Despite there being an abundance of younger video game characters, there are a few seniors who prove that being old doesn’t stop you from being badass. We’re all used to seeing 20-30 year old protagonists dominating our games, with their physically flawless bodies and smooth baby faces. But hidden amongst the muscle and beauty are a few characters that prove to the younger generation that old people can still kick some serious butt.
Having variety in character representation has always been an integral element of video game narratives. The older demographic is arguably underrepresented, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t represent. Here’s a list of some of the most badass seniors in video games.
James (Jim) Gordon
Starting off our list is Jim Gordon, the hard-as-nails cop of GCPD whose high moral compass gets him into more trouble than he manages to police. Modern representations of Gordon depict him as hellbent on stopping the masked vigilante from performing his own brand of brutal justice. Gordon and Batman had a rocky start to their relationship, but their mutual desire to rid Gotham of the uncanny upsurge of supervillains cemented their allegiance.
Jim Gordon is good in a fight, even taking up the Batman mantle in the recent The New 52 comic book series after Bruce Wayne’s apparent death. It appears that with age Gordon only gets tougher and grittier. He certainly belongs in this list of badass seniors, proving that for some, age doesn’t slow you down.
Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey
When it comes to quick-witted, steel-tongued older ladies, Dr. Halsey is most certainly one of the coolest. Halo 5: Guardians showed us a side to Halsey that puts her on the list of badass seniors. Her cold demeanor and abrasive personality conveys the strength and respect she’s due. She is a key scientific advisor of the Office of Naval Intelligence, and is best known for her work on the SPARTAN-II program, creating smart AIs like Cortana, and for developing the MJOLNIR Spartan armor.
Basically, she’s responsible for everything that makes the Halo universe so awesome! If that doesn’t impress you, she also escaped the UNSC after being convicted of warcrimes. In turn, she defected to Jul ‘Mdama’s splinter Covenant faction. Not badass enough? She also lost her arm in a struggle against Spartan Palmer. When it comes to badass seniors, Dr. Halsey is about as tough as they come.
William ‘Bill’ Overbeck
Bill is a fan favourite from the first game in the widely accredited Left 4 Dead series. Being in his late sixties and also being a Vietnam Veteran in the US special forces earns him a spot on this list. Bill fits into the leader role naturally within the game, usually barking orders and telling the other three survivors to be quiet when danger looms ahead. Bill dies in the DLC mission titled ‘The Sacrifice’. As the name suggests, Bill ultimately sacrifices himself to save his companions from a massive zombie horde. Bill might be the only man I’ve seen to successfully pull off a green beret, which is just another reason why he’s on this list of badass seniors.
Sindel
When it comes to beat-em-up games, there usually exists the older male character which fills in the position of the stereotypical ‘Wise Master’. There’s not a lot of older female characters in fighting games, but one such exception is Sindel. Sindel is the Queen of Edenia, and one of the main obstacles for major antagonists in their goal of supremacy in the Mortal Kombat series.
Sindel is just as terrifying as other Mortal Kombatants. Her hair is as dangerous as any weapon; one of her fatalities involves wrapping her opponent in hair, then unraveling them with such speed their body is torn apart. Her supersonic shout is also another reason why Sindel made it to this list. Regardless of age, being able to scream someone’s skin off their body is about as badass as you can get.
Gen Fu
Speaking of stereotypical old masters in fighting games, it was hard to sift through the plethora of old fighting men. One stand out, however, is Gen Fu from the DOA franchise. While it’s easy to give DOA a bad rep by simply stating the obvious over-sexualization of its female characters, most people overlook the solid fighting mechanics, outstanding graphics and the fluid, real martial art movements. Gen Fu, AKA “Iron Fist”, belongs on this list for several reasons. He only entered the DOA tournament for the prize money to pay for his dying niece’s operation, and when he wins a fight he almost always mentions his old age as not being a disadvantage. Gen Fu is not a main character within the DOA plot, but his inclusion offers players a refreshing alternative to the flare and bedazzle of other more flamboyant characters.
Victor “Sully” Sullivan
Sully, a cigar smoking ex-Navy seal and freelance thief. He is a father figure to Uncharted’s protagonist, Nathan Drake, and proven to be one of the hardest characters in video game history to stay dead. Sully has made an appearance in all Uncharted games, at times helping Nathan during gameplay, such as brawling in bars, or swooping in on “borrowed” helicopters to save the day.
Sully belongs on this list for obvious reasons, like being shot at and maimed several times, but never letting that stop him for his treasure hunting ways. Sully is one feisty old senior who’s not afraid to get in any sort of fight, but his depth of character also makes him one of the most loved supporting characters in video games.
Old Snake
Snake has a long history due to the large amount of lore tied into the Metal Gear games. In his more recent adventures, Snake’s age started to accelerate rapidly due to some genetic tinkering made during his cloning process. He’s essentially a young man in an old man’s body. But he’s old nonetheless, and so that earns him a spot on this list of old geezers who know how to leave a few bruises.
Snake is a former spy and mercenary, he once donned the green beret and he’s known within the black ops as a “living legend”. With an IQ of 180 and fluent in six languages, plus being handy with a knife, Old Snake makes it on the list without much argument from his numerous fallen enemies.
Heihachi Mishima
I don’t know about you, but when I see Heihachi all of these daunting childhood memories of when I struggled to defeat him in Tekken 3 come rushing back to me. He was that scary old man with the lightning kicks and the atomic noogie that I dreaded to fight at the end of arcade mode. Despite my personal aversion to such a great older character, Heihachi belongs on this list for many reasons. He has hosted the King of Iron Fist Tournament numerous times, been the main antagonists in most of the Tekken games and he can perform a triple spin suplex which electrocutes his opponent and the same time… believe me, it looks painful!
Heihachi has also done some pretty horrible things, like throwing his own son off a cliff to his supposed death… which is taking our definition of badass to whole new level. He also managed to survive a massive explosion caused by dozens of self-destructing Jack robots. I don’t think anyone would argue with Heihachi making this list. He is, in this writer’s opinion, one of the baddest and scariest older characters in video game history.
So there it is folks. Our list of badass seniors who could even make using a walking frame look cool. Do you agree with these choices? And who else belongs on this list? Let us know in the comments below!
This post was originally written by Luke Kimber.
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