7 Real Heroes Who Died So Now You’re in Charge

Sometimes the real good guy kicks the bucket, and you're just the schmuck tasked with doing their job.
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[@dorksanddragons]

My favorite thing about Raiden is how he was created to be a grounded, less edgy protagonist. Then he became an insane, cyborg ninja and started punching Senators.

[@Joe90h]

Fair play to Kojima to immediately getting in on the joke by the time MGS3 rolled around. If you've never seen the bonus 'Metal Gear Raiden' that came with the special edition of MGS3 back in the day, I'd recommend it. Although one joke in particular feels very 'mid 00s' and I don't feel the need to specify which.

[@Chris_Sizemore]

Raiden was such a disappointment in MGS2 that the developers had to go hard to win fans back. And I still hate Raiden to this day. Stupid nekkid, handcuffed noob running around like he can do anything.

[@callumdonington2227]

That's just *THE RULES OF NATURE*

[@vexile1239]

"Nanomachines son" some senator who got punched... probably

[@rickisunak]

😂

[@VeWatchesVideos]

Fun fact: the cut content for Dark Souls reveals that Oscar was supposed to be around much longer. He'd go through the game parallel with you and then choose the opposite path of yours, meaning that in the end, you'd have to fight him to fulfill your goal.

[@MakeyJu]

I guess they kinda used this idea in Elden Ring where you fight Sir Gideon Ofnir, another Tarnished who really want to become the Elden Lord, before the end of the game

[@marykateharmon]

That sounds like it would be kinda of a fun Dark Souls title if they finally did a game with that. A more hard core first Pokemon Rival sort of game.

[@insaincaldo]

@@MakeyJu Actually he fights you because he doesn't believe any mere Tarnished can, or should bare the mantel of Lord.

[@insaincaldo]

They did kinda do it with Hawkwood in 3 when he goes for the twinkling dragon stones.

[@joels5150]

They were going to do the same with Father G. in Bloodborne. He was going to meet you and show you the ropes early on, then you’d get separated. By the time you found him again, he’d lost himself to bloodlust. They scrapped the idea and gameplay because they wanted to make the player feel more alone against the threats of Yharnam.

[@Brozinator97]

In The Outer Worlds your escape pod lands on a spaceship captain at the start of the game. You take on his identity and more importantly his ship. You can then impersonate him in dialogue choices for the rest of the game.

[@marykateharmon]

That twist was especially funny for me because I'd named my character Alastrina (Irish form of Alexandria) Rogers since it's one of my favorite character names to use. Then I hear that I have to pretend to be Captain Alex Rogers and it really wasn't that much of a lie.

[@jamesbrice3267]

I deleted my save and renamed my character's last name just for this purpose.

[@tokonunya8301]

@@marykateharmon I thought his name was Alex Hawthorne?

[@Mar032891]

Just started it. The game has made me laugh so much so far

[@thomashylemon9975]

Why does this make me think of wizard of Oz when her house smashes the evil witch lol

[@nikolasurban7256]

Really expected to see Duncan from Dragon Age Origins. The guy was a professional grey warden, leading an army against a cataclysm only he had the foresight to predict, personally a friend of the king, respected by all, humans, dwarves, even elves who hate humans. Then he dies (way sooner that you would have expected even for a mentor character) and now you have to be the one to save the world because it turns out you are one of the two last remaining wardens in Ferelden, a rando so new to the party you didn’t even have the time to actually learn anything from the competent guy.

[@positronium3525]

Same with Mass Effect: Andromeda. The Pathfinder dies saving you and you are thrust into command.

[@user399878993]

BioWare really likes doing this; Nihlus Kryik is supposed to be your mentor in Mass Effect, and he’s taken out after a single conversation. And Dragon Age Inquisition’s opening cutscene would count as well.

[@erikschaeffer8419]

i legit sat and thought the same shit man. was like if duncan aint here this list isn't done lol

[@eivor5953]

I came here to say exactly the same thing!

[@caliburn1123]

​@@user399878993well in inquisition it was supposed to be Hawke that would have been tasked with leading the inquisition if not for varric. Would that count?

[@RealCryptoTest]

This is… literally every faction in Skyrim. Seriously if I were a guard I’d be running an audit on the Dragonborn who happened to become harbinger of the Companions after the last harbinger died days after they joined, leader of the Thieves Guild after the last leader died days after they joined, Archmage of the College of Winterhold after the last Archmage died days after they joined, leader of the Dark Brotherhood after, you guessed it, the last leader died days after they joined!

[@CorwinAlexander]

Similar things occur in the Fallout franchise. I think it's a Bethesda thing. Or so common in video games in general that this entire video is trivial.

[@Santisima_Trinidad]

Hey, come on now. You become leader of the dark brotherhood days before the previous leader dies. They die days later. At your hand. As a consequence of your actions.

[@Suksass]

Right, because average guard is gonna risk one of the most powerful people in the city, especially Riften guards.

[@robstuart8474]

If you were a guard in Skyrim, you wouldn't be _running_ anything since you took an arrow in the knee.

[@ddsjgvk]

Doesn't something happen like that with the dawngaud/vampires and stormclocks/imperials

[@striker81796]

Titanfall 2 would be a good one for this. You're just a grunt, who gets paired with a titan (BT) when your mentor sacrifices himself for you. After single-handedly (you and BT together) destroying entire enemy bases, fighting hundreds of opponents, defeating some of the most dangerous pilots in the frontier, and breaking the laws of time itself; when you finally regroup with the resistence they almost seem more impressed with BT having accomplished all that with you stuck inside him, and try to replace you with a "real pilot" at the first oppurtunity.

[@PunLlarena]

Seems like we'll see it in the commenter's edition

[@TheAceOfJace]

I came here to say this. The only reason you become the pilot of the titan is because you're the only one left to transfer the controls to.

[@wizicozypher]

Poor Captain Lastimosa =(

[@vikihalliwell]

I instantly thought of Titanfall 2 as well! Plus, there's the fact that Cooper almost gets gunned down in the first minute of the first level, but Lastimosa heals (?) him and tells him to stay down. So, clearly our boy's a bit squishy to begin with.

[@msutter117]

There’s a theory sort of that Lastimosa gives Cooper some nanites to finish his transformation into a pilot. Plus he was training in private for months in a vr style training with Lastamosa who says he’s close to being ready to become a pilot. Jack Cooper definitely was more prepared then most take over as Pilot.

[@finnover9781]

Andy would have been presenting this video, but he died thanks to getting sniped by a crocodile with a gun. I know, it sounds implausible, but that's why Luke and Ellen had to fill in his shoes.

[@Tfbrave]

So if he appears in a future video, is it because he got brought back by some voodoo curse?

[@finnover9781]

@@Tfbrave No, just some necromancy courtesy of his other friends. They're nice like that.

[@razgriz821]

@@Tfbravedon’t worry, Jane has backup clones of all members of Oxboxtra.

[@psoma_brufd]

​@@razgriz821indeed, we don't even know what number we are up to now on each.

[@flemmingpedersen567]

That explains that, now explain why Ellen wearing her Jane mask - I thought she was saving it for their takeover of the main channel?

[@Liquidfear15]

Props to Faye, if you want a pantheon of gods eliminated there is no better person for the job than Kratos.

[@jameshart2622]

Yeah, she pretty much found the local expert. "Blundering in and breaking all the things. Like, so much everything the word is losing meaning" was pretty much Kratos' life purpose.

[@rexflamevermillion5527]

She found the right person to sub for her how great

[@savvivixen8490]

​@@rexflamevermillion5527Happens every now and then, and that sort of surprise is duly welcomed

[@KeithElliott-zd8cx]

Probably why she married him in the first place

[@Deathlemon21]

Dragon Age Origins also fits. Not only has your character just gone through a stressful event before being recruited by the Grey Wardens, you are the only surviving recruit of a group of 3 after the joining ceremony. Then during your first mission as a grey warden, the rest of your order are killed, including your leader Duncan a experienced Warden and the man who saved your life, and the darkspawn are spilling out to threaten the rest of Fereldan. Now you must take charge of the grey wardens and unite various factions to face the darkspawn horde. Also as a pleasant side note, you have been accused of betraying the kingdom and have been declared traitors and are being hunted down. Luckily you manage to help everyone in the world with their various problems, gather an army and clear your name. You even manage to find a senior warden who takes charge and tells you that a grey warden must die to end the blight, but he states that he shall do the deed so that you can live. So with all of this you can now finally finish the blight and live the rest of your life as a warden, or at least the next 30 years of it. But alas this senior warden dies leaving you once again to lead the wardens and sacrifice yourself, barring the use of a mysterious and possibly disastrous ritual.

[@lavrentivs9891]

Don't forget about Alastair^^

[@TheDax609]

That was my first thought.

[@markkuijpers3818]

I thought about Origins too, but this video seems mostly about protagonists who are initially unfit for being the hero, which isn't the case for the Warden, who in each of the origins is a prodigal young warrior, rogue or mage

[@kakitashisumo]

Came to call out my man Duncan myself

[@9308323]

@@markkuijpers3818 Err...Kratos?

[@homerman76]

I'm surprised Final Fantasy 7 isn't on this list, it even goes the extra step further and leaves Cloud actually believing that he IS the hero due to memory shenanigans.

[@Suksass]

To be fair, we don't find out about existance of Zack until near the end of the game.

[@ChrisMattern-oh6wx]

I wasn't just surprised, I was shocked. FF7 is THE incarnation of this trope.

[@Suksass]

@ChrisMattern-oh6wx not really. You nether meet nor see Zack until the end. His voice helps you sometimes but that is about it. There are many games that incarnation of the troope but ff7 isn't one of them.

[@clarafedde8674]

You mean he lied about it so much, that he actually believed it....

[@ChrisMattern-oh6wx]

You may not have known for most of the game, but when you find out, it hits you like a ton of bricks. Players never forget it.@@Suksass

[@editedcopycat9939]

Anyone remember Mass Effect Andromeda? Your dad is both a N7 soldier, one of the most elite military ops in the human military in the game and is also the human pathfinder for the Andromeda Initiative. Or at least he would continue to do so if you hadn’t cracked your helmet and he had to save you by handing you his, not that it mattered that you did end up dying anyway ((for 20 seconds according to S.A.M.))

[@MrTim2031]

Yeah, this is one I came to post. Also if you think about it, Mass Effect 1 also has a similar scenario as the Turian Specter, can’t remember his name, is killed during the first mission. However, Shepard was also being groomed to be the first human specter by that point, so not as good of an example.

[@Qardo]

Well, it would seem. Most ME fans want to forget MEA. Even though MEA was good in concept. Just shoot at the kneecaps due to resources being taken away to work on another project. Which was Anthem....we all know how that went. Really, blame EA for a lot of it. As much as Bioware is at fault for their abilities of poor management across both games. MEA actually had a better chance of surviving. Yet, they pulled the plug far quicker than they did with Anthem. Leaving MEA literally an unfinished story.

[@KeithElliott-zd8cx]

@@Qardo honestly, it's not bad. For a third person sci fi rpg. It's just bad for bioware which does good roleplaying focused stuff - or did.

[@AndyD773]

You could make a case for James in Fallout 3. He's the brains behind the Waters of Life project, but it ultimately falls to you to finish his work after the Enclave gets involved.

[@CorwinAlexander]

I feel like it's a fairly commonly used trope in the Fallout franchise. In Fallout 4, the player becomes Minuteman General because General Becker and then Colonel Hollis die.

[@butwhataboutdragons7768]

Fallout 4 might count too, depending on how you see it. Not just faction wise either. Is there actual canon as to who you're "supposed" to be playing as, either mom or dad? So if you then play the other.... For that matter, one could argue New Vegas as well. Is Mr House the real hero? Caesar? Whoever the head of the NCR is, I forget? The final boss guy who's not Caesar but is the strongest in the game? Joshua Graham? Hell, Yes Man maybe!

[@Joe90h]

There's also the skeleton right outside the vault in the first game with some useful loot that might actually be vital to you depending on your build. That guy walked a few steps out of the vault to his death so you could run the super mutants out of California.

[@MartynWilkinson45]

​@@butwhataboutdragons7768there's some in game hints that you might be playing as neither, but as an experimental synth Father made for... reasons. Look, for a super genius, Father isn't very rational, alright?

[@tubensalat1453]

@@MartynWilkinson45 I never liked James or the interactions with him and I question a lot of his decisions. Starting with choosing the tidal basin as object: a huge body of salt water connected to the irradiated ocean? (And does he ultimately want to screw all that remains of sea life?)

[@Cuiasodo]

I'd argue that, for all his anxiety and having to review basics, Phoenix has a very high win-rate for his cases, so he arguably IS an ace attorney.

[@Joe90h]

Especially given that he's up against the "totally not Japan we swear" legal system where, if you go to trial, you tend to also get sentenced 99% of the time. And even his first loss was deliberate on his part.

[@TurbanatorUK]

Bear in mind that, for some cases, Mia returns through Maya, so she does help to win cases that Phoenix gets stuck on.

[@Raleford]

Ya, but Ash Ketchum also has a high win rate, so it may not always be an indicator of competency

[@iphaoftheisles3952]

*for MOST cases~@@TurbanatorUK

[@JT-ev5jh]

BECOMES an ace attorney

[@MandibleBones]

BioWare loves this trope; besides DA:Origins and MA:Andromeda, which have been mentioned, there's also Nilhus in Mass Effect itself, and even Divine Justinia in DA:Inquisition.

[@crazyandorian]

Honestly they could just have a BioWare version of this video, rather than a commenter edition

[@Lark88]

Nihilus was great and all, but Shepard was clearly the true hero. You're on point about ME: A, though.

[@MyrddinDerwydd]

Yes! All of this.

[@jamesbrice3267]

Justinia was just a holy diplomat at best, she wouldn't have been able to actually do anything.

[@niofo7713]

justinia was atrocious. everyone says how great she was post mortem, but her main skill was looking sympathetic while doing absolutely nothing for no one. she considered an exalted march on kirkwall ffs. putting her in the same line as my boi duncan is a travesty.

[@Michaeljefferson9000]

Interestingly, Faye herself wasn't especially good at the "hero" thing by all accounts. She had a history of disrupting Aesir operations and killing some of their important workers, but apparently was never seen by any of the actual gods aside from Thor, and he was so plastered he doesn't even remember the encounter. She contacted Brok and Sindri in order to have a weapon produced to rival Mjölnir, and hunted down and killed around 20 Frost Trolls (some of whom were probably just minding their business), harvesting their screams to be forged into the Leviathan Axe. After obtaining a weapon that powerful, she immediately set out to find Thor for the aforementioned encounter, and together they turned an entire city into a crater, killing its inhabitants without any apparent thought to their wellbeing. She then ran away when she realized she wouldn't be able to kill Thor, even when blackout drunk. She participated in at least one rebellion that ended in tragedy, apparently abandoning the Dwarfs near the end when Heimdall showed up to quash it. She went back to Jötunheim and argued about the prophecy. Ultimately she decided to return again later after the other giants died and destroyed the mural so that Kratos and Atreus could decide their own fates (this probably happened shortly before she died herself). _Then_ she retired to Midgard, had a short fight with Kratos (who had been living there for a few decades at that point), they settled down (for a few more decades) and THEN Atreus was born and she died about 12 years later. Her track record was pretty hit or miss, but at least her scorecard is better than Kratos'. Sure, the guy saved Greece once, but that wasn't because he cared about the realm. He just wanted to make sure his daughter could live happily in the afterlife. Before and after that he basically waged war on whoever he didn't like that day, before finally destroying the entire Greek world.

[@KeithElliott-zd8cx]

Tbh that sounds EXACTLY what a hero of the 'god of war' games does, aside for the whole 'go gentle into that good night' bit. But then, loki was more revenge than what she could've done anyway

[@JT_Lich]

Don't know if he counts as a "hero" per se, but in Control, the director of the FBC has died just as Jesse Faden shows up looking for her brother - leaving you to stumble upon the service weapon in Trench's office and suddenly you're the new director of the FBC, congrats!

[@DistinctionDave]

At least with Ace Attorney, you get to befriend the younger sister of your dead boss, and this sister, Maya, is able to channel Mia at certain times, being a spirit medium in training. It's helpful when you cross-examine a parrot. It's a weird game, is what I'm saying.

[@kieranhair37]

Somehow, everything you're talking is less weird to me than the fact that everyone is still treating Phoenix like a noob after multiple games of remaining canonically undefeated.

[@Joe90h]

@@kieranhair37 I feel like most of the writing in the third game is the exact opposite, except the point where an idiot who looks like Phoenix messes up his reputation by being crap.

[@robstuart8474]

​@@kieranhair37 This is being pedantic, but he isn't canonically undefeated. He deliberately loses Case 2-4 (Farewell, My Turnabout) when his admittedly guilty client has a breakdown on the stand and confesses, due to a very peeved assassin waiting for a few answers outside the courtroom.

[@WolfyFancyLads]

I mean, Phoenix would literally be in jail if not for Maya. In his very second case, Mia's murder, he's about to lose when Mia gives him evidence through Maya in the form of everyone Redd White of Blu Corp has blackmailed or otherwise pushed to suicide. Without that evidence, Phoenix would've been successfully framed by Redd White.

[@DaybreakJones]

@@WolfyFancyLads I'd argue that wasn't so much Maya's moment as it was Mia forcing her way back from the afterlife to save Phoenix's ass and get personal revenge/closure. Maya's hero moment of the game is definitely getting the bullet from von Karma, therefore saving Edgeworth.

[@KurustheGreat]

Really surprised to not see Mass Effect: Andromeda on this list. Following the character's N7 dad as he bulls his way through a base without even slowing down was insane.

[@Lark88]

It would have been nice if Ryder at least had an N7 rank like his or her dad. Later on, you can get N7 armor, but it just doesn't seem right to use it. The leader of the desert colony even calls you out on it if he catches you wearing it.

[@BlueThunder1988]

Not only does Link not seem to take a solemn moment to mourn his uncle, he excitedly celebrates getting his sword and shield with a little jingle! These teens 😠

[@HylianFox3]

Can you blame him? His uncle died before even fighting a single enemy. What, did he break his ankle from dropping into the well and died of exposure or something? In all of maybe 5 minutes? Sheesh

[@shinrailp1416]

Except his uncle DOESN'T die. He is there during the credits if you beat the game. Dud is just hurt and sure he could use some help but i don't know whey everyone says he's dead

[@ferd617]

@@shinrailp1416 If he pusses out and hands the heroing off to his nephew over a twisted ankle, he's dead to us!

[@HylianFox3]

@@shinrailp1416 The Triforce brings him back to life, same with the King who is clearly dead in the game's opening. Also, if your uncle doesn't die then where is he? It's not like he's sitting around the house saying "I wish I could help you, but I'm still in bad shape" or something.

[@shinrailp1416]

@@HylianFox3 I mean have you seen the artwork they showed in the video? pretty sure the guy is way past is prime as a knight and is just happy someone else gets to do the shitty part. He's probably off somewhere to a all you can eat or something. I mean how did he even get hurt? Did he drop down that hole, broke his ankle, crawled a few steps and said "ah fuck it" until you came along?

[@nathancarter8239]

I think a great example of this is in _Dragon Age: Origins_ in which your mentor, Duncan, is the far better Grey Warden than you, but unfortunately comes down with a bad case of "stomped to death by an ogre" and you have to take over after he's gone.

[@dorabrooks76]

Ah, a classic case of mentor syndrome. 🤣

[@TrickyTalon23]

Making us play as noob Jason instead of pro Grant was the best call to set up Far Cry 3. You don’t start out as an expert. You experience what it takes to become one.

[@rikusschulze6249]

noooo, really? you think that may have been intentional? who would've thought.

[@mjkrh]

From hesitating at sight of enemy blood to enjoying knife takedowns like a psychopath. Far Cry 3 was a masterpiece of a game❤ true artform

[@yuyutubee8435]

And this way you get to press X to Jason.

[@TrickyTalon23]

@@rikusschulze6249 yeah. What did you think they were trying to do with it?

[@kieranhair37]

@@rikusschulze6249 What is this sarcasm even winning you? No one's pretending to be surprised it was intentional, they're just praising it as a good choice as opposed to some games where you're supposed to be an everyman but just happen to have action hero skills for no reason. Sarcasm is not a skill, nor a mark of superiority.

[@greenhydra10]

While they didn't die, in Monster Hunter Freedom 2, Pokke Village's usual hunter got injured by a Tigrex, leaving you to deal with everything. Including said Tigrex.

[@silverseth7]

There's another wounded hunter in the Rise hub.

[@aceundead4750]

Throughout a few of the older games there's also the Demon twins who constantly brag about being the best hunters ever yet are only ever sat at a table talking to each other leaving all the hunting to the player.

[@greenhydra10]

@@aceundead4750 Oh I hate those two SO much.

[@hydrochloricacid7927]

@@aceundead4750 there's also similar guys in sunbreak

[@petersimpson4648]

In Phoenix's defense (pun intended), he forgets the VICTIM'S name. The DEFENDANT is his best friend, so forgetting that would definitely put some strain on the relationship. Edit: Mia wasn't much better in her rookie days. In her first SUCCESSFUL trial, she defended Phoenix and uncovered the true criminal, who not only killed an innocent man, but tried to kill Phoenix and Mia's senior lawyer (and boyfriend).

[@foxmind2490]

Oscar from Dark Souls actually had a cut quest-line that would have him become your direct rival. At the end of the game, depending on which side you choose, he would choose the opposite and fight you.

[@kariissmol9172]

That sounds do cool!

[@DieHardAnimeOtaku15]

Not sure if this counts, but in Danganronpa V3 you start the game as the Ultimate Pianist, Kaede Akamatsu. After the first case (for reasons I will not spoil), you play as her “assistant” and Ultimate Detective, Shuichi Saihara.

[@whitethunder9064]

I was thinking that as well! They're both competent, but Shuichi definitely did not want to be the main character!

[@christosneder]

Amusingly it comes full circle in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. Phoenix isn't dead but he has had his law license revoked after being found guilty of fabricating evidence so he now plays piano and poker for a living, and your actual law mentor (Kristoph Gavin) is very swiftly taken out of the picture as well

[@rebeccaverrall3658]

How about Alec Ryder in Mass Effect Andromeda! Not only is your dad the hero who died, but you're not even meant to be the person who takes over after he dies! You jump the queue!

[@Kolyarut]

First game I thought of when I saw the title, was surprised not to see that one on the spoiler list!

[@brad2138]

Yes. I was absolutely not qualified for that position. All I know is Space Diplomacy and Advanced Ass Kickery from my time with Shepherd.

[@fakjbf3129]

Yep, Alec was an elite N7 soldier plus one of the galaxy’s top experts in AI development. You’re just….. their kid.

[@ferd617]

I don't think this video could've handled another Alex/Alec Something mention.

[@grabtharshammer2085]

They do establish that the Ryder twins were some form of national guard equivalent and highly educated, at least. It wasn't an insane jump, narratively

[@HylianFox3]

If you're going to put Link's Uncle on this list, may as well include Buzz Buzz from 'EarthBound' as well.

[@OptimusSledge]

Far Cry 6 has this happen twice. Dani's interest at the beginning of the game is leaving the island. It's only after her rebel friend Lita is killed that Dani has to work for the guerillas to earn a boat. If you choose to stay and fight, the guerillas leader is later killed, forcing a reluctant Dani to lead the final battle against Anton Castillo.

[@HylianFox3]

I get the feeling Far Cry is very fond of this trope.

[@OptimusSledge]

@@HylianFox3 It doesn't happen in 4, although it does continue the "unwilling outsider is pulled in conflict" idea from 3. I think 4 was intended as a continuation of Jason Brody's story at one point, so that's probably why. Can't remember 5, because it sucked so bad I'm actively trying to forget it.

[@Morgan-ug2rt]

And far cry 5... and far cry new dawn...

[@aaronhines3335]

I feel like Oblivion might fit. The Emperor straight up gets killed in the intro, and he tasks you with being the "side character" to so many other people throughout the game (Jauffre, Martin, etc...)

[@carlsiouxfalls]

I disagree, as the emperor was old and foresaw his own death. His time had come and he wasn't really set up as a hero in the coming story.

[@aaronhines3335]

@@carlsiouxfalls Fair. But he also had his blades (who die), and Jauffre (who can potentially die), and then Martin, who dies (albeit at the end, but you still get 90% of the credit)

[@butwhataboutdragons7768]

I'd say it counts. It's the difference between game and story. Martin is more of a figurehead but is absolutely needed to survive. Jauffre is his bodyguard and a guide basically. Both of which, in story terms, are more important than you. In game terms obviously you are the one who makes everything actually happen but you're very much a third-stringer in the story and world. You don't even get a name, you're just Champion of Cyrodil.

[@ShinjiSings]

I remember playing Final Fantasy XII. You play the whole prologue with Reks. A noble knight. Just for him to die and you being forced to play as Vaan.

[@benn454]

Not to mention Balthier and Basch. Vaan is an annoying sidekick at best.

[@reno_2200]

​@@benn454it makes more sense when you find out Vaan was a later addition and the game was originally based on the trio of Ashe, Basch and Balthier.

[@benn454]

@@reno_2200 I remember that. The suits at Square didn't think that Japanese players would want to play as an "old guy" like Balthier or Basch. So they stuck in an annoying teenager to tag along with the actually important characters.

[@SuperiorPosterior]

4:38 Here's my take-Estus Flasks aren't filled with an actual _substance._ It's more like soul nourishment than physical nourishment. The Flask has five gulps of this nourishment for _you,_ now that you hold the Flask, but it's empty for Oscar.

[@michaelt482]

What about Mass Effect: Andromeda? Your character weirdly becomes the Pathfinder after their father dies, even tho dad had a more competent second in command who had been training to succeed him her whole life

[@Lark88]

Then you go through the game with nobody respecting you. Just doesn't feel right for a Mass Effect game.

[@ShadowJCreed]

I'm surprised I'm not seeing anyone mention Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. The game starts back immediately after how 2 ended and almost immediately Cesare Borgia and his entire army invades Monteriggioni eventually killing your Uncle Mario right in front of you. Ezio was already set up to be the hero but not on as great of a scale until this moment, and it basically falls on Ezio to rebuild the brotherhood entirely in Rome now

[@insaincaldo]

Surprised you didn't just start at the beginning of Ezio's story.

[@hannahfox5422]

I think you could make this entire list just with Dragon Age Origin characters, literally everyone competent except Loghain dies in the first couple hours.

[@positronium3525]

Well Arl Howe Survived too. I never hated a NPC in my life more than Arl Howe.

[@chimerapirate7730]

FF VII comes to mind. Zack was the actual awesome guy, not Cloud!

[@ThePhantomStinker]

It counts. O.X. Yes, you don't find out who he is until late in the game, but it happens in a flashback. You even find out that the signature Buster Sword was originally his.

[@Julian-ey7is]

In 'The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles,' you start as a sidekick on a journey to London. However, when the real hero tragically dies on the way there, you're thrust into the lead role. Now, it's up to you to navigate court battles and complete his secret mission, transforming from an observer to the main protagonist in a dramatic turn of events.

[@janeenschultz8502]

I'm still working through the game, but I love Herlock Sholmes. Lol

[@MrAuthor3DS]

Maybe consider these other hardened heroes and their plucky successors: - Dunban, the legend among the Defence Force, and Shulk, the humble young engineer (Xenoblade Chronicles) _(I know Dunban didn't die, but you did count Raiden in this - and Dunban was far more debilitated than Snake was.)_ - Greil, the Divine Knight of Daein, and Ike, his son put in charge of his mercenaries (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance) - Zack, the powerful first-class SOLDIER, and Cloud, his friend suffering layers of mental trauma (Final Fantasy 7) - Bayonetta 0, the first of many Arch-Eves to fall, and Viola, her sword-and-darts daughter (Bayonetta 3)

[@Ladywizard]

I was thinking same on Dunban I mean he was taken out for the dorky researcher and was setup to die even if he didn't and he was too crippled to fight anymore

[@weirdoregonian]

I also love that Dunban came back and proceeded to be an awesome evasion tank who fears not the jaws of death.

[@npiper]

11:15 This is actually a nod to "Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions" for the PS1, it's understandable that OX didn't get this reference since the game was released as "Metal Gear Solid: Special Missions" in the PAL territories. It has, you guessed it, 300 missions. Each one focusing on exploiting obscure some mechanic or making ridiculous skill shots.

[@DaneTheDane]

Does anyone here remember an indie game called "Rise & Shine"? It's a 2D sidescroller shoot 'em up where you play as the titular Rise, a young boy who, after witnessing the death of the Legendary Hero during an interplanetary invasion, is forced to inherit the Hero's weapon, a sentient, talking pistol named Shine. This gun gives infinite respawns and increased durability to whoever wields it, and is apparently the key to putting an end to the war.

[@toaolisi761]

In Halo Reach, you are not the original Noble 6 you are his replacement. Thom-A293 died a hero, and The Lone Wolf you play as becomes the 6th member of Noble Team.

[@Jonathon_Hennessey]

I think that Eternal Darkness Sanity's Requiem counts. At the beginning of the game, the death of Edward Roivas is caused by Pious Augustus in retaliation for using a powerful magic spell to destroy all of the monsters in the forbidden city. When his granddaughter Alex comes to his home to confirm his death, She ends up getting involved in Pious's plan to summon one of the three ancients into our reality and has to finish what her grandfather started.

[@DarthSanguine]

1:40 It's the victim's name he doesn't know, not the defendant's. The defendant is his friend.

[@SigEpic]

What about Cid in Final Fantasy XVI?! He dies literally destroying the crystals sucking life out of the world, after setting the entire rebellion up, allowing Clive to step in after all the connections and hard work is done…

[@silverknight876]

You’re not wrong but Clive was already a seasoned knight, warrior, and you could say rebel by that time since he’d already forsaken the empire. He was as far from a rookie as you can get. They’re going for guys that are going in basically hapless

[@Konpekikaminari]

Nope, Cid does not really work for this list Mainly because the protagonist who replaces him is not some last-resort pick like most protags on this list, it's Clive f*cking Rosfield- probably _the_ best pick the Cursebreakers could make

[@SigEpic]

@@Konpekikaminari You mean like Link, the Hero of Hyrule reborn, wielder of the Triforce of Courage?

[@SigEpic]

@@silverknight876 I would argue that Clive has zero ability at the time he takes over of leading a coalition of rebels. He doesn’t know what it takes to get food, farm, rebuild the hideaway, or even really lead. He has spent 13 years as a soldier following orders. Even prior, Joshua was groomed to be the leader and future Duke, and Clive was just another form of soldier. He had to learn ALL the leadership skills he needs to take over as the new Cid.

[@SigEpic]

@@Konpekikaminari I would argue that Clive has zero ability at the time he takes over of leading a coalition of rebels. He doesn’t know what it takes to get food, farm, rebuild the hideaway, or even really lead. He has spent 13 years as a soldier following orders. Even prior, Joshua was groomed to be the leader and future Duke, and Clive was just another form of soldier. He had to learn ALL the leadership skills he needs to take over as the new Cid.

[@tarekmoneimsaid]

I'm going to disagree about Link's uncle being the hero in LTTP... Yes, he does wield a sword and shield, but he also died in the hidden passageway beneath the castle, which means he was probably bested in combat by a couple of rats and bats. Not exactly the strongest foes in the game (which, as we all know, are chickens).

[@wwklnd]

Man, that piece of music at 9:39 is so iconic, made even more so by being sampled by Burial on the track _Archangel_ from the album Untrue. Just absolutely gorgeous.

[@mikecoker4007]

Link's uncle clearly survives and is in the end scene next to the phrase "your uncle recovers"

[@victoryrose2048]

Surprised crysis 2 wasn’t in this list, prophet from the first game basically says ‘good luck’ to the walking corpse stuffed inside his former armour before taking the express route to the afterlife.

[@CloudTribal1]

Good point! I hadn’t thought about that one. Great game.

[@mclovin6829]

Every time you die in a tutorial, a timeline is created where a random NPC was secretly your brother and takes over for you

[@skynet0912]

Alec from Mass Effect Andromeda is the perfect fit for this! He was a badass N7 like Shepard, developed an AI and helped pioneer the entire Andromeda Initiative... So on your very first mission, where Alec is doing his best to keep you, his son/daughter alive in hostile territory, you flounder your way through the first planet, while Alec comes up with ALL the solutions. So when he dies protecting you once again, you became the new Pathfinder, and for no other reason than it being impossible to remove SAM from you, and Alec transfered Pathfinder authority to you, despite Cora being next in line... And Ryder is basicly just a grunt! They spent most of their time before Andromeda guarding a relay, and the only reason they become a badass supersoldier later on is because of SAMs influence.

[@ralphbutcher7294]

What about Nhilus in Mass effect the highly trained Turian special agent sent to make sure you know what you’re doing only to get betrayed and murdered so you have to clean the mess up yourself

[@Joyful_Traitor]

I agree but would also add Anderson to the list but to be fair he doesn't die (well he does but that takes a few years) but does get shafted out of his role as captain of the Normandy SR-1 just so you can have it

[@BogeyTheBear]

Andrerson getting the Normandy always felt like TDY to the crew, as everyone was questioning why such a highly decorated hero was taking the new boat out on a shakedown.

[@sgtGiggsy]

What about Watchdogs Legion? A cool James Bond kind of spy doing all the heroics in the first mission only to die at the end of it and leaving the task to retired dentists and dog-walking grandmas.

[@shipdit8421]

Titanfall 2's campaign had a really cool element of this, it related to how you were bonded to your titan.

[@redith137]

Dragon age origins is a perfect example of this. Duncan's a better more experienced gray warden, but now he's toe jam, and the other more experienced warden has decided you are in charge

[@Leith_Crowther]

In Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Peter Parker leaves Miles in charge of being Spider-Man after the first level. Sure, Peter didn’t die, but he did go on vacation with his girlfriend, which is basically the same thing.

[@rodrigocampos1302]

WORKING vacation

[@chainsawsubtlety9828]

I was in the Army. They do not teach you how to escape a Gilligan's Island-style tiger cage.

[@sharrant8541]

Not that anybody remembers Rage 2, but it fits the bill perfectly. You’re little town is getting invaded by The Authority, everyone’s waiting on Ranger Jersey to come save the day! Then Jersey gets his head taken off right in front of you, prompting you the player to take his armor and weapons and become the hero (or nearest equivalent) you were always meant to be.

[@kieranhair37]

Aw, I remember Rage 2. It was actually the best demo I played at QuakeCon the year it came out. Not that it was hard to be the best demo at a convention that also previewed Fallout 76.

[@JWP-56]

I really love how they just set Grant up and got nailed in the throat and Vaas just looked at you, nodded and then gave you a 10 second head start.

[@moonspider7]

Mass Effect: Andromeda comes to mind. I know a lot people don’t like the game, but I found it refreshing that you are just part of the first contact team, not in charge of it. But then your much more competent father dies and leaves you with massive shoes to fill. Everyone doubts you, piles expectations on you, and naturally, you flounder in response. The game does a great job of presenting how you’re just a young adult with a dream, who solves problems less conventionally and with less grace than someone who trained for this.

[@namelessuser8595]

My favorite dead hero is Duncan from Dragon Age Origins. He’s a great guy, your mentor (he probably saved your life depending on the opening) and then he gets stabbed by a giant ogre. So now there’s you, your second day ever of being a grey warden, and you’ve got to save ferelden. Somehow. Edit: wow really funny to scroll for a second and immediately see like 5 comments about Duncan. Great taste guys lol

[@sambarnes6265]

How did Final Fantasy 12 not make this list? You start the game as a cool, relatable hero, that is swiftly killed so you have to play the rest of the game as his widely disliked younger brother.

[@ThePhantomStinker]

Did Reks... Ever have... A single line... Where he didn't pause... Like... Like he's trying to be polite but is really just thinking "Please just shut up so I can find a toilet!"? But yeah, Vaan is worse. And so is everything else in Final Fantasy XII. People usually say XIII is when the series died, but I never played that one because XII was the first FF game I hated too much to ever complete it (I got Bahamut on the map, but I never went to it).

[@butwhataboutdragons7768]

Ashe is the real hero anyway. Maybe you could argue Basch. Balthier would be up there too. Vaan's not even kinda close, he's the character you run into on disk 3 when your stuff gets stolen in Robbertown and you need a local thief's help!

[@kurosakikun96]

Honestly I feel like 12 could fit this twice, Razler also feels like a JRPG protagonist for the 5 minutes he's on-screen before being killed in the opening FMV

[@kieranhair37]

@@butwhataboutdragons7768 Vaan is basically what Luke Skywalker was before they came up with the father/son twist. He's just a teenage desert nobody who pretends to be the hero when Han (Balthier) and Leia (Ashe) are in every way more significant. Even Chewie (Fran) has more character. Basically, the only interesting thing about Vaan is that he's friends with Penelo.

[@Joe90h]

@@butwhataboutdragons7768 Basch was actually going to be the protagonist initially, but it was decided they needed to add Vaan because Japanese audiences prefer their RPG protagonists to be pretty young men. Adding Vaan not only stripped Basch of a lot of agency in the story, but also gave Penelo nothing to do because she was likely to be the character asking questions to get exposition dumps.

[@ArkaneStephanie]

The Metal gear entry now makes me want to see a video where Ellen sneaks around the office using her beat saber knowledge

[@MitchCyan]

The most interesting character in Mass Effect Andromeda who should’ve been the player character dies in the first hour.

[@brandonp7503]

Sheppard: Earns N7 status through years of training and trial. What's their faces from Andromeda: Earns Wayfinder status through NEPOTISM, baby!

[@yullu65]

In the opening moments of Mass Effect 2, the hero of the citadel, commander Shepard, dies. This leads to you, commander Shepard, picking up the mantle two years later to fend off the collector threat This is a huge technicality, but it kinda works

[@dummy_vicc2976]

genuinely surprised yall didnt include duncan from dragon age origins

[@Ozzie2191]

What, no Roger Wilco from Space Quest? The janitor was not ready to be the hero!

[@PanAndScanBuddy]

The prequel, The Great Ace Attorney, has this double. Not only is the guy you replace an actual law student in Meiji Japan headed to learn in London, he's also a veritable ninja with a bandana and sword! (Does he come back in the second game, retroactively disqualifying this entry? Let's say no)

[@niceguy169]

5: I love how I'm watching this list as I have the TV muted for a Robot Chicken sketch about Solid Snake having back problems from the way he crouches over when he's sneaking around, LOL! (As soon as he demonstrates for the doctor, the doctor goes "Wait, where did you go? I can't see you any more!") :) 7: When I saw the spoilers and saw God Of War with no modifiers, I was like "You don't MEAN the original God Of War, do you?". Lo and behold I was right, not the PS2 game I enjoyed, but some later game that I guess they were inconsiderate enough not to give its own name... :) I just realized at the end, that's lovely Jane in an OXtra video, nice! :)

[@bmyattuk]

The people in Far Cry 3 would have been better off with literally anyone BUT Jason Brody.

[@thechemist3234]

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney being on this list absolutely sent me when I fully realized how true it was.

[@eldritchpancakes]

This only partially counts since some of the team is still alive, but The Five Great of Hallownest from Hollow Knight were amazing heroes that you, a creepy living shadow wearing a child’s body, have to follow.

[@nikolasurban7256]

If anything, the Hollow Knight should count as the hero. The five knights had literally nothing to do with stopping the plague, thats what the vessel were created for. Then, one day, a vessel was chosen to ascend to become the salvation of Hallownest that would finally stop the spreading infection… and you were not it.

[@eldritchpancakes]

@@nikolasurban7256 Agreed. The only reason I didn’t mention it was the fact that it had basically no agency, and was more like a tool than a person, whereas the knights actually made a willful effort to help. But yeah, The Hollow Knight itself is definitely apt.

[@Satsujinki1973]

Lords of the Fallen (2023) Starts with the real hero Isaac dying in the opening cut scenes and then a Preist finds you and makes you Isaac's replacement.

[@lacytaylor1501]

Phoenix got that luck from his ancestor who also had to take on the great ace attorney role after a far better attorney bit the bullet. Really weird how fate works in those games...

[@mistahanansi2264]

Elden Ring definitely should've made the video, what with Vyke being the original main character and "closest to becoming the Elden Lord" only to be misled right at the end and be overtaken by a Tarnished of no renown.

[@AdrianColley]

Half-Life is entirely this. The most junior postdoc happens to be the only one in an environment suit when disaster wipes out the senior staff.

[@josephhawthorne5097]

Well, Half-Life isn't really this, only because there wasn't anyone competent to handle the situation to begin with. In fairness, surprise alien invasion from another dimension is not something that too many people have training for ahead of time, but still.

[@claytonrios1]

How much do you want to bet that if Grant survived the escape alongside Jason that he'd probably take out a good portion of Vaas' pirates himself?

[@lizardguyNA]

Doesn't Shadow of Mordor technically count here? You died, so now you're the schlub that has to save everyone. Also Celebrimbor.

[@GVGINU]

I think if Zelda telepathically contacts you, even though your uncle got up and headed out first, you were the intended hero. He was just unfortunately, collateral damage.

[@Digidragon55]

What about Noble 6 from Halo: Reach? Through out the final levels. Your tasked to deliver Cortana to Keys. Then afterwards you stay behind to shoot down an alien spaceship.

[@RazorO2Productions]

And HE is replacing the Original Noble Six!

[@Althea000]

I expected to see Lasdimosa from Titanfall 2. Not only is he a well known pilot, but he is also Cooper's mentor. He not only saves you but also dies during the intro passing on both his pilot gear and his Titan BT-7274 who we all know and love. Another fit would be Reinhardt from overwatch. Reinhardt was part of the faction known as crusaders, who fought against the omnics. The leader of the crusaders was Bauldrich, who was initially chosen by overwatch to join their team. Sadly he dies during the next omnic attack after which Reinhardt instead takes him place in the overwatch roster. The game might be bad, but it's story most definitely isn't.

[@garfeld625]

What about Danganronpa V3? Spoilers ahead but the protagonist you are playing as who led everyone doesn't just die, she switches the protagonist to another character and forces him to "kill her" The ironic part being that the "poor schmuck" you play as after is the ultimate detective

[@aiyonara9870]

Another good example would be Lenna's Inception. Youre giving a tutorial to the main hero Lance when he gets crushed by a glitchy fridge

[@catoninetales]

Bioware likes to do this a lot. I'm thinking of Duncan in Dragon Age: Origins or your dad in Mass Effect: Andromeda.

[@mkjell90]

Don’t forget the golden example of nepotism in Mass Effect Andromeda. Where your father goes over everyone’s head to promote his child to Pathfinder, disregarding all protocols and rules set up by the Initiative.

[@jediprotector216]

I will put in the Original Baldur's Gate where Gorion gets killed immediately and you need to wade through AD&D 2nd edition just trying to not die in one hit. Hence where save scumming was a true chore.

[@j0njn]

You could add Final Fantasy VII and/or Crisis Core, seeing as initially, Cloud

[@Cinnabuntastic]

Mass Effect: Andromeda, while not the series' best showing, shows Ryder becoming the Pathfinder after their father dies to save their life in the very first mission. He was supposed to be humanity's guide, but instead it's the inexperienced kid who wasn't even meant for it (taking it from the person he'd ACTUALLY trained, in fact!).

[@Lark88]

Honestly, it sounded like the writers were projecting some personal issues...

[@BenjaminSquillari]

Honestly, these teams... They are awesome! Thanks Outside Xbox and Outside Xtra!

[@chandeecarson4050]

Danganronpa V3 applies to this prompt!! Spoilers to follow, but at first you play as Kaede Akamatsu, but she tragically dies because that’s the nature of Danganronpa games, people kill each other. However, her death is a beautiful setup for the actual main character, Shuichi Saihara, someone who has the confidence of a kitten who just took a bath, to take the reins.

[@mathsalot8099]

The dad in Assassin's Creed 3 was much mor qualified (and more fun to play).

[@elvenbee7006]

I expected to see titanfall 2 on this list, both pilots Lastamosa AND Anderson die and leave rifleman jack cooper in charge of a very VERY high stakes mission ...

[@PunLlarena]

Same, I clicked it anticipating Cooper in this video.

[@Brambarian1]

You forgot pathfinder: wrath of the righteous. You get carried into a festival on a stretcher, the dragon protector of the city heals you and you get to enjoy the festival for a bit. After that small bit of enjoyment, all hell breaks loose and the dragon Terendelev gets murdered by a demon lord and you fall into a crevice. After you fall you find a sword that belonged to an angel who was also slain by that very same demon lord a long time ago. While you were down there, an Aeon(a sort of cosmic/celestial judge) tries to fight the demon lord and also loses. Then after managing to retake the city, the queen declares you knight commander of the fifth crusade. Tldr: 3 heroes died before you became the one in charge

[@DrZaius3141]

Dragon Age: Origins. Duncan is the true hero of Ferelden.

[@NevonMatsuoka]

100% gotta mention ZHP. Zettai Hero Project on the PSP. The whole plot is the hero dying right in front of you and him being like. "Well. Guess you have to take over. I believe in you thought!"

[@JachymorDota]

Shoutout to Star Fox Adventures: The chosen heroine Krystal, who knows the magic , traditions and customs required to save the planet gets (technically) off'ed so Fox McCloud can appear on the cover. Never mind the clever irony by her being placed in a crystal. Thanks a lot, Miyamoto!

[@Taracinablue]

The death of the brother in Far Cry seems like an especially big bummer

[@mitigatedrisk4264]

I think Control fits this. Jesse Faden walks in on the current director of the FBC being forced to shoot himself by the Board and is immediately appointed the new director by said Board.

[@positronium3525]

Yep this too is another good one.

[@AFLoneWolf]

You could make the case for Dragon Age Origins. If not for Duncan's intervention in the prologue, the Hero of Ferelden dies. So no matter which version you play, there are five other dead potential "Heroes."

[@NisansaDdS]

In Mass Effect (1) you become the main character only because Nihlus Kryik is murdered by Saren Arterius.

[@carlsiouxfalls]

You didn't replace Nihlus to do his job though. He was just observing you for promotion. You were already a heroic main character for the Human Alliance.

[@SamButler22]

You can't tell me Alec Mason isn't supposed to be the hero when Troy Baker's voice is coming out of his mouth