For the right amount of money, a mercenary will do the dirty work and get whatever job you need to be done. Whether that be going behind enemy lines to retrieve a person of interest, or totake out as many demons as you’re able to with your sword.
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It’s not just your run-of-the-mill shoot-em-up types, either. You’ve got mercenaries of all kinds: former military, spies with secrets, as well as gods, and even aliens with quads of steel. Which misfit for money is your favorite?
10Ada Wong - Resident Evil Series
A perfect example of duplicity, Ada is a professional equalizer who jumps between doing the right thing for the world and the right thing for herself while the world burns all around her inResident Evil. Her combat prowess is only outmatched by her wit, and she isn’t afraid of knowing when to cut her losses and leave.
Even against all the zombies and bioweapons, she always comes out on top with either weapon or wit. She only has one weakness that can cause her to slip up on a job: Leon Kennedy. There isn’t a relationship per se, but it’s clear she has a soft spot for the agent and it’s gotten her in situations more than once.
9Wrex - Mass Effect Series
Mass Effect’sinterpretation of space is a good backdrop for all sorts of people: heroes that go the distance to save the galaxy, and criminals who take advantage of tucked-away corners of space where surveillance is at an extreme low. Then you have those who have both their hands, or quads in this instance, on both sides.
Wrex, as with most Krogan who leave Tuchanka, became a mercenary of some renown when Commander Shepard meets him, and that notoriety only grows when he helps fend off Sovereign and become Clan Leader.
8Cloud Strife - Final Fantasy 7
Cloud may not be many things, like an actual SOLDIER for one, but what he is throughoutFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeis a mercenary. One that lowballs his efforts, if you are to go by the remake, but one talented in combat at least.
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He proves he will go the distance to save anyone he considers a close friend, such as when Tifa was taken. He got himself on stage and shook his moneymaker to gain what he needed to save her. If that isn’t a merc who’s worth it, then who is?
7Ike - Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance
One could argue that Ike received his spot inFire Emblem: Path of Radiance’sGreil Mercenaries group strictly from nepotism, but it’s clear that Greil, Ike’s father, believes in his son and his abilities to fight and eventually becomes a savior of not one, but two nations. It looks like old man Greil chose correctly in believing in his son.
That belief pays off as Ike becomes the leader of the Greil Mercenaries some years down the line, and eventually gains the powers that rival a god bestowed on him by a literal God of Chaos to bring peace to the world once more. Overpowered, indeed.
6Rico Rodriguez - Just Cause Series
If you feel like you need to hireJust Cause’s Rico Rodriguez to help you out with a mission or task, then you must already be at a point of no return. Sure, you’ll get his top-of-the-line results after the job is said and done, but at what cost?
Rico brings extensive firepower to the battle, and he will most definitely blow something up at least once if not three more times after the first explosion. He should come with a flammable label if we’re being real here. Still, he gets the job done.
5Dante - Devil May Cry Series
Technically, Dante doesn’t consider himself a mercenary, since he doesn’t typically lend out his services for taking care of humans, but instead likes to refer to himself as a Devil Hunter. An understandable differentiation, for sure. Let’s look a little deeper at the mechanics of Devil Hunting inDevil May Cry, though.
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A client comes in and offers cash? Check. The job usually asks him to dispatch demons? Check. Doesn’t get fully paid until the job is done, but usually, ends up in the red due to collateral damage? Double check. Dante as a mercenary checks out by normal standards.
4Yojimbo - Final Fantasy 10
When talking about mercenaries, you most likely think of main characters or even antagonists who fit the bill. It makes sense considering statistically they’re bound to be in a lot of games. Yojimbo fromFinal Fantasy 10is built different, though.
First, he is the only summon that requires payment before joining Yuna’s arsenal. Then, continues to demand payment before doing anything, and not only that, if you don’t pay him enough, he’ll send his dog, Daigoro, to do the dirty work for him. Pay the right price, and he’ll instantly killanything and anyonein the game.
3The Iron Bull - Dragon Age: Inquisition
Long-time fan favorite of theDragon Ageseries, The Iron Bull (yes, you say the whole thing) is an early party member that straight up offers his troupe’s services right out of the gate in exchange for a sizable fee.
Aside from being a little bloodthirsty with the end of his weapon, he’s also surprisingly transparent. Immediately, he lets you know he’s a spy for the Qunari, and he was sent to keep an eye on the Inquisition as much as he was to help against the hole in the fade. He’s an honest mercenary.
2The Heavy - Team Fortress 2
Considered to be one of the strongest classes inTeam Fortress 2, The Heavy truly wants only one thing out of all the fighting and shielding: his sandwiches. Yes, his love of the dish knows no bounds, but he doesn’t mind sharing with his team if they need health.
The Heavy is a wall that takes an absurd amount of damage before it becomes a dire situation. The tradeoff for all that power and defense is his speed. But if you could mow down the other team with your minigun, a few bullets wouldn’t make much of a difference.
1Big Boss - Metal Gear Solid
Known as “The Greatest Warrior of the 20th Century” in theMetal Gearuniverse, Big Boss was a special force operative in the U.S. Army, but became disillusioned after the sacrifice of his mentor and decided the best thing to do was to work for himself. So he and his small trusted circle created his troupe of mercenaries named Militaires Sans Frontières, or Soldiers Without Borders.
Under the military prowess lies the heart of an entrepreneur. Not only was he successful in building a sizable army of mercenaries, but he was able to do it two more times after his first base was destroyed.
