There are many video game characters that stand near the top of their world’s hierarchy. A lot of the time, those characters are some kind of royalty, but there have been some surprising deviations from that norm as well. In fantasy worlds filled with such people, there must also come those that are tasked with guarding these elite against the dangers of their world.

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There have been quite a few famous video game bodyguards over the years, but they do tend to come primarily from the RPG genre. Regardless of the dangers of their individual games, some bodyguards are a bit more successful than others, with some outright failing to protect their clients for one reason or another. Successful or not, there are some incredible bodyguards in video games.

10 Cloud Strife - Final Fantasy 7

final fantasy 7 cloud strife

While he’s not really the greatest bodyguard of all time, Cloud certainly is a fan-favorite character that acted as a bodyguard. Aerith employs Cloud as her bodyguard in return for a date with her, and while Cloud does manage to get her home, he does ultimately fail to keep her safe.

Sephiroth makes protecting Aerith an incredibly difficult task, especially when he messes with Cloud’s mind, something that nearly leads Cloud to take Aerith’s life himself. Everyone knows the famous twist of Final Fantasy 7, making Cloud a bodyguard who technically eventually failed in his task.

9 Jade - Mortal Kombat

Revenant Jade - Mortal Kombat

Few characters are as skilled as Mortal Kombat’s Jade. While she does often serve as a violent assassin, she also serves as the devoted protector of her close friend, Kitana. A quick look at what Jade can do should tell anyone that Princess Kitana is in good hands, but Kitana isn’t exactly helpless herself.

Even after being ordered to capture Kitana by her superior, Jade instead joins her friend, proving just how loyal she is to the one she is supposed to protect. While the Mortal Kombat timeline is one of the more difficult things to keep track of, Jade has managed to become a fan-favorite character after her humble beginnings.

8 Corvo Attano - Dishonored

Dishonored 2 Corvo falling from the sky

Thankfully for the narrative of Dishonored, you don’t spend all that much time with Corvo while he works as a dedicated protector. You get to play as him as he kills or takes down his various targets, but before his life is flipped upside down (and even after), Corvo was a protector of royalty.

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In the first game, Corvo is removed from his position rather quickly thanks to being framed for murder, but he does return to a bit of protection by the time the second game begins. Of course, things aren’t any simpler in the sequel, and Corvo finds himself once again taking on additional work.

7 Sheeva - Mortal Kombat

Via: gamerant.com

It can be hard to determine just where Sheeva’s alliances lie in the Mortal Kombat universe, but there was a period of time in which she served as the personal protector of Queen Sindel. At that time, Sheeva was more aligned with the side of evil as her role as protector took place during Shao Kahn’s invasion of Earthrealm.

With the story being reworked over the years, just how successful Sheeva was as a protector is a bit up in the air. Seeing how Sindel continued to appear in the series, it’s safe to say that Sheeva was a successful protector, even if she didn’t always remain on the Shao Kahn’s side.

6 Max Payne - Max Payne

Max Payne 3 Screenshot Of Bald Max Payne

As far as personal bodyguards go, most people would probably like to have a guy like Max Payne by their side. The master of bullet-time makes his way through small armies in each of his game appearances but doesn’t officially do any protection work until the third entry in his series.

Max flexes his heroic muscles more than ever before in his third entry, and even works as private security in Brazil. Of course, nothing is ever simple if your name is Max Payne, so his time as a kind of bodyguard isn’t directly seen much by the player.

5 Big Daddy - Bioshock

The big daddy from BioShock

It’s probably safe to say that if anyone was after Bioshock’s Little Sisters without knowing they’d have to take on a Big Daddy, most people would probably forget about their mission upon learning of their existence. The terrifying protectors will do everything they can to ensure the safety of their Little Sisters, something that began as a noble pursuit.

One of the most famous depictions of a Big Daddy are the ones of the Bouncer variety. Those hulking beasts are equipped with a huge industrial drill that is sure to put a stop to any potential threats the Little Sisters face.

4 Tidus - Final Fantasy 10

Final Fantasy X Screenshot Of Tidus and Yuna

To be fair, Tidus isn’t the sole protector in Final Fantasy 10. You actually take control of an entire group of guardians that are tasked with protecting Yuna as she makes her trek across the world. The game has a few memorable characters, but many agree that Tidus is the most memorable for a variety of reasons.

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Tidus gives it everything he has to ensure the safety of not only Yuna but the entire world throughout his journey in Final Fantasy 10. His story is a bit more complicated than most, but he and the rest of the guardians make for an incredible group of bodyguards.

3 Kuma - Tekken

Kuma practices in Tekken 6

If most people had to guess what or who a master of hand-to-hand combat may employ as his personal bodyguards, it’s doubtful that anyone would guess a pair of combat-ready bears. Kuma one and two are just that, two bears tasked with protecting Heihachi Mishima.

While we may have seen the last of Heihachi in the main Tekken series, it’s likely that at least one version of Kuma will be hanging around to stay in the fight. As far as bodyguards go, a giant bear is always a great choice for anyone.

2 Pit - Kid Icarus

Kid Icarus Uprising Cover art with Pit

There are a lot of people who gladly pick Pit in Super Smash Bros. without knowing all that much about him. He’s not just some random battle-ready angel, he’s actually the captain of a goddess’s personal guard.

Palutena clearly has the utmost faith in Pit considering she gifts him with special weapons to aid in his efforts to stop nefarious creatures. In his first appearance back on the NES, Pit fights alone to stop Medusa and save Palutena, all while collecting a trio of treasures that became quite important to the series.

1 Adelbert Steiner - Final Fantasy 9

Adelbert Steiner from Final Fantasy IX

It should be said that Adelbert Steiner is more of a technical bodyguard than an actual bodyguard. He is the leader of a group of knights within Final Fantasy 9 who are appointed to protect Princess Garnet. Rather than acting like a heroic bodyguard, Steiner is a hilarious goof who tries to get Garnet home as quickly as possible.

While he starts out as a rather simple character, Steiner does slowly morph into a man of honor. Even as he changes, he never hesitates in his personal mission to ensure Garnet’s safety, but he eventually understands that the world he once knew isn’t nearly as simple as he thought it was.

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