When it comes to media, Amuro Ray might be the best representation of a reluctant hero. What makes a reluctant hero tick runs the gamut from project to project? They may be scared, hate fighting, don’t care about the world, are inept, are too young, and so on. For Amuro, he was a college student in the originalGundamseries.
Even though he liked building things, including tinkering with machines, Amuro did not want to fight in the war. It disgusted him but war and the Gundam project were thrust into his hands. Amuro is a good anime example, but there have been reluctant heroes in RPGs over the years too. Amuro has even appeared in some likeDynasty Warriors: Gundam. Let’s move away from Amuro for now with these games examples and spoilers will be in effect. These characters will be ranked from least reluctant to most as in how they interact with others and the world they inhabit.
Luigi did not have a lot of personality to differentiate himself from Mario until the 2000s. There was Luigi’s Mansion which cemented him as a scaredy cat even though he braved a haunted mansion to find his brother. Nintendo and third-party developers rolled with this idea like inMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, the first brother-centric game inthe RPG spinoffs.
In the opening, Luigi goes along with Mario to wish him well on the adventure, trying to get out of it. He eventually gets roped into the plot as well, and throughout the game, Luigi tries to push Mario forward while he hangs back. It’s a fun dynamic between the two plumbers especially when they spoke in their fake gibberish Italian accents. Luigi is scared, sure, but he is still helpful to Mario meaning that he isn’t fully drawn back. By the end, Luigi accepted his fate as a hero as scared as he was.
5Roxas (Kingdom Hearts 2)
Doesn’t Care About Saving The World, Just Wants To Be With Friends
Roxas openedKingdom Hearts 2as the playable character, baffling all. It was likeMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Libertyall over again between Solid Snake and Raiden. The big difference is that Roxas wasn’t playable for long. He was a teenager in Twilight Town, living it up on summer vacation.
All Roxas wanted to do was hang out with his friendsbut then Nobodiesand hooded strangers kept bothering him, forcing his hand to fight. It’s the same way he acted in the prequel game that more fleshed out his character,Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Roxas was a teen, content with being near his closest friends, and did not want to participate in big elaborate plots. It’s not that he isn’t capable, Roxas would just rather hang out.
Laharl is the protagonist of the first game in this series,Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. He is the son of the Overlord, the ruler of the Underworld, and Laharl had to take over for him. Even though he was technically ancient, in the world of demons, Laharl was still a child and he behaved like one too.
He did not want to rule the Underworld and deal with petty problems like zoning restrictions. Unfortunately, usurpers kept trying to dethrone Laharl so he had to step up and fight back. The toughest thing for Laharl was notthe tactical-based battles. It was probably being legitimately nice to people, like his comrades, including a goody-goody Angel named Flonne. Laharl is adverse to everything around him, but he does enjoy a good fight too which creates a fun dichotomy.
Oliver may not look like it, but he is a teenager inNi no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. He looks and behaves more like he is eight though. Age aside, Oliver lived in an idealistic American-looking town at the start of the game. After his mom falls ill, Oliver wishes for a way to save her thus opening up a world to another plane of existence.
It was beyond anything Oliver had ever dealt with before including the titular White Witch wreaking havoc on the kingdom. There were tons of monsters too, called Familiars, which Oliver could control inaPokemon-like fashion. It’s not that Oliver was averse to helping others. He was just scared and was more focused on his mother than the needs of others in the kingdom. Also, in battle, he relies more on Familiars than his own combat skills, ranking him high on the reluctant scale.
There are quite a few reluctant heroes in theFinal Fantasyseries. Terra fromFinal Fantasy 6and Hope fromFinal Fantasy 13rank up there. However,Cloud fromFinal Fantasy 7is the end all be all of the reluctant heroes in the franchise. He comes to Midgar looking for money as a mercenary and does not have morals tied to his actions.
It was clear in the original game but Cloud has more range inFinal Fantasy 7 Remakesince it added voice work to the dialogue. Cloud barely had the time of day for an old childhood friend, Tifa. By the end, Cloud softens and decides he does want to save his new friends and take down Shinra along with Sephiroth. Also, he puts on a dress to truly go the extra mile. It’s just that it takes him almost the whole game to warm up to everyone which can be a tasking character trait.
Square Enix, as a developer and publisher, seemingly has a fascination with reluctant heroes or characters with a lot of angst. Enter Neku fromThe World Ends With You. Like many teens, Neku drowned out the world by listening to music on his oversized headphones.
This got him killed one day and he was sent to the afterlife to play a game of death in an area that looked a lot like Japan’s Shibuya district in Tokyo. To be reborn, Neku had to win and every round of the game, he got a new partner. A new partner he always thought was a drag. It takes a long time for Neku to learn a lesson like Cloud. Unlike Cloud, he sort of opens up faster, but Neku gives the vibe that he could change his feelings at any moment from happy to annoyed even by the end. That’s why he ranks higher than Cloud. Teens are just that fickle.
