Some of the best video games are praised on the strength of their characters. Whether they are the clear underdog or are at the height of importance in the world, a great character is the backbone of every good story. Sometimes, these characters are demanded to perform impossible tasks that test their very limits. Sometimes, these characters are even required to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.
While sacrifices are important, they mean little without understanding their motivations to do so. These sacrifices can have a deep emotional resonance, not only for those that choose to do the impossible, but also for those who are left in the aftermath. The characters still standing after the sacrifice are either filled with a newfound determination to move forward while grieving, or are left to make the world a better place.
Of course, the best sacrifices are the deaths that turn a character into real heroes, either because they always were or because they are now cemented through their actions. The following list details the accounts of the most heroic deaths. Based on the entries below, a hero can be anyone from the unassuming to the ultra-powerful. With that being said, please keep in mind that heavy SPOILERS follow.
25 Halo: Reach – Jorge
In Halo Reach, players are told right from the start that the fight for the planet Reach is not one that can be won and it is understood early on that the player-character, Noble-6, does not survive. That being said, it is still a shock when members of Noble team die defending their home. The most striking and heroic mission is when Jorge stays behind on the Covenant ship to ensure a bomb detonates when the timer is destroyed. The moment is tender because Jorge says the Reach has been good to him and now he wants to return the favour. He eliminates the only Covenant super carrier in orbit. Unfortunately, this moment does not last as, upon the destruction of the ship, the entire Covenant fleet arrives, making Jorge’s sacrifice redundant.
24 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – The Boss
The game takes players back in time to see the origins of Big Boss –known as Naked Snake– as he confronts his mentor, The Boss after she defects to the USSR. With the U.S. and the Soviet Union on the brink of nuclear war, Snake is sent to stop Colonel Volgin and eliminate The Boss. At the end of the game, Snake completes his mission and learns shortly after that The Boss never defected, but was actually spying on Volgin. In order to sell the story, her final act was to die at Snake’s hand, solidifying her as a traitor to the world, but proving the U.S.’s innocence in the conflict. The most heartbreaking fact in all of this is that The Boss is the final boss players face in the game, despite her status as a true patriot.
23 Final Fantasy X – Tidus
In the highly popular Final Fantasy X, Tidus is a dream of the fayth, meaning that his fate is tied to that of Sin, the re-incarnating whale-like creature that threatens the world. In the final battle, Tidus is fully aware that he will die at the very end and even has a chance to turn tail and run so that he can keep living. Instead, he decides to help his party defeat Yu Yevon and Sin for good, his famous line being, “I know it’s selfish, but this is my story!” Tidus’ end is bittersweet, as, when he begins to fade, Yuna expresses her love for him. They embrace for a final time and the world is at peace. Of course, there is a sequel that delves further into the story, but given Tidus’ heroism, this scene cannot be denied as one of the biggest tearjerkers in all of gaming.
22 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed – Starkiller
In the final moments of the now non-canon Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Starkiller, Darth Vader’s secret apprentice is given a choice. He can either strike down his former master, or take on the Emperor in combat in order to protect his friends. If this happens, Starkiller sacrifices himself, buying the others a chance to escape. The Emperor orders Vader to hunt down and crush all of the Rebels, while Princess Leia chooses a rallying symbol of the Alliance in memory of Starkiller. The irony here is that Starkiller was conceived by the two Sith lords as a way to hunt down dissenting senators and members of the Empire. In the end, he ended being one of the founding members of the Rebel Alliance. Should players eliminate Vader, there is an entire ending in which Starkiller defeats Vader and is then imprisoned by the Emperor to do his bidding.
21 The Last of Us – Tess
When Joel, Ellie, and Tess finally reach the Boston capital building, they learn that all of the fireflies meant to pick up Ellie were killed. Tess grows frantic and, after a heated discussion about their next move with Joel, she finally reveals that she is infected. Comparing Ellie’s bite with her own, Tess notes that Ellie has a real chance to save the human race with the possibility of a cure. Tess refuses to become a victim of the plague, instead deciding to end things on her own terms. With enemies approaching, Tess holds the line, giving Joel and Ellie the opportunity to flee. Though we don’t see her die, you can hear it happen mid-gameplay just before Joel and Ellie see her body as soldiers stream into the building’s lobby.
20 Sonic Adventure 2 – Shadow The Hedgehog
For much of Sonic Adventures 2, Shadow the Hedgehog is actually an accomplice to Eggman, agreeing to help conquer the world. Near the end of the game, it is revealed that Robotnik has programmed the ARK, an abandoned space colony, to collide with the Earth. With the collision set to kill millions, Shadow remembers his promise to Maria: help humanity. After fighting against Sonic the whole game, Shadow teams up with him in an effort to prevent the ARK’s collision course. Shadow uses Chaos Control, teleporting the ARK back to a stable orbit at the cost of his life force. Despite this, Shadow is satisfied in having fulfilled his promise. The world rejoices and Sonic bids a fond farewell to his newest hedgehog companion. With little character development of his own, Shadow ends up being the most impactful character in this Sonic game.
19 Super Metroid – Baby Metroid
In the Super Nintendo classic, Super Metroid, Samus encounters the game’s namesake – a large baby Metroid. It covers over Samus completely, deleting all but a sliver of your health and then…it backs away, no longer interested in attacking the player at all. Samus continues all the way in the facility until coming face to face with a monstrous Mother Brain. As Mother Brain is about to kill Samus, the baby Metroid returns and not only deals a serious blow to Mother Brain, but even returns Samus’ energy to her. With a final blow from Mother Brain, the baby Metroid dies, leaving Samus to quickly kill the evil leader once and for all. Though no dialogue is ever issued between the baby and Samus, they share a deep bond as with the player. The baby dies a hero’s death by making the ultimate sacrifice for such a short life.
18 Metal Gear Solid – Grey Fox
The original Metal Gear Solid game features Solid Snake traversing Shadow Moses Island in order to neutralize the FOXHOUND threat. During the game, Snake encounters a mysterious cyborg ninja who intervenes in his confrontation with Ocelot. After a second intervention, Snake realizes it is his long-believed-dead former ally, Gray Fox. When Liquid Snake activates Metal Gear Rex, Fox reappears and asks Solid to tell Naomi that he was the one who killed her parents. Then, Fox sacrifices himself to take out Metal Gear Rex’s radome with the hope that Solid Snake will finally be able to destroy the monstrosity. Fox is a tragic character looking to redeem his past transgressions. At the end, he allows Liquid to kill him, knowing that Solid will do right by him in the end.
17 Mega Man Zero 4 – Zero
Being on a smaller screen does not mean that the death in this game is no less impactful. At the very end of Mega Man Zero 4 – the final game in the Zero series, Zero encounters Dr. Weil, who has been kept alive thanks to a regenerative body. Zero bests the doctor in combat, and then the entire level – Ragnarok – begins to free-fall. Then, Zero fights Dr. Weil again, this time ending in the complete destruction of Ragnarok. Zero is heralded as a hero even though, in this last part of the game, he declares that he is not a hero, but just someone willing to fight for those he believes in. Though not wanting to label himself, Zero’s final act is completely selfless, and that —mixed with a steadfast resolve— is the stuff heroes are made of.
16 BioShock: Infinite: Burial At Sea Episode II – Elizabeth
At the end of the second Burial at Sea expansion for Bioshock Infinite, Elizabeth hands over the “Ace in the Hole” to Atlas, who beats her with a wrench. She then hallucinates that, due to her issuing the Ace to Atlas, the events of the original BioShock game will occur. This means that Atlas will be beaten and the little sisters will be rescued. With this in her mind, she is able to finally let go. Elizabeth’s goal was to rescue Sally from the maniac and as she dies from her injury, she ends up satisfied knowing that Sally is safe for the moment and one day there will be peace. This sacrifice is impactful because the end result is not something that she will be alive to witness. Elizabeth’s actions make her a hero for her determination and faith that the future is secure.
15 Alan Wake – Alan Wake (Fictional Purgatory)
When Cynthia Weaver takes Alan to the ‘Well-Lit Room’, he recovers the Clicker, a simple light switch that protected him from darkness while he slept as a child. Through his writing, he willed it back into existence here in order to drive his and Alice’s own fear of the dark away. At the end of the game, Alan uses the Clicker to rescue Alice from the Dark Presence in Cauldron Lake. However, she is only released when he offers himself back to the lake at the end. While Alan’s definitive fate remains a mystery, the lake itself acts as a type of internal purgatory born from his fiction. The only thing that is certain is that in order to save Alice, Alan needed to sacrifice himself, making him her personal hero.
14 Battlefield 4 – Irish/Hannah
In the final moments of Battlefield 4, players are tasked with manually detonating Chang’s warship before it can obliterate the Valkyrie. Recker (the player), Irish, and Hannah board the warship, plant the charges, and then grapple to safety. The team tries to detonate the explosion, but fails. With little time, they realize that whoever sets the replacement charge won’t be returning. Of course, this is the moment in which player choice comes in. Recker can either do nothing, allowing the Valkyrie to be destroyed, resulting in the ‘bad ending’ or Recker can command either Irish or Hannah to do it. Though Hannah instantly volunteers, Irish claims that China will soon need Hannah for the future. Despite this comment, the sacrifice is ultimately up to the player, making the moment impactful by choosing whomever they wish based on their experiences with both characters in the story.
13 Titanfall 2 – BT-7274
In the final mission, Cooper and BT regroup in order to stop the Fold weapon from activating. While there is not enough time to remove the ark from the weapon, BT suggests using his self-destruct sequence to destabilize it. As BT is rebooting, his main protocols slowly appear on-screen. Cooper assures BT that he isn’t going anywhere and they’ll see the mission through together. As they hurl together towards the centre of the weapon, BT states the third protocol: protect the pilot. Then, he ejects Cooper to a safe distance before blowing up the Fold weapon. BT not only takes out the weapon, but also the entire planet with Cooper barely able to escape with the help of the Militia. Though BT is a titan, he proves to be a brave soldier with a deep caring for his pilot.
12 Fallout 3 – James
In Bethesda’s Fallout 3, James leaves his home of Vault 101 after the player’s 19th birthday. This action is the catalyst for the player character to become the Lone Wanderer, setting off into the vast Capital Wasteland to find your father. When they finally do meet up, James outlines a plan to purify the area’s water supply. During testing, they are ambushed by Colonel Autumn, the Enclave’s military leader. Autumn demands to have the team shutter their project, hand over all material to the Enclave and assist them in making the facility operational. Instead of doing so, James sacrifices himself by causing a system overload to keep the Enclave from accessing the purifier. With his dying breath, he tells the Wanderer to run. It is through this altruism that players are able to return at the end of the game and purify the water to honour James.
11 Tales From the Borderlands – Scooter
After being an integral part of Borderlands and its sequel, Scooter, the ride-catching grease monkey —who provided many attempts at humour— faces a heroic death. In the fourth episode of Tales From the Borderlands, Scooter and Fiona formulate a plan to escape Pandora’s Gravitational pull by detaching the boosters on their rocket. While Fiona manages to detach hers quickly enough, Scooter gets his arm stuck in the middle of the process and has a heartfelt goodbye to Fiona. He then asks her to detach his booster or the rocket will explode. She does so with Scooter shouting his mainstay “Catch a Ride!” as the booster zooms away from the ship and crash-lands back on Pandora. Players are even given the option to place a memorial beacon for Scooter with a message on it, solidifying him as a true hero to the cause.
10 InFamous 2 – Cole
Curiously, Cole’s very heroic nature and death is entirely optional in InFamous 2 because of the Karma morality scale that players are judged by. At the end of the game, players may choose to either to save or betray humanity, finalizing their Karmic alignment until the bitter end. If players choose to save humanity, it also means that Cole will die as a heroic sacrifice to ensure his plan succeeds. Activating the RFI will also kill other powered individuals, while also curing a deadly plague that is killing humanity. To make this particular scene even more dramatic, players are required to hold down both shoulder buttons and triggers in order to activate the device. This kind of ending gives players ownership of their choice while also increasing the tension in the story as a whole.
9 Final Fantasy XV – Noctis
In Final Fantasy XV, the spoiled prince Noctis is on his way to his wedding when the Niflheim Empire attacks his home, and murders his father. Afterwards, he embarks on an epic road trip to collect his royal arms and ascend to the role of King. Much later, Noctis is pulled inside of the great crystal and emerges ten years later as the King to a land covered in Ardyn’s darkness. Noctis kills Ardyn in combat, but realizes that the only way to truly best him is to make the ultimate sacrifice and beat the villain in the spirit realm. Summoning the power of the Lucii and Lunafreya, Noctis purges the Starscourge and beats Ardyn once and for all. Of course, he cannot return to Eos and leaves it in the care of his friends. Noctis protects his people and his land and, in doing so, becomes the true King.
8 Fire Emblem: Awakening – Avatar (The Player)
In the final moments of Fire Emblem: Awakening, the player character, henceforth known as ‘Avatar’ is forced to make a difficult decision to close out the journey. The choice is: allow Chrom to put Grima to sleep, or for Avatar to sacrifice themselves to put Grima down for good. This works because Grima was connected to Avatar. Now, the tables have turned and in a hefty ball of energy, Avatar fades as they thank Chrom for everything. Of course, this death is short lived when Avatar awakens in a field. Fortunately, they no longer bear Grima’s mark. Avatar’s death severed that connection for good and with Grima permanently defeated; Chrom welcomes back his friend into the fold. This sacrifice bares resemblance to that of Harry Potter in that one chooses to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, when the act itself is enough to vanquish the evil within.
7 L.A. Noire – Cole Phelps
In Rockstar’s cop crime thriller, L.A. Noire, players navigate the streets as Cole Phelps over the course of his career from beat cop to arson investigator. Throughout the game, there are a number of fires that have been started in homes by Ira Hogeboom. In each case, these houses refused to sell to the Suburban Redevelopment Fund. Unfortunately, Hogeboom’s PTSD catches up with him and he kidnaps Elsa, taking her deep within the LA River tunnels. There, Phelps and Kelso are able to rescue Elsa, but the detective’s fate is sealed when they are forced to take turns to escape the tunnels via manhole cover. Phelps helps Elsa first, followed by Kelso, who is wounded. Once it is Phelps’ turn, he simply sees the wall of water rushing towards him and then says, “Bye” before he is killed instantly and washed away by the current. He is an altruistic hero.
6 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty – Olga
After her father’s death in the Tanker chapter of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Olga is working as a Patriot double-agent as Raiden runs point on his own mission on the Plant. Olga helps Raiden escape when he is captured and even comes to assist Raiden after he fought off 25 Metal Gear RAYs at the end of the game. When Raiden asks her not to throw her life away, she says that the Patriots are monitoring his vitals and, if he dies, Olga’s child dies. She wants him to run and save himself while she holds the line. Solidus, however, is only too happy to oblige and kills Olga simply for interfering in the moment at hand. Despite Raiden choosing to remain, it shows how committed Olga is to her child. She would do what any parent or hero would do: defend them until her dying breath.