What makes a hero?

All month, I have been counting down the top 11 video game heroes. But a question remains: What makes someone a hero?

A hero isn't just someone who fights off evil monsters. He or she isn't just someone who wields a bad ass sword, or spear, or boomerang, or anything like that. It takes much more to be a hero than that.

A hero is someone who does something extraordinary for the greater good. A hero is someone who, for example, stands up for the poor, stops a robbery, etc. A hero is someone who puts his/her safety, and sometimes their life, on the line for others.

The top 11 video game heroes- Number 1

The top 11 video game heroes- Number 2

The countdown nearly ends, so today we're honoring the second greatest hero in video games. I will also admit a strong personal bias towards this character. You see, he not has my admiration, but he is also a character that has greatly inspired me, taught me what a real hero is like. His name is Ramza Beoulve, and he hails from that fantastic, genre defining, Playstation 1 Masterpiece, Final Fantasy Tactics.

The top 11 video game heroes- Number 3

I continue the countdown with the third best video game hero. Ladies and gentlemen, there are few words that can do this hero justice. When I close my eyes and think "female hero", and notice that this includes ALL media, not just games, this is the character I see. This is someone who embodies perfectly the greatest attributes a hero can ever possess. Her name is Yuna, and she hails from Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2.

The top 11 video game heroes- Number 4

Today I honor one of the most tragic heroes in video game. This is someone who led a tough life, one of constant struggle, a life of killing, of war. This is a man who has had to stare in the face of death constantly, always losing friends, always worrying about if he'll see his loved ones alive once the mission is done, if he lives through it that is. This is a man who grew up on the battlefield, a man wounded, but not broken, by war. His name is David, but everyone knows him as Solid Snake, and he's the hero of Metal Gear.

The top 11 video game heroes- Number 5

Today, I cheat a little on this countdown once more. See, this hero earns this spot not by anything she has ever done in game. No, this spot was not earned by being a hero IN the game, but rather, outside of the game. This is a hero whose contribution to gaming, not just in its industry but also in its culture, can never be overstated. This hero revolutionized the role of the video game hero, breaking several barriers, glass ceilings, and destroying stereotypes of all calibers, all in her debut. The number 5 hero is Samus Aran, from Metroid.

The top 11 video game heroes- Number 6

The countdown continues with the sixth entry. I admit, there may be a bit of bias here, because this particular character is one from my youth. I love this character (no homo), he represents, to me, much more than just what a hero should be. He is someone I aspire to be like, someone worth emulating. This character is everything I wish I could be, he is a leader, a fighter, a hero. His name is Tir McDohl, and he hails from that PS1 classic, and one of my all time favorite games, Suikoden 1.

The top 11 video game heroes- Number 7

Carrying on with this countdown, we celebrate today a real icon. This character is, when you get right down to it, a re telling of the classical archetype of the Knight in Shining Armor, crossing the deepest valleys, climbing the most dangerous mountains, and fighting off a wicked dragon, all to save this lady love, the Princess. This character has entertained millions the world over for over thirty years. His name is practically synonymous with video games! In fact, even people that have never even picked up a controller in their lives know who this character is! This brave Italian plumber, who has traveled all across the Mushroom Kingdom in order to save Princess Peach, has fought Bowser numerous times...I'm not talking about Mario, by the way. I'm talking about his little brother, Luigi.

The top 11 video game heroes- Number 8

Today we continue our countdown of the top 11 greatest video game heroes. On this entry, however, I'm cheating a little, in that there's not one hero, but many. That's right, it's a tie, only not really a tie per se, because these characters all come from the same game. These characters saved not just the world from a monster from outer space that threatened to destroy everything. The twist is that, to do so, these seven heroes needed to travel through time. I have a feeling everyone reading this already knows who I am talking about, so without further ado, I present to you the 8th greatest hero(es) in video game history, the crew of Chrono Trigger.

The top 11 video game heroes- Number 9

We continue our countdown of the top 11 video game heroes with someone who is more iconic. This character is not just one of the best characters of all time, not just the protagonist to one of the best selling franchises of all time, and not just an icon of 90's pop culture, but he is one of THE faces of gaming. This character has starred in not just video games, he is also the star of not one, not even two, but THREE cartoon shows, one Original Video Animation/movie, and one anime. He is also the star of one of Archie Comic's longest running titles, having sold millions of comics world wide. This blue blur has found success in the entertainment industry unmatched by any but a few select franchises. His name? Sonic the Hedgehog.

The top 11 video game heroes- Number 10

We continue our countdown with the tenth greatest hero in all video games. Now this girl, she's one of a kind. She has the power to control phantoms, and can summon them to do her bidding. She has ties to some of the biggest names in her world, from (implied) mobsters, to dukes, to the greatest swordsman around, to the freaking hero who single handed took down a demon that threatened the world of Ivoire. This girl is one who has faced the prejudices and ignorance of a world that would sooner chop off her head than so much as give her a hello. And she's only 13 years old. Her name is Marona, and she comes from the fantastic, though under-appreciated video game, Phantom Brave. 

The Top 11 video game heroes- Number 11

We kick things off with the number 11 best hero in video games. This character is, unlike most video game protagonists, not a warrior from a fantasy world, not a magical hero, not a space marine or bounty hunter, nor a tomb raider. He can't kill dragons by yelling "Fus Ro Dah!", he can't activate the Alpha Protocol, can't launch a Shoryuken, doesn't wield the Keyblade, would probably die if he moved to Raccoon City, and would most certainly get car jacked in Los Santos. But he is still one of the greatest video game heroes of  all time. His name is David Hoover, and he is from the freeware video game The Crooked Man.

The top 11 greatest video game heroes- introduction

In this era of games where you get to play as violent criminals, sociopaths, murderers, and so forth, it is worth remembering that not all games are like that. There are hundreds of heroes in gaming, ranging from a simple paperboy going about his daily business, to mighty men (and women) standing up to demons and angels and angry gods. Although there are hundreds upon hundreds of video game protagonists that can be classified as heroes, there is one burning question: Who is the best of the best? The cream of the crop? Which video game character is the greatest hero in the history of video games? This is a question I aim to answer.

I aim, for the month of October, to count down the top 11 greatest heroes in video games. Why top 11? Because I'm ripping off Doug Walker, that's why. Second time I use that joke. Every entry will be its own blog. For example, the eleventh best video game hero will have his/her own blog entry, going in depth as to why he/she deserves that spot, and so will number 8, number 5, and so forth. There will also be a special blog entry, dedicated to a few honorable mentions, with a brief summation of why they deserve recognition.

This will be a bit of an opinion piece, but research has been done, and every entry will have not just a summation of each hero's deeds, but also an explanation for why they deserve this honor. This is more than a simple countdown, it's eleven different character studies. Eleven different characters, eleven different blogs, and one special blog for five honorable mentions. And, when the countdown has finished, there will be a special blog, analyzing what it means to be a hero, as a way to sum up what this mini series are about.

I'd also like to announce that, as of today, this blog will have a set schedule. Since August of 2013 (two months ago as of this writing), I've been updating this blog every two days. Although this has helped me maintain a level of consistency in writing, this is not so convenient for the reader. So as of today, I will be updating every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I thank you all for your patience, and for reading my blog.