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.