The Best Faceless Protagonists In Video Games

Summary

• Protagonists like Azrael from Batman: Arkham Knight can be captivating without their faces being shown.
• Master Chief from Halo is so famous for his armor and helmet that the live-action series became controversial for revealing his face.
• Hunk from Resident Evil 2 adds mystery to the world of the Umbrella Corporation and brings a new perspective to the game’s story.

In the world of gaming, there are many heroes with iconic faces, from Samus Aran to Gordon Freeman. They are the poster children of their respective franchises, and rightly so. However, not all heroes depend on their faces to leave a mark on the history of gaming, spanning first-person shooters to survival horror titles.

There’s something uniquely compelling about protagonists who remain mysteriously hidden behind masks, armor, or simply clever camera angles. They serve as perfect vessels for player immersion, allowing you to project themselves into their digital shoes or simply use their imagination to conjure up their own ideas of what the character looks like. That’s what makes these faceless gaming protagonists so effective, and so beloved.

8

Azrael

The Player Chooses To Make Him Good Or Evil

• First Game: Batman: Arkham City
• Franchise: Batman: Arkham

Multiple protagonists are available to play in Batman: Arkham Knight, from members of the Bat-Family to villains. Azrael is one of the few characters who gamers get to play in the main story, even if it is brief, as a man trying to prove himself worthy of becoming Gotham City’s next guardian should Batman fall. He serves the Order Of St. Dumas and believes he is the weapon of God.

In the game, players control an ex-cop named Michael Lane, who has been transformed into a weapon by the Order of St. Dumas in their quest to conquer Gotham City. Throughout a series of missions, it becomes evident that Michael is under the influence of this organization. His face is never shown, regardless of whether the player chooses to betray the Order or align against Batman as a villain. This design choice creates one of the most intriguing side quests in Batman: Arkham Knight.

7

The Knight

Subtle Storytelling Turned The Knight Into An Icon

• First Game: Hollow Knight
• Franchise: Hollow Knight

Throughout the 2D Metroidvania adventure Hollow Knight, the main character never speaks and is hidden behind a signature white mask. They are a genderless warrior who traverses the fallen Hallownest kingdom, fighting monsters and bosses until defeating the titular Hollow Knight and the Radiance to restore peace.

Plot and character development take a backseat in Hollow Knight, which takes the Metroidvania approach and blends it with the boss rush-style of Soulslike games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne. As a result, it’s never shown what The Knight looks like, but it is probably another insectoid creature as that is the theme of the game’s dark and macabre characters.

6

Waylon Park

The Whistleblower Goes Through A Gauntlet Of Horror

• First Game: Outlast: Whistleblower
• Franchise: Outlast

With the gimmick that the Outlast games are all narrated from the perspective of a camera, resembling found footage films like The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield, the heroes are never visible. In the DLC expansion-turned standalone game, Outlast: Whistleblower, players control Waylon Park, who aims to reveal the horrific experiments conducted beneath Mount Massive Asylum.

While Miles Upshur deserves credit in the original Outlast, Waylon goes through even more terror to escape the Murkoff scientific program that experimented on the asylum patients. Not only does he have to contend with even worse patients than Miles did, but his encounters with the ghost-like entity known as Walrider are more frequent. It’s easy to root for Waylon, especially when he is subjected to a lot of torture.

5

Ethan Winters

Capcom Brought Back Resident Evil With A New Hero

• First Game: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
• Franchise: Resident Evil

Rather than one of the more series famous protagonists like Leon Kennedy or Jill Valentine, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard introduced fans to a new hero for the return to survival horror. Ethan Winters fights the Baker family and then the likes of Mother Miranda and Lady Dimitrescu in Resident Evil Village, swapping the recognizable third-person franchise for a first-person shooter perspective.

Unlike other heroes featured in the games, Ethan Winters’ face is never shown, even when the player interacts with him as another character like Mia Winters or Chris Redfield. Capcom has gone out of their way to hide his face, whether it is through clever cinematography or convenient obstructions. All that is shown is that Ethan has blonde hair and a dismembered hand.

4

Ghost

The Deadliest Soldier Is A Masked Mystery

• First Game: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
• Franchise: Call Of Duty

Many protagonists have come and gone in the Call Of Duty franchise and one of the most iconic is an operative named Ghost, who astonished gamers in the original and rebooted Modern Warfare franchise. He is a nearly unstoppable spec ops soldier working under Captain Price, and he is able to infiltrate any location and assassinate any foe.

Only those whom Ghost serves have ever seen his true face, and that does not include the player. Even when his mask is taken off, Ghost’s face is never revealed, except for players who modify the game to remove his signature skull-themed mask. Perhaps, one day, Activision will unveil the man behind the mask, but part of what makes Ghost so intriguing is the mystery that surrounds him.

3

Zer0

Unlike Any Other Borderlands Character

• First Game: Borderlands 2
• Franchise: Borderlands

Gamers have been able to explore the planet of Pandora as a plethora of characters across the Borderlands franchise, with Zer0 being a fan favorite in Borderlands 2. Zer0 is a ninja-like protagonist who wields a powerful sword to slay the many monsters, bandits, robots, and corporate military as the player sees fit in a solo or co-op adventure.

Even when Zer0 makes appearances in other Borderlands games, fans haven’t seen what kind of face is behind that cyberpunk visor of his. The closest thing to a face for Zer0 is that his visor projects a hologram displaying different emoticons to help convey his emotions, with the number zero being the most famous display.

2

Hunk

The Fourth Survivor Is A Mysterious Umbrella Soldier

• First Game: Resident Evil 2
• Franchise: Resident Evil

Hidden as an unlockable third protagonist, Hunk is a mysterious soldier working for the Umbrella Security Service and the only member of the Alpha Team to survive the Raccoon City incident in Resident Evil 2. Fans find the character interesting because he provides a different perspective on the narrative as a figure who is neither evil nor good.

Unlike Ethan, who still has dialogue and a personality to make up for his lack of a face, Hunk is usually a completely silent protagonist who remains hidden behind his mask. Capcom has never given the character any kind of backstory or voice, but his lack of voice is backed up by the fact that he is a skilled soldier willing to complete his mission no matter what monsters are thrown his way.

1

Master Chief

The Spartan Armor Is Part Of His Identity

• First Game: Halo: Combat Evolved
• Franchise: Halo

Master Chief is a Spartan of the UNSC, a genetically modified super soldier designed to protect humanity from alien threats, such as the Covenant. He is arguably the most famous example of a faceless video game protagonist because, over twenty years since he first appeared in the original Halo, the games continue to keep John 117’s face a secret.

The image of the Spartan in armor is iconic, and fans prefer not to see Master Chief’s face, as it represents his identity as a government-designed soldier who becomes more human as the story evolves. This is why many disliked the live-action Halo series on Paramount+, where the character spent more time out of his armor and his face was revealed.