Sidar Erdem Kratos is a murderous psycho whom lost all likability after the first game. I'd even go far as to call him the main villain of the series. To be fair the first game was really good, but after that it's downhill...
I'll be honest and say that I got really excited when I saw Dart Feld as the thumbnail for the video. Not very often do I get to see my childhood video game online or in my community, so I get pretty pumped. Dart is probably my favourite character out of every JRPG I've gotten the opportunity to play, not only because he's THE main character, but because I understand how much patience he displays being forced to go through everything. His hometown and mother was killed in a fire set off by the Black Monster, who later turned out to be Rose. After their friendship blooms and Dart finds out, he still spares her life and tells her, "The Black Monster is dead." His best friend is killed by Lloyd, who served under the Emperor Diaz, and when he got the opportunity to get his revenge, he spared Lloyd's life and Lloyd later repaid the favour by passing the Divine Dragoon spirit down to Dart. In the end, anyways he remeets a possessed Lavitz and saves his soul from a demon possessing his spirit. Dart finds peace by getting to say a proper goodbye to his old friend. Not once does Dart go into insanity from this simple experience, and he doesn't get angry that he cannot continue his journey with his Best Friend right next to him. He just says his last goodbye and continues on with a relaxed heart. His father, having turned out to be over a 1000 years old and possessed by Melbu Frahma, kidnapped his girlfriend who happened to be the Moon Child, stole his Dragoon spirit, and tried to kill him. What did Dart do? He forgave him. So after Dart was bent on revenge for several harsh events that could've been prevented, he forgave and he forgot. After the second disc, Dart always made peace with himself before he could carry on with his journey.
It was a great game, very underrated. They were gonna put Dart in Playstation All Stars as DLC but cancelled it. Yeah, because they needed Zeus in there way more than Dart -.- we need a reboot of LOD
I still think LLoyd the Wingly would have gotten the Manly Award. Also Star Ocean the Second Story has Claude the main protagonist and Diaz, the most skilled swordsman and a playable character.
@joshscorcher Fantastic list, I love how you didn't give into peer pressure to put popular characters at the top. You thought about which characters were necessary, and that my friend, is manly.
yeah, but how much development does he truly show in those games? The Prince of Persia has problems to overcome, both enemies as personal problems, and by the end of each game, he tries his best to do what seems right to him, not what's more convenient.
1. I love how you put Dart in this list (been playing that game for eleven years now, if I did my math correctly) 2. I have a question! Since Ezio has been in three games now, would he still be number two, be lower on the list, or take the number one spot? Just curious.
This is what so many people don't understand. Being a man isn't defined by sexual actions, physical strength, or the ability to hold one's alcohol. It's all about caring for others, being a decent person, and refusing to let those you care about suffer.
I think Terra from Birth By Sleep is quite manly, all the way through the game he fights for his friends and tries to fight the darkness, even when Xehanort took over his body, he still had it in him to try and fight it, he truly has determination and even admits to his mistakes.
I-I thought I was the only one that missed Roy in brawl... Also as far as I know, Cloud was cold in FFVII and not emo like He was portrayed afterwards. The dude really had some major damage but He did try to keep it to Himself there.
Arella17 Yeah. A lot of people hate Cloud AFTER VII, which is understandable since they flanderized him into just an emo kid with serious hair problems. Back at VII, he was actually likable. He even makes jokes, as I said before. Despite our metrosexual samurai initiating the apocalypse, Cloud actually did something rather than bitch and complain about it.
I think some of you are missing the point as to what he prefers to as manly. A man should be one who is never overconfident in his abilities, doesn't boast his own ego, and can be someone whom we look up to or aspire to be. They can be damaged, yes, but they must be characters who will do whatever it takes to see a goal complete, even self sacrifice
I wonder if Kratos from GOW 4 would make it on this list? Josh you should seriously make a part 2 to this list. - Not obsessed with vengeance - Cares about his son and not obusive as some people assumed - Told Atreaus the truth - Forgave Zeus by quoting him - Not getting angry when seeing Zeus in Hel - Adviced Baldur about not doing revenge after Baldur nearing killing Atreus several times
i love your choice that dart is in this list, but why is he # 5? is there anything else that didnt make him 'manly enough' or higher on the list than whats on the video? seems like less detail on his description on your opinion.
Great choices but I feel you left out professor Layton, this guy is as honourable as they come, is never condescending or snide, has the best use of logic in sticky situations I've ever seen and is a BEAST with a sword, what more could you want?
Nice video. I'm just wondering though, why do you have such a problem with guys in video games that have sex with girls? You mention this about Ezio and he only has sex like once in the whole game, and it's with his girlfriend...
Burning Gundam At 8:20 he says that Ezio started as a brat that just "had sex with women every other day". Like I said in my original comment, I don't see the reason for mentioning this about Ezio because he only had sex once and it was with his girlfriend. It really didn't have anything to do with 'look how manly Ezio is, he bangs chicks because that's how manly he is'.
Burning Gundam well, it's very much implied in the game that young Ezio has a lot of sex, and not just with Christina(also possibly Vieri's sister) and he very much enjoys that he does. So yeah, he's not very loyal to her. Ezio starts out very much like a brat who doesn't have any respect for those who he doesn't agree with and who doesn't take life very seriously. I think that's what Josh means in this.
I agree with some of the other posters, Kratos does not really fit on this list. His personality is very one-dimensional and he lacks any real redeeming values. Except for his little fatherly moments around Pandora in GoW3, his character development never moves beyond that of a mindless animal that plays at regret. He is also a disgruntle pawn for others to play with and to stupid to realize he is always being used. If Kratos is supposedly really manly, I guess being someones b*tch constantly is the definition of manliness? I really hope not. =) I think Kratos would fit better in a most bad-ass list as the requirements are far lower. Anyway that's my opinion, take with grain of salt. Be unique and develop your own. To me manliness lies in a characters personality, choices, morals and decisions. Not whether he can mindlessly break thousands of goons and have sex all the time. More or less real manliness lies in an individual strength of character.....
***** I see then. Pardon me since I was referring to characters originally from games. Most anime-based games are, well, based from their source material so it doesn't count.
All the things you used to describe a man can also be used to describe woman. This list should be called"honorable characters" or "characters we respect/look up to". The fact is,this list isn't about manly men,it is about good men.
If you ask me, there's no difference. The manliest men are the ones who strive to do the right thing regardless of what they have to sacrifice of themselves.
Roland Wilson But that apply To Womans too that just Sexist or so it seem but whatever...the manliest man in the videogame world is kratos why? he is pretty much everything a retarded male kid want to be these days, assholes in school, at their work place, at partys, sports, and thing that call of duty and GTA game have complex story and are mature games compare to megaman, mario games, final fantasy, anything that doesnt have gore.
how? All Rayden does is brood and kill people without mercy. Rayden isn't a better choice at all. And using Big Boss instead would have been different as well. All Big Boss does is take on what Boss was going to do. If Snake makes a mistake he fixes it, which shows that he can go beyond is genetic coding. And he has the capacity to forgive. Something that only a real man has the capacity to do.
I love how you included kratos at the very end, since the entire third game is him killing gods left and right, even though he knows FULL WELL that it'll destroy the world, and then at the very end he sacrifices himself to give hope to humanity LOLNOPE HE SOMEHOW LEFT A TRAIL OF BLOOD FOR FUTURE SEQUELS TROLOLOOLOLOLOLOL. Compare that with the description of the Prince that you give just before, and it becomes very clear what a true man is really made of.
Your need to put Tidus in here and then insult him shows a high immaturity and inability to understand complex and emotional situations. I assume you're referencing the laugh being unbearable? Truth is it was intended to be that way, that's called a forced laugh and the setting it was done in was also viable. In any case, I think it's clear you're not really qualified to be doing these types of videos.. You don't have insight nor perception.
While I would not personally bash Tidus as much as this guy does. Vaan or Hope hold the honor of being my most hated male characters in a FF game. I would never put him on any manliest list. Even if it was only the manliest of the Final Fantasy series. I would probably give that to Barret, Balthier or any number of characters from FF6. Then again I would not even put Tidus as the manliest of his own game. In my opinion Auron was far the manlier character in FFX.
i think everyone BUT tidus deserves to be on that list auron or kimari would take the cake for me because in the sequel kimari has a side story where he takes down a rouge ronso without a single strike and auron is just realy many with si amazing sense of duty
Coming back to this list almost 8 years later to wonder if Josh’s opinion change or not, since God of War IV actually gave Kratos character development
I do agree with you completely of Alucard, Snake, Master chief/spartan 117/ john, and dante. These guys definately deserve to be on this list. Frankly i would've put sgt. johnson as another super manly guy, because he doesn't cower a bit in the face of death despite him being a human unlike master cheif. Master chief deserves to be on here since he had to experence the deaths of all his brothers, sisters and cortana.
Jak-starts out a naive adventurer to an irritable rebel to a savior of his people. Shadow-puts the past behind him in order to go on to a better future and ultimately does what he believes is right. Ryu-is good-hearted, works hard for what he needs and wants, helps those in need, and refuses power for the sake of power. Warrior of Light (Dissidia)-helps his friends, level-headed, cool, collected, strong.
0_0 I saw Dante, and Cecil is really good. Bang looks AWESOME... Snake, perfect for this list. OH MY EZIO, YES! I LOVE EZIO! T.T I LOVE EZIOOOOOOOOO! 0.o Huh. I actually like your number 1 choice.
Solid Snake is truly a man because even though he is a killer, he promised that he would make a future for the next generations and destroy any metal gears that threaten that future from happening.
The fourth installment changed him! And gave him a son in a Norse mythology setting. With a frost axe, a skill tree, stats, and grindable upgrades. Plus a beard. Eat your heart out josh! Eat it!
To me the most manly characters are Solid Snake and Ezio. They both show the development of a great character each in their own ways. I actually think they supplement each other in a way. Granted I haven't played any Prince of Persia game when I was old enough to actually get character and such, so he might also end up as my top pick, but I doubt he'll over shine Snake and Ezio in my eyes. Those two are serious role models.
The whole Eizo aldetore had three games, AC 2, AC BH, and AC R. And look at Eizo's start, compared to Eizo form Revelations. You see a HUGE difference.
Dante from Devil May Cry should have definitely been at number 4. He was just so well-developed and likable to the point that he was a man that you could honestly look up to and admire in real life.
your number 5 made my day. some many people try to shove Dart in to the Cloud clone corner where he definitely doesn't belong. their only similarity is their spiky blond hair. And guess what Cloud, Dart actually saves the girl and prevents the evil guy from activating the power to destroy the world. He doesn't need a dead chicks help to do it either.
@ DanceswithBlades5 It was loaned to me by a friend, and I got so fed up with Dante early on in the game that I returned it to him a little early. That said, remember how in DMC 3 goes through character development fairly similar to this newbie yet still has such a blast? I think he started off strong and ended on a high note, while this new Dante started off weak but gets better. At least, from what you've told me.
the gods killed my father so I'm going to kill all of them. It takes a lot less courage to hurt others than it does to forgive them. Oh and he does into pity sex and if it took place any time after the 12 century you'd probably have missions where you had to go to the local tavern.
Sandro Swen Women are a distraction from Kratos. They serve as a brief respite from his own self-loathing and fury. The fact that you get tons of XP from those sex scenes could be symbolic of the fact that Kratos boning every woman that moves isn't helping anything, all it's doing is fueling his violent fury. When you have sex with women in GoW, you're given better tools to do violence with. Kratos' fatal flaw is that he's self-destructive and impulsive. He doesn't think through his actions until it's too late, and that's what ultimately leads to the presumed genocide of everyone in Greece at the end of GoW 3.They're not just mindless titillation. They serve a purpose. You feel bad for Kratos in the same way you feel bad for a self-destructive alcoholic. It's sad to see someone so unable to get their life together.
You know after seeing #1, i have to agree with you. Not trying to gain pity, but I was at a low in my life when I got to that part of the game, and that scene where the prince rejects his dark self struck me in a way that helped me back up and to who I was today. So the Prince of Persia does meet the qualities that you describe.
Howdy, folks! It's time for another game of "Spot The Irony!" Let's see who else sees the irony in accusing somebody who's being rational of "screaming" in text format, then proceeds too rock out an ALL CAPS RAGE!
If I were to pick the manliest character from the Halo franchise I would actually put Noble 6 above Master Chief. One of the reasons being that Noble 6 made the ultimate sacrifice and stayed on Reach so the Pillar of Autumn could get off world and then he goes out like a spartan. Fighting with all he has to the bitter end, his only goal being to bring as many Covenant troops down with him as possible.
Kratos is more of a man than any of them. he was arrogant and selfish and proud as fuck as a general and as ares' bitch. then he lost the two things that he cared about, by his own hand mind you. he began his journey towards acceptance and redemption by ridding himself of his oath binding him to ares by killing the furies, who actually plotted together with ares to bring zeus down. by killing them he also made oath-breaking much more easier and as punishable as it should be. he experienced continuous nightmares for a decade (maybe longer) all the while saving the world from literally falling apart and finding someone to keep it in place and killing the freaking god of war, also saving olympus and the world in general while zeus and the other gods shat themselves shitless when they saw ares had pandora's box. well the prince truly was hunted by death for 2 years, kratos on the other hand was hunted by his horrific memories for 10 years all the while fighting zombies, gorgons, minotaurs and deities hoping to one day forget with the help of the gods. so having insomnia for 10 years while being the bitch of the gods can also make you "a little grouchy". afterwards he had to kill his mom and then watch his brother die. and it was not like he wasnt there and powerless. he just was unable to save both of them.all that because the gods kept things secret "for the greater good" as usual. then he just made a hobby of destroying cities. and instead of just talking with him, every olympian save athena shunned him. they stripped him of his powers and humiliated him in front of his spartan family. and killed him. by searching for revenge he destroyed the destiny system effectively restoring control of fate to man's hands, destroyed the system of weak deities restoring control of one's life to man's hands as well. and through all of his interactions with pandora he finally became able to overcome his fury, fear, despair, agony and grief and realize that his quest was meaningless, he even tried to save her from burning. and he realized that to truly move on he had to forgive himself first, which he finally did. his final act of suicide truly sealed his destiny: he absolved himself and made peace with his past ghosts, completed his revenged as seen when he troll faced athena in his last seconds and gave hope to every remaining human in the world to move on on his/her own. many tend to just say he killed himself so as to show athena his disgust and unwillingness to cooperate even when it all came to that but he could just kill her too, if that was all he wanted. so yes Kratos is manly, as manly as one who sacrifises himself not only because he has no reason to live but to give a future to the destroyed world too
Here, I figured link would make the list considering he's the guy in the middle. I mean he does so much in each incarnation. All of them go out to save a friend or family member, in some games just the world, he does it all without asking anything in return, rides off into the sunset in almost every game AND he smiles while doing it all. He's as developed as the Master Chief if not more due to the various incarnations with each different back stories. Some sad, some easy.
You suprised the living shit out of me with you random yelling. I agreed with what you were yelling about but that's beside the point. Hell my top three favorate Fire Emblem characters are Roy, Lyn, and Hector.
The end of GOW3 was basically him giving one last middle finger to the gods since he had finally burned himself out of hatred. His last line and actions basically confirms that the only reason he even had to let hope out was so that Athena couldn't have it (he had an epic trollface tho). He never admits regret, he never takes responsibility for the destruction he caused (besides Pandora), and in the end, the whole reason the gods went nuts is because the damn box in the first place!
I think Kaim Argonar from Lost Odyssey at least deserved an honorable mention. He's very trustworthy, honorable, and wise (if a bit jaded at times), and yet he also comes across as a great parent/grandparent with his interactions with Mack (his grandson). While Kaim tends to be the more stern grandparent (his wife Sarah plays 'good cop' to Kaim's 'bad cop'), he subtly shows how much he cares (and when he forgives his grand children's mischief) by patting Mack on the head and tousling his hair.
Amen. True men know when to basically tell their testosterone to go sit in a corner. They know when to put aside their emotions, they know when to fight, they know when to stop fighting, and they know how to face up to what they've done. Without these traits you might as well be dealing with the Hulk, whom I can't even think of as manly with a straight face. Stop glorifying the steroid cases! Lets give our praises to the REAL men who earn them through deeds, not appearances.
For me, the one who really deserves the title of manliest character in video games is Kazuma Kiryu from the Yakuza games. Trust me, if you play those games, you’ll understand. ;)
Josh, ever played Yakuza/Ryu Ga Gotoku, if not, there's a character who fits the role with the traits you listed: Kazuma Kiryu. Wise, strong, dependable, always willing to help others before himself, manages to keep a positive attitude despite life being crap to him, and is a father figure for ten orphans. He also beats entire yakuza armies for the simple objective of making sure that a little girl doesn't cry anymore.
Wyrmling12, I wish the reply button and/or like buttons were working because I totally agree. Django, Mad Dog (The Raid), Leonidas (300), Asura, Yuri Boyka, Rooster Cogburn (True Grit), Tommy Riordan (Warrior), Senator Armstrong and Luo-Lang (Sword of the Stranger) also seem rather underrepresented.
I think this was released was before Brotherhood, and he's talking about that the Prince had three games for his character development. Ezio's character was fully developed by the end of ACII
The Villager from AC!...What? You don't think he's manly? Well, can YOU break a rock with one hit, or chop down a fully grown tree with just 3 swings? I thought so.
I know that Fire Emblem Awakening wasn't out when this video was released, but what about Chrom? He's noble, puts his crew before himself, and his death quote literally says to leave him and fight on.
(This is actually Liams Brother) I agree with you on what a manly character is. But it doesn't necessarily have to be a male character. I plan on writing a book involving a rugged female character called Benji Rappetta Hanza, who not only uses her strength, but fights her foes using intellect, surroundings, and sometimes doesn't use her weapons at all. She is completely covered in a black suit of padded armour instead of a stupid lame bikini or an oversized chunk of metal. She would face servitors, and would go through any challenge not only to protect her family and friends, but every innocent as well. And she never uses magic once. And her romantic interest is not a man, but her life long companion, her horse. Wait for Benji and see if you like it. To see Benjis character, look into the Feighton series: Benji vs the Servitors. Which not guaranteed to be released any time soon. It might take a few years from now. I aim to get Benji on this list.
well, I felt that brotherhood and revelations already dealt with a fully developed character and just showed his adventures of awesomeness, so the prince still wins in that he develops across his whole trilogy.
It's ridiculous how much emphasis we put on Physical Manliness instead of Emotional, and Mental Manliness, such as responsibility, dedication, and Willpower. These are the Real Men. They have the capacity to see what they are doing, and judge what is Right and Wrong, and do Right, even if it may have heavy Consequences. That is how you determine a Man. Not by Macho Muscles, or how many STDs I have, but by their capacity to do what is Right, and Fight for it.
He gives hope to mankind because he literally has no other left. The Kratos at the end of GOW3 was almost the exact same guy from the beginning of GOW1. Despite even his little growth from the Pandora episode, you can't possibly say that the guy is still anything more than a man raging at the heavens because his life sucks. He turns on his allies when its convenient for him, he feeds his love of violence through whatever mediums are available, and he still refuses to bury the damn past.
I look up answers to questions that really matter to me. As I am not a serious Assassin's Creed fan and I don't have a burning curiosity about this, I decided to have it be answered by a fellow human in a format that I find to be entertaining.
Alright, even if you ignore the date of this video, remember that Ezio's personality and maturity only developed in AC2. Sure, in Brotherhood he becomes a leader, and in Revelations.. he's an old man looking for the last bits of the Truth he's meant to uncover. But even then, he already possessed the traits needed for those, the two games just show what happens later in Ezio's life. AC2 was the only game that had him develop as a character.
I would argue tha,t where the Fire Emblem games are concerned, Roy and Ike are on the same level in terms of the qualities you listed as judging criteria. They each have to overcome a force by holding true to the values that make them strong, thereby growing as a character in the process. I dunno, that's just my opinion.
I have two issues. One, Jaffar. Jaffar was a brutally efficient killer, among the very best of the Black Fang. When he was injured, a small girl cared for him, she was the daughter of Sonia, one of the few higher than him. When he was to assassinate a prince with her, and then kill her, he stopped, he would have sacrificed himself for her had Eliwood and his party not showed up and rescued both of them. Jaffar grew to love Nino, and when he finished his duty of protecting her and the rest of his party, they lived together, constantly on the run from assassins, regretting, but never denying his past mistakes. He is one of the bravest and most selfless men in video games. Two, Link. Link is an incredible man. he braves hundred of demons for who he cares about. Whether rescuing his sister, or Zelda, or village children. he fights in face of impossible odds, yet he presses forward. He is one of the manliest video game characters I can think of. Also, "Boys will break your heart, real men will pick up the pieces." Sound familiar?
I haven't gone through all the comments so I don't know if this has been said before (please don't flame me if it has) But I wonder if Batman would make this list if it were updated every year.
I try to replay LoD at least once a year. Unfortunately, I can no longer get past the third disc. It freezes after the battle against Lenus and Regole.
this was from october 2010... Brotherhood came out in november 2010, Revelation came out in 2011... He could've known about Brotherhood at that time, but maybe FieryJoker isn't that much into AC...
I think Kratos is badly misunderstood. I in fact think he is bipolar. I mean, he's no a stoic bad ass nor sadist, he is driven by rage and guilt. He's also very clever and creative (the puzzles in the game). He also sacrificed his chance at heaven (which included being with his daughter again) to save the world. He's far from a good person, but he's no unthinking beast. Likewise, in the third game, I think he was trying to find a form of redemption without even realising it.
Never said otherwise. Just said that we shouldn't write him off as some monster and consider his pain and virtues. If the Devil gets sympathy, why not the God of War?
Brotherhood was released on November 2010. This video was posted on October 2010, so at the time he recorded it there was only one AC game starring Ezio. Thus his point was valid back then.
I _almost_ feel like "heroic" would have been a better word for this list than "manly".
Bite me.
Not a god? Come on, comrades!
Sidar Erdem Kratos is a murderous psycho whom lost all likability after the first game. I'd even go far as to call him the main villain of the series. To be fair the first game was really good, but after that it's downhill...
Sidar Erdem Sooo... manly is to destroy the world in a constant childish fit of rage, with breaks consisting of sex?
Sidar Erdem What is more manly, helping the old drunk woman home to her apartment three kilometers away at 4 in the morning... or mugging her?
I'll be honest and say that I got really excited when I saw Dart Feld as the thumbnail for the video. Not very often do I get to see my childhood video game online or in my community, so I get pretty pumped.
Dart is probably my favourite character out of every JRPG I've gotten the opportunity to play, not only because he's THE main character, but because I understand how much patience he displays being forced to go through everything.
His hometown and mother was killed in a fire set off by the Black Monster, who later turned out to be Rose. After their friendship blooms and Dart finds out, he still spares her life and tells her, "The Black Monster is dead."
His best friend is killed by Lloyd, who served under the Emperor Diaz, and when he got the opportunity to get his revenge, he spared Lloyd's life and Lloyd later repaid the favour by passing the Divine Dragoon spirit down to Dart. In the end, anyways he remeets a possessed Lavitz and saves his soul from a demon possessing his spirit. Dart finds peace by getting to say a proper goodbye to his old friend. Not once does Dart go into insanity from this simple experience, and he doesn't get angry that he cannot continue his journey with his Best Friend right next to him. He just says his last goodbye and continues on with a relaxed heart.
His father, having turned out to be over a 1000 years old and possessed by Melbu Frahma, kidnapped his girlfriend who happened to be the Moon Child, stole his Dragoon spirit, and tried to kill him. What did Dart do? He forgave him.
So after Dart was bent on revenge for several harsh events that could've been prevented, he forgave and he forgot.
After the second disc, Dart always made peace with himself before he could carry on with his journey.
I was pleasantly surprised you put Dart Feld on here. So many people overlook him when in my opinion he is a way better protagonist than Cloud
Legend of Dragoons needs to be revived. Was a good game.
It was a great game, very underrated. They were gonna put Dart in Playstation All Stars as DLC but cancelled it. Yeah, because they needed Zeus in there way more than Dart -.- we need a reboot of LOD
I still think LLoyd the Wingly would have gotten the Manly Award. Also Star Ocean the Second Story has Claude the main protagonist and Diaz, the most skilled swordsman and a playable character.
Clouds not a very good protagonist. The game is made by his interactions with other characters.
The Sentient Ditto Plus hes just a shadow of Zack... am I right?
@joshscorcher
Fantastic list, I love how you didn't give into peer pressure to put popular characters at the top. You thought about which characters were necessary, and that my friend, is manly.
After playing the new god of war, it seems that Kratos finally earned a spot on this list.
Ezio isnt in only one game. He's the main character in 2, Brotherhood, and Revelations
yeah, but how much development does he truly show in those games? The Prince of Persia has problems to overcome, both enemies as personal problems, and by the end of each game, he tries his best to do what seems right to him, not what's more convenient.
this was made in 2010
@@moonkingdomify specifically, before Brotherhood was announced.
1. I love how you put Dart in this list (been playing that game for eleven years now, if I did my math correctly)
2. I have a question! Since Ezio has been in three games now, would he still be number two, be lower on the list, or take the number one spot? Just curious.
He probably would since Ezio is constantly willing to learn
This is what so many people don't understand. Being a man isn't defined by sexual actions, physical strength, or the ability to hold one's alcohol. It's all about caring for others, being a decent person, and refusing to let those you care about suffer.
I think Terra from Birth By Sleep is quite manly, all the way through the game he fights for his friends and tries to fight the darkness, even when Xehanort took over his body, he still had it in him to try and fight it, he truly has determination and even admits to his mistakes.
I'm with Bang on the bell peppers. The multicolored incarnation of Evil. Someone get the herbicide!
I-I thought I was the only one that missed Roy in brawl...
Also as far as I know, Cloud was cold in FFVII and not emo like He was portrayed afterwards.
The dude really had some major damage but He did try to keep it to Himself there.
Back in Cloud's native game, he doesn't brood as much as the sequels.
He even jokes.
Overlord Zenon Xenonnia
Don't forget dressing like a chick to help out Tifa.
Arella17 A real test of manliness and resolve.
Overlord Zenon Xenonnia
Yep the best show of manliness is to show that you're secure in your masculine identity.
Arella17 Yeah. A lot of people hate Cloud AFTER VII, which is understandable since they flanderized him into just an emo kid with serious hair problems.
Back at VII, he was actually likable. He even makes jokes, as I said before. Despite our metrosexual samurai initiating the apocalypse, Cloud actually did something rather than bitch and complain about it.
Legend of Dragoon references in the video, I'm proud of you for showing that great game.
I think some of you are missing the point as to what he prefers to as manly. A man should be one who is never overconfident in his abilities, doesn't boast his own ego, and can be someone whom we look up to or aspire to be. They can be damaged, yes, but they must be characters who will do whatever it takes to see a goal complete, even self sacrifice
Wow, this is the first time I've seen anything related to "The Legend of Dragoon" in a top ten. You sir, have my respect.
I wonder if Kratos from GOW 4 would make it on this list? Josh you should seriously make a part 2 to this list.
- Not obsessed with vengeance
- Cares about his son and not obusive as some people assumed
- Told Atreaus the truth
- Forgave Zeus by quoting him
- Not getting angry when seeing Zeus in Hel
- Adviced Baldur about not doing revenge after Baldur nearing killing Atreus several times
i love your choice that dart is in this list, but why is he # 5? is there anything else that didnt make him 'manly enough' or higher on the list than whats on the video? seems like less detail on his description on your opinion.
Great choices but I feel you left out professor Layton, this guy is as honourable as they come, is never condescending or snide, has the best use of logic in sticky situations I've ever seen and is a BEAST with a sword, what more could you want?
Professor Layton? lol The puzzle game guy?
Jennifer Cedano Surprisingly, he is pretty badass.
John Marston
Nice video. I'm just wondering though, why do you have such a problem with guys in video games that have sex with girls? You mention this about Ezio and he only has sex like once in the whole game, and it's with his girlfriend...
Burning Gundam At 8:20 he says that Ezio started as a brat that just "had sex with women every other day". Like I said in my original comment, I don't see the reason for mentioning this about Ezio because he only had sex once and it was with his girlfriend. It really didn't have anything to do with 'look how manly Ezio is, he bangs chicks because that's how manly he is'.
Burning Gundam well, it's very much implied in the game that young Ezio has a lot of sex, and not just with Christina(also possibly Vieri's sister) and he very much enjoys that he does. So yeah, he's not very loyal to her. Ezio starts out very much like a brat who doesn't have any respect for those who he doesn't agree with and who doesn't take life very seriously. I think that's what Josh means in this.
that wasn't his girlfriend. That was just some girl he seduced. In the Renaissance it was pretty much normal to have multiple sexual partners.
You know, coming back to this, do wonder if it'd be worth coming back to, now that we have the new God of War games.
Top 10 manliest men out of a list of girly girl-boys!
i know, screwattack did a terrible job.
I agree with some of the other posters, Kratos does not really fit on this list. His personality is very one-dimensional and he lacks any real redeeming values. Except for his little fatherly moments around Pandora in GoW3, his character development never moves beyond that of a mindless animal that plays at regret. He is also a disgruntle pawn for others to play with and to stupid to realize he is always being used. If Kratos is supposedly really manly, I guess being someones b*tch constantly is the definition of manliness? I really hope not. =) I think Kratos would fit better in a most bad-ass list as the requirements are far lower. Anyway that's my opinion, take with grain of salt. Be unique and develop your own.
To me manliness lies in a characters personality, choices, morals and decisions. Not whether he can mindlessly break thousands of goons and have sex all the time. More or less real manliness lies in an individual strength of character.....
0/10 , kamina was not every character on the list.
You do realize you are putting an ANIME character in a list about VIDEO GAMES.
Theres a Gurren Laggan Video game....
Overlord Zenon Xenonnia It's a joke.
***** I see then. Pardon me since I was referring to characters originally from games. Most anime-based games are, well, based from their source material so it doesn't count.
I actually met the person who voices Bang, he's awesome
All the things you used to describe a man can also be used to describe woman. This list should be called"honorable characters" or "characters we respect/look up to". The fact is,this list isn't about manly men,it is about good men.
If you ask me, there's no difference. The manliest men are the ones who strive to do the right thing regardless of what they have to sacrifice of themselves.
Roland Wilson But that apply To Womans too that just Sexist or so it seem but whatever...the manliest man in the videogame world is kratos why? he is pretty much everything a retarded male kid want to be these days, assholes in school, at their work place, at partys, sports, and thing that call of duty and GTA game have complex story and are mature games compare to megaman, mario games, final fantasy, anything that doesnt have gore.
*Put's on nerdy glasses* um... Kratos is a Spartan not a neanderthal. Check your history!.*takes glasses off*
wow you must be genius
Raiden is a FAR better choice than Snake (in my opinion).
...
rainypie sharif WRONG CHOICE!
sherrie harden i regret what i said XD
how?
All Rayden does is brood and kill people without mercy. Rayden isn't a better choice at all.
And using Big Boss instead would have been different as well. All Big Boss does is take on what Boss was going to do. If Snake makes a mistake he fixes it, which shows that he can go beyond is genetic coding. And he has the capacity to forgive. Something that only a real man has the capacity to do.
The Sentient Ditto Then play Metal Gear Rising.
I love how you included kratos at the very end, since the entire third game is him killing gods left and right, even though he knows FULL WELL that it'll destroy the world, and then at the very end he sacrifices himself to give hope to humanity LOLNOPE HE SOMEHOW LEFT A TRAIL OF BLOOD FOR FUTURE SEQUELS TROLOLOOLOLOLOLOL. Compare that with the description of the Prince that you give just before, and it becomes very clear what a true man is really made of.
Too bad you clearly have no comprehension of him in the supplemenal materials and other titles if tha'ts your synopsis.
Where is Duke Nukem?
He isn't manly at all. He's a misogynist who enjoys killing.
don't like your list...not gonna troll you, dislike the video or call you names...i'm just gonna say i don't like it.
BRAVO! HOLY SHIT! SOMEONE WHO ISNT AN IMMATURE BABY JUST BECAUSE THEY DONT LIKE SOMETHING!
Your need to put Tidus in here and then insult him shows a high immaturity and inability to understand complex and emotional situations. I assume you're referencing the laugh being unbearable? Truth is it was intended to be that way, that's called a forced laugh and the setting it was done in was also viable.
In any case, I think it's clear you're not really qualified to be doing these types of videos.. You don't have insight nor perception.
While I would not personally bash Tidus as much as this guy does. Vaan or Hope hold the honor of being my most hated male characters in a FF game. I would never put him on any manliest list. Even if it was only the manliest of the Final Fantasy series. I would probably give that to Barret, Balthier or any number of characters from FF6. Then again I would not even put Tidus as the manliest of his own game. In my opinion Auron was far the manlier character in FFX.
i think everyone BUT tidus deserves to be on that list auron or kimari would take the cake for me because in the sequel kimari has a side story where he takes down a rouge ronso without a single strike and auron is just realy many with si amazing sense of duty
yea i know but i like to get my opinion out when i can
Joseph Schaeffer Auron was definitely the manliest followed by Kimahri and Wakka.
griffin whitehead he wasnt talking to you he was talking to delsanar
Coming back to this list almost 8 years later to wonder if Josh’s opinion change or not, since God of War IV actually gave Kratos character development
I do agree with you completely of Alucard, Snake, Master chief/spartan 117/ john, and dante. These guys definately deserve to be on this list. Frankly i would've put sgt. johnson as another super manly guy, because he doesn't cower a bit in the face of death despite him being a human unlike master cheif. Master chief deserves to be on here since he had to experence the deaths of all his brothers, sisters and cortana.
Jak-starts out a naive adventurer to an irritable rebel to a savior of his people.
Shadow-puts the past behind him in order to go on to a better future and ultimately does what he believes is right.
Ryu-is good-hearted, works hard for what he needs and wants, helps those in need, and refuses power for the sake of power.
Warrior of Light (Dissidia)-helps his friends, level-headed, cool, collected, strong.
You have no idea how surprised I was when you put Dart on the list :D Legend of Dragoon was an awesome game!
0_0 I saw Dante, and Cecil is really good.
Bang looks AWESOME... Snake, perfect for this list. OH MY EZIO, YES! I LOVE EZIO! T.T I LOVE EZIOOOOOOOOO!
0.o Huh. I actually like your number 1 choice.
Your comment on Kratos... THANK YOU! Seriously, this guy does some things that I find absolutely deplorable.
Solid Snake is truly a man because even though he is a killer, he promised that he would make a future for the next generations and destroy any metal gears that threaten that future from happening.
The fourth installment changed him! And gave him a son in a Norse mythology setting. With a frost axe, a skill tree, stats, and grindable upgrades. Plus a beard. Eat your heart out josh! Eat it!
Bang Shishigami's voice is stupidly awesome
it's over the top and really hammy. really fitting for his character
To me the most manly characters are Solid Snake and Ezio. They both show the development of a great character each in their own ways. I actually think they supplement each other in a way. Granted I haven't played any Prince of Persia game when I was old enough to actually get character and such, so he might also end up as my top pick, but I doubt he'll over shine Snake and Ezio in my eyes. Those two are serious role models.
I personally wish Hector from Fire Emblem 7 was on here, he's pretty awesome.
The whole Eizo aldetore had three games, AC 2, AC BH, and AC R. And look at Eizo's start, compared to Eizo form Revelations. You see a HUGE difference.
Dante from Devil May Cry should have definitely been at number 4. He was just so well-developed and likable to the point that he was a man that you could honestly look up to and admire in real life.
your number 5 made my day. some many people try to shove Dart in to the Cloud clone corner where he definitely doesn't belong. their only similarity is their spiky blond hair. And guess what Cloud, Dart actually saves the girl and prevents the evil guy from activating the power to destroy the world. He doesn't need a dead chicks help to do it either.
@ DanceswithBlades5 It was loaned to me by a friend, and I got so fed up with Dante early on in the game that I returned it to him a little early. That said, remember how in DMC 3 goes through character development fairly similar to this newbie yet still has such a blast? I think he started off strong and ended on a high note, while this new Dante started off weak but gets better. At least, from what you've told me.
I love you for knowing the awesomeness of Legend of Dragoon
Not sure why Kratos is getting shit. Lets all remember that even though he seems to be a tactical-less brute, he was tricked into killing his family.
swaggerlevel90001 then explain this: if he so mourns for his family, how is it respectful to have sex all around with mostly random women??
Because its mythology, and that's just what they seem to do :l
then I don't see any reason to sympathize with him or to look up to him.
the gods killed my father so I'm going to kill all of them.
It takes a lot less courage to hurt others than it does to forgive them.
Oh and he does into pity sex and if it took place any time after the 12 century you'd probably have missions where you had to go to the local tavern.
Sandro Swen Women are a distraction from Kratos. They serve as a brief respite from his own self-loathing and fury. The fact that you get tons of XP from those sex scenes could be symbolic of the fact that Kratos boning every woman that moves isn't helping anything, all it's doing is fueling his violent fury. When you have sex with women in GoW, you're given better tools to do violence with. Kratos' fatal flaw is that he's self-destructive and impulsive. He doesn't think through his actions until it's too late, and that's what ultimately leads to the presumed genocide of everyone in Greece at the end of GoW 3.They're not just mindless titillation. They serve a purpose. You feel bad for Kratos in the same way you feel bad for a self-destructive alcoholic. It's sad to see someone so unable to get their life together.
You know after seeing #1, i have to agree with you. Not trying to gain pity, but I was at a low in my life when I got to that part of the game, and that scene where the prince rejects his dark self struck me in a way that helped me back up and to who I was today. So the Prince of Persia does meet the qualities that you describe.
Sol Badguy would definitely fit SOMEWHERE on a list like this.
Howdy, folks! It's time for another game of "Spot The Irony!"
Let's see who else sees the irony in accusing somebody who's being rational of "screaming" in text format, then proceeds too rock out an ALL CAPS RAGE!
Out of all the choices on this list, I did not expect Dart Feld from Legend of Dragoon to be on this list. That's Freaking awesome!!
Thank you for including Cecil
@ DanceswithBlades5 Actually, I just remembered: I quit playing around the part when Virgil shot that pregnant demon. I apologize for my bad memory.
If I were to pick the manliest character from the Halo franchise I would actually put Noble 6 above Master Chief. One of the reasons being that Noble 6 made the ultimate sacrifice and stayed on Reach so the Pillar of Autumn could get off world and then he goes out like a spartan. Fighting with all he has to the bitter end, his only goal being to bring as many Covenant troops down with him as possible.
Kratos is more of a man than any of them. he was arrogant and selfish and proud as fuck as a general and as ares' bitch. then he lost the two things that he cared about, by his own hand mind you. he began his journey towards acceptance and redemption by ridding himself of his oath binding him to ares by killing the furies, who actually plotted together with ares to bring zeus down. by killing them he also made oath-breaking much more easier and as punishable as it should be. he experienced continuous nightmares for a decade (maybe longer) all the while saving the world from literally falling apart and finding someone to keep it in place and killing the freaking god of war, also saving olympus and the world in general while zeus and the other gods shat themselves shitless when they saw ares had pandora's box. well the prince truly was hunted by death for 2 years, kratos on the other hand was hunted by his horrific memories for 10 years all the while fighting zombies, gorgons, minotaurs and deities hoping to one day forget with the help of the gods. so having insomnia for 10 years while being the bitch of the gods can also make you "a little grouchy". afterwards he had to kill his mom and then watch his brother die. and it was not like he wasnt there and powerless. he just was unable to save both of them.all that because the gods kept things secret "for the greater good" as usual. then he just made a hobby of destroying cities. and instead of just talking with him, every olympian save athena shunned him. they stripped him of his powers and humiliated him in front of his spartan family. and killed him. by searching for revenge he destroyed the destiny system effectively restoring control of fate to man's hands, destroyed the system of weak deities restoring control of one's life to man's hands as well. and through all of his interactions with pandora he finally became able to overcome his fury, fear, despair, agony and grief and realize that his quest was meaningless, he even tried to save her from burning. and he realized that to truly move on he had to forgive himself first, which he finally did. his final act of suicide truly sealed his destiny: he absolved himself and made peace with his past ghosts, completed his revenged as seen when he troll faced athena in his last seconds and gave hope to every remaining human in the world to move on on his/her own. many tend to just say he killed himself so as to show athena his disgust and unwillingness to cooperate even when it all came to that but he could just kill her too, if that was all he wanted. so yes Kratos is manly, as manly as one who sacrifises himself not only because he has no reason to live but to give a future to the destroyed world too
Here, I figured link would make the list considering he's the guy in the middle. I mean he does so much in each incarnation.
All of them go out to save a friend or family member, in some games just the world, he does it all without asking anything in return, rides off into the sunset in almost every game AND he smiles while doing it all. He's as developed as the Master Chief if not more due to the various incarnations with each different back stories. Some sad, some easy.
You suprised the living shit out of me with you random yelling. I agreed with what you were yelling about but that's beside the point. Hell my top three favorate Fire Emblem characters are Roy, Lyn, and Hector.
i hope josh makes a another manliest list for this year.
(FYI: this list here was made in 2010, in case you didn't notice)
The end of GOW3 was basically him giving one last middle finger to the gods since he had finally burned himself out of hatred. His last line and actions basically confirms that the only reason he even had to let hope out was so that Athena couldn't have it (he had an epic trollface tho). He never admits regret, he never takes responsibility for the destruction he caused (besides Pandora), and in the end, the whole reason the gods went nuts is because the damn box in the first place!
I think Kaim Argonar from Lost Odyssey at least deserved an honorable mention. He's very trustworthy, honorable, and wise (if a bit jaded at times), and yet he also comes across as a great parent/grandparent with his interactions with Mack (his grandson). While Kaim tends to be the more stern grandparent (his wife Sarah plays 'good cop' to Kaim's 'bad cop'), he subtly shows how much he cares (and when he forgives his grand children's mischief) by patting Mack on the head and tousling his hair.
Amen. True men know when to basically tell their testosterone to go sit in a corner. They know when to put aside their emotions, they know when to fight, they know when to stop fighting, and they know how to face up to what they've done. Without these traits you might as well be dealing with the Hulk, whom I can't even think of as manly with a straight face. Stop glorifying the steroid cases! Lets give our praises to the REAL men who earn them through deeds, not appearances.
lack of DOOMGUY disturbes mee
Cloud was a decent character until fangirls said that he was too luscious in front of Square's face
You misunderstand.. this countdown was about characters, not walking blobs of muscle. Trololol
Clicked for Dart, thought he should be higher, but can't complain to much.
Please note the time of release of this video.
For me, the one who really deserves the title of manliest character in video games is Kazuma Kiryu from the Yakuza games.
Trust me, if you play those games, you’ll understand. ;)
Josh, ever played Yakuza/Ryu Ga Gotoku, if not, there's a character who fits the role with the traits you listed: Kazuma Kiryu. Wise, strong, dependable, always willing to help others before himself, manages to keep a positive attitude despite life being crap to him, and is a father figure for ten orphans. He also beats entire yakuza armies for the simple objective of making sure that a little girl doesn't cry anymore.
3:35 to 4:08, definitely made one of my top 10 joshscorcher moments.
where's the kaboom, there was supposed to be an earth shattering kabo- oh wait there it is
This is an old video, made quite a while before AC Brotherhood and Revelations came out.
joshscorcher:take notes tidus. tidus:HAHAHAHA! joshscorcher:oh shut up! (i love that line) and snake is very manliest character
I think the closer a character is to kamina the more manly
Wyrmling12, I wish the reply button and/or like buttons were working because I totally agree.
Django, Mad Dog (The Raid), Leonidas (300), Asura, Yuri Boyka, Rooster Cogburn (True Grit), Tommy Riordan (Warrior), Senator Armstrong and Luo-Lang (Sword of the Stranger) also seem rather underrepresented.
I think this was released was before Brotherhood, and he's talking about that the Prince had three games for his character development. Ezio's character was fully developed by the end of ACII
The Villager from AC!...What? You don't think he's manly? Well, can YOU break a rock with one hit, or chop down a fully grown tree with just 3 swings? I thought so.
I think you got Ezio and Altair backwards. Ezio had a trilogy, Altair had 2 games.
I know that Fire Emblem Awakening wasn't out when this video was released, but what about Chrom? He's noble, puts his crew before himself, and his death quote literally says to leave him and fight on.
(This is actually Liams Brother)
I agree with you on what a manly character is. But it doesn't necessarily have to be a male character. I plan on writing a book involving a rugged female character called Benji Rappetta Hanza, who not only uses her strength, but fights her foes using intellect, surroundings, and sometimes doesn't use her weapons at all. She is completely covered in a black suit of padded armour instead of a stupid lame bikini or an oversized chunk of metal. She would face servitors, and would go through any challenge not only to protect her family and friends, but every innocent as well. And she never uses magic once. And her romantic interest is not a man, but her life long companion, her horse.
Wait for Benji and see if you like it. To see Benjis character, look into the Feighton series: Benji vs the Servitors. Which not guaranteed to be released any time soon. It might take a few years from now. I aim to get Benji on this list.
well, I felt that brotherhood and revelations already dealt with a fully developed character and just showed his adventures of awesomeness, so the prince still wins in that he develops across his whole trilogy.
It's ridiculous how much emphasis we put on Physical Manliness instead of Emotional, and Mental Manliness, such as responsibility, dedication, and Willpower. These are the Real Men. They have the capacity to see what they are doing, and judge what is Right and Wrong, and do Right, even if it may have heavy Consequences. That is how you determine a Man. Not by Macho Muscles, or how many STDs I have, but by their capacity to do what is Right, and Fight for it.
There's this thing, it's called calming your shit. You should try it sometime... and also turning off caps lock should be next on that list.
He gives hope to mankind because he literally has no other left. The Kratos at the end of GOW3 was almost the exact same guy from the beginning of GOW1. Despite even his little growth from the Pandora episode, you can't possibly say that the guy is still anything more than a man raging at the heavens because his life sucks. He turns on his allies when its convenient for him, he feeds his love of violence through whatever mediums are available, and he still refuses to bury the damn past.
I look up answers to questions that really matter to me. As I am not a serious Assassin's Creed fan and I don't have a burning curiosity about this, I decided to have it be answered by a fellow human in a format that I find to be entertaining.
Alright, even if you ignore the date of this video, remember that Ezio's personality and maturity only developed in AC2. Sure, in Brotherhood he becomes a leader, and in Revelations.. he's an old man looking for the last bits of the Truth he's meant to uncover. But even then, he already possessed the traits needed for those, the two games just show what happens later in Ezio's life. AC2 was the only game that had him develop as a character.
I would argue tha,t where the Fire Emblem games are concerned, Roy and Ike are on the same level in terms of the qualities you listed as judging criteria. They each have to overcome a force by holding true to the values that make them strong, thereby growing as a character in the process.
I dunno, that's just my opinion.
love seeing ganon flail around every time a new one came up XD
Would Asura from Asura's Wrath be on an updated version of this countdown Josh?
I have two issues. One, Jaffar. Jaffar was a brutally efficient killer, among the very best of the Black Fang. When he was injured, a small girl cared for him, she was the daughter of Sonia, one of the few higher than him. When he was to assassinate a prince with her, and then kill her, he stopped, he would have sacrificed himself for her had Eliwood and his party not showed up and rescued both of them. Jaffar grew to love Nino, and when he finished his duty of protecting her and the rest of his party, they lived together, constantly on the run from assassins, regretting, but never denying his past mistakes. He is one of the bravest and most selfless men in video games.
Two, Link. Link is an incredible man. he braves hundred of demons for who he cares about. Whether rescuing his sister, or Zelda, or village children. he fights in face of impossible odds, yet he presses forward. He is one of the manliest video game characters I can think of. Also, "Boys will break your heart, real men will pick up the pieces." Sound familiar?
I haven't gone through all the comments so I don't know if this has been said before (please don't flame me if it has) But I wonder if Batman would make this list if it were updated every year.
LLoyd(Legend Of the Dragoon), Vahn(Legend Of Legaia), Citan Uzuki(Xenogears), Solid Snake(MGS 1), Diaz (Star Ocean The Second Story) to name a few.
I try to replay LoD at least once a year. Unfortunately, I can no longer get past the third disc. It freezes after the battle against Lenus and Regole.
this was from october 2010... Brotherhood came out in november 2010, Revelation came out in 2011... He could've known about Brotherhood at that time, but maybe FieryJoker isn't that much into AC...
I think Kratos is badly misunderstood. I in fact think he is bipolar. I mean, he's no a stoic bad ass nor sadist, he is driven by rage and guilt. He's also very clever and creative (the puzzles in the game). He also sacrificed his chance at heaven (which included being with his daughter again) to save the world.
He's far from a good person, but he's no unthinking beast. Likewise, in the third game, I think he was trying to find a form of redemption without even realising it.
@RavenRyy kratos shouldn't even be compared to any of these 10 characters
Never said otherwise. Just said that we shouldn't write him off as some monster and consider his pain and virtues.
If the Devil gets sympathy, why not the God of War?
What I meant was a character like kratos isn't supposed to be like those 10 characters, dont get me wrong I understand not liking the character
Brotherhood was released on November 2010. This video was posted on October 2010, so at the time he recorded it there was only one AC game starring Ezio. Thus his point was valid back then.
lol funny how after Joshscorcher says that Ezio didn't make number 1 that within a few years he has an entire trilogy of his story.
what's the song that plays during the prince of persia segment.
could anyone please tell me?
i mean braum risked his life to save a child an the way he did it was by PUNCHING THROUGH A MOTHER FUCKING MOUNTAIN
when i heard your intro i went to build a bear work shop and start destroying bears