Our Favorite Heroes Of The Generation

Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers & Endwalker Spoilers: 

Following the events of Shadowbringers, G’raha Tia has become a new member of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, but hasn’t fully transitioned from his previous life. Formerly a leader with immense political and magical power, he now travels alongside the Warrior of Light and doesn’t quite know how to deal with some of the crises you face together and struggles to find where he fits in with the Scions. Throughout the Endwalker expansion, G’raha slowly regains his confidence and, in turn, his natural leadership skills as he’s able to keep cool under world-threatening pressure. G’raha’s journey from humble origins as an historian to becoming an extradimensional traveler is the highlight of the story. However, his rise from a companion to a loyal friend to a respected Scion is one that will be remembered for its most important hero moments.

Insomniac’s version of Miles Morales was first introduced in 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man. Though we didn’t see him actually become Spider-Man, it was clear that this was where Insomniac was headed, and sure enough, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales launched with the PlayStation 5 in 2020. Through its eight hours, we all grew to know this already-great character even more, and perhaps most importantly, we watched him become the protector New York City needed in a time when Peter Parker wasn’t there to defend it. Miles comes out the other end of his journey a hero – not a lesser web-slinger or Peter’s fill-in, but a true Spider-Man that stands alongside the original. It’s heartwarming to watch the story unfold, and it’s got us excited to don Miles’ trademark black and red suit once more in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

Selene, in many ways is the new Samus. No, she’s not from Metroid, but, much like Samus, she’s a stoic, alien-killing, badass intent on completing the mission, no matter the cost. In Returnal, we’re introduced to Selene as just that, and every action she takes through the game’s mysterious narrative further proves our point. But there’s more to Selene than meets the eye. Horror-like house sequences fill in crucial backstory that completely change the perspective of what’s going on, and some late-game revelations flip all of that on its head once more. Selene, despite all of this, is resilient, capable and just the type of space soldier that everyone wants to be. We’re not sure what the future holds for Selene – something tells us it will be similar to the day before and the day before that – but we can’t wait to see what else Housemarque and PlayStation do with her character.

The Wielder is not a hero. She’s simply a janitor and fangirl of the world’s savior, Chicory. Chicory accidentally locks herself inside a tower leaving no color in the world. The janitor grabs her brush and rescues Chicory. It’s a wild premise that captivated us quickly, and growing from the janitor to the savior of Picnic, a place where everyone is named after food, was enthralling. Plus, Chicory’s message about overcoming imposter syndrome, which is seen through the eyes of The Wielder who feels it after picking up the mantle, is important, as is seeing Chicory lean on The Wielder to cope with her depression. Both are more successful if they can rely on each other in order to overcome their own personal challenges and fears. Hero, the Wielder, brought back color, beauty and life to her world. This woman is an example to all of us, and for future heroes. Not everyone might feel like a hero, but that doesn’t mean they can’t become one. We hope that Chicory is just the start of The Wielder’s adventures this generation.

Kit is a new character introduced in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, serving as Clank’s multiversal counterpart. Everyone knows the iconic duo of Ratchet & Clank are heroes, but Kit represents the inspiration the pair can have on others through their good deeds. When we meet Kit, she’s emotionally bogged down by her villainous past. She’s a robot built for destruction, but she’s put aside those tendencies to be a peaceful, and ultimately better, person. Kit is not without faults. She doubts her own abilities and struggles to forgive herself. But Ratchet encourages her to be a good friend. When nobody else believed in her, Ratchet said, “I do.” Now, Kit is an ally we can’t wait to see more of. Whether she’s kicking butt or sitting down to gaze at the stars, Kit is the perfect face to remind us that imposter syndrome has no place in our lives.

Alex Chen accomplished the same feat in Life is Strange: True Colors. Not only did she have to solve the mystery of her brother’s death while navigating being the new girl in a new town, but she also had to stand out in a franchise built on the shoulders of fantastic characters. She did so effortlessly, and it was clear she’d join the ranks of characters like Max Caulfield and Sean Diaz shortly after the start of True Colors’ first episode. Her powers, which see her use empath abilities to read other people’s emotions and, in some cases, take them on as her own, are understated, but they are essential to navigating her story as the narrative arc she goes through is pretty inspiring. True Colors’ Alex Chen showcases how important it is to trust your gut, and why, when you believe in something, you should stand up for it against all odds. Alex Chen had to overcome a mountain of corporate structures that would silence her. But, what was most important, Alex Chen put her friends and family first and endured. Life is Strange typically moves on after each entry, but we’re left hoping that True Colors is not the last time we’ll see Alex Chen. 

Colt Vahn becomes a character you want to spend more time playing as within Deathloop’s first few minutes. He winds up in a terribly strange situation, and unlike most heroes in video games, he asks, “what the hell is going on?” It’s great because it’s the same question we all would have had if we woke up on a beach, destined to repeat the same day over and over again. He doesn’t try to tough-guy it or hide his fear. In fact, he doesn’t even try to become a hero, and you could argue he never becomes one by traditional standards. He’s just a guy who wants to break the loop so that he can no longer be a part of it. He’s the kind of protagonist we can all respect – someone who has no freaking idea what’s going on but perseveres nonetheless. While there were many unexpected twists along the road, Colt is the unlikely hero who we are eager to read more about. Plus, he’s a Black lead who doesn’t lean into harmful stereotypes, which is, unfortunately, a rarity in gaming. Hopefully, his success inspires developers to write more Black heroes because if Deathloop proves anything, it’s that gaming needs and deserves more of them.

We all know Drax is a hero – he’s part of a very famous superhero team, after all – but Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy expanded on the heartbreaking backstory that drives everything he does. He defeated Thanos. Yes, he’s virtually unstoppable, and if you looked at him, you might write it off as, “well yeah, look at him – dude’s a beast.” But, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy highlights that it’s the loss of Drax’s family that fuels him and keeps him motivated to fight another day. Drax is forced to grieve for his loss in order to make the best of it. This was one of the best moments of games, and one that has made Drax one of our favourite heroes. Star-Lord, Groot, Rocket Raccoon, and Gamora are great heroes in their own right, but Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy proves that Drax is the true unlikely heart of the group.

It’s no easy feat stacking up to one of gaming’s most iconic heroes, Master Chief, but Cortana’s successor, The Weapon, did it with ease in Halo Infinite. Cortana’s character took a heel turn in Halo 5: Guardians, and while some fans weren’t happy with the direction, it was set in stone, and Halo Infinite had to address that. With all the optimism and spink of Cortana, The Weapon added a dash of innocence to make her even more exciting for future Halo entries. 343 Industries was able to replace Cortana, although she is nearly irreplaceable. And they did it in the best way possible: by introducing us to someone who doesn’t want to be Cortana; The Weapon simply wants to be herself.

Aloy was an excellent protagonist in 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn, but due to the nature of the game and its overarching mystery, she doesn’t really come into her own as a hero until the game’s final hours. Horizon Forbidden West, though, is all about Aloy’s newfound stardom as the savior of Meridian (and the world), and we get to watch her come to terms with that title. She’s unwavering in her commitment to helping people and won’t stand aside when authority asks her to. It doesn’t matter what she believes, Aloy will do anything to make it happen. Watching Aloy grow into the heroic figure everyone says she is is amazing. We can’t wait to see where her journey takes us next.