The Most Nihilistic Horror Game Protagonists

Horror games put players and characters in hopeless situations, confronting them with such horrifying visuals and situations that they may lose hope of ever escaping with their sanity and any optimism they had intact, or even doubt their odds of survival. It may be a more realistic reading of their situation, but it doesn’t make it any more nihilistic.

This kind of hero might be rare beyond the ones who hold out hope for a shining light to guide them to safety or have enough bravery to charge right ahead into danger to fight their way out. Nevertheless, these characters still exist.

This list contains spoilers!

7

Heather Mason (Silent Hill 3)

Becomes Desensitized to the Horrors

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Released

August 6, 2003

ESRB

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M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Violence

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Silent Hill 3 is a continuation of the plotline in Silent Hill, but players control Harry’s daughter Heather, who is now a teenager with an attitude to match, though she still has a soft spot for dear old dad. She is quickly introduced to the nightmarish other-world on her return journey home, having to face off against terrifying monsters that defy all explanation and logic. She only has to face more monsters and more terrifying creatures as she sets off on a mission to avenge her father.

Anyone in her situation would find their ideals shaken, and this is true of Heather, who becomes more desensitized to the monsters. While this does make her one of the most brave horror protagonists of all time, it also means she is rather nihilistic. Also, Heather’s final fight is against God reborn, and it doesn’t get much more nihilistic than that.

6

The Painter (Layers of Fear)

The Artist Takes His Own Life in One Ending

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Released

June 15, 2023

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OpenCritic Rating

Strong

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One of the so-called walking simulators, Layers of Fear drip-feeds the plot to the player as they wander through each hallway and room of the sprawling mansion that never seems to end, always returning to the painting which takes shape over the course of the game according to the player’s actions, which will influence the ending in turn.

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From the beginning, it is clear this is not a happy story, as it turns out the painter has suffered the loss of his wife, which has left him fighting against deep depression, grief, and guilt. One of the endings dials these negative emotions up to nihilistic proportions as he burns his paintings, his home, and himself to the ground, deciding that it is not worth continuing his life or his work without his muse.

5

Simon Jarrett (SOMA)

Begins to Question His Existence and Humanity

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Released

September 15, 2015

ESRB

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Developed by the team responsible for other horror titles such as Amnesia and Penumbra, Soma was by far one of Frictional’s most compelling games, bringing in tough philosophical questions in its dystopian sci-fi setting. After suffering a brain injury in a car crash, Simon agrees to partake in an experimental brain scan, which in turn uploads his consciousness into a robot body in an underwater research facility.

Exploring the facility and communicating with the only other intelligent life, Catherine, Simon learns that almost all of humanity have had their minds uploaded onto a spacecraft as Earth has become uninhabitable. This leads him to question the meaning of life, and what being human actually means. And when he learns that only a copy of him has found its way onto the Ark, Simon loses all hope, facing an eternity still stuck in the facility.

4

Daniel (Amnesia; the Dark Descent)

Erases Memories of His Atrocities with an Amnesia Potion

Amnesia The Dark Descent

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Released

September 9, 2010

ESRB

m

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Amnesia was one of the most popular indie horror games of its time, spawning several sequels and a very thriving modding community that added custom levels and maps to the game. The vanilla game follows the story of Daniel, a man who wakes up after imbibing a potion to erase most of his memories. Through a series of flashbacks and notes scattered throughout the gloomy castle, he pieces back together why he removed his memories, and what he must do next.

It turns out Daniel must kill Alexander, who manipulated him into committing some heinous acts, and the potion was his way of dealing with what he did. The guilt hangs heavy over Daniel’s head, and it has driven him to the point that he would consider murder, revealing just how jaded Daniel has become. Considering the traumatic upbringing he suffered, idealism was likely never a part of Daniel’s personality, even without the more recent events he endured.

3

Ellie Williams (The Last of Us Series)

A Harsh Life Has Shaped Her Character

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Released

June 19, 2020

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs

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Franchise

The Last of Us

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Raised during a zombie apocalypse, no child would ever have the same hope, innocence, and light as children born into a normal life. Unfortunately for Ellie, she is the former, and even more pressing, she may be the key to finding a cure, as she is proven to be immune to the bite. In order for the cure to be extracted from Ellie, she would have to die. Joel ultimately decides not to go through with it, allowing Ellie to return as the playable character in Part 2.

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Even before the events of the first game, Ellie is tough as nails, and slightly jaded to the world, and everyone in it. She is quick to deride the lives of those who existed before the apocalypse, and is extremely irreverent to Joel before eventually warming up to him. Even after finding love and a semblance of happiness, Ellie is quick to set off on a revenge mission to kill Abby, even if it means losing Dina and the life they built together.

2

Jimmy (Mouthwashing)

Orchestrates the Ship’s Crash With Little Regard for His Life or the Crew

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Released

September 26, 2024

Developer(s)

Wrong Organ

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OpenCritic Rating

Strong

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Mouthwashing is one of the best indie horror games released of all time, handling delicate situations with care and respect to present a truly haunting and grounded experience, even if it does take place among the stars. Jimmy serves as both the protagonist and antagonist, making him one of the most complex playable game characters of all time.

As the disillusioned co-captain to Curly, Jimmy orchestrates the ship to crash into an asteroid, blaming it on the severely injured Curly with little regard for who was injured or killed, perhaps even hoping it would kill everyone off. This occurred shortly after the revelation they would also be jobless after this last delivery, leading many crew members to panic, and leading Jimmy to grow nihilistic in regard to his own and others’ lives.

1

James Sunderland (Silent Hill 2)

Believes Deep Down He Deserves Punishment

Survival Horror

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OpenCritic

Top Critic Rating:
87/100


Critics Recommend:
94%

Released

October 8, 2024

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence

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OpenCritic Rating

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Mighty

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Silent Hill 2 deviated from the Mason plot laid out in the first game, showing a completely different story in the same titular town. Once the idyllic holiday destination of married couple James and Mary, it has devolved into a mist-shrouded nightmare filled with terrifying creatures, but none more intimidating than Pyramid Head. James returned there after receiving a letter from his thought-to-be dead wife.

He doesn’t quite find what he is looking for but is forced to confront the grim truth he buried, that he was the one who killed his wife. Pyramid Head is the manifestation of his desire to be punished for what he did, showing the depth of his nihilistic outlook. Even though he learned to release his grip on guilt and grief, the entire game would not have happened with James’s specific outlook on life.

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Bravest Horror Game Protagonists

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Bravery comes in many forms, as do monsters, but with these horror game protagonists leading the charge, players can strike back with heroism.