The Strangest Times A Gaming Villain Became An Ally

If a heel turn in wrestling is seeing a good guy or hero break bad, a “babyface” turn, or just “face” turn, is the opposite. A once-reviled villain has a sudden change of heart, whether that’s because they were screwed over by a much bigger heel, or they’ve managed to still win the crowd over despite (or even because of) their roguish antics.

Because everything in life can be compared to wrestling if you just try hard enough, there have been plenty of face turns, bad guy redemption arcs, and other similar stories in gaming. Some work, others are a bit more bizarre.

8

Goro Majima — Yakuza/Like A Dragon

“Kiryu-Chan!”

Before the Yakuza/Like A Dragon community starts picking up pitchforks and proclaiming this to be sacrilege, we still love the Mad Dog of Shimano. We’re just saying that Goro Majima’s transformation from a mid-level antagonistic force for Kazuma Kiryu in the early Yakuza games to someone that Kiryu trusts implicitly is a bit bizarre.

Perhaps Yakuza 0 and Kiwami have dulled Majima’s edge, showcasing the man behind the Hannya Mask, so to speak. Players who start with Yakuza 0 have been accustomed to seeing Majima as a protagonist in his own right. But in Yakuza 1, he’s simply a violent psychopath who beats up his own men, kidnaps Haruka, and then crashes a van into Shangri-La because Kiryu was there. How he and Majima became so chummy after all that is baffling.

Yakuza Kiwami does try to address this narrative dissonance with the Majima Everywhere system, giving Majima and Kiryu more of a history, relationship, and camaraderie of sorts. But Kiryu and Majima still jump pretty quickly from enemies to allies in the original first two games.

7

Captain Qwark — Ratchet & Clank

“It Was Mating Season, How Could I Have Known She Was Your Sister?”

The dictionary definition of failing upwards, Captain Qwark was a consistent thorn in the side of Ratchet and Clank during their first few adventures. Presented as the greatest hero that the universe has ever known, the lean, green, spandex-wearing machine is actually just a selfish, bumbling oaf who loves the spotlight more than doing good.

During the first game, Qwark plans on selling out the galaxy in order to become Emperor Drek’s new spokesperson once the new regime is in charge. After that fails, he pops up again in the sequel, impersonating a CEO and unleashing experiments on the galaxy. Both times, Ratchet and Clank give him the business, and while he’s seemingly playing for the good team now, thanks in part to some memory loss and self-discovery shenanigans, it feels like his redemption came a little too easily.

6

Shinobu Jacobs — No More Heroes 2

“When The Gatekeeper To Hell Asks Who Sent You, Tell Them It Was Shinobu Jacobs.”

Travis Touchdown doesn’t exactly make friends easily with his chosen profession of internationally ranked assassin. With the dead bodies lying in the guy’s wake, he’s bound to have caused a few enemies who want Travis’ head on a platter, one of those being Shinobu Jacobs in the first No More Heroes game.

Another ranked assassin, Touchdown and Jacobs are drawn into conflict for one of the game’s several ranking battles, with Jacobs accusing Travis of murdering her father. One boss fight later though, and Shinobu becomes one of Travis’ strongest allies throughout the rest of the series. Why? Well, why not? She’s a badass, but it’s still a bizarre face turn regardless.

5

The Jackal — Far Cry 2

“Shoot To Wound, Then Execute The Wounded.”

The supposedly antagonistic force that drives through much of the story of Far Cry 2, The Jackal is an arms dealer that helps support the two warring factions of the unnamed African country where the game takes place. As such, you’re sent to kill him, with that plan failing almost immediately when you contract malaria, end up on your near deathbed and have The Jackal taunting you. Rude, honestly.

The rest of the game is spent chasing The Jackal’s shadow, working with both factions to gain money and information on the Jackal’s whereabouts. You both cross paths at various points until the finale, when The Jackal declares a change of heart and asks you to kill the heads of both factions in a ploy to save the country’s citizens. You know what’d save the citizens, Jackal? Not selling weapons, ya dingus.

4

Jin Kazama — Tekken 8

“I Must Atone For My Sins.”

Already a contender for bizarre heel turns, Tekken 6 saw Jin entering the family business, using his status as the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu to trigger global conflict with Kazuya Mishima’s G Corporation. Following along so far? In public opinion, this causes Jin to look like a warmongering despot, while the also-evil Kazuya is seen as humanity’s savior. There’s a lot going on.

The conclusion of Tekken 6’s story reveals that Jin only caused a war in an attempt to revive and then subsequently defeat the demon Azazel. This was in a bid to ultimately protect the world from the demon’s evil influence, with both plummeting to an unknown fate at the game’s end. Of course, Jin is rescued in Tekken 7, spending the story in a recovery coma of sorts. And Tekken 8 sees all the good guys on the roster heralding Jin as humanity’s real savior, trying to sweep all that war, death, and destruction under the rug.

To Jin’s credit, he seems to be the most self-aware character in Tekken 8’s story, questioning whether he actually deserves to take the mantle of savior after all he’s done.

3

Beatrix — Final Fantasy 9

“Allow Me To Shatter Your Delusions Of Grandeur.”

One of the most popular characters in Final Fantasy 9, Beatrix has become something of a fan favourite, thanks to her powerful attacks, memorable boss fights and the role she takes in the game’s story. Still, we’d be remiss to not mention the fact that Beatrix kind of gets off easy for the role she takes as an antagonist during the game’s events.

Initially serving Queen Brahne during her tyrannical campaign, the player party faces Beatrix multiple times, with Bea besting the party every time, but eventually Brahne stomps one kingdom too many, forcing her to turn against her the Queen she was once loyal too. It’s absolutely the right decision, but everyone except Freya seems to have short-term memory loss about the whole “war crimes” situation.

2

Yourself — Jade Empire

“Empty Threats. Let Him Argue With the Worms.”

Admittedly, this isn’t an entry that’s exclusive to Jade Empire. A lot of video games that allow players to make moral decisions can ultimately allow gamers to abandon dozens of hours of douchebaggery to make that all important good decision right at the end. Perhaps no example is quite as egregious as Jade Empire though.

Throughout the game, you’re torn between the philosophies of Open Palm vs Closed Fist, which amounts to good guy or jerk, with the choices you make affecting the alignment of your character, the Spirit Monk. However, Jade Empire’s final choice regarding the Water Dragon is the only one that affects the ending, allowing you to give yourself a completely unearned and bizarre face turn in the game’s closing moments.

1

Viridi — Kid Icarus: Uprising

“Nature Dictates That All Life Must Eventually Break Down.”

Trying to explain the plot of Kid Icarus: Uprising without sounding like you’re ranting and raving about nonsense is an almost Herculean task. The game starts with Pit feuding with Medusa, only for it to be revealed that Medusa is working under Hades’ orders, only for aliens to then invade the Earth, released due to Pit attacking a Moon base and freeing the aliens from their imprisonment.

We’re more concerned with that middle portion though, as while Pit is dealing with Hades, he also contends with Viridi, the Nature Goddess who’s declaring war on both Hades and humanity. She has extinction on the brain, but forms a temporary alliance when the aliens arrive, and also to eventually defeat Hades properly. Still, Viridi’s actions go relatively unpunished, with the nature goddess basically redeemed by the end.

Viridi even makes a remark about her still lingering issues with humanity during Kid Icarus: Uprising’s ending, suggesting that this supposed face turn would be short lived anyway.