The Heroes We Love to Loathe
We usually expect to fall in love with the characters we control, but every now and then, developers give us a lead that we just can’t stand. Whether they’re incredibly annoying, morally questionable, or just plain boring, these protagonists managed to get under the skin of the entire gaming community. You’ve probably spent hours shouting at your screen because of a baffling decision one of these characters made during a crucial cutscene.
1. Bubsy the Bobcat
Despite being a platform mascot designed to replace Sonic the Hedgehog, Bubsy plays more like a swear-filter nightmare with kleptomania. He chirps annoying puns constantly, making you want to mute the sound within minutes of playing. Everyone loves shushing him up during the game-over screen.
2. Raiden in Metal Gear Solid 2
Gamers were beyond shocked when they realized they weren't playing as the legendary Solid Snake for the majority of this highly anticipated sequel. Raiden’s whiny attitude and constant relationship drama with his girlfriend over the radio felt like a massive step down from the hardened soldier expected. At least he eventually became a cool cyborg ninja later.
3. Tidus from Final Fantasy X
He may be a great blitzball player, but Tidus often acts like a privileged brat who loves to complain. Everyone remembers that scene, he forces you to laugh at like it was yesterday. Spira is a beautiful place, but please… could there be a collective vow to never listen to him think aloud ever again?
4. Duke Nukem in Forever
Duke was fantastic in the 90’s, but by the time his namesake game released, he felt incredibly outdated. Instead of reinventing his character, he tried too hard to be himself and ended up sounding like a try-hard that missed his time in the spotlight. Most gamers grew tired of his endless one-liners before finishing the game.
5. Connor from Assassin’s Creed III
Ezio Auditore had swagger, and Connor had….trees. The main character stared blankly at everything around him for most of the game, making it hard to care about his story. Connor’s enraged bark of “Where’s Charles Lee!?” will be remembered far more than any other aspect of his personality.
6. Baby Mario in Yoshi’s Island
Although Yoshi is the one you play as in Yoshi’s Island, most of the time is spent taking care of Baby Mario. He lets out a high-pitched scream whenever he is dropped, which actively makes your blood pressure rise. Largely because the goal isn’t to save him, but to get that horrible noise to stop.
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7. Dante from DmC: Devil May Cry
The 2013 reboot attempted to give the stylish demon hunter a gritty makeover, but fans absolutely hated this new "edgy" version of the character. He traded his classic silver hair and cool confidence for a foul-mouthed, rebellious teenager vibe that missed the mark completely. It’s clear the developers wanted him to look cool.
8. Hope Estheim from Final Fantasy XIII
Hope is easily one of the most annoying characters in the series due to his constant groaning. It is understood that he has been through traumatic events, but he incessantly complains about everything and refuses to listen to reason. Hope made players want to give their party leader a piece of their mind.
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9. Jason Brody in Far Cry 3
You wake up as a spoiled frat boy, and you end up a jungle savage. So why is Jason so annoying? It’s because he never should have been likable to begin with. It took far too long for Jason to evolve into far more interesting characters like the unhinged Vaas.
10. Vaan from Final Fantasy XII
Players feel Vaan was pointless. The game would have functioned perfectly without his running commentary. He doesn’t add or take away anything from the experience; he just exists.
11. Alexios and Kassandra in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
While many enjoyed the choice, some fans felt these characters lacked the grounded historical feel that previous protagonists brought to the series. Their superhuman abilities and demigod status made them feel more like superheroes. It’s hard to feel any tension when the character can survive a fall from a literal mountain without taking a scratch.
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12. Marcus Holloway from Watch Dogs 2
Marcus and his hacktivist friends wanted to seem cool and silly, but came off as dumb teenagers. They hack into servers and cause chaos in one moment, then laugh about how they “don’t get it” in the next. Marcus was hilariously hypocritical, which made it hard to support his cause.
13. Squall Leonhart in Final Fantasy VIII
Squall came off as a character who didn’t care about anything going on around him. While he does open up later in the story, he is a massive jerk for at least half the game. His attitude was “mood,” but not in an interesting teenage protagonist sort of way.
14. Watch Dogs’ Aiden Pearce
Aiden could probably stick his vast array of personality traits onto a Tic-Tac. He wears all-black, talks in a raspy voice, and generally does nothing interesting with himself. It’s tough to care about his revenge mission when he seems to have no soul or charisma whatsoever.
15. Kratos in the Original Trilogy
Before he became a weary father in the newer games, Kratos was essentially a screaming ball of pure rage who defeated anyone in his path. He wasn't exactly a hero you’d want to grab a drink with, as he spent most of his time attacking gods and innocent bystanders alike.
16. James Earl Cash in Manhunt
This protagonist is almost impossible to like because he is a cold-blooded participant in a series of violent acts for his own survival. There are no redeeming qualities to find here, as the game forces increasingly horrific actions just to see the credits roll.
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17. The Postal Dude
This character was designed to be offensive and unlikable, so the developers succeeded in their mission. He is a nihilistic individual who treats the world as his personal playground for chaos without any real justification. Most people find the humor associated with him to be lazy rather than actually clever.
18. Tyler Smith from Need for Speed Payback
The dialogue written for this street racer is so full of "fellow kids" energy that it becomes painful to listen to after the first few races. He acts like he is in a big-budget action movie, but his lines are so generic and poorly delivered that you will want to skip every cutscene. It’s a shame because the driving is fun.
19. Nero in Devil May Cry 4
When Nero was first introduced, fans weren't ready to give up their time with Dante for a newcomer who felt like a watered-down version of the original. His constant screaming of "Kyrie!" during the final acts of the game became a meme because of how repetitive and annoying it was. He eventually found his own identity in the fifth game.
20. Trevor Philips in GTA V
While he’s definitely memorable, Trevor is so chaotic and repulsive that many players found him genuinely unpleasant to control. He is a walking nightmare who commits acts of depravity that can make even seasoned Grand Theft Auto fans feel a bit squeamish. You might enjoy the carnage for a while, at least.
