The Fourth of July is an important time in America. It’s a time of retrospection; to think about those who fought to make this country free, to set off pretty-colored explosives in the sky and, for me, to take a day off from my day job to have more time for video games.
But, hey, while the Fourth may be a holiday rooted in reality, that doesn’t mean that we can’t celebrate game characters who have gone above and beyond in service of their country. Video gaming has no shortage of heroes who accomplish great deeds, but how many among them do so not for fame or glory, but for the betterment of their nation?
Below, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most selfless characters in games who believe in serving their countries and its people above all else. If they look totally awesome while doing it, well, that’s just a happy coincidence!
Warning: Game spoilers are discussed within!
Duke Nukem – Duke Nukem & Tina Armstrong – Dead or Alive
I had a lot of trouble deciding who was more patriotic between Duke and Tina, so I decided to just put them together. Look how great they look with the American flag. So patriotic…
OK, moving on.
Blade and Strike – Bad Dudes
We all know the age-old question: Are YOU a bad enough dude to rescue the president? In terms of sheer ability, I think you’d have to be pretty bad to be able to beat up a bunch of ninjas with your bare hands. However, the bad dudes from Bad Dudes, Blade and Striker, did all that and more.
Given the nature of the question, I like to think there were actually many people before them that tried to prove that they were bad enough to rescue the president, but they all must have failed at one point or another. It wasn’t until this pair came along and proved that they were not only the baddest, but also the most patriotic; not only saving President Ronnie, but also going out for what I can only imagine was one of the strangest lunch dates in recorded history afterwards.
President Thompson – Tempura of the Dead
Zombie apocalypse stories like The Walking Dead show us that, when society falls apart, people tend to take on an “every man for himself” mentality. This is not the mindset of everyone, however.
President Thompson, the leader of the Free World in Tempura of the Dead, is not one to give up on humanity just because of a pesky zombie invasion. While his aides tell him to save himself, Thompson jumps into the fray with nothing but a machine gun, and works alongside the samurai Sugimoto to turn back the undead horde.
Presidents are expected to care about their country, and issue orders to help people in danger, but I don’t think most people would expect to look up and see that the president himself is the one gunning down the zombie hordes. Taking such a personal role in keeping your constituents safe is obviously going to get you a lot of points in the patriotism department.
Michael Wilson – Metal Wolf Chaos
Protecting the people of your country is one thing, but it’s also important to ensure that harmony remains strong among them. This isn’t the easiest job when your vice president decides to usurp your authority, turn the military against you and hold the country hostage.
Fortunately for President Michael Wilson, he has the giant fighting mech Metal Wolf to help him defeat the evil Richard Hawk and reunite the country. For such a patriotic game, I weep for the fact that Metal Wolf Chaos never made it to the US.
Personally, I’ve always assumed President Obama had a giant mech stowed away in the White House; he’s just waiting for something big—like an alien invasion—to bust it out. Speaking of which…
Shoko Ozora – Liberation Maiden
Who said only Americans could be patriots? Much like President Wilson, Liberation Maiden’s heroine, Shoko Ozora, is in a rather unique position. In some strange rule of dynastic succession, Shoko finds herself as the president of New Japan after her father, the first president, is assassinated by The Dominion, an alien force that has taken over the country. What follows is not only a personal quest to avenge her father, but also to free New Japan from its alien overlords.
Like Metal Wolf Chaos, Shoko doesn’t do this by throwing the military at her foes. No, she hops into the liberation robot Kamui and takes the fight to The Dominion herself. It’s quite a patriotic thing for one person to take up such monumental task for the sake of her entire country.
