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The new year is bound to usher in a new batch of game heroes and villains. Over the past year, we've seen a lot of outstanding characters, both new faces and old acquaintances. It's not easy to pick your favorite character, but after much deliberation, we've come up with the following Heroes and Villains of the Year 2021.
Please note: This article is not a ranking, so the order of priority does not represent our view of the characters.
hero
Ethan Winters - Resident Evil 8: The Village
Creating good horror game protagonists often evoke empathy from players who, like us, are afraid and suspicious of the situation at hand, which is why Ethan Winters was the protagonist in Resident Evil 7 and the 2021 hit Resident Evil 8: Village.
Other Resident Evil protagonists are more like "Terminators" in the plot than Laurie Strode* in Moonlight Panic, and Ethan simply can't control his situation. Throughout the course of Resident Evil 8: The Village, he will feel disgusted, frightened, and even angry about the bad things that happen to himself and others.
At the beginning of the game, when Ethan faces a group of werewolves for the first time, he is frightened and scattered. When he is ruthlessly pursued and killed by Lady Timitrescu (the villains listed below) in the huge castle, he flees in all directions. When the game ends, Ethan gets angry again, forgetting the horror that seems to be inescapable.
For horror games like Resident Evil 8: The Village, Ethan's empathy reinforces the game's frightening element. Through his reactions, we also see how we might react in similar situations. While he may not be the most interesting or charismatic character on this list, he is at least a character we can substitute for.
[*Note: At the end of this article, I realized that Laurie Sterode today is more like the Terminator than the frightened little girl image in the original Moonlight Panic.] This is one of the reasons why the 2018 "Moonlight Panic" reboot was regarded as a bad film.
In the 1978 version of the film, Laurie's character is so iconic because she simply can't control the situation; under Michael Myers' sus, she can only choose to dodge, scream and cry. By the time she finally countered Myles, her victory was more of a fluke than a heroic act of justice.
But when we met Laurie in the 2018 reboot, she somehow underwent professional soldier-like gun training and somehow fortified her cabin, which was tight enough to shame Fort Knox. Considering that the film portrays her as an alcoholic who cannot sustain her work and life, such a setting is simply illogical and tasteless.
In short, the purpose of this annotation is to remind the reader that I am referring here to Laurie in the original Moonlight Panic. 】
"Leidse" Leeds Putin Ekitu - "Italian Airliner 2"
Of all the characters on this list, Leidseputin Aquito is probably the most innocent. Leidse's core image is just a child who wants to help others, even though he is constantly groping for the right approach.
Compared to the characters in many big budget first-party games, the appearance of Leidse can be said to be a gratifying change. Especially compared with Microsoft's other major protagonist in 2021, the Sergeant Major, who, despite his noble plot setting, has never stopped killing. Leitz's playful innocence and temperament that does not need to be tragic past and can be questioned at the right time can be described as a clear stream in the protagonist's setting.
Developer Double Fine Productions founder Tim Schafer's Leitz is full of human brilliance. His enthusiasm is no different from childishness and most 10-year-olds. Although Schafer's role as the sole screenwriter of "Italian Airliner 2" led to a slightly monotonous later plot, his dedication to the depiction of the protagonist should not be underestimated.
Schafer recreates the 2005 Italian Airliner Leitz we remember, and opens a new chapter in his mental journey in 2021.
Ricky and Ding-Dong, plus the sergeant major mentioned just mentioned, have become the most innovative game characters in the year when traditional characters have returned to the new game.
Git - Ricky and Tinker Bell: Time-Time Jump
Whether he's the best hero or not, Kit is at least the cutest character of 2021. But if it is defined in this way, it will somewhat lower the size of the robot. In Ricky & Ding-Dong: Time-Space Jump, Gite stands out from a number of great characters (including but not limited to fans' long-cherished Ricky and Ding-Dong) with his unique worldview, selflessness in the face of danger, and the ability to pull people from the brink of falling.
Although Kit's past has been tainted with tragedy and she is now affected by depression, by the time the story of Ricky and Tinker Bell: Time Jump ends, she has gone through a complete heroic journey and become a new and confident robot.
We hope to see her voice in more Ricky & Tinker Bell games in the future, as she's not only one of the best characters of the year in 2021, but also the best character in the series for years to come.
COLT Vann - The Cycle of Death
Colt Vann's hard days have been going on for years, so what's the harm in a few more years? Trapped in a time loop, he is given a nearly impossible task – destroy 8 targets in 24 hours or repeat the same day again (poor Colt just wants to go home). Complaining is complaining, and he is destined to fall into the same cycle before the work is done.
Unlike ethan Winters mentioned earlier, the point of Colt's empathy with the player is his situation in the game. Death Loop doesn't hide the fact that it's stuck in a time loop, and Colt perfectly shows how everyone reacts to repeating the same day—anger, boredom, and confusion.
All thanks to the perfect performance presented by voice actor Jason E. Kelley. Humorous, cynical, charismatic, and occasionally mean, Kelley seamlessly switches between Colt's emotions in Death Loop, giving the character depth and personality. Coupled with the game's excellent script, Colt became one of the best hero characters to choose this year.
Villain
Mrs. Timmetrescu - Resident Evil 8: The Village
In the first half of this year, netizens had a crush on Mrs. Timtrescu in Resident Evil 8: The Village for two reasons. The first is the most intuitive reason, which is her sexy appearance; the second is the way she seductively and horribly shows her sexual attraction. She's the kind of character that makes you feel good about being scared, but it's too late when you wake up.
Although her appearance time is only a few hours, in the hearts of netizens, Madame has become the most outstanding villain in "Resident Evil 8: Village". Madame acts like the tyrant who trailed in Resident Evil 2: Remake, and she persevered in her pursuit of the protagonist Ethan Winters, the player who tried to escape from her castle. She plays with our fears between her legs, despises our intelligence, and more memorably destroys our bodies. There is no doubt that she proved who is in charge of the game.
Still, Madame is a character who drives the internet crazy. Long before Resident Evil 8: The Village was released, fanfictions and Cosplay were all over the web. Many people even tweeted how much they hoped that the lady would be able to hurt herself in a brutal way.
After the game was released, the lady perfectly performed by voice actor Maggie Robertson basically met the netizens' desire for this role: she had both a fierce and vicious side and a sexy and feminine side. Coupled with the character design that does not leave much room for imagination, it is not surprising that it is popular throughout the network.
It's hard to imagine another character in 2021 (and still such a brutal setting) that will be so popular. For that reason, we can't think of anyone better suited to this honor than her.
Jesse Baptiste - Heroes No Longer 3
After returning to Earth to reunite with his human companions, the furry cute alien FU we meet at the beginning of Heroes No More 3 reveals his identity, a self-righteous bastard prince named Jesse Baptiste VI. Growing up, he not only came back to visit damon, the CEO friend who is now rich, but also wanted to conquer Earth in an evil way with his space cronies.
Jesse Baptiste VI is a naïve, vindictive, and grumpy character who is reluctant to do it himself, so he sends his friends as Travis Tage's knife-wielding ghosts. Despite his obnoxious nature, he did take care of the people around him, often inviting his comrades to their last meal before sending them to their deaths. This indistinguishable scene of good and evil gave depth to the evil prince and his short-lived subordinates.
Heroes No Longer 3 is a problematic game, but the multi-faceted villain is enough to drive players to the top of the Galactic Assassin list to witness his ultimate tragic fate.
III. Lacey - "Evil Meditation"
Evil Underworld is the best vector for the villain family, but even talking about most of the villains can lead to spoilers. In this half-deck-built semi-terrifying escape room game, a certain villain will appear at the beginning, and that is Lacey.
Lacey in the opening chapter is ostensibly an opponent who only wants to play cards with you, and after losing a few games, you will find that his identity is far from that. He does indulge in playing cards, but he also wants to watch you try to beat him and there's nothing he can do.
He also wants you to play his Roguelike card game over and over again until you can overturn all the unfair rules and defeat the old monster once and for all. He's a terrible and crazy old man, eager to watch you suffer and be trapped in his forest hut forever, these are his highlight moments as a villain, but his depth is far beyond your expectations.
Without spoiling the plot of Evil Underworld, I can only tell you that Lacey will appear in a way that will surprise you. He's strong enough to keep us on our toes for 12 hours of gameplay, and with the morbid smile he's always had to hang on to the corners of his mouth, he's rightfully one of the best-built and memorable villains of the year.
4. Fury Kuba - "Rage World"
One of the most unexpected games of 2021 will probably be Rage World, although it's only a remake of the Switch's Super Mario 3D Worlds sub-game. Perhaps the most surprising thing about this game is that it has one of the best portrayed villains of 2021.
The villain in Rage World is Kuba, whom we've known for years, but this time it's becomes so large that it's monster-level.
Compared to the other villains on this list, Kuba may seem a little boring. But in the case of Rage World, the monster's constant threat and ability to stop the player from advancing, combined with a special way of fighting with it, creates an unprecedented "Mario" experience for us, an unpredictable and ferocious danger.
But we can't ignore the most important point, the key to why the giant Kuba is so pleasing is that it gives us the opportunity to play Mario in a kitten costume.
Julianne Black, The Death Cycle
Julianne Black in The Cycle of Death is a typical villain who doesn't take herself too seriously. Although she takes her mission seriously to prevent Colt from breaking the cycle, she doesn't make a big deal out of it. She is hedonistic, intoxicated in a world of twisted rules, and occasionally hangs out with Colt. From this point of view alone, she is more like the best foil character in "Death Loop" than the villain.
[Note: It depends on everyone's opinion of The Death Cycle, and it makes sense to interpret Colt as the villain and Juliana as the hero.] Still, it would be more appropriate to see them as a task with a moral gray area. Both have selfish or noble reasons for their actions, but their respective reasons are in direct conflict. In other words, in Juliana's world, she is the hero and Colt is the villain; in Colt's world, it is the complete opposite view. 】
Although Death Loop itself is already a fun game, Juliana's lines always make people shine and make people laugh. Voice actor Ozioma Akagha's rendition, coupled with an interaction with Jason E. Kelley, brings life to the fight between Juliana and Colt, highlighting their personalities, antagonisms, beliefs and even sense of humor. When the game's final showdown reveals the truth about their relationship, it also adds a new sense of heaviness to the many conversations you've heard in Death Loop.
Juliana is charismatic and fun, and likable, and she's not bad by nature. While it may be strange to put her in the "Best Villains", she is certainly unique among the game rivals we meet in 2021.
Translated | Stark Young
Edit | Zoe
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