The Men Who Would Be King

No character in Breath of the Wild has more charisma than Sidon. The enthusiastic Zora prince is defined by his cheerful personality and gleaming smile. It’s said that Sidon is the best swimmer of all the Zora, and legend has it that he once defeated a Octorok that was the size of a mountain! Sidon’s historic battle was immortalized in stone, and his heroics earned him many adorning fans. He’s especially popular with the ladies, and his talent, good looks, and positive attitude are enough to make any Zora swoon. Some of the elders question his judgment and doubt his royal heritage, but Sidon is willing to fight for his people. He also understands the value of diplomacy. Sidon is smarter than his detractors give him credit for, and he’s humble enough to ask for help when he needs it.

For the Frog the Bell Tolls is a Zelda-like action RPG for the Game Boy that was released exclusively in Japan. The game focuses on two princes from far away lands who have been rivals since childhood. When a beautiful princess from a neighboring kingdom is captured, the two princes compete to see who can save her first. The Prince of Sablé is not educated in the ways of the world and is usually bested by Prince Richard of the Custard Kingdom. Richard is arguably more well-known than his rival (thanks to a cameo in Link’s Awakening), but the naive Prince of Sablé is the star of the game. Although he lags behind Richard, the Prince of Sablé evolves as a person during his adventure. He also evolves in other ways, since he gains the ability to transform into a frog or a snake!

Laharl is the self-centered son of King Krichevskoy, ruler of the Netherworld. After the arrogant prince arises from a two-year nap, he learns that his father has died and most of his vassals are trying to take his place. Even though he’s the rightful heir to the throne, he has to take it by force. Laharl goes to great lengths to prove his worth and paints himself as the strongest demon in the Netherworld. He clearly loves attention, and he even displays outrage when he’s not featured as the main character in a game. Although he considers himself to be evil and never misses an opportunity to laugh in an ominous manner, he’s really not such a bad guy. (He’s egotistical and sardonic, but none of his actions are overtly immoral.) Even after Laharl is crowned Overlord, those closest to him continue to refer to him as Prince.

Noctis Lucis Caelum is the only son of King Regis Lucis Caelum and the heir to his throne. The Lucian kings are tasked with safeguarding a divine crystal that’s connected to the world’s deities, and Noctis can harness the power of the crystal to forge spectral weapons out of thin air! With great power comes great responsibility, however, so the Crown Prince comes to understand that he will have to cater to the demands of his kingdom like his father before him. He’s unfit to lead when the game begins and has trouble staying level-headed in times of distress. Eventually, he develops a sense of clarity and purpose towards his mission. His childhood was marred by tragedy and he has insecurities about the role that was chosen for him, but King Regis always knew his son would ascend when the time was right.

A sensitive tadpole who wrestles with low self-esteem, Mallow works hard to gain confidence and grow stronger. As a child, Mallow never felt like a normal tadpole. He couldn’t jump very high, he was a terrible swimmer, and he looked nothing like his tadpole brothers and sisters. He also had the uncanny ability to control the weather. Eventually, Mallow learns that he was not a tadpole at all! Incidentally, an elderly frog found Mallow as an infant and decided to raise him as his own grandson. Mallow later discovers that he was born to the royal family in Nimbus Land and was lost when he was very young. After he visits his homeland in the clouds, Prince Mallow finally gets to meet his real parents. The reunion happens off-screen, but it causes a torrential downpour that tells us how emotional it was for everyone involved.

The Crown Prince of Lordaeron and Knight of the Silver Hand, Arthas Menethil was committed to the protection of his people. He was determined to stop the plague spreading throughout the kingdom, but he resorted to increasingly desperate methods when he was unable to do so. After killing the necromancer Kel’Thuzad, Arthas took on the cursed runeblade Frostmourne to defeat the demon Mal’Ganis. Unfortunately, he lost his soul in the process and became a death knight of the Scourge. With an undead army at his command, Arthas destroyed the very kingdom that he swore to protect. He would later make his way to the Frozen Throne of Icecrown and merge with the legendary Lich King. Despite his promising beginnings, Arthas destroyed his remnants of his humanity and became one of the most evil beings Azeroth would ever know.

No video game prince is more cruel and psychotic than Luca Blight. The Mad Prince of Highland is unmatched in battle and kills without remorse. After devising an elaborate false flag operation as an excuse to start a pointless war, Luca proceeds to murder hordes of peasants and anyone else who gets in his way. He burns down villages, runs down refugees, and humiliates one of his victims by making her crawl around like a pig! He also shows utter contempt for his own men and even beheads on his generals. Luca harbors hatred to the City States of Jowston, but killing humans by the thousands doesn’t even begin to quench his bloodlust. His ultimate goal is to eradicate humanity and destroy the entire world! It’s no wonder why he describes himself as the true face of evil. It’ll take an entire army to stop the guy.

Most princes have a single kingdom to worry about and can usually sit back and let their parents make the important decisions. The diminutive prince from Katamari Damacy doesn’t have it so easy. His father is the King of All Cosmos and isn’t exactly the most responsible ruler. After the king goes on a bender and accidentally destroys all of the stars and constellations, he makes his kid collect enough material to rebuild the celestial bodies. To that end, the Prince rolls an adhesive ball (called a katamari) around various locations in order to gather enough resources to complete his task. The king has a tendency to cause problems for the universe, and his son has to shoulder the burden of his father’s over-exuberance. It’s hard not to admire the little guy’s work ethic.

Many Fire Emblem characters were considered for this list, but Marth is the closest thing the series has to a main character. The extraordinary Prince of Altea has the blood of a hero in his veins. When his kingdom was usurped by dark forces, Marth was forced into exile. Although he had no army to fight with him, he found new allies as he battled his way forward. Wielding his divine sword Falchion, Marth led a revolt and fought shoulder-to-shoulder with his men in an effort to reunite the war-torn land of Altea. He’s betrayed on more than one occasion, but his faith in others contributes to his success in battle. A magnificent swordsman and an idealistic leader, Marth’s heroics are remembered for generations after his death. He’s so legendary, in fact, that he’s summoned to battle by his descendants.

There have been various versions of the eponymous Prince of Persia, but most of them aren’t technically princes at all. The compelling protagonist from the Sands of Time trilogy actually has royal blood. Although he’s incredibly athletic and graceful in combat, he’s best-known for his ability to control time itself. Throughout the series, the Prince finds himself battling a corrupt vizier and a mystical demon, but his biggest battle is with himself. By manipulating time to erase his mistakes, he is really only hiding from personal failure. Eventually, he finds himself haunted by a manifestation of his own darkest attributes. When his story comes full circle, much of his history remains entwined in an enigmatic web. In fact, his name is never even explicitly stated in any of the games!