Duke Nukem – Duke Nukem Series
Our first hella American video game character is none other than Mr. Duke Nukem himself. He’s essentially all American stereotypes wrapped up into a big, muscular package.
He’s loud, obnoxious, arrogant, blonde, muscly, dumb, and incredibly violent. On the more positive end of the stereotype, he also heroically and regularly defends Earth from every bad guy known to man.
He’s a former military man as well so we’re swooning over here with how much of #America his character designers decided to pack into his biography.
There hasn’t been a Duke Nukem game since Duke Nukem Forever back in 2011 but this guy will always be a memorable, patriotic character.
The Soldier – Team Fortress 2
Another loud character, The Soldier from Team Fortress 2 is a milder version of Duke Nukem. Granted, there’s not much of a difference there but still.
The Soldier, real name Jane Doe, is essentially like a loud, bellowing drill sergeant whose voice is always at a volume of 100. In addition to his roaring patriotism, he speaks his mind without any hesitation and he’s ready to fight the moment you challenge his beliefs.
Though, there’s something oddly charming about The Soldier overall. It might have something to do with the fact that he’s ridiculously passionate about his beliefs, he takes everything at face value to the point of comedic effect, and he’s just generally in a very good mood.
If there’s ever a Team Fortress 3 (and I really hope there will be), the Soldier better be in it or I’m rioting.
Jax Briggs – Mortal Kombat Series
One of the more charming American video game characters, Jax Briggs is a soldier that’s heroically patriotic, protective of Earth, and a family man.
He’s not as boisterous as some of the other characters on this list but he’s a distinguished military leader and he would do anything to keep Earth safe.
Even after losing his arms in the Mortal Kombat series, Jax persevered and continued the good fight without much hesitation. He’s that type of person who’s cool under pressure and the type that you’d want as your commanding officer.
Instead of obnoxiousness, Jax reflects the more passionate and disciplined aspect of ‘murica.
Liberty Prime – Fallout Series
Very few things scream “America” more than a giant metal death robot that’s programmed to stop communism. I mean, Liberty Prime literally shoots lasers out of its eyes and yells anti-communist jargon. Like come on.
Also, its name is pretty telling.
Liberty Prime was originally made by the U.S. Army who wanted to use it to help stop the communist Chinese in Alaska during a war in 2072. However, it wasn’t finished in time and everyone kind of forgot about it.
Though, two centuries later in Fallout 4, another disciplined and U.S. military-esque organization known as the Brotherhood of Steel fixed it back up so it can yell patriotism at more people.
Guile – Street Fighter Series
Another soldier, Guile is an American video game character that has an impressive military background. He proudly defends his country, he loves his family, he’s incredibly loyal, and he’s fiercely persistent.
Honestly, Guile also looks like the type of person who could kill you with his eyes if he ever took off his sunglasses.
In the Street Fighter series, Guile’s character is also obviously meant to appeal to more western audiences especially since he’s essentially America personified.
Regardless, his theme slaps and it goes with nearly everything.
B.J. Blazkowicz – Wolfenstein Series
Punching and fighting Nazis is an American pass time and B.J. does this flawlessly. He’s rigorously patriotic, fiercely anti-fascist, and a loyal soldier. All three of those together might as well be sugar, spice, and everything nice.
B.J. never backs down when it comes to defending American ideals and he especially doesn’t hesitate when it comes to fighting back against the Nazi agenda.
On a softer note, he’s actually rather nice to you if you’re not a Nazi. He’s kind, caring, and willing to defend his friends and allies against anything. Put him in front of some Nazis, however, and he goes off.
This passionate violence apparently runs in the family because his more or less descendant, Doom Slayer, also kicks ass in the Doom series.
The Boss – Saints Row IV
Perhaps the ultimate tier of the American dream is being the President of the United States. Somehow and in some way we don’t really understand, The Boss manages to snag the position without much fuss at the beginning of Saints Row IV.
Originally a notorious gang leader, that particular background apparently doesn’t matter when running for President. Though, The Boss manages to run the country relatively alright until literal aliens come along.
There aren’t a lot of video games where you get to play as the literal President of the United States but Saints Row IV hands you the presidency with very little hesitation.
Granted, that’s all apart of Saints Row’s wacky charm. You kind of just roll with what they give you. And now that Saints Row: The Third has been remastered, we can enjoy some classic craziness on newer consoles.
Michael Wilson – Metal Wolf Chaos
Like The Boss from Saints Row, Michael Wilson is another very proactive president. When the entirety of the United States gets thrown into unrest, he quite literally takes matters of state into his own hands.
The best way to take care of a problem is to just do it yourself and Michael Wilson’s way of doing this is by running around in a giant armored and weaponized mech that has plenty of guns.
When his own military turns against him and his corrupt vice president tries to overthrow him, he fights back like the true patriot he is.
Metal Wolf Chaos is one of those Japanese games that’s wonderfully and ridiculously over-the-top and we’re so glad it’s being released for the west as Metal Wolf Chaos XD.
John Marston – Red Dead Redemption
Even though I’m pretty sure we didn’t come up with the idea, cowboys and the United States go hand in hand whenever we talk about the Old West. John Marston and Red Dead Redemption romanticize the concept in a beautiful, rustic way.
We all know that The Wild West is gritty and violent. It’s a part of American history that’s been fluffed up in so many movies and TV shows.
John Marston reflects the cowboy ideals in his tough, serious, and frank personality. He’s battle-hardened, sarcastic, and he wants to get things done the easiest way possible. And, more unique to his character, he also drinks ‘Respect Women’ juice.
He may represent a more old school version of that “American” archetype but he’s still American AF. We’re so glad he appears in Red Dead Redemption II.
Connor Kenway – Assassin’s Creed III
We finish off this list of American video game characters with the underrated assassin Connor Kenway. In Assassin’s Creed III, his story occurs knee-deep within the American Revolution and he helps turn the country into what we read in history books.
While not presented comically like a lot of the other characters on this list, Connor represents duty, honor, and a desire for freedom. He wants revenge against Charles Lee but most of all, he wants to protect his people, his lands, and to just be left alone.
Unfortunately, Connor ends up tangled in a web of politics, conspiracies, and deceit and even with all of his hard work, he gets dealt the short end of the stick.
Connor is perhaps the most American character on this list and it’s a shame we didn’t get to see more of him in the Assassin’s Creed series.
Published: Jul 4, 2020 10:30 am