We Can Rebuild Him

The bravery of Jackson “Jax” Briggs was put on display in Mortal Kombat II when he entered a fighting tournament against outer-worldly opponents in an effort to rescue his kidnapped subordinate. A member of the United States Special Forces, Jax is known for his incredible strength. He’s powerful enough to create mini-earthquakes simply by punching the ground! From Mortal Kombat 3 onwards, Jax appears with cybernetically-enhanced arms that apparently make him even stronger. The 2011 version of Mortal Kombat suggests that Jax lost his organic arms when he was telekinetically dismembered by an opponent. The specific reason why he opted for cybernetics is almost irrelevant. Jax was fighting alongside lightning gods, evil shape-shifters, and carnivorous reptiles, so it’s only natural that he would try to gain an advantage.

As the head of the underground resistance movement and a single father of an adopted daughter, Barret is known for both his brute strength and his kind heart. He’s prone to violent outbursts, but he’s ultimately fighting for a benevolent cause. After his right arm was mangled during an attack on his hometown, Barret did the sensible thing and replaced it with a prosthetic gun-arm that allowed for various weapon attachments. Having a gun attached to your body at all times has certain advantages, but it also makes it difficult to live a normal life. (Barret’s habit of firing his gun into the air in fits of rage probably didn’t help in this regard, but I digress.) In Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Barret’s arm was replaced with a transforming steel hand which could turn into a gun. I’m still partial to his original gun-arm, but his new arm was certainly more useful.

With nearly 30 years of service under his belt, Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 is one of the most decorated war heroes in the United Nations Space Command. As a super soldier enhanced with a “Spartan Neural Interface,” Master Chief is able to interface with an AI companion in order to make use of advanced “Powered Assault Armor” which vastly improves his strength, speed, agility, and reflexes. Master Chief is unquestionably the most recognizable cyborg on this list, but the suit itself deserves a lot of the credit. While it’s true that Master Chief wouldn’t be able to make use of his iconic power suit without his cybernetic implants, it would almost feel like cheating if I rated him any higher. Master Chief is one of many UNSC soldiers with cybernetic implants, so he’s not as unique as some of the other entries on this list either.

Mass Effect allows players to specify the gender, appearance, and history of Commander Shepard, so trying to describe him (or her) is a futile task. It’s safe to describe Shepard as a war hero and a natural leader. In a shocking turn of events, Shepard was killed in the opening act of Mass Effet 2 when his ship was attacked by unidentified forces. In a scene right out of The Six Million Dollar Man, Shepard’s body was recovered and he was rebuilt with synthetic and organic materials. His new skin could absorb damage, his muscles were fortified, and his bones were neigh-unbreakable. Sadly, Shepard’s abilities are underplayed and his cybernetics are largely unnoticeable from the outside. This makes him a pretty boring candidate for this list. I’d rank him higher, but Shepard fails to live up to his potential as a super strong zombie cyborg from space.

The Famicon version of Shatterhand was based on a Japanese live-action superhero series, but the graphics were altered for the NES release and the storyline was completely redone. Shatterhand takes place in the year 2030 in a world overrun by cyborg soldiers. After a decorated police officer named Steve Hermann is injured by two cyborgs, he is approached by a law enforcement official and presented with the most powerful cybernetic hands in the world! Steve accepts the new hands and the responsibility that comes along with them. When he emerged from the hospital, Steve was determined to defeat an army of cyborg soldiers with his bare hands. His new hands are capable of destroying metal upon contact and he can even stop enemy projectiles by punching them out of the air. TL;DR – Steve shatters things with his hands.

Xenoblade Chronicles takes place on the lifeless bodies of two titans who were locked in conflict. After the battle ended, life began to arise on each of the giants. The Bionis became home to organic lifeforms, while the Mechonis gave rise to mechanical life. The humanoid Homs people of the Bionis and the Mechon armies of the Mechonis became engaged in a bitter rival for survival, and an innocent young girl named Fiora was one of the many casualties. Fiora’s life appeared to have ended when she defended her friend against an antagonistic Mechon soldier, but it was later revealed that Fiora survived the assault and her organic body was replaced with a mechanical one. Fiora’s unique situation ultimately allows her to act as a bridge between the feuding peoples of the Bionis and the Mechonis.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a parody of 1980s action films, cartoons, and video games, and Sgt. Rex “Power” Colt is everything you could ask for in an ’80s action hero. He’s brave, he’s sarcastic, and he has a witty one-liner for almost every situation. He’s also self-aware and never takes himself too seriously. Colt was a seasoned war veteran who served America in many conflicts. Following his death in the Vietnam War II, he was used in a classified government cyborg program to become a Mark I cyber-commando. After receiving additional upgrades, Colt eventually became the pinnacle of the cyber-commando Mark IV series. His body is 85% synthetic and valued at over one billion dollars. In the aftermath of a nuclear war, Colt is the best bet to get the girl, kill the bad guys, and save the world.

Bionic Commando was one of the most unique platformers of its era due to the fact that the star of the game was unable to jump. Rad Spencer’s bionic arm made up for this setback and allowed him to latch onto almost anything in order to effortlessly swing from one platform to the next. The arm also allowed him to retrieve items from a distance. Sadly, Spencer’s 2009 dudebro makeover left a lot to be desired. His classic green jumpsuit was replaced with a generic tank top, his spiky red hair was replaced with dreadlocks, and his name was changed to Nathan for what Capcom described as “obvious” reasons. I think it’s pretty obvious that a super soldier named Rad shooting Hitler in the face is infinitely cooler than a guy named Nathan running around with a bionic arm made out of his dead wife. What were they thinking?

Many gamers were taken aback when Raiden replaced Solid Snake as the primary protagonist in Metal Gear Solid 2, but most fans came to accept him in time. Raised as a child soldier and used as a subject for various experiments, Raiden’s brain was implanted with nanomachines and his memories were manipulated. His cybernetic enhancements were not immediately apparent, but this would change after he was subjected to skeletal enhancement surgery. At this point, his head and spine were removed from his body and grafted onto a synthetic body. This ultimately increased his strength, speed, and agility to superhuman levels. Raiden was initially portrayed as a pretty boy who performed nude cartwheels, but his enhancements turned him into a badass cyborg ninja who spent most of his time slicing things up with a sword.

Adam Jensen’s mechanical enhancements are too numerous to list here. He is able to punch through walls, he has retractable blades in his arms, and his cardiovascular and muscular systems were modified for increased strength and stability. Cochlear implants improve his hearing, a retinal prosthesis displays environmental information, and his skin has built-in cloaking abilities! Many of his modifications are ideal for stealth-based objectives, but he can also use his “Typhoon Explosive System” to launch explosives in every direction. Some Deus Ex fans might argue that JC Denton deserves to be on this list rather than Adam Jensen. Both characters are anti-terrorist agents with stoic personalities, and Denton’s enhancements are more advanced than Jensen’s. Jensen is getting the nod simply because he’s more fun to play as.