Gaming's most murdered characters

Some characters are just doomed to die in games. It seems the Nazis were born to wear sharp uniforms and chow down on your bullets like a tasty bratwurst. Cops are always destined to get blown up by your rocket launcher a day before retirement. And the sole purpose of videogame zombies is to have Piñata-style heads that explode with the slightest contact – just replace the tasty treats with festering bits of frontal lobe. The following groups of characters all die. A lot. And do we feel remorse? Hell no… well, maybe for the sheep.

As killed in: Dead Rising, House of the Dead, Left 4 Dead, Resident Evil, Zombies Ate My Neighbours

The shuffling hordes of the undead and death have always gone hand in hand. Obviously. They’ll never respect our right to keep our brains in our craniums and we’ll never respect their right to keep their craniums free from becoming shotgun-sponsored mince. It’s really a beautiful circle of death.



As killed in:
Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway, Cannon Fodder, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, Sheep, the Worms series

No one’s saying they’re proud of turning innocent, cuddly beasts into exploding mutton, but sheep always seem to be the first casualties in videogame war. The woolly ones never seem to catch a break. And forget about C4, dynamite or semtex, the most combustible element in games has always been mutton.

As killed in: America’s 10 Most Wanted, Call of Duty 4, Soldier of Fortune, Metal Gear Solid,Mario series(Bowser’s totally a terrorist after all his Peach kidnapping shenanigans)

No one likes these guys. They’re to blame for all of videogames problems. The fall of virtual societies. You not having enough 1ups. Too Human not being very good. Do these characters, who oppose videogame democracy in all its forms, have no shame? Thankfully, most heroes we control have made it their life’s purpose to destroy these evil doers for freedom, justice and the good of babies.

As killed in: Dino Crisis 2, Metroid Prime, Pikmin, Super Mario series, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time



Sure, they might not look that dangerous when they’re quietly ambling on your windowsill. But turn your back on one in a game and you’ll find yourself half ingested in four seconds. No matter if we’re dealing with comedy cartoon Piranha Plants or cretaceous chrysanthemums every single one is the incarnation of pure evil. And that’s why, over the years, we’ve slaughtered enough to put every bee out of commission. Permanently.

As killed in: GTA series, Hitman, Manhunt, the Postal series, Saint’s Row, The Darkness

Who’d be a police officer in the realm of games? Low pay, long hours and a 97% certainty you’re going to end your shift with appendages missing – probably thanks to a gun-toting anti-hero, square-jawed rebel or illegal immigrant sociopath. None of the characters we control will ever respect the long virtual arm of the law. All they respect is making cops’ wives widows.

As killed in: Chuck Rock, Dino Crisis, The Lost World Arcade Game, Tomb Raider, Turok

The most dominant and successful species that ever walked the earth reduced to pea-brained fodder when zombie developers run out of ways for you to shoot the undead. If dinos weren’t extinct before, then they’re certainly on their way now. The Earth is ours now and they’ve got to learn that. One T-Rex-taming bullet at a time.

As killed in: Shinobi, Tenchu, Metal Gear Solid, Ninja Gaiden

From slicing up the men in pyjamas with shuriken in Shinobi to cutting them up like a Sunday roast in Ninja Gaiden; the deadly Japanese warriors are always a safe bet when you need generic baddies to add to the body count. Videogame ninjas seem to be entirely opposed to the ethos of stealth their real life order was famed for. And instead, would rather blindly rush face first into your death stars. Again and again... and again.

David Meikleham
Google AMP Stories Editor

David has worked for Future under many guises, including for GamesRadar+ and the Official Xbox Magazine. He is currently the Google Stories Editor for GamesRadar and PC Gamer, which sees him making daily video Stories content for both websites. David also regularly writes features, guides, and reviews for both brands too. 

Latest in Action
Yasuke looking over the water to a shrine during sunset in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows has an entire island stuffed with adorable kittens you need to check out, and it's based on an actual Japanese cat paradise
Assassin's Creed Shadows review gameplay showing Yasuke overlooking the sea and lush green scenery
Assassin's Creed Shadows has already "surpassed the launches of AC Origins and Odyssey" with 2 million players and counting
God of War 3
God of War PSP's seamless loading was only possible because a Jak & Daxter game was also running in the background
MindsEye
GTA veteran's new open-world game will belong to everyone – almost like a wild mix of Roblox and Minecraft servers: "It won't just be ours"
Bill getting teary-eyed in The Last of Us
A potential The Last of Us season 1 plot hole has sparked a lot of debate among the fans
Assassin's Creed Shadows Naoe "justice must be served" or "killing them isn't justice" Yaya and Mistumune choice
Should you side with Mitsumune or Yaya in Assassin's Creed Shadows?
Latest in Features
Kill Team: Blood and Zeal box on a wooden surface
Kill Team: Blood and Zeal pre-orders just went live, and I wish other Warhammer games were this weird
Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.
DC June 2025 solicitations: 10 must-have comics to pre-order this month
Flow
Flow won big as this year's Oscars underdog against Pixar and Netflix, and it's proof of the power of storytelling over dialogue
Yasuke riding through a village looking for Knowledge in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows' prologue is the most gripping in franchise history, but I'm fixated on the tiny details
Naoe blends in among lush trees in Assassin's Creed Shadows while observing Amagasaki Castle from a rooftop perch
After 18 years Assassin's Creed Shadows cracks the ultimate stealth loop with its deliciously dense castles
Naoe perched in front of a castle in Assassin's Creed Shadows
I've spent 20 hours in Assassin's Creed Shadows chasing drip and decor, and it's proving to be my biggest source of motivation in the RPG