History ContrastingSequelMainCharacter / VideoGames

** Squall of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' was intentionally written to be more 'human' and 'normal' than the ''FF'' heroes so far. Where Terra and Cloud's troubles are about self-identity, Squall's troubles are about his relationships with his friends and family, with his teenage identity problems more in the background, a notable change from Cloud and Squall is that you can pick what Cloud says several times in the game but you only pick what Squall thinks and his actual responses will be the same. Cloud pretended to be an elite ex-Soldier until forced to remember that he only made grunt, while Squall is introduced getting into the ranks of Seed and is placed as head of the Garden later on. In comparison with Cloud's overpowering ChickMagnet status in the middle of a LoveTriangle, Squall has a single love interest in Rinoa and they only have minor effects on the love lives of the other characters. Previous ''FF'' heroes (even the most everyman ones) existed strictly in a fantasy world, but Squall goes to high school, rents cars and reads his classmates' blog posts.

* ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor'': The first game in 1999 puts the player in the shoes of Lt. James "Jimmy" Patterson, a United States Army transport pilot who [[GotVolunteered GetsVolunteered]] to join the Office of Strategic Services after decorating himself in gallant action during D-Day. The sequel ''Underground'' has you playing as Manon Baptiste (who you might remember as Jimmy's [=OSS=] liaison in the first game), a French woman from Paris who becomes a Resistance fighter in order to survive, loses her brother when an armoury raid goes horribly wrong, and joins the [=OSS=] through her late brother's connections as the alternative is a life on the run. Both doing the same kind of OneManArmy sabotage missions, but Manon's campaign is much different in tone than Jimmy's, being more like romantic spy stuff rather than Jimmy's ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan''-esque soldier action.

* ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor'': The first game in 1999 puts the player in the shoes of Lt. James "Jimmy" Patterson, a United States Army transport pilot who GetsVolunteered to join the Office of Strategic Services after decorating himself in gallant action during D-Day. The sequel ''Underground'' has you playing as Manon Baptiste (who you might remember as Jimmy's [=OSS=] liaison in the first game), a French woman from Paris who becomes a Resistance fighter in order to survive, loses her brother when an armoury raid goes horribly wrong, and joins the [=OSS=] through her late brother's connections as the alternative is a life on the run. Both doing the same kind of OneManArmy sabotage missions, but Manon's campaign is much different in tone than Jimmy's, being more like romantic spy stuff rather than Jimmy's ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan''-esque soldier action.

** Squall of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' was intentionally written to be more 'human' and 'normal' than the ''FF'' heroes so far. Where Terra and Cloud's troubles are about self-identity, Squall's troubles are about his relationships with his friends and family, with his teenage identity problems more in the background. Cloud pretended to be an elite ex-Soldier, while Squall is introduced getting into the ranks of Seed. In comparison with Cloud's overpowering ChickMagnet status in the middle of a LoveTriangle, Squall has a single love interest in Rinoa and they only have minor effects on the love lives of the other characters. Previous ''FF'' heroes (even the most everyman ones) existed strictly in a fantasy world, but Squall goes to high school, rents cars and reads his classmates' blog posts.

** Tidus from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' is a FishOutOfWater in comparison to the experienced Zidane. And while their personalities aren't terribly different, the way their plot points unfold is remarkably vast. They both have an AwfulTruth about their origins, but while Zidane is a LivingWeapon from Gaia to destroy the world he has come to love, Tidus is one inhabitant of the living dream of the fayth, which makes him unimportant to the world at large. Both where flirts before the game begins but Zidane never really stops and has to sort out his serious feelings for Garnet while Tidus only flirts with some fans in the prologue and maybe some light flirting with his female party members but is very serious with his feelings for Yuna.
*** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX-2'' contrasts Tidus with his love interest Yuna. Tidus always wanted to experience Spira without Sin alongside Yuna, Yuna never expected to see a Sinless Spira and now must navigate a very different world. Tidus was a nobody only notable for being a Guardian to the High Summoner's daughter, Yuna has become the High Summoner who banished Sin and lives with even more celebrity than before.
** Vaan in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', while a ray of sunshine compared to Cloud and Squall, has a chip on his shoulder compared to Zidane and Tidus. And while Tidus and Zidane developed full-fledged romances with the High Summoner's daughter and a princess, Vaan has a very low-key relationship with his childhood friend.
** Lightning of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' is back to being moody and serious, with elements of her character and look designed to be a DistaffCounterpart to Cloud and Squall.

** Squall of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' was intentionally written to be more 'human' and 'normal' than the ''FF'' heroes so far. Where Terra and Cloud's troubles are about self-identity, Squall's troubles are about his relationships with his friends and family, with his teenage identity problems more in the background. In comparison with Cloud's overpowering ChickMagnet status in the middle of a LoveTriangle, Squall has a single love interest in Rinoa and they only have minor effects on the love lives of the other characters. Previous ''FF'' heroes (even the most everyman ones) existed strictly in a fantasy world, but Squall goes to high school, rents cars and reads his classmates' blog posts.
** Zidane of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' was a lot more friendly and sociable than Squall. Zidane is also much more altruistic than the professional mercenary, his motto literally being "You don't need a reason to help people." Romantically, Zidane is a flirt who slowly develops real feelings for Garnet; while Squall had no history before Rinoa and spends a lot of time sorting his feelings out when he realizes he has them. In terms of friendship, Squall distanced himself from others due to his abandonment issues while Zidane has zero issue in forming bonds with others and won't hesitate in asking for help when needed.
** Tidus from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' is a FishOutOfWater in comparison to the experienced Zidane. And while their personalities aren't terribly different, the way their plot points unfold is remarkably vast. They both have an AwfulTruth about their origins, but while Zidane is a LivingWeapon from Gaia to destroy the world he has come to love, Tidus is one inhabitant of the living dream of the fayth, which makes it unimportant to the world at large. Both where flirts before the game begins but Zidane never really stops and has to sort out his serious feelings for Garnet while Tidus only flirts with some fans in the prologue and maybe some light flirting with his female party members but is very serious with his feelings for Yuna.

** Noct also has one with [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXVI Clive Rosfield]]. Both are scions of reigning families who lose their fathers and kingdoms to invading empires, whom they seek revenge on. Noctis was the sole heir to the throne and the Chosen King destined from birth to stop the Starscourge, while Clive has no claim to the throne due to not possessing the Phoenix's powers and initially has no higher purpose other than to protect Joshua. In addition, Noctis travels around with a group of trusted friends, while Clive mostly has Torgal for company. While both of them have a StanceSystem of sorts, Noctis' is a Hyperspace Arsenal while Clive's powers are based on magic. Romantically Noctis is engaged to Lunafreya [[spoiler:only for her to die before they could meet in-game and be TogethereInDeath in the end]]. Clive begins with an unspoken attraction to his childhood friend Jill that eventually blossoms into a relationship [[spoiler:but whether Clive survives to be reunited with her is ambiguous.]]

** Blaze and his Wardog Squadron from ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'' are a bunch of idealistic, but talented rookie pilots who fly the planes command has given them and identify strongly with their nation (to the point of fighting against their own when they come to believe that their cause is unjust). Cipher and Pixy from its prequel ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'', meanwhile, are both jaded, battle-scarred mercenaries who bring their own planes and hold no particular attachment to their cause except money - though [[spoiler:Pixy finding a cause beyond money to fight for is [[FaceHeelTurn what fuels his defection]] to a terrorist group and becoming the BigBad]] - and even on the Knight path (which is implied to be canon through a MergingtheBranches, shooting down all variable squadrons despite in game KarmaMeter status), Cipher's [[KnightInSourArmor armor is mostly sour]].
** The Wardogs in turn differ noticeably from the player character they succeeded, Mobius One of ''VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies''. He always flies as the only member of his squadron (save for a hasty restructuring in the final mission of his game), he identifies more with [[TheAlliance a multi-national alliance]] than any one country, he never questions his orders or his military's plans because [[BlackAndWhiteMorality a need to do so never comes up]], and - also distinct from every other ''Ace Combat'' protagonist - he remains in the military after the game he was introduced in, putting down further Erusean insurrections in 2006 (the Arcade mode of ''5'') and 2014 (the VR mode of ''VideoGame/{{Ace Combat 7|SkiesUnknown}}'').
** Protagonists from the series after ''04'' also contrast themselves with Nemo from (the Japanese version of) ''VideoGame/AceCombat3Electrosphere'', who flies as part of small, generally elite squadrons, starts out identifying with a peacekeeping organization but has several opportunities to change factions at will - even to the one [[BlackAndGrayMorality closest to being the clear villains]] - and [[spoiler:he's revealed in the OmegaEnding to be [[TomatoInTheMirror an AI running several simulations of a possible Corporate War, programmed specifically to kill one person]], with a side-benefit being that]] he's good enough that his choice of who he owes his allegiance to [[OneManArmy almost entirely determines which faction wins the war]].

** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRogue'': has Shay Patrick Cormac - a one time Assassin who betrays them and becomes a Templar. He kills the very people who took him in and helped raised him. He also works with the villains who were in part III, making himself a VillainProtagonist. And while he's given a FreudianExcuse for this, it still doesn't justify his actions. [[spoiler:Especially since the ending shows him committing the assassination at the beginning of ''Unity'' that led to the French Revolution.]]

** Bayek in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOrigins'' technically precedes everyone else listed above making him Contrasting ''Prequel'' Main Character in many aspects: first, he is deeply religious and believing in the afterlife in contrast to most Assassins who were secular, agnostic or straight up atheistic. Also unlike other Assassins who would form families in their later lives - a given considering they would leave descendants behind - Bayek is already a [[ActionDad father]] at the start of his game.

** Atlas from the first game is the polar opposite of Sinclair from the second, despite both being they player's VoiceWithAnInternetConnection. Atlas claims he has no interest in gaining power (in a political sense or a physical sense), and just wants to survive and save his wife and son. It eventually gets revealed that [[spoiler:this is all a ruse, he's the ''real'' villain of the game, and he spends his last moments trying to kill Jack]]. Meanwhile, Sinclair makes no attempt to hide his greed and is unashamed of how many people he's conned. When it's revealed that he's [[spoiler:responsible for Subject Delta's creation and enslavement]], it's actually not that big of a twist - it's more of a twist that [[spoiler:he regrets his actions, still wants Subject Delta to escape, and doesn't try to save himself when Sophia Lamb captures him]].

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' has a clearer cut example with V: as opposed to the hot-blooded and cocky Dante and Nero, V is much more quiet and stoic, and prefers to let his PowersDoTheFighting, assailing his enemies from afar with his familiars and only stepping in to deliver the final blow. [[spoiler:{{Justified}} in that V is actually Vergil -- specifically, Vergil's excised humanity after using Yamato to cut if off from his demonic nature.]]

** The two above are similarly contrasted by the various possible player characters of ''VideoGame/FarCry2'', men of several different nationalities and ethnicities who get swept up in a civil war in a foreign land, but end up playing both sides of the conflict to further their own mission. Almost all of them are also noticeably older than Jason or Ajay (save Xianyong Bai, who's the same age as Ajay at the time of their respective games, even the youngest among the mercs have at least half a decade on Jason or Ajay), and all come from backgrounds of military service, mercenary work, VIP protection, and/or any other sort of activity that means all of them have some sort of body count before the game even starts. None of them are able to [[RPGElements boost their inherent attributes]] except by purchasing new gear to carry more ammo and supplies, and - in further contrast to Jason - they all work together in some way, the ones you don't choose to play as becoming [=NPCs=] who you can do side-missions for, who will assist you in story missions, or who can even [[BigDamnHeroes swoop in and pull you to safety]] if you get downed in combat.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasy'''s heroes were HeroicMime characters with [[HelloInsertNameHere no names]] and fixed Jobs, so ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII'' stars the main character with a CanonName (Firion), flexible skills and a whole game mechanic based around talking. Then ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII'' is back to using something in the middle - the characters have dialogue but it isn't assigned to one character in particular, and while you can change their Jobs you are restricted to using specific Job classes instead of the more flexible approach taken by Firion.

*** Zack Fair from ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'' is more hotheaded, attitude-driven, laid back, and friendlier than the colder, thoughtful, insane Cloud Strife from the previous game. Various motifs are set up to contrast the two - Zack ''Fair'' and ''Cloud'' Strife, how the compassionate Zack uses the blunt edge of his blade while the intimidating Cloud always uses the sharp edge, and the AnimalMotif that compares Zack to a puppy and Cloud (in ''Anime/AdventChildren'') to a wolf.

** Noctis of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'' has a MeaningfulName (Noctis Lucis Caelum) which is supposed to indicate his contrast to previous Creator/TetsuyaNomura-designed heroes - 'Lucis' (clear) to contrast with Cloud, and 'Noctis Caelum' (night heavens) to contrast with Sora (daytime sky). Note also that Lightning's name contains the word "Light" and she is themed around LightIsNotGood, while Noctis is themed around DarkIsNotEvil (with the usual Nojima idea that Darkness is an element of rest and peace: Noctis is laid-back and a little lazy, while Lightning is extremely highly strung and judgemental.) Both Lightning and Noctis have promotional renders displaying them in the same pose, with Lightning bathed in shafts of white light and Noctis lurking in shadows. In addition, while Lightning had no official love interest, Noctis begins betrothed to Lunafreya.

** Nahida and Furina. Both are youthful-looking Archons who inherited their roles from their dead predecessors and struggle with insecurity as a result. While Nahida was locked away for centuries, Furina has spent that time openly reigning as Fontaine's Archon. Nahida's insecurities turned her into an ExtremeDoormat NiceGirl, while Furina tries to mask hers behind her MilesGloriosus persona. While Nahida's childlike appearance belies her considerable wisdom, Furina resembles a teenager at the most, which [[ImmortalImmaturity reflects her histrionic personality]]. With regard to supernatural creatures associated with the predecessors, the Aranara readily accepted Nahida whereas the Oceanids largely left Fontaine due to their refusal to accept Furina's rule. On a larger level, Furina is the first Archon seen whose identity is not presented as a twist (even if Venti, Zhongli, and Nahida's identities were [[TheUnTwist heavily telegraphed]] beforehand; while the Shogun's status as the Electro Archon is not hidden, [[spoiler:her true identity as the previous Shogun's BodyDouble BackupTwin is]]), and instead openly introduces herself as Focalors within minutes of the Traveler setting foot in Fontaine. [[spoiler:Furina's identity still has a twist to it, though; unlike the aforementioned four characters, she is in fact ''not'' the real Hydro Archon - she doesn't even have power over water until the end of her Story Quest. She was simply a proxy for the ''real'' Focalors, whose plan to save Fontaine involves engineering her own execution without ever becoming playable.]]

** ''Soul Reaver's'' Raziel is a former [[spoiler: vampire hunter]] who was resurrected as a vampire by Kain - who, after many years of service, executed him. He returns from the grave as a wraith and starts off with the intention of killing Kain and his vampire children - both to save the world and get revenge - before being drawn into a much bigger plot. However, where Kain eventually takes charge of his life and remakes himself as a master manipulator, Raziel spends most of his plot being manipulated by everyone, including the man he's trying to murder.

** By contrast, Lorraine Maillard from the tie-in game ''VideoGame/ThePark'' is a [[{{Muggles}} perfectly ordinary woman]] - not a BadassNormal, not an ActionSurvivor, but just an ordinary human being with no desire for violence. A single mother from Kingsmouth, Lorraine is searching for her son Callum in the ruins of Atlantic Island Park, and is determined to rescue him at any cost. [[spoiler: However, it soon becomes clear that her love for Callum is tangled up in some very deep-seated emotional problems, and the Bogeyman is able to exploit this my subjecting her to a brutal MindRape and forcing her to hate her own son - eventually killing him.]] In the end, TSW player characters may not have much of a choice in what they do, but at least they get to be heroes; Lorraine has no such luck.

*** The ''VideoGame/Persona3'' male protagonist is depicted as cold and detached to the point of apathy - especially in the [[Anime/Persona3TheMovie animated]] and [[ComicBookAdaptation manga]] adaptations - but he [[BewareTheNiceOnes loses it when his friends are threatened]]. He also looks rather feminine. He has multiple names of ambiguous status in canon, such as Minato Arisato or Makoto Yuki among others.

* Maia of ''VideoGame/{{Summoner 2}}'' compared to Joseph of ''VideoGame/{{Summoner}}''. Joseph [[IJustWantToBeNormal shunned his destiny]], and only answered TheCall because TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive - twice. Maia's been raised as TheChosenOne and embraces her destiny, seeking to accomplish it. It makes her more headstrong, but also less likely to listen to others - believing she knows best, unlike Joseph who was far more willing to take advice - but could be (and was) manipulated as a result.

** Primrose Azelhart, the Dancer of the first game, is contrasted by Agnea Bristarni, the Dancer of the second game. Whereas Primrose had a harsh childhood, treats dancing as a means to an end in her mission to get {{revenge}} for the death of her father, dresses in a highly revealing BellyDancer outfit, and has a skill set based around magic, Agnea had a pleasant childhood, has the specific goal of wanting to become a star dancer like her mother, dresses in a conservative yet nonetheless eye-catching outfit, and has a skill set based around physical abilities.

*** ''Metro Exodus' Sam's Story'', the second DLC of ''Exodus'' and its sequel, has Samuel "Sam" Taylor" who is already a Spartan Ranger, is middle-aged (who is in his late [=40s=] to early [=50s=]) and is heavyset unlike the [=mid-20s=], lean-looking Artyom. He's contrasted by the Russian-born Artyom, as Sam is an American who is stranded in Russia after World War III. Unlike Artyom whose first appearance in the series makes him an inexperienced protagonist and has to go through a lot of heroism to get Miller's trust, Sam is an ExperiencedProtagonist from the start, due to his background as a U.S. Army Corporal, and has known Miller for over 20 years due to his duty as his bodyguard. Also Sam heavily contrasts to Artyom in terms of their goals: Artyom plans to save the Moscow Metro from the Invisible Watchers' control while Sam's goal is about reuniting with his father in America. Sam also contrasts to Slava, being that unlike the latter who worked with Tolya as a member of OSKOM before [[spoiler:the riots eventually caused Tolya himself to betray his former ally]], the former is extremely loyal to Miller and his death leads him to pursue his own personal journey to find his own father. Whereas Slava's fate at the end of his story was canon, Sam's canon fate at the end of his story is unknown and ambiguous.

** The protagonist of ''Last Light's'' Tower Pack heavily contrasts to the previous three protagonists of the Faction Pack. Unlike Hans, the Red Line Sniper and the Ranger Trainee, the remnant soldier is a RetireeBadass who works for the Central Metro Command and is permanently injured from his leg who works as a volunteer for the virtual combat simulator. He's also a commissioned officer, with the rank of a Captain, unlike the three.

*** Hans, the [[VillainProtagonist protagonist]] of the Heavy Squad level, is a heavy weapons expert of the Reich who participates at a huge battle against a massive Red Line onslaught.
*** The Red Line Sniper, the [[VillainProtagonist protagonist]] of the Sniper Team level, contrasts to Hans. Unlike Hans who prefers MoreDakka and is equipped with heavy weapons like the Gatling, the Red Line Sniper prefers stealth[[note]]Which is mandatory in his own playable DLC level.[[/note]] and is equipped with a silenced Clapper sniper rifle.
*** The Ranger Trainee of the Kshatriya level is the polar opposite to two men, being that unlike the two characters above who are {{Experienced Protagonist}}s, the trainee is a fresh-faced recruit for the Ranger Order and is not a VillainProtagonist.

*** ''Metro Exodus' Sam's Story'', the second DLC of ''Exodus'', has Samuel "Sam" Taylor" who is already a Spartan Ranger, is middle-aged (who is in his late [=40s=] to early [=50s=]) and is heavyset unlike the [=mid-20s=], lean-looking Artyom. He's contrasted by the Russian-born Artyom, as Sam is an American who is stranded in Russia after World War III. Unlike Artyom whose first appearance in the series makes him an inexperienced protagonist and has to go through a lot of heroism to get Miller's trust, Sam is an ExperiencedProtagonist from the start, due to his background as a U.S. Army Corporal, and has known Miller for over 20 years due to his duty as his bodyguard. Also Sam heavily contrasts to Artyom in terms of their goals: Artyom plans to save the Moscow Metro from the Invisible Watchers' control while Sam's goal is about reuniting with his father in America. Sam also contrasts to Slava, being that unlike the latter who worked with Tolya as a member of OSKOM before [[spoiler:the riots eventually caused Tolya himself to betray his former ally]], the former is extremely loyal to Miller and his death leads him to pursue his own personal journey to find his own father. Whereas Slava's fate at the end of his story was canon, Sam's canon fate at the end of his story is unknown and ambiguous.

*** The Ranger Trainee of the Kshatriya level is the polar opposite to two men, being that unlike the two characters above who are {{Experienced Protagonist}}s, the trainee is a fresh-faced recruit for the Ranger Order.

** Colonel Sviatoslav Konstantinovich "Miller" Mel'nikov, the {{Deuteragonist}} of the first three games, is the leader of Spartan Rangers and is willing to help Artyom in stopping the Dark Ones after the Polis Council refused his offer. His FatalFlaw is being patriotic and quixotic, a trait that is more amplified in ''Exodus'', and is deeply loyal to his own country [[spoiler:that leads to a plethora of problems including Anna's lung sickness and the whole crew nearly being devoured by the Cannibals.]] ''Metro Exodus: Sam's Story'' introduces Captain Eduard Baranov, the former leader of Vladivostok and the captain of the U.S.S. Mayflower. Unlike Miller who is quixotic and idealistic to the point of obsessive patriotism while disregarding obvious flaws like the crew's disastrous visit to the Yamantau bunker, Baranov is considerably realistic who does not hesitate pointing out glaring flaws including Sam's main goal of using the submarine as a ticket way home to the United States due to Tom's [[spoiler:real goal of wanting to use its nuclear weapons.]] Whereas Miller has several of his Rangers on his side, Baranov is a lone wolf working on his own [[spoiler:after Klim murdered them.]]

*** ''Metro Exodus' Sam's Story'', the second DLC of ''Exodus'', has Samuel "Sam" Taylor" who is already a Spartan Ranger, is middle-aged (who is in his late [=40s=] to early [=50s=]) and is heavyset unlike the [=mid-20s=], lean-looking Artyom. He's contrasted by the Russian-born Artyom, as Sam is an American who is stranded in Russia after World War III. Unlike Artyom whose first appearance in the series makes him an inexperienced protagonist and has to go through a lot of heroism to get Miller's trust, Sam is an ExperiencedProtagonist from the start, due to his background as a U.S. Army Corporal, and has known Miller for over 20 years due to his duty as his bodyguard. Also Sam heavily contrasts to Artyom in terms of their goals: Artyom plans to save the Moscow Metro from the Invisible Watchers' control while Sam's goal is about reuniting with his father in America. Sam also contrasts to Slava, being that unlike the latter who worked with Tolya as a member of OSKOM before [[spoiler:the riots eventually caused General Vinogradov to betray his former ally]], the former is extremely loyal to Miller and his death leads him to pursue his own personal journey to find his own father. Whereas Slava's fate at the end of his story was canon, Sam's canon fate at the end of his story is unknown and ambiguous.

*** ''Metro Exodus' Sam's Story'', the second DLC of ''Exodus'', has Samuel "Sam" Taylor" who is already a Spartan Ranger, is middle-aged (who is in his late [=40s=] to early [=50s=]) and is heavyset unlike the [=mid-20s=], lean-looking Artyom. He's contrasted by the Russian-born Artyom, as Sam is an American who is stranded in Russia after World War III. Unlike Artyom whose first appearance in the series makes him an inexperienced protagonist and has to go through a lot of heroism to get Miller's trust, Sam is an ExperiencedProtagonist from the start, due to his background as a U.S. Army Corporal, and has known Miller for over 20 years due to his duty as his bodyguard. Also Sam heavily contrasts to Artyom in terms of their goals: Artyom plans to save the Moscow Metro from the Invisible Watchers' control while Sam's goal is about reuniting with his father in America. Sam also contrasts to Slava, being that unlike the latter who worked with Tolya as a member of OSKOM before [[spoiler:the riots eventually caused him to betray his former ally]], the former is extremely loyal to Miller and his death leads him to pursue his own personal journey to find his own father. Whereas Slava's fate at the end of his story was canon, Sam's canon fate at the end of his story is unknown and ambiguous.

*** ''Exodus''' {{Interquel}} DLC ''Metro Exodus: The Two Colonels'' introduces Vyacheslav "Slava" Khlebnikov, who is different to Artyom in many ways. Whereas Artyom is a young man who is a heroic figure in the Moscow Metro and becomes the new leader of the Order [[spoiler:after Miller's death]], Slava is an older man than Artyom and is a heroic martyr who failed to complete his goal of escaping Kirill from the dead city to Lake Baikal [[spoiler:after effectively expiring due to his anti-rad being shattered by the Blind Ones, leading him to die from extreme radiation. His goal only succeeded because of Miller and Artyom.]]

*** ''Metro Exodus' Sam's Story'', the second DLC of ''Exodus'', has Samuel "Sam" Taylor" who is already a Spartan Ranger, is middle-aged (who is in his late [=40s=] to early [=50s=]) and is heavyset unlike the [=mid-20s=], lean-looking Artyom. Unlike Artyom whose first appearance in the series makes him an inexperienced protagonist and has to go through a lot of heroism to get Miller's trust, Sam is an ExperiencedProtagonist from the start, due to his background as a U.S. Army Corporal, and has known Miller for over 20 years due to his duty as his bodyguard. Also Sam heavily contrasts to Artyom in terms of their goals: Artyom plans to save the Moscow Metro from the Invisible Watchers' control while Sam's goal is about reuniting with his father in America. Sam also contrasts to Slava, being that unlike the latter who worked with Tolya as a member of OSKOM before [[spoiler:the riots eventually caused him to betray his former ally]], the former is extremely loyal to Miller and his death leads him to pursue his own personal journey to find his own father. Whereas Slava's fate at the end of his story was canon, Sam's canon fate at the end of his story is unknown and ambiguous.

*** ''Metro Exodus' Sam's Story'', the second DLC of ''Exodus'', has Samuel "Sam" Taylor" who is already a Spartan Ranger, is middle-aged (who is in his late [=40s=] to early [=50s=]) and is heavyset unlike the [=mid-20s=], lean-looking Artyom. Unlike Artyom whose first appearance in the series makes him an inexperienced protagonist and has to go through a lot of heroism to get Miller's trust, Sam is an ExperiencedProtagonist from the start, due to his background as a U.S. Army Corporal, and has known Miller for over 20 years due to his duty as his bodyguard. Also Sam heavily contrasts to Artyom in terms of their goals: Artyom plans to save the Moscow Metro from the Invisible Watchers' control while Sam's goal is about reuniting with his father in America. Sam also contrasts to Slava, being that unlike him who worked with Tolya as a member of OSKOM before [[spoiler:the riots eventually caused him to betray his former ally]], Sam is extremely loyal to Miller and his death leads him to pursue his own personal journey to find his own father. Whereas Slava's fate at the end of his story was canon, Sam's canon fate at the end of his story is unknown and ambiguous.

** Colonel Sviatoslav Konstantinovich "Miller" Mel'nikov, the {{Deuteragonist}} of the first three games, is the leader of Spartan Rangers and is willing to help Artyom in stopping the Dark Ones after the Polis Council refused his offer. His FatalFlaw is being patriotic and quixotic, a trait that is more amplified in ''Exodus'', and is deeply loyal to his own country [[spoiler:that leads to a plethora of problems including Anna's lung sickness and the whole crew nearly being devoured by the Cannibals.]] ''Metro Exodus: Sam's Story'' introduces Captain Eduard Baranov, the former leader of Vladivostok and the captain of the U.S.S. Mayflower. Unlike Miller who is quixotic and idealistic to the point of obsessive patriotism while disregarding obvious flaws like the crew's disastrous visit to the Yamantau bunker, Baranov is considerably realistic who does not hesitate pointing out glaring flows and easily points them out including Sam's main goal of using the submarine as a ticket way home to the United States due to Tom's [[spoiler:real goal of wanting to use its nuclear weapons.]] Whereas Miller has several of his Rangers on his side, Baranov is a lone wolf working on his own [[spoiler:after Klim murdered them.]]

*** ''Metro Exodus' Sam's Story'', the second DLC of ''Exodus'', has Samuel "Sam" Taylor" who is already a Spartan Ranger, is middle-aged (who is in his late [=40s=] to early [=50s=]) and is heavyset unlike the [=mid-20s=], lean-looking Artyom. Unlike Artyom whose first appearance in the series makes him an inexperienced protagonist and has to go through a lot of heroism to get Miller's trust, Sam is an ExperiencedProtagonist from the start, due to his background as a U.S. Army Corporal, and has known Miller for over 20 years due to his duty as his bodyguard. Unlike Slava who worked with Tolya as a member of OSKOM before [[spoiler:the riots eventually caused him to betray his former ally]], Sam is extremely loyal to Miller and his death leads him to pursue his own personal journey to find his own father. Whereas Slava's fate at the end of his story was canon, Sam's canon fate at the end of his story is unknown and ambiguous.

** Colonel Sviatoslav Konstantinovich "Miller" Mel'nikov, the {{Deuteragonist}} of the first three games, is the leader of Spartan Rangers and is willing to help Artyom in stopping the Dark Ones after the Polis Council refused his offer. His FatalFlaw is being patriotic and quixotic, a trait that is more amplified in ''Exodus'', and is deeply loyal to his own country [[spoiler:that leads to a plethora of problems including Anna's lung sickness and the whole crew nearly being devoured by the Cannibals.]] ''Metro Exodus: Sam's Story'' introduces Captain Eduard Baranov, the former leader of Vladivostok and the captain of the U.S.S. Mayflower. Unlike Miller who is quixotic and idealistic to the point of obsessive patriotism while disregarding obvious flaws like the crew's disastrous visit to the Yamantau bunker, Baranov is considerably realistic and easily points such flaws including Sam's main goal of using the submarine as a ticket way home due to Tom's [[spoiler:real goal of wanting to use its nuclear weapons.]] Whereas Miller has several of his Rangers on his side, Baranov is a lone wolf working on his own [[spoiler:after Klim murdered them.]] And unlike Miller who has a daughter, Baranov is unmarried.

** Colonel Sviatoslav Konstantinovich "Miller" Mel'nikov, the {{Deuteragonist}} of the first three games, is the leader of Spartan Rangers and is willing to help Artyom in stopping the Dark Ones after the Polis Council refused his offer. His FatalFlaw is being patriotic and quixotic, a trait that is more amplified in ''Exodus'', and is deeply loyal to his own country [[spoiler:that leads to a plethora of problems including Anna's lung sickness and the whole crew nearly being devoured by the Cannibals.]] ''Metro Exodus: Sam's Story'' introduces Captain Eduard Baranov, the former leader of Vladivostok and the captain of the U.S.S. Mayflower. Unlike Miller who is quixotic and idealistic to the point of obsessive patriotism while disregarding obvious flaws like the crew's disastrous visit to the Yamantau bunker, Baranov is considerably realistic and easily points such flaws including Sam's main goal of using the submarine as a ticket way home due to Tom's [[spoiler:real goal of wanting to use its nuclear weapons.]] Whereas Miller has several of his Rangers on his side, Baranov is a lone wolf working on his own [[spoiler:after Klim murdered them.]]