A good survival horror game always needs a compelling protagonist who can play the leading role throughout the story. With that being said though, although there have been many leading characters from the genre who have gone on to become fan favorites, such asLeon S. Kennedy or Isaac Clarkefor example, not all protagonists have received the same treatment, despite how much they go through within their respective games.
This has resulted in quite a few survival horror protagonists being seen as pretty underrated, which can happen for a plethora of reasons. Whether they were overshadowed by another protagonist in the series, or even if they were just featured in a game that wasn’t very well received, it can be easy for the brave heroes of these games to fly under the radar and become criminally overlooked, which is especially the case with these underrated characters listed below.
Resident Evil 0came out during a very strange time for the series. The game was released a few years before the series got its second wind withResident Evil 4, so a lot of people were starting to get a little worn out with the traditionaltank-control gameplaywhich was starting to look a little old-fashioned, especially compared to other games that were coming out at the time. Pair this with a few baffling game mechanics, such as the lack of item boxes and absurd difficulty, and it resulted in what should have been Rebecca’s shining moment, instead becoming the black sheep of theResident Evilseries.
Though Billy can also be controlled in the game, Rebecca is the one who plays a much more relevant role in the wider story, with this game chronicling her experiences before she ended up in the Spencer Mansion with Chris and Jill.Resident Evil 0actually does a great job at fleshing out Rebecca’s character, with her quirky and charismatic personality really shining through at several points throughout the story, but the game’s lackluster reception, unfortunately, prevented her from ever standing out, despite how great she is.
After coming off three of the most critically acclaimed horror games ever made, needless to say, there were huge expectations forSilent Hill 4, and this went double for its protagonist. Admittedly, Henry isn’t quite as memorable as the likes ofHeather Masonor James Sunderland, and he can come across as a little reactionary at times, but he’s far from a bad character and becomes a lot more interesting the more the game goes on.
Similarly to the other protagonists seen in the series, Henry isn’t any action hero orbadass soldier, he’s simply an ordinary guy who finds himself in a very unfortunate situation, which does make him very relatable. Though he doesn’t talk much throughout the game, there’s a ton of visual storytelling inside Henry’s apartment which says a lot about who he is, such as how he’s a keen photographer who once visited the “Old” Silent Hill or the plethora of car magazines that are scattered on his desk. Added to this, he also plays a huge role in the story, being one of the 21 Sacraments, giving him a lot of responsibility and agency within the narrative.
It’s fair to say that Alyssa goes through quite the emotional rollercoaster throughout the story ofClock Tower 3. Not only does she witness numerous people being killed in the most gruesome ways possible, but she’s also endlessly chased by several horrifying monsters andeven manages to teleport herself back to the 1940sduring the Second World War. However, while Alyssa initially starts off as being petrified of everything going on around her, these terrifying experiences gradually mold her into a much more hardened and resilient individual who becomes more hopeful that she will be able to escape the nightmare once and for all.
Because of her Rooder blood, Alyssa is also capable of using magical weapons that can vanquish the Subordinates, but only when she grows confident in her abilities and learns to accept her lineage.Clock Tower 3,unfortunately, didn’t meet the sales expectations that Capcom was hoping for, with a lot of people skipping over it entirely, which is a real shame considering just how much effort went into making Alyssa a great protagonist.
Frank West has become an iconic protagonist within gaming, and for a lot of people, he was the biggest reason whyDead Risingended up being as much fun as it was, due to his endless charisma and tongue-in-cheek personality. This inevitably meant that Chuck, who played the leading role inDead Rising 2, was overshadowed by his counterpart, even though he’s still just as fun to play as. Chuck is a lot more serious than Frank is, primarily because he has a young daughter to look out for, but he’s still not above cracking a few jokes now and again to lighten the mood, and his experience being a mechanic also allows him to conjure up some frankly outlandish weapons throughout the game.
Chuck is also a two-time national motocross champion, as is made clear at the very beginning ofDead Rising 2where he absolutely wrecks shop during the Terror is Reality game show while riding on a motorbike fitted with two chainsaws at each side. Frank is always going to be theDead Risingposter boy, but Chuck is still a very well-written and sympathetic hero who deserves more credit than he receives.
When it was announced thatResident Evil 7would be focusing on a brand new faceless protagonist, a lot of fans were annoyed that Capcom was seemingly leaving some of the classic characters, such asJill, Leon, and Claire, behind to focus on someone entirely new. As a result, Ethan has gotten a pretty bad rap over the last few years, even though he still carries a lot of the charm and charisma that the series' protagonists are known for, while also feeling a lot more relatable due to being just an ordinary civilian.
Ethan shows a tremendous amount of courage and heroism throughout the two games he features in, going to extreme lengths to ensure that his wife and daughter are protected from harm, losing a lot of people, and even a few of his own limbs, in the process. Considering that it was he who destroyed the Megamycete, and took out each member of the Baker family, he also plays a huge role in the wider story and has proven that he’s more than worthy of being a protagonist within this beloved survival horror franchise.
There were a lot of people who simply stopped playingThe Last of Us Part 2after witnessing Joel’s death at the hands of Abby near the beginning, and as a result, she quickly became possibly one of the most hated characters in video game history when the game was first released. However, over the years, a lot of people have started to appreciate Abby a little more, though she’s still seen in a fairly negative light due to the reception she received during those first few days after the game dropped.
When playing through the story though, it becomes clear that Naughty Dog was really going above and beyond to make Abby feel like a relatable and humanized protagonist who had a lot of depth to her character. Abby shows a huge range of emotions throughout the game and ultimately turns from a merciless soldier caring about nothing but revenge to someone a lot more caring and considerate, who gradually starts to appreciate the people around her a lot more. It’s obvious why Abby often gets overshadowed by Ellie, but this shouldn’t detract from just how great of a character the former of the two really is, especially with the tremendous character arc that she goes through, and how she comes to realize the dangers of obsessing over revenge.
