To Err Is Human

No medium focuses more on the concepts of redemption and betrayal than pro wrestling. In fact, the terms “heel turn” and “face term” originate from the wrestling world. Raiden was a masked wrestler known for his ruthlessness in the ring. The mountain of a man showed little concern for his opponents’ well-being and wasn’t above using underhanded tactics. His ability to manhandle others (and his willingness to break the rules) caught the attention of a criminal kingpin, and Raiden soon found himself employed as a henchmen for an underground organization. Raiden acted as a heel in the first Fatal Fury game and relied on a repertoire of unethical techniques like spitting yellow mist in his opponents’ faces. After taking off his mask, Raiden scaled back the cheating and adopted the persona of Big Bear in Fatal Fury 2.

From his first appearance in Sonic 3, it was apparent that Knuckles the Echidna was going to make things very difficult for everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog. Knuckles would periodically show up and set traps for Sonic. He also repeatedly stole chaos emeralds from him. His intentions were pure, however, as Knuckles was mislead to believe that the notorious Dr. Robotnik was trying to protect the island’s master emerald and that Sonic and Tails were attempting to steal it. Evidently, Knuckles is extremely naive, and it’s only after Robotnik tries to electrocute him that he accepts the truth. Knuckles has a jaded personality and insists on doing things his own way. Even though he’s as dumb as a box of rocks, the stubborn echidna eventually decides to join Sonic and Tails in their quest to stop the mad scientist.

Saki is a pint-sized 14-year-old girl and the final boss of the first Onechanbara game. She doesn’t look very dangerous, but she’s an experienced swordsman, a martial arts master, and a skilled acrobat. She’s also a descendant of a cursed bloodline that sends her into berserk frenzies and bestows her with unnatural strength. Saki was abandoned by her father at a young age and watched helplessly as her mother succumbed to illness and poverty. In response, Saki sought vengeance against her father and set out to kill her half-sister Aya as well. After facing defeat at the hands of her bikini-clad sis, Saki teamed up with Aya and learned to control her psychopathic outbreaks. The sisters have been joined at the hip ever since and Aya’s zombie-slaying adventures just wouldn’t be the same without her little sister.

This self-proclaimed King has caused many problems for the inhabitants of Dream Land through selfish mischief. For instance, he once stole all of the food from Dream Land and served as the final boss in Kirby’s debut game. Dedede was back to his usual tricks in Kirby’s Adventure, and he stole Star Rod from the Fountain of Dreams before breaking it up into several pieces and giving the fragments to his allies. Without the Star Rod, the inhabitants of Dream Land lost their ability to dream, so Kirby took it upon himself to defeat the king once again. After defeating Dedede, Kirby would learn that his arch-rival had been acting on good intentions. By breaking up the Star Rod, Dedede foiled the plans of a Nightmare that had invaded. The King was only trying to protect the inhabitants of Dream Land from having bad dreams.

Groose is a lot like Biff Tannen from Back to the Future or Gaston from Beauty and the Beast in the sense that he’s depicted as a conceited and delusional bully. His personality changes throughout the course of the game, however, and he turns out to be a pretty good guy by the time it’s all said and done. Although his romantic feelings for Zelda that are not reciprocated, he still sets out to rescue the fair maiden after she is kidnapped. Groose initially blames Link for Zelda’s disappearance, but begrudgingly accepts that Link is destined to rescue her. After coming to terms with his own limitations, Groose gains respect for Link and vows to help him in any way he can. To this end, he builds a powerful catapult called the Groosenator and aids Link by launching bombs at a mysterious beast that keeps trying to mess with them.

Known for his trademark yellow scarf and unforgettable whistle that signals his arrival, Proto Man was first seen in Mega Man 3. Under the guise of Break Man, he appeared at various points throughout the game to duel with the Blue Bomber. These battles never lasted long, and Proto Man’s motives were shrouded in mystery. His true colors were revealed at the end of the game when he rescued an injured Mega Man and returned him to Dr. Light’s laboratory. During the epilogue, it was revealed that Proto Man was actually Mega Man’s brother all along. Apparently, Proto Man had only been fighting Mega Man as a way of training him for his battles with Dr. Wily. Proto Man remains reclusive throughout the series, but is always watching over Mega Man and frequently steps in to protect his younger brother.

In a world where song is considered a sin, Hilda is one of only five chosen witches who are still permitted to sing. Initially known as the Witch of Time, Hilda later becomes known as the Witch of Destruction after cursing the world with her songs and encasing towns in crystal. With the assistance of the royal knights, a young man named Alto sets out to gather the other four witches in an effort to undo the damage that Hilda’s song has caused. Hilda is originally viewed as a harbinger of death, but the true motivation behind her crystallization hijinks is to protect the world from an impending invasion. Hilda eventually joins Alto’s party and becomes the most important heroine in the group. Her transition from villain to companion makes her the most interesting witch in the game and a prime candidate for Alto’s affection.

Miles Edgeworth had a perfect record during his first four years as a prosecutor and was willing to do anything in order to secure a guilty verdict. The young prosecutor was famed for his logical prowess, but he was not above using intimidating tactics in order to preserve his flawless record. Although he would never admit it, Miles was just as concerned with protecting his reputation as he was with pursuing the truth. His obsession with proving defendants guilty was largely fueled by the fact that his father was murdered when he was younger. Following his defeat in court at the hand of his childhood friend Phoenix Wright, Miles was forced to re-evaluate his positions. His attitudes about his profession were changed dramatically, and he even quit on multiple occasions before returning with a new outlook on how to conduct his life.

The son of Dracula is one of three characters to switch allegiances in Castlevania III. After being defeated by Trevor Belmont, Alucard agreed to join him in his quest to rid the world of the notorious vampire lord. Alucard’s initial decision to oppose his own father would have been enough for him to be mentioned here, but the fact that he continues to confront Dracula in subsequent games makes him an even stronger candidate for this list. Alucard battles Dracula long after Trever Belmont is dead and gone. By landing the starring role in Symphony of Night, Alucard arguably overshadowed the entire Belmont clan. Alucard was introduced as a stage boss and only had a supporting role in his first game, but he went on to become Dracula’s main opposition in the best game in the entire Castlevania series.

Magus is a powerful sorcerer and the leader of a race of demons who wage war against humanity. He once used his dark magic to transform a noble knight into an anthropomorphic frog. Much worse, he apparently created a creature named Lavos that destroyed human civilization and ravaged the world in an apocalyptic future. After great lengths are taken to prevent Magus from summoning Lavos, it’s revealed that Magus wasn’t responsible for the creation of the creature after all. Rather, he was merely summoning the creature because he wanted to destroy it. In fact, Magus had spent most of his life planning to rid the world of the extraterrestrial parasitic monster. Magus was initially painted as the primary antagonist in Chrono Trigger, but he ended up becoming a party member and played an important role in defending the planet’s future.