Sometimes we all see a video game character and think, “they’d be an absolute blast to work for.” There might be a lot of reasons for that, maybe you like the idea of working alongside an incredible hero, or maybe you’re a bit more twisted and like the thought of taking over the world with a big baddie.
I’m definitely not for total world domination, it’s just not my style, but that doesn’t mean there aren't a few incredible villains I’d totally work with for. I think I’d get along with heroes more often than not, but it is also entirely possible that it would turn into a never meet your hero type of deal in which I’m saddled with toilet duty for the entirety of an adventure.
10 Commander Shepard - Mass Effect
It might be considered more as working alongside Shepard to some, but the hero of Mass Effect is definitely the kind of person I’d work for. It doesn’t matter what grunt work I’d be doing. Getting space coffees, battling space aliens, or traveling to different planets in space sounds amazing. Did I mention space?
Who wouldn’t want to go on an exhilarating expedition across the cosmos? Sure, Shepard may wind up hogging all of the romance, but that’s cool, I know some of those options can end in less than wonderful ways for those that aren’t careful enough.
9 The Boss - Saints Row
Any iteration of the Saints Row gang just looks like the place everyone should want to be. Ignoring the various illicit activities that the crew gets up to, the sheer quality of companionship and hijinks is more than enough to have me wanting a job.
Obviously, I don’t have any superpowers, or the ability to jump through a plane mid-flight, heck, I can barely parallel park right the first time, but I feel like I’d have a lot to add to the crew. I’ll just try to stay away from the more sinister villains, and maybe cozy up to the techier side of things.
8 Bowser - Super Mario
Bowser might just be Mario’s greatest foe, but he’s not really all that sinister. In fact, Bowser actually looks like he could be a lot of fun to work for. Imagine doing some guard duty with a handful of nervous Koopa Troopas or a few silly Goombas.
I wouldn’t have any issue acting as Princess Peach’s dedicated guard since I’m sure she’s a lovely conversationalist, but the biggest draw would be Bowser’s tantrums. Seeing the mighty Bowser yell like a toddler who just found out they weren’t getting a toy would never get old.
7 Andrew Ryan - BioShock
I’m not talking about working under Andrew Ryan in the midst of the events of BioShock, because honestly, he doesn’t seem like that chill of a guy, I’m talking about during the rise of Rapture.
It is the case that Rapture quickly becomes one of the most horrific locations in gaming, but it was beautiful when it was thriving, as seen in Bioshock infinite’s excellent DLC. I could deal with some hard labor if it means I get to experience life in a lavish city far beneath the depths of the ocean.
6 Lara Croft - Tomb Raider
While bad luck seems to follow her everywhere she goes, it would be hard to say no to an expedition around the world with Tomb Raider's Lara Croft.
I’m not the most outdoorsy guy around, but I can start a fire in the wild, so I have something to offer. It’s a great trade, my sparkling personality and ability to provide heat, and in return, I get a harrowing adventure that might end in my brutal demise… wait a minute.
5 Professor Oak - Pokemon
At some point, society is going to be ready to have the conversation about the various Pokemon professors enlisting children to help with scientific research. Until that day, I’ll acknowledge how awesome that specific job would be at literally any age.
Give me a free starter and a Pokedex and I’ll see you never, Oak. I’d be forever out making friends with all of the Pokemon I can, except maybe some of the cutest ones. The only downside is that all of my favorites are some of the hardest creatures to get your hands on.
4 Raiden - Mortal Kombat
I will acknowledge that I would be useless in any kind of serious fight right off the bat. My main reasoning for wanting to work for Raiden is that I want to be front row to watch his plans fail miserably.
Just how much goes wrong for Raiden over the rebooted Mortal Kombat timeline is almost impressive. I could be there in the background ready to hold his awesome hat while he lays the smack down. I’d be in every moment giggling at Raiden’s continued poor decisions secretly hoping things turn around before I end up on the wrong side of a brutal fatality.
3 The Merchant - Resident Evil 4
Come on, everyone who’s played through the Resident Evil series loves that creepy but reliable little merchant. His lines are a thing of legend, and it’s that exactly that makes me want to work for him. Getting to meet Leon and Ashley is a pretty sweet side-perk of the whole situation too.
His seemingly endless pockets and uncanny ability to get ahead of a man who rushes off ahead of him is also impressive. I want to know The Merchant’s secrets. What is he buying? What is he selling? To who? Where? So many questions…
2 Barret Wallace - Final Fantasy 7
While I don’t necessarily agree with Barret’s decided route to protect the planet from Shinra in Final Fantasy 7, I still would want to work for him. Being a part of his Avalanche crew looks like a blast in the original version and the remake.
I mean, obviously, I’d prefer to avoid having a plate dropped on me or not be bitten on the butt, but parachuting with friends and hanging out at the bar sounds like my kind of night. I know I’d wind up getting some bullets shot at my feet, but that’s just another day in Avalanche.
1 Lady Dimitrescu - Resident Evil 8
Who can deny how beautiful Lady Dimitrescu’s castle from Resident Evil 8 is? It’s a wonderful gothic location, looks over an old village, and it looks like it gets lots of fresh air throughout. That’s the kind of place that I’d want to live.
Okay, okay, there is that other elephant in the room. We all know what it is, right? It was all over the internet! Lady Dimitrescu... she’s got a fantastic hat. With someone with taste in hats like that, I’m ready to be the best butler around. What? Did you think there was some other reason?