Every now and then, characters come along that challenge the notion of what it means to be “giving.” Think about it: When was the last time you reached out to a stranger, put your life before someone else's, gave for the sake of generosity or really made a difference to someone less fortunate? One of the best things about games is that we can learn how to shape our own lives by sharing in the experiences of characters that are beyond noble, kindhearted, and helpful. They inspire us to hold ourselves to a greater standard.
With Thanksgiving on the horizon, we thought there was no better time to showcase the characters who give the most, those who truly are the essence of what the holiday is all about. Watch out, though – what these characters have given to the world just might merit a SPOILER ALERT, so beware if you haven't played these games. With that, let's give our thanks to the characters that are beyond selfless, the ones who we're betting wouldn't mind sharing some turkey with us.
7. Maxwell
From: Scribblenauts series
Maxwell is the genie in your game console, the Santa Claus for your good deeds. Maxwell isn't generous to his peers in his game, though; he's not out to solve the world's problems or make everything better.No, Maxwell's purpose is to make sure that you, the player, can have anything that your heart desires to solve puzzles... or whatever else it is you want to do.
Maxwell's so devoted to you, in fact, that there isn’t a plot in either of the Scribblenauts games. There's simply a variety of puzzles, and the power to do whatever you want. You're presented with obstacles, and Maxwell has the power to create just about anything to overcome them. No matter your desire, Maxwell is your man. Would you like a cyborg raptor? It's yours. Laser-guided rocket launcher? You got it. Want to make sure that Abraham Lincoln wasn't assassinated? Recreate him, stick him inside an armored mecha and set him against any enemy that comes his way, and he'll live to fight any foe.
Maxwell isn't generous by dint of being a hero - he's simply a giving character by his very nature. The type of turkey dinner he can give you is limited only by the number of adjectives you know.
6. Frog (aka Glenn)
From: Chrono Trigger
Glenn isn't like many of the other characters on the list; for starters, he never actually meant to be a hero. He didn’t even want to enlist as a knight, but when his friend Cyrus did, Glenn signed on as Cyrus’ squire, helping from the sidelines as Cyrus fought monsters and did heroic deeds. Unfortunately, Glenn’s reluctance to be the hero made him powerless to stop the villain Magus, who murdered Cyrus and turned Glenn into the more widely recognized Frog.
Frog fled in shame to the Cursed Woods, but his transformation was more than skin-deep. No matter how tortured he was or how much he blamed himself for Cyrus’ death, he never stopped looking out for others, seeking to redeem his act of cowardice by fighting the good fight in Cyrus’ place. Willing or not, he had the mantle of hero thrust upon him, and he didn’t shy away when it came time to step up and help his friends stand against Lavos, the parasitic horror at the end of the world. With them at his side, he was even more altruistic than normal, becoming the best person/frog-thing he could be.
Frog was a hero because, at his core, he was willing to give everything to set things right and to protect his friends. He wasn't just fighting against Magus and Lavos; he had his own demons to defeat along the way, and in overcoming them he became more noble. In the end, Frog gives everything to others, sacrificing even his own identity to keep peace, and the memory of Cyrus, alive.
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