Brothers in Arms

Cap’n Cuttlefish is a decorated hero who fought in the Great Turf Wars between the Inklings and Octarians. Although Cuttlefish and his compatriots were able to force the Octarians into submission, the elderly veteran keeps a solemn vigil over Octo Valley and watches for any fishy behavior. He knows his best days are behind him, but he acts as a mentor for the younger generation and provides Inklinkgs soldiers with invaluable advice. During the initial tour of Inkopolis Plaza, Cuttlefish is referred to as a “creepy old dude.” This is a sad reflection of how many veterans are treated in the real world, but Cuttlefish deserves more respect and kindness. His clothing is tattered and he spends most of his time in the sewers, but Cap’n Cuttlefish is more resilient than the average Inkling and a lot wiser than he looks.

The Army Men games are based on the inexpensive plastic soldiers that were all the rage in the 1950s. Sgt. Hawk (more commonly known as Sarge) is a no-nonsense soldier and an obvious parody of George C. Scott’s legendary portrayal of General Patton. As Sarge leads his misfit team of green soldiers against an army of tan counterparts, he’s tasked with eliminating enemies, destroying vehicles, and rescuing civilians. Sarge has to be weary of snipers, mines, and other dangerous weapons, but spiders also pose a substantial threat (due to his diminutive size) and magnifying glasses are seen as weapons of mass destruction by the plastic populace. The other individuals on this list face larger challenges, but it’s only natural for a series based on a toy line to be more family friendly than most war-based games.

Sonya Blade fought with the U.S. Special Forces and was part of the Outer World Investigation Agency. As the only Earthrealm female invited to participate in the Mortal Kombat tournament, she’s not only one of the strongest women in the world, but one of the strongest people from any realm. It would be easy to judge her on her appearance, but it doesn’t really matter whether she’s fighting in a sports bra or military fatigues. Sonya has grenades at the ready and can call in drone strikes when she needs to, but it’s her hand-to-hand combat training that makes her so dangerous. Her trademark kartwheel kick can send her opponents flying, and she’s ruthless enough to decapitate her enemies with a garrote wire. She gets kidnapped at one point and is later knocked up by a movie star, but Sonya is still a proud General and an independent woman.

Valkyria Chronicles is set in a the fictional region of Europa – which is loosely based on Europe during the early years of World War II. When the neutral nation of Gallia came under attack from the Imperial Alliance, Welkin Gunther was forced to fight for his life. After joining the Gallian militia, Welkin was promptly promoted to Lieutenant and assumed command of his own squad. Welkin was the son of a General, but his lack of combat experience was a point of concern. Eventually, Welkin was able to earn the respect and loyalty of his squad thanks to his brilliant tactics. A background in animal sociology gave Welkin an understanding of Gallia’s native flora and fauna, and he used his extensive knowledge as a basis for his military strategies. While defending his country, Welkin found enough time to fall in love and start a family.

Even though his missions take him as far as the surface of the moon, Bill Rizer is more G.I. Joe than Space Marine. The Contra series takes heavy influence from 1980s action films, and the visage of Bill Rizer was clearly based on Arnold Schwarzenegger. As a member of the Contra Force, Rizer devoted his life to destroying alien hordes and was rightfully known as one of the greatest soldiers who ever lived. Another commando named Lance Bean fought alongside Bill Rizer and helped save the world from the Red Falcon alien army on numerous occasions. Although their partnership was the stuff of legend, Bill is getting all of the recognition here because Lance later betrayed humanity, merged with an alien cell, and became the commander of a terrorist organization. I guess he got tired of being known as the player-two character.

Lieutenant commander Samuel Fisher was the first field agent recruited into the top-secret “Splinter Cell” black ops sub-branch of the NSA. He was a great fit for the unit, as his entire life had been shaped by the military. He attended military boarding school as a child, he served his country as a Navy SEAL, and he eventually became a head field operative within a counter-terrorism group that reported only to the President. Fisher’s training was focused on undercover and covert infiltration tactics, and his missions required a mastery of stealth, surveillance, hacking, and martial arts. He’s also a explosives expert and has advanced knowledge of nearly every firearm he comes across. Fisher has no time for bureaucracy or political correctness, but he remains loyal and knows that his work is for the greater good.

Guile is a major in the United States Air Force who embarks on a mission to avenge the death of his best friend at the hands of a would-be dictator. With his trademark military fatigues and US flags tattooed onto both of his arms, Guile was designed specifically to appeal to American fans. His muscular build and chiseled jaw make him look like an typical action hero, and this is likely why Capcom made him the focal point of the 1994 live-action film (where he was portrayed by Jean-Claude Van Damme.) Guile is a loving father and husband who clearly takes pride in his family, but his stoic exterior masks his emotions. His guarded personality is a perfect fit for his defensive fighting style, and Guile’s signature moves can dictate the pace of any battle. He also gets bonus points for having one of the most famous theme songs in all of gaming.

Joseph Gibson is an elite soldier in the Federal States of America’s armed forces who has completed many behind-the-lines missions for his division. After he was dropped off in a jungle at the beginning of Commando, Super Joe wiped out waves of soldiers, stormed enemy fortresses, and freed prisoners of war. When Bionic Commando was released on the NES several years later, Super Joe himself had become a prisoner. While gathering intelligence on an evil empire’s top secret plan to revive Hitler, Joe was capture by the enemy. A rescue mission was initiated, but it was completely unnecessary since Joe was an unstoppable force who dispatched enemy guards behind the scenes and broke through their strongholds. After leaving the FSA Military, Super Joe formed a covert mercenary team and continued to make a difference around the globe.

Captain John Price of the British Special Air Service is an experienced soldier who doesn’t take shit from anyone. He never misses an opportunity to razz his subordinates, but he takes his leadership role very seriously and his valor cannot be questioned. Price is an expert marksmen and a master of stealth, but he can also throw a punch when the situation calls for it. Throughout the Modern Warfare trilogy, Price shoots helicopters out of the sky, hijacks a nuclear submarine, and detonates a makeshift EMP above Washington, D.C. to prevent a full-scale Russian invasion. This is not to say that things are easy for him. He’s taken as a prisoner of war, his task force is disavowed, and most of his friends are killed in action. Regardless of how overwhelming the odds are, Price is persistent and unrelenting on the battlefield.

Solid Snake was literally born to be a perfect soldier and was the result of a secret project that aimed to create clones of a legendary mercenary known as Big Boss. After a brief stint with the Green Berets, Snake was recruited into an elite black ops unit of the US Army known as FOXHOUND. The unit specialized in covert operations that were too politically-sensitive to address through conventional means, and Snake’s expertise in espionage made him the perfect candidate to infiltrate terrorist strongholds. Snake was often tasked with destroying bipedal Metal Gear tanks that could potentially launch nuclear missiles from anywhere in the world, but he also had to contend with cyborg ninjas, powerful psychics, and rival super soldiers. Nothing was impossible for him, and he was viewed as a living legend among the military black ops.