Lee Everett - The Walking Dead: You might not think an every day man is a hero, but Lee Everett from The Walking Dead is, to Clementine at least. Lee, an escaped criminal who killed his wife, took it on himself, in the middle of a zombie invasion, to save the life of a little girl he didn’t even know. Lee could have hightailed it and left Clem to die, but he chose to take care of her, no matter what.

Aloy - Horizon Zero Dawn: Aloy is special because she refuses to play by the rules or bow to conformity. In a world, that’s beholden to tradition, and conformity, Aloy asks questions and hunts for answers, finding a way to save her tribe, and maybe even the world in the process. You’d think she’d be angry and bitter because she’s an outcast from her tribe, but Aloy chooses to rise above petty vengeance and that’s what makes her special.

Arther - Red Dead Redemption: Arthur is you, he’s me, he’s everyone reading this. He’s a tired, worn-down man that’s trying to muddle his way through life the best he can, but the people, and the world around him, just won’t let him be. He can’t find peace, he can’t find comfort, he can’t find solace, but even still, he works every day to try and create a brighter future for the young men and women that call him an inspiration.

Max Payne - Playing through the Max Payne trilogy you constantly hear Max’s internal dialogue. He shares his experiences and how he feels about them. This is part of what makes Max special, he’s a tortured soul that’s been to hell and back for the people he loves, and he’s just trying to find his way in a world that seems to have moved on without him.

Sam - Rainbow Siege Six: Sam is a man that loves his country, but not as much as he loves his daughter. He's a man motivated by protecting his family, like many on this list, and he is willing to put his life on the line for the ones he loves. Sam travels around the globe fighting armies of terrorists, just so he can be sure that his little girl will be safe. If that isn’t heroic, I don’t know what is.

Cole Phelps - L.A. Noire: Cole comes back from World War II with PTSD and a drive to help people. He's seen some pretty horrific sh*t that now fuels his passion to protect others. He takes a job with the LAPD, putting himself in harm's way, disregarding any fear or reservations he may have for his own safety or security to make sure that innocent men and women in Los Angeles can go home and sleep safely at night.

Cole Phelps - L.A. Noire: Cole comes back from World War II with PTSD and a drive to help people. He's seen some pretty horrific sh*t that now fuels his passion to protect others. He takes a job with the LAPD, putting himself in harm's way, disregarding any fear or reservations he may have for his own safety or security to make sure that innocent men and women in Los Angeles can go home and sleep safely at night.

Artyom- Metro Exodus: Artyom is more than a faceless protagonist. He's a complex character who above all, wants to protect his home and family, and so he ventures out into the dark and radiation willing putting himself in harm's way. Now that's what we call a hero.

Leon S. Kennedy - Resident Evil 2: Tough first day? That’s what we all say when someone gets a new job. Leon has been near and dear to our hearts since the franchise first came out some, 20-years ago. Fans survival horror games everywhere root for Leon every time he’s on-screen because you just want him to find peace.

Bayonetta is a complete and total badass. There’s no other way to put it. Even after waking up from a nap, that lasted hundreds of years, she didn't lose her edge. Bayonetta’s over the top nature is what draws people to her and Platinum Games’ action classic, but they stay for her character development, which reveals her to be nuanced and caring in a world gone mad. The longer you play Bayonetta, the more you grow to care for her.

Joseph Capelli - Resistance: There’s no stronger motivation than family. That’s what motivates Joseph Capelli. He brought a son into this world and he has a wife to protect, problem is there’s an alien invasion and no one is safe. Instead of crying and moping, Joe gets up and risks life and limb on a trek across the country to try and rid the world of the Chimera threat, even though he knows he may never come home again.

Manny Calavera - Grim Fandango: Never underestimate a salesman. Manny Calavera is a former grim reaper that spent his days ferrying souls from one place to another, depending on how they lived their lives. Until one day, a woman ended up in the wrong place and Manny put his own soul on the line to go save her. Manny went out of his way for a woman he didn’t even know and thwarted a conspiracy to steal souls and destabilize the underworld, all because he felt like it was the right thing to do. That makes Manny a hero in our book.

April - Dreamfall the Longest Journey: Adventure games used to be all the rage, and April from The Longest Journey is a great example of what makes a good character. She's relatable, yet complex, and she grows before you, only making you love her that much more. If you're looking for someone to root for, then look no further.

Lohse - Original Sin II: Kickstarter projects don’t always live up to the hype, but Original Sin II does. Lohse is one of our favorite characters to come out in a long time, because of the way she fights her demons. Literally fights her demons. An evil arch-demon wants to possess her body and use her to take over the world and watching her resist the temptation is captivating.

Sam Gideon - Vanquish: Vanquish is one of those games that was underappreciated when it released and still is. Sam is a hard-drinking, hard smoking, action hero that burst on the scene in a high powered tech suit capable of slowing down time and bending around corners. He's a character that you want to be like, a dude who oozes cool in everything he does.

Grayson Hunt - Bulletstorm: Grayson may not be the typical hero. He does spend most of his time in a bloody rage, killing his enemies in creative ways and cracking silly one-liners. But a for a man exiled, left for dead and abandoned, what more could you expect. Sometimes it feels good watching some be bad, and that's okay beacuse it's just a game.