Everyone loves a good underdog story. We’ve all felt like we were being put down by someone or something at some point in our lives, and seeing someone in a thematically similar circumstance rise up is empowering.
There are plenty of quality underdog stories withunlikely heroesthroughout the history of media, and video games are no exception.
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It beats reading a book.
You could even argue that games are one of the best formats for a rise from the ashes.
After all, with a narrative and actions you’re in control of, you’re right there with the protagonist as they beat the odds and become the hero (or at least prominent figure) that they were always meant to be.
10The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
From Prisoner To Hero
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The protagonists of bothOblivionand Skyrim have similar circumstances, both being prisoners. However, Oblivion’s protagonist is in a… slightly less exciting situation.
The person who would go on to become the savior of the Oblivion Crisis started out as just some random schlub in a prison cell. Imprisoned for what, exactly, we don’t know, but the point is that they’re starting from zero.
They only get out of this predicament because the literal Emperor of Tamriel happened to be passing by while fleeing and thought they had a heroic countenance about them.
Even after being busted out, they’re still penniless and mostly directionless, only rising to prominence with a combination of wit and brute force.
9Danganronpa
A Normal Dude In A School Full Of Weird Geniuses
DanganRonpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
InDanganronpa, the students of Hope’s Peak Academy were each scouted for an “Ultimate” talent, a unique skill that they alone possess remarkable aptitude in.
The exception to this is our protagonist, Makoto Naegi, who was brought to the school as the “Ultimate Lucky Student” following a national lottery. In other words, he got his name pulled out of a hat.
Compared to the incredible, ifsomewhat quasi-useful skillsof his peers, Makoto has absolutely nothing remarkable going for him.
In spite of that, he’s the one who ends up taking point on every investigation when one of his classmates is killed. Hey, if the boring kid can keep his chin up in a hopeless situation, anyone can.
8Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Once A Rookie, Always A Rookie
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
From the start of his very first defense case in the originalAce Attorney, it’s clear nobody is taking rookie attorney Phoenix Wright very seriously.
He constantly needs advice from his mentor, the opposing prosecutor sees him as a bug to crush, and the judge has remarkably little patience with him.
Even with his shaky vibes, Phoenix becomes a master of mid-case turnabouts with a nearly spotless record.
For some reason, though, despite his victories, nobody ever seems to take him more seriously. Ironically, the most influence he seems to have in the courtroom is as a mentor himself after he’s temporarily disbarred.
7Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Adventures In Homelessness
Yakuza: Like A Dragon
While the Like a Dragon series’ original protagonist Kazuma Kiryu started as a low-level tough, he hada degree of prestige to him.
By contrast,Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, is as big of a nobody as you can get.He was a bottom-tier member of a bottom-tier family, and that was before he got sent to prison.
After Ichiban gets out, there’s nobody waiting for him, and he ends up homeless on the streets of Yokohama. His circumstances never seem to dampen his RPG hero attitude, though.
With a friendly smile and a little pluck, he ends up becoming a major player in a national organized crime conspiracy.
Lucas The Crybaby
Pretty much from the start ofMother 3, just about everyone sees Lucas as a do-nothing crybaby. He has friends and family who care about him; they just… don’t see him as a heroic figure in the slightest.
In the kid’s defense, he lost both his mother and twin brother at a young age, which tends to mess with you.
His band of heroes is rather crude as well, being made up of a princess with no social skills, a smelly thief, and a dog.
Despite not seeming like much of a world-saving type, Lucas manages to swallow his tears and work for the betterment of his home and loved ones.
5Persona 4
Those Meddling Kids
Persona 4 Golden
While Persona 3, 4, and 5 all have main casts composed of young folks, they’re not exactly on equal standing.
SEES has the backing of a major corporation, and the Phantom Thieves have both Morgana’s guidance and anetwork of Confidants.
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Persona 4’s Investigation Team, on the other hand, are decidedly flying by the seat of their pants.
Yu and the others discover the connection between the serial murders and the TV World by accident, and while Teddie can help navigate the TV World, he doesn’t actually understand how any of it works.
It’s only through sheer pluck and persistence that these meddling kids solve the mystery.
4Saints Row 2
New Saints From Nothing
Saints Row 2
Saints Row 2takes place five years after the first game, with the protagonist awakening from a coma following Julius’s assassination attempt.
In the intervening time, the 3rd Street Saints have been disbanded, and new gangs have taken hold of Stillwater, not to mention the influence of the Ultor Corporation.
The protagonist, now the Boss pretty much by default, has little to rely on to reform the gang beyond their old rep, and a handful of lieutenants grabbed off the street.
With nothing but raw grit and an itchy trigger finger, they single-handedly take on three bloodthirsty gangs and a well-funded supercorporation and still manage a win.
3Tales Of Vesperia
From Punk Kid To Guild Hero
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
Tales of Vesperia’s protagonist, Yuri Lowell, starts out as just a punk kid living in the lower quarters of the imperial capital.
He doesn’t have any particular goals beyond keeping the lower quarter safe, and he isnotpopular with Imperial Knights.
After someone steals the lower quarter’s water regulation blastia core, though, he gets roped into a cross-country chase to get it back.
His only initial helpers are a grumpy dog, a sheltered princess, and a goofy kid.
Mostly by coincidence, he and his burgeoning party end up forming therebellious guildthat would go on to save the world from an unprecedented cataclysm.
2The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
“I Swear, I’m The Hero Of Time!”
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
We, as the players, know thatLink is a big dealin every Legend of Zelda game. However, let’s take a moment to consider things from the other perspective, particularly inOcarina of Time.
If you were just standing around in town when some kid in a pointy hat walked up and said, “I’m the hero of Hyrule chosen by a talking tree; you have to listen to me,” you probably wouldn’t pay him any mind.
At multiple points near the beginning of Link’s quest, he’s stopped by adults and authority figures who assume he’s just playing around.
It’s only by proving himself with his actions that he can show he is quite serious about being a hero.
1999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
A Genius, Junpei Is Not
999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
In999, when college student Junpei awakens aboard a rapidly-sinking cruise liner, it goes without saying he’s a bit out of his element.
This is especially true compared to the other players of the Nonary Game, who have stronger bodies or more advanced knowledge.
Despite not being particularly tough or intelligent, Junpei manages to be the linchpin to the game’s success in more ways than one.
With nothing but quick thinking and a desire to not die horribly, he ensures that everyone makes it out of the game alright. Well, almost everyone.
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Sometimes it’s through multiple characters, and sometimes, one character who gets to explore multiple paths depending on choices made by the player.
