It isn't uncommon to have a story with a deeply flawed protagonist, and games like The Last of Us carry on this tradition. While other visual mediums like movies or TV are sometimes forced to soften unlikable protagonists, so audiences don't immediately hate them, video games have a built-in advantage. By playing as a character, we are forced to empathize with them more deeply than we would if we were just watching the events of the story unfold.

Because video games can rely on this built-in empathy from players, they aren't forced to soften their lead characters as much. This has led to some video game protagonists whose flaws run so deep that they would be downright hated if they were NPCs. However, because players are forced to give these characters the benefit of the doubt, we are able to see the complexity in them, even if we still don't necessarily like them in the end.

10 The Arbiter From Halo 2

The Arbiter Would Have Been An Enemy In The First Halo Game

The first Halo game did not prime the player to have any sort of sympathy for the Covenant or its operatives. Were Master Chief to come up against the Arbiter, a religiously significant position for the Covenant, in the first Halo game, he likely would have killed them and we as players would have celebrated that. However, thanks to Halo 2, we got a better insight into life within the Covenant, and learned that not every member of their society fully bought into their religious zealotry.

Halo 2 showed us that the Covenant's Arbiter was not a position of honor, but more like a punishment for an Elite who had disappointed the group's leadership. The Arbiter was given the hard choice of carrying out the Covenant's will, or else being executed for his perceived crimes against his civilization, which isn't really a choice at all. However, had we not seen this origin story, players would likely see the Arbiter as just another alien to kill without understanding that he too was a victim of the Covenant's zealotry.

9 Michael From GTA 5

Michael Is Cynical And Unhappy Despite Seemingly Having It All

There are a lot of things to hate about Michael in GTA 5. He's seemingly checked out of his children's lives, but becomes an overbearing parent the moment they do something he doesn't approve of. On top of that, he seems completely unsatisfied with his life, despite being more successful than most and also being let off the hook for his previous crimes. That said, the game does a good job making players understand Michael, if not on a literal level, at least on a more metaphorical basis.

Being happy isn't as simple as having a certain amount of material items. I won't pretend it doesn't help you get closer to happiness if you're able to comfortably pay your bills, and I can't really speak to how it would feel to have even a fraction of Michael's wealth. That said, it's clear that Michael's unhappiness doesn't stem from his lack of material goods, but instead a deep dissatisfaction with his life. Everyone has Michael moments sometimes when they fail to appreciate what they have because they want something more, which maybe isn't noble, but it is relatable.

8 Booker Dewitt From BioShock Infinite

Booker Dewitt Is Seemingly Villainous In Every Reality

Booker Dewitt is an interesting case because there are two different ways he could fit on this list. The most apparent way is that we already get to see how we would feel about Booker as an NPC, because BioShock Infinite's main villain, Comstock, is actually an alternate reality version of Booker. However, the version of Booker that players take control of is not much more likable when you take a step back and examine his actions.

Before the events of the game, Booker Dewitt participated in the Wounded Knee Massacre, committing such violent acts that he was unable to cope with them after. Flawed protagonists aren't anything new, but actively participating in genocidal acts is something that's hard to forgive. Had I not been forced to try and sympathize with Booker by playing him, I would have easily hated him the moment I learned his backstory. Even now, I don't get too teary-eyed when Elizabeth drowns him.

7 Kratos From The Original God Of War Trilogy

Kratos Kills Characters Who Are Typically Depicted As Heroic

For a while, when the Ancient Greek gods were depicted in fiction, they were typically on the side of the heroes, except Hades, who has often been conflated with the Christian conception of Satan. Although some recent fiction has focused on reframing the Olympian gods and their actions as more morally dubious, the God of War trilogy is one of the first examples I can of the majority of the gods playing the role of antagonist. Given that the gods were typically framed as being good, a character like Kratos who murders them all would have been a major villain.

Aside from killing the gods, Kratos also teams up with the Titans, a group that is typically depicted as villains in fiction inspired by Greek mythology. He also kills Hercules, one of the most popular heroes from Ancient Greece, which wouldn't win him any favors from an audience were he a background character or villain in a story. However, playing as Kratos, players get a first-hand look at the injustices of the gods and can understand Kratos' fury and desire to dismantle their regime.

6 Arthur Morgan From Red Dead Redemption 2

Arthur's Loyalty To Dutch Lasts Longer Than It Should

Arthur Morgan is one of the more noble of the Van der Linde gang in Red Dead Redemption 2, but one might not recognize that if they weren't playing as him. Arthur is loyal to Dutch to a fault, carrying out the gang leader's orders, even while knowing they probably weren't the best idea. It's clear to the player that Dutch is wrong, so characters who follow him are largely disliked, but Arthur gets an exception, mainly because players are forced to empathize with him.

If players took the role of a party more skeptical of Dutch, they might dislike Arthur and his slavish devotion to the largely flawed gang leader. However, when forced to take on the role of Arthur, they understand why Dutch gets the benefit of the doubt. Arthur's trust of Dutch is an intentional source of dramatic irony. The player is meant to know it's bad, but we also understand Arthur's loyalty to Dutch stems from Dutch saving his life. Were we not forced to understand where Arthur was coming from, we'd likely judge him as harshly as other Dutch loyalists.

5 Abby From The Last Of Us 2

Abby Killing Joel Is Meant To Make Players Hate Her At First

A lot of players already don't like Abby because she is the one that kills Joel in The Last of Us 2. However, after playing the whole game, players may be more primed to be sympathetic to her position. Although the game comes down firmly against the cycle of violence that led Abby to kill Joel in the first place, it's still easier to understand why Abby would want Joel dead after spending time playing as her and understanding her perspective. After all, no player would question Joel or Ellie wanting to kill the person who killed their father.

That said, if we weren't forced to empathize with Abby, many players would likely hate her. After all, she killed Joel, the character we played as in the first The Last of Us game, and also the father figure to protagonist Ellie. The Last of Us 2 was challenging in the best way, not just by killing Joel, but by forcing players to empathize with the character who did it, and highlighting how monstrous Joel or Ellie's actions might seem from a different point of view.

4 James Sunderland From Silent Hill 2

Silent Hill 2 Relies On Us Liking James For Its Plot Twist

Silent Hill 2 introduces James Sunderland as a well-meaning man in search of his wife whom he believed dead, but recently sent him a letter to return to Silent Hill. Initially, it's easy to side with James, as he seems like a loving husband desperate to be reunited with his dead wife, regardless of how implausible it seems. James' interactions with the people he meets in Silent Hill, while not always perfect, continue to paint him as a kind man with noble intentions.

However, as you progress in the game, you'll learn that James' wife didn't just die, but he killed her. James had grown to resent his terminally ill wife, and resorted to smothering her. What James did was monstrous, and the game proves how much it still tortures him. Silent Hill 2 doesn't ask you to continue liking James, but it forces you to confront the idea that someone can be a seemingly good person but still do something awful. It's important for this message that players don't immediately hate James, so the game does a good job making players like him.

3 Postal Dude From The Postal Series

Postal Dude Goes On Violent Rampages

The Postal Dude is one of the easiest video game protagonists to hate. Even after playing as him, I have a hard time saying I actually like the character himself so much as I just have fond memories of the games, and it bleeds over a bit into their protagonist. However, I have no illusions that a character who essentially exists to go on killing rampages isn't terrible, and the series does its best to make Postal Dude as unlikable as possible.

Postal 2 shows the Postal Dude isn't just violent, but also horrible in a variety of other ways. He refers to his wife simply by a derogatory term; he pees on his father's grave (and anywhere else you choose to), and he uses a cat as a silencer for his gun. One of the only reasons players don't automatically hate the Postal Dude is because they're responsible for his worst behavior, and it honestly can be kind of fun. However, there would be no forgiving him if he was simply an NPC.

2 Cloud Strife From Final Fantasy 7

Cloud's Attitude Would Be Abrasive If We Weren't Forced To Understand Him

Cloud Strife is often taciturn, grumpy, and even sometimes downright mean to the people around him. Were he not the main playable character in Final Fantasy 7, it would be easy to see how he could be unlikable. This would be especially true if players were still primed to be sympathetic to Avalanche, and maybe took on the role of Barret Wallace or another true believer. Cloud's development is a slow burn (especially in the remake trilogy), and one that relies heavily on players' built-in empathy for the character they play as.

Aside from Cloud's initial apathy towards the plight of the planet, there are other reasons we might not like him if we didn't play him. For example, his adoption of Zack Fair's identity and memories might read as sinister opportunism as opposed to the tragic misconception that they really are if we weren't forced to relate to Cloud. However, while playing as Cloud and giving him the benefit of the doubt, we can see his apathy as defensiveness, and we understand his mimicking Zack is unintentional because it is just as surprising to us as it is to him.

1 Joel From The Last Of Us

Joel's Selfish Act At The End Of The First Game Is Hard To Understand From An Outside Perspective

The Last of Us does a lot to get players on the side of Joel. They show him losing his daughter during the initial outbreak, which helps us understand why he came to see Ellie as a surrogate daughter and why he would be unwilling to lose her at the end of the game. Although I don't approve of Joel's actions at the end of The Last of Us, I also can't say with confidence that I would never do the same thing if it was someone I loved on that operating table.

Were Joel not the protagonist, it would be easy to hate him for what he did. After all, he sacrifices the wellness of the entire world for his own selfish feelings. However, The Last of Us doesn't just make us feel for Joel, it also makes us fall in love with Ellie. The game's ability to make players understand Joel and his choice, despite how monstrous it could seem to an outsider, proves why The Last of Us is considered one of the best stories in gaming.