facing all the punishingly difficult enemies in the player’s way. Whether it’s the player or Sekiro himself, taking down every brutal boss, no matter how many times you die, is truly impressive.
#8: Master Chief
“Halo” franchise (2001-)
The faceless supersoldier at the heart of the “Halo” games, Master Chief John-117 is basically a one-man army. He nearly single handedly wins the war against the alien Covenant forces and repeatedly destroys several of the titular superweapons. Between fighting his way through hordes of zombie-like Flood and Covenant soldiers, last minute escapes from exploding Halos, and giving the Covenant back their bomb, Master Chief is ridiculously difficult to kill. The Covenant views him as a demon, and he certainly has the resilience of one. Even getting frozen in stasis isn’t enough to keep Master Chief out of the fight. The Arbiter says it best at John’s memorial:
#7: Doomguy
“Doom” franchise (1993-)
The hero of this gloriously violent shooter series, the unnamed space marine known as Doomguy, or the Doom Slayer, is a downright unkillable badass. With his ever-expanding arsenal of powerful guns, weapons, and even his fists, Doomguy has mowed through hordes of demons effortlessly. Recent lore suggests he may be immortal, not even needing to sleep or eat. Whether the denizens of the underworld are attacking Mars or he’s taking the fight to hell itself, Doomguy will rip and tear until the fight is done - because his life will never be done.
#6: Kratos
“God of War” franchise (2005-)
The eponymous god of war goes through a crazy number of trials and tribulations that would daunt even the toughest of mortal men. Kratos has killed dozens of gods across multiple pantheons and hundreds, perhaps thousands, of incredibly strong monsters of all sizes - including some truly gargantuan ones. Not even fate, or the Fates, can stand between Kratos and protecting and/or avenging those he cares about. The Ghost of Sparta has been killed many times and fought his way out of not just one hell, but several of them. Kratos is the textbook definition of “too angry to die!”
#5: Zagreus
“Hades” (2020)
Given that it’s set in the Greek underworld of the same name, “Hades” revolves quite a lot around death. Its protagonist, Zagreus, dies time and time again on his quest to escape Hades and his father who shares the same name as his realm. The whip smart young god must repeatedly overcome monsters, ex-lovers, and even his own dad on his quest to leave the underworld. And he doesn’t let a little thing like dying over and over stop him. It’s a tradition carried on by his sister, Melinoë, in the sequel. Guess it runs in the family.
#4: Everyone
“Mortal Kombat” franchise (1992-)
Yeah, the “mortal” part of this series’ title really doesn’t apply, because nobody seems to stay dead. Even leaving aside whether all the grisly fatality moves throughout actually happen as they’re depicted, there are a ton of story related deaths in “Mortal Kombat.” And between the multiple timelines and resurrections, death just doesn’t seem to stick for most of the cast. After all, if a character is dead permanently, they can’t be part of the roster anymore and you can’t rip out their spine anymore or whatever. Despite what the announcer says, no one is ever truly “finished” in “Mortal Kombat.”
#3: Nathan Drake
“Uncharted” franchise (2007-)
The video game equivalent of Indiana Jones, Nathan Drake has gone through some truly harrowing events while on his many treasure hunting adventures. Chase sequences, deadly traps, and shootouts all seem to follow Drake around like he owes them money. The plane sequence in “Uncharted 3” alone is enough to prove the man has not just nine lives, but infinite ones! And unlike most of the impossibly still-alive video game heroes, Nathan Drake is just…a guy. No special powers or equipment. All he has are his razor-sharp wit, some guns, and occasionally a grappling hook. And that makes the fact he hasn’t died yet even more impressive!
#2: Link
“The Legend of Zelda” franchise (1986-)
Yes, yes “Zelda” lore hounds, we know there are multiple Links. Whether they’re all reincarnations of the original, or descendants, or both, there’s always a Link trying to save a Princess Zelda. But whether you consider Link collectively or individually, it’s truly astonishing that any of them survive their adventures in Hyrule. Between the many dungeons he/they traverse, the massive worlds they explore, and the countless monsters they’ve defeated along the way, Link even managing to reach Ganon, much less defeat him and save the kingdom, is an utterly miraculous feat! All those fairies must be working overtime.
#1: Lara Croft
“Tomb Raider” franchise (1996-)
There are several versions of Lara Croft. And the fact that any of them manage to plunder those tombs and temples and live to tell the tale is positively incredible! Regardless of whether she wields a pair of pistols or a bow and arrow, Lara somehow survives trap-laden tombs, cultists, wild animals, and even gods and immortals on her adventures! While she has been presumed dead or been in situations she couldn’t possibly survive - looking at you “The Last Revelation!” - Lara always makes it through intact, though not necessarily unscathed. There’s very little chance of anyone raiding her tomb, considering Lara seems capable of living through just about anything.
Is there a video game character too stubborn to die that we forgot? We refuse to let you forget to tell us your picks in the comments!
