Summary
As the character that the player is going to spend the most time with during their playthrough, it is important that the protagonist of any game is a figure that they can engage with on some level. The hero is usually relatable and easy to sympathize with, while some are unlikable on purpose, turning out to be characters that players love to hate.
In horror games, there are plenty of main characters that are problematic, although these games tend to examine their rationale and present a chance to confront their flaws. Yet, despite developers' best attempts to craft well-rounded and authentic protagonists, unfortunately, some insufferable ones slip through the cracks. These are some of themost unlikable horror game protagonists,from the irredeemably annoying to the inexcusable wrongdoers.
Spoiler Warning: some of these entries contain spoilers
A majority of the unlikable characters inSupermassive’s gamesare intentionally so, with many of them having cliquey attitudes or a frustrating lack of social skills that align with their backstory.Man of Medanis the first title in theDark Pictures Anthologyseries of games.
Alex Smithis (respectively) the boyfriend and brother of two other playable characters, Julia and Brad. His insecurities around his and Julia’s relationship seem to be his entire personality, which otherwise falls disappointingly flat. Despite being a rational character, his lack of development makes Alex difficult to like.
Beyond other issues like the inventory system and save bugs,MADiSONhas been criticized for having an annoying protagonist.Lucapoints out the obvious often and very loudly — which, when being stalked by demons, is not well-received as it massively breaks the immersion.
The character letdown is unfortunate, asMADiSONis an otherwisegenuinely scary game, if somewhat derivative ofP.T.With a gripping narrative, unique mechanics, and unnerving soundscape, players shouldn’t let Luca deter them from playing. To the relief of many, there is a mute option.
Some protagonists are unlikable in a moral sense. UnlikeSilent Hill 2’s James Sunderland, who has a complex motive and apparent genuine remorse for his actions,the PainterinLayers of Fearis hard to sympathize with, pushing the limits of the “tortured artist” appeal.
Admittedly, he was evidently unwell and, likewise, his wife was by no means a saint. Their marriage struggled beforehand with jealous toxicity and drinking problems. However, the Painter’s blatant disregard and sensitivity to his wife’s condition, and his neglect of their daughter, leave a lot to desire.
P-3is a spec ops agent and the protagonist ofAtomic Heart.Granted, he has traumatic brain damageand has just beenthrown into a dystopian worldof biomechanical body horrors and hostile robots,but his lines can become repetitive and offer little in the way of being productive for the player.
Many feel that these issues are largely due to translation. Much like a lot of anime dubs, P-3’s translated dialogue doesn’t land the way it’s intended to, drawing away from the immersion and becoming rather grating. Playing with the original Russian voice over makes P-3 much more tolerable.
Dying Lightis azombie survival horrorfollowing undercover agentKyle Crane,who is dropped in the middle of a conflict between bandits, survivors, and the GRE. Being pulled from multiple angles, it’s no wonder that Crane has some moral difficulties, but many players find him disingenuous.
Throughout the game, Crane’s dialogue and attitude are often in direct opposition to his actions. Despite openly being against some of his objectives, he ends up doing them anyway. Lots of fans of the game would prefer to see Kyle standing up for himself more through actions.
TheAmnesiafranchise has its fair share of abominable protagonists who have committed terrible crimes, from delusional sacrifices to twisted experiments. One that stands out in particular, however, is Daniel fromThe Dark Descent.
Unlike the other protagonists, Daniel committed his doings prior to drinking the amnesia potion while still of sound mind, albeit afraid. Despite acting desperately out of an understandable fear of death, it’s undeniably selfish to kill so many to save himself. He altogether seems more vengeful than remorseful.
The Last of Us Part 2follows two opposing protagonists, Ellie and Abby (whose father was the Firefly Doctor that Joel killed). Whether any of the main characters were really “good” or “bad” is debatable; the emotional and political contexts make matters of morality significantly more complex.
Nonetheless,Abbybecame the target of a lot of hate, and it’s not impossible to see why. Messing with fan favorites is bound to stir up resentment.Torturing and killing Joel, a beloved character, gained her instant bad rep. She also has little hesitation shooting her fellow WLF members and almost kills Dina, knowing she was pregnant.
After the enjoyable horde hack-and-slashing of the previous games,Dead Rising 4came assomething of a disappointmentin terms of both story and combat, not to mention the stark changes in the recurring character,Frank West.
Once a charming, witty protagonist, in this title Frank is immature and almost unrecognizable in personality. There is a running joke in the community that this Frank is actually a different character, “Hank East”. Something has gone seriously wrong when fans make up their own headcanons to excuse the poor characterization.
The Witch’s Houseis a 2D pixel horror following a young girl, Viola, as she seeks refuge in a mansion while trying to escape the forest she woke up in. Navigating the puzzles and traps, it soon becomes apparent that there is something much more sinister afoot, going by the name ofEllen.
This game has one of the most tragic twists in horror games, with the main character, Viola, being revealed to be Ellen herself: a girl who switched bodies with Viola and tricked her into making the swap permanent. The secret ending elaborates on the brutal way Ellen went about doing so, evaporating all sympathy for who is, at first, portrayed as a sickly young girl.
Mouthwashingis an all-around disturbing game, complete with dark themes, tragic narratives, andunnerving visuals. The game follows the stranded crew of a crashed space freighter as they try to survive, and the subsequent fallout, including dwindling resources, relationship tensions, and physical trauma. Revelations about the player-character are difficult to come to terms with.
Eventually, the player has to come face to face with the fact that they have been controlling one of the most diabolical characters of all time,Jimmy— abusive, jealous, and murderous. They are led down a distressing path that reveals all the ugliness of his deeds and psyche. The eventual appearance of a guilty conscience, bringing with it a belief that he can redeem himself by saving another crew member, has the opposite effect of making Jimmy even more unlikable. There is no excuse or possible redemption for such a character.
