History NinetiesAntiHero / VideoGames

** Another Kombatant who falls into this category on occasion is Raiden in his [[FanNickname Dark Raiden]] persona. In this corrupted form, which debuted in ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception Deception]]'' ([[spoiler:and reappeared in [[TheStinger the last scene]] of ''MKX'' and ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' due to being exposed to the Jinsei that was tainted by Shinnok]]), the thunder god ceases to be the benevolent mentor he is known for and turns into a far more ruthless tactician who takes more aggressive measures to protect Earthrealm from foreign invaders, including the destruction of all the other realms, even those that were harmless to the earth itself. [[spoiler:When a ''VideoGame/MortalKombat2''-era Raiden is brought into the conflict of ''11'' via TimeCrash and learns of his future self's harsh, unrelenting nature, [[FutureMeScaresMe he doesn't take]] [[EvilMeScaresMe the news well]] and vows not to end up the same way.]]

** His spiritual predecessor, Sol Badguy of ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'', also fits the mold. Well-muscled, a {{Stripperiffic}} outfit with TooManyBelts, and a bad attitude, even sharing a few similarities with [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Jotaro Kujo]]. He's something of a subversion, as despite his rough exterior, and brutal methods, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold his goals are completely altruistic]]. Later entries also helped to take off some of the edge, thanks to CharacterDevelopment, showcasing his HiddenDepths, and [[spoiler:giving him another shot at happiness by not only patching up things between Sol and the [[GoodAllAlong not-quite]]-EvilFormerFriend responsible for [[TragicMonster turning him into a Gear]], but allowing Sol to finally reunite with his former lover (who was likewise turned into a Gear and [[KillTheOnesYouLove had to be put down by Sol himself]])]] .

* ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' :

* VideoGame/DukeNukem. A sex obsessed, mirrorshade-wearing ActionHero wannabe who hangs out in sleazy biker bars and strip clubs, with a LanternJawOfJustice and blond flattop haircut. He's armed to the teeth with {{BFG}}s (as it's a [[FirstPersonShooter FPS]] and all), addicted to steroids (or whatever those pills are), and loves to spew {{one liner}}s like "''I've got balls of steel''", "''Some mutated son of a bitch is gonna pay!''" and of course the immortal "''[[Film/TheyLive It's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And I'm all out of gum.]]''" And his games were big in the early [[TheNineties 90s]]. Duke is generally accepted as being a full parody of the 80s/90s action hero rather than actually being one. He's no exception to the fact that most parodies and extreme cases of this are deeply entrenched in PoesLaw, though, which in part helped result in ''VideoGame/DukeNukemForever''[='=]s less-warm critical reception, since it was a game from 2011 with a protagonist written like it was still the '90s.

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'', Cloud resembles the Japanese version of this archetype, looking like a hero from a gory {{Seinen}} dark fantasy manga a la ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', while Barret is dressed like the Western version of the archetype, a huge mountain of muscles covered in pouches with a {{BFG}} mounted on his arm. The Remake, however, downplays this trope by emphasizing Cloud's dorkiness and social ineptitude.

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'': If Kratos' muscle-bound and grizzled appearance combined with his multitude of oversized weapons and [[DarkAndTroubledPast dark backstory]] don't convince you, then his lethal and very brutal methods and [[NoIndoorVoice HIS MONOLOGUES IN WHICH HE DECLARES THAT]] [[RageAgainstTheHeavens HE WILL ASCEND OLYMPUS TO KILL THE GODS!!!]] may show otherwise. He mellowed out a lot in [[VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4 the PS4 game]], though.

* K' from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters''. Given life at the end of the decade but still fits in with the trope. Abrupt and harsh name ("Kay-Dash"), cold-hearted SOB who only cooperates when it suits his end (his victory pose has him saying he's good enough to fight your whole team), and has a laser-like focus on his objective (stamping out the NESTS organization and anyone associated with it). However, he ''does'' [[DefrostingIceQueen move away from this a bit as time goes on]]. K' also, [[HiddenDepths surprisingly enough]], has a strong moral compass and sense of justice (perhaps even more so than previous ''KOF'' lead Kyo Kusanagi) in spite of his general disdain toward being dragged into the eponymous tournament year after year, with more recent entries establishing that beneath the stoic, unfriendly surface lies a rather decent guy who prefers solitude [[QuestForIdentity as he tries to piece together his missing past]] and [[ClonesArePeopleToo establish himself as something more than a mere]] [[CloneByConversion "Kyo clone."]]

** Another Kombatant who falls into this category on occasion is Raiden in his [[FanNickname Dark Raiden]] persona. In this corrupted form, which debuted in ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception Deception]]'' ([[spoiler:and reappeared in [[TheStinger the last scene]] of ''MKX'' and ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' due to being exposed to the Jinsei that was tainted by Shinnok]]), the thunder god ceases to be the benevolent mentor he is known for and turns into a far more ruthless tactician who takes more aggressive measures to protect Earthrealm from foreign invaders, including the destruction of all the other realms, even those that were harmless to the earth itself.

* The Prince started to go this route in ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaWarriorWithin'', where he became more dark [[MemeticMutation and smouldering with generic rage]] (to the point of growling angrily while smashing pottery) thanks to being hunted relentlessly by [[TheJuggernaut the Dahaka]] after his actions in [[VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime the previous game]]. This however was later changed in [[VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheTwoThrones the sequel]] into being an EnemyWithin, of sorts.

** ''VideoGame/{{Prototype 2}}'' replaces Mercer as the protagonist with James Heller, making Alex the villain in the process. Heller broods substantially less than Mercer, but makes up for it in being always angry, all the time. They tried to make him a bit more sympathetic than Mercer; jury's out on whether they succeeded, as many fans of the first didn't like the change in Mercer's characterization to accommodate Heller as a protagonist, and [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential the game still tries it's best to stoke its players' sadistic tendencies]].

** ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'' introduced Shadow, a new and much darker rival for the titular hero, though the game was released in 2001 rather than the 90's. Shadow stood out because he was pretty much designed to be a "dark Sonic (with early concept art reflecting this further). He shared Sonic's cocky attitude, but was portrayed as being much more serious and foreboding, and his goal was taking revenge upon the planet after his surrogate sister was murdered by the government. He pulls a HeelFaceTurn in the end, and teams up with Sonic to save the day and seemingly dies. However, PopularityPower brought Shadow back and he was more or less a second face of the series along with Sonic until near the end of the decade. This trope was especially prominent when he got [[VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog his own self-titled spin-off game]], where he swore, used guns, and rode motorcycles. All of this and more made Shadow out to be one of the most [[BaseBreakingCharacter controversial characters]] introduced in the entire series within the fanbase.

* Velvet Crowe from ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria'', unlike other protagonists in the ''VideoGame/{{Tales|Series}}'' series, is motivated entirely by her desire to murder the man who killed her little brother with no altruistic motives about saving the world. All she talks is murdering the guy, and any other discussions are met with glares and threats. As a Daemon she cannot eat normal food, instead she can only eat other Daemons, and the only thing she can taste is blood. Her outfit is a RummageSaleReject made up of shredded bits of clothing held together with belts, and has a black and crimson color.

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'', Cloud resembles the Japanese version of this archetype, looking like a hero from a gory {{Seinen}} dark fantasy manga a la ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', while Barret is dressed like the Western version of the archetype, a huge mountain of muscles covered in pouches with a {{BFG}} mounted on his arm.

* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow2'' turns ([[AlternateContinuity its version of]]) Dracula into one. An angry, scowling vampire with BarbarianLonghair and a BadassBeard who takes on demons and monsters in a modern-day infested city with improbable weapons such as a whip made of blood and claws of fire. He is also selfish and driven solely by the desire of ending the pain of his existence while still raging against God for the death of his family. Dracula has, as well, no compunction about killing innocents to achieve his goal, and gouges and dismembers his opponents in a fight. He's pretty much [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]] if he were a vampire.

* ''VideoGame/MegaManX'': Ultimately {{deconstructed|trope}} with Zero. He ''almost'' checks off all the boxes of being this trope played straight. A ridiculously edgy name in the form of Zero? Check. A DarkAndTroubledPast of being Dr. Wily's ultimate death machine? Check. A [[{{BFG}} gun toter]] who switches to a [[LaserBlade beam saber]]? Check. A [[BloodSplatteredWarrior blood-red]] coat of paint to show off how ruthless he can be? Checkamundo. A {{wangst}}y {{jerkass}} who only has a reluctant HeelFaceTurn? [[SubvertedTrope ...No.]] After his face turn, Zero is an incredibly humble Reploid who, while acknowledging that he's stronger than X, assures him that X will reach the same strength as him in due time. Zero's turn was also genuine, as because he still carries his memories of bloodshed, he wants to [[TheAtoner atone]] for everything that he's done, especially since his [[AxCrazy bloodthirst-blinding]] battle with Sigma accidentally causes Sigma to become [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom the leader of the Mavericks]]. Not to mention, ''VideoGame/MegaManX4'' shows off in full detail that Zero is capable of feeling true emotion with him [[OfficialCouple being in love with Iris]].

* VideoGame/DukeNukem. A sex obsessed, mirrorshade-wearing ActionHero wannabe who hangs out in sleazy biker bars and strip clubs, with a LanternJawOfJustice and blond flattop haircut. He's armed to the teeth with {{BFG}}s (as it's a [[FirstPersonShooter FPS]] and all), addicted to steroids (or whatever those pills are), and loves to spew {{one liner}}s like "''I've got balls of steel''", "''Some mutated son of a bitch is gonna pay!''" and of course the immortal "''[[Film/TheyLive It's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And I'm all out of gum.]]''" And his games were big in the early [[TheNineties 90s]]. Duke is generally accepted as being a full parody of the 80s/90s action hero rather than actually being one. He's no exception to the fact that most parodies and extreme cases of this are deeply entrenched in PoesLaw, though.

** Cloud Strife in the original ''VII'' was something of a DeconstructedCharacterArchetype version of this, attempting to act like this as a conscious affectation, and soon abandoning it. Played completely straight in most of his later appearances, especially in the ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' games and ''[[Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren Advent Children]]''. He certainly [[http://semna4.webs.com/KH_Cloud_1.jpg looks the part]] in [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI the first]] ''VideoGame/{{Kingdom Hearts|I}}'', not helped by the fact that his ''KHI'' design is based in part on Vincent, mentioned directly below.

** Squall Leonhart also plays this completely straight, but is given a FreudianExcuse in that he's been raised as a {{Child Soldier|s}} from the age of about 5 or 6. He, too, appears in ''Kingdom Hearts'', quiet and snarky as ever, but he seems to have opened up quite a bit (at least to Yuffie and Aerith). His disposition does improve greatly in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', where he's mellowed out (getting to return to your once-doomed home world and rebuild it is likely to do that) and acts as a BigBrotherMentor to Sora.

* Tombstone from ''VideoGame/FreedomForce vs The Third Reich'', a series that is an {{homage}} to the high [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age of Comic Books]], is a Nineties Anti-Hero. And he ''still'' fits into the game, because his overblown "dark and tormented" act makes him just as laughable as the rest of the cast.

* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'': As a series that started in 1992, ''Mortal Kombat'' in many ways embodies many elements of UsefulNotes/{{the Iron Age|OfComicBooks}}/[[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Dark Age of Comic Books]] particularly in the form of its [[BloodierAndGorier overt violence and gory]] [[FinishingMove Fatalities]], but also avoided being completely serious replications of those kinds of comics by including some tongue-in-cheek humor. These are two characters who exemplify this archetype:

* Caleb from ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'' is a old west-flavored Nineties Anti-Hero. A former member of a Lovecraftian cult with [[GlowingEyesOfDoom glowing]] [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]], black clothes, lots of guns and explosives, most of his dialogue is made of [[BondOneLiner Bond One-Liners]] with some pop culture references and he's primarily motivated by [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge revenge]] against his former master with no altruistic motives whatsoever. And he brutally kills everything that stands in his way.
* Rayne from ''VideoGame/BloodRayne'' a [[{{Dhampyr}} half-vampire]] ActionGirl with {{Stripperiffic}} clothes who brutally kills monsters and nazis and she is mostly doing it for her own interests, having a distaste for both humans and vampires. But she has her genuine sympathetic moments.

* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow2'' turns ([[AlternateContinuity its version of]]) Dracula into one. An angry, scowling vampire with a BarbarianLonghair and a BadassBeard who takes on demons and monsters in a modern-day infested city with improbable weapons such as a whip made of blood and claws of fire. He is also selfish and driven solely by the desire of ending the pain of his existence while still raging against God for the death of his family. Dracula has, as well, no compunction about killing innocents to achieve his goal, and gouges and dismembers his opponents in a fight. He's pretty much [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]] if he were a vampire.

** Zero from ''VideoGame/Drakengard3'' is easily the DistaffCounterpart to Caim. A crude, [[SirSwearsALot foul-mouthed]], [[AxCrazy violent]], [[HairTriggerTemper irascible]] woman entirely motivated by an almost unquenchable thirst for power, something she plans to accomplish by gleefully murdering her own sisters and forcing their male guardians into her slave harem. She can also activate her LimitBreak by bathing in the blood of her enemies. [[spoiler: Subverted in that she actually has an exceptionally ''high'' sense of personal responsibility. She acknowledges that she is a bad person who the rest of the world would be better off without, mostly kills people to save them from AFateWorseThanDeath, is actually trying to prevent TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt while using a supposed thirst for power as a [[HiddenHeartOfGold Jerkass Facade]], and her constant rage stems from being a DeathSeeker who's [[MilesToGoBeforeISleep just so very, very tired of not being allowed to rest]] due to being cursed with ResurrectiveImmortality. The novelization also further deconstructs the trope by revealing that murder is simply a fully automatic behavior to her which she acquired as a prerequisite for survival in the conditions of extreme poverty and mutual backstabbing she grew up in, and that it bothers her that she can't really find any good reason for why she keeps doing it other than that.]]

* Creator/ArcSystemWorks has created two characters like this trope in their games:
** ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' has this in Ragna the Bloodedge. Not only does his name sound like something right out of the DarkAgeOfSupernames, he's also ill-tempered, has TooManyBelts, a {{BFS}} that unfolds into a [[SinisterScythe scythe]] (fittingly called "Blood-Scythe") is motivated by {{revenge}}, and has no problems with harming anyone who gets in his way. To top it all off, his powers consist of draining the life out of others by using the power of [[CastingAShadow darkness]] in the form of summoning parts of an EldritchAbomination.

** His spiritual predecessor, Sol Badguy of ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'', also fits the mold. Well-muscled, a {{Stripperiffic}} outfit with TooManyBelts, and a bad attitude, even sharing a few similarities with [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Jotaro Kujo]]. He's something of a subversion, as despite his rough exterior, and brutal methods, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold his goals are completely altrustic]].
* Caleb from ''Videogame/{{Blood}}'' is a old west flavored nineties anti-hero. A former member of a lovecraftian cult with [[GlowingEyesOfDoom glowing]] [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]], black clothes, lots of guns and explosives, most of his dialogue is made of [[BondOneLiner Bond One-Liners]] with some pop culture references and he's primarily motivated by [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge revenge]] against his former master with no altruistic motives whatsoever. And he brutally kills everything that stands in his way.

* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow2'' turns Dracula into one. An angry, scowling vampire with a BarbarianLonghair and a BadassBeard who takes on demons and monsters in a modern-day infested city with improbable weapons such as a whip made of blood and claws of fire. He is also selfish and driven solely by the desire of ending the pain of his existence while still raging against God for the death of his family. Dracula has, as well, no compuction about killing innocents to achieve his goal, and gouges and dismembers his opponents in a fight. He's pretty much [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]] if he were a vampire.

** The default costumes for the [[PoisonousPerson Scourge]], the [[KatanasAreJustBetter Blade]] and the [[DualWielding Specialist]] archetypes, being based on ComicBook/{{Spawn}}, Deathstroke and ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} respectively.
*** The costumes for the Marksman, Soldier, Impulse and Unleashed also kind of.
** While not exactly antiheroes, quite a few villains get at least the look right. Amongst those are Hard Target, Leathal, Drago and the ascended fan creation Devana Hawke.
* ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' lets you make these with all the SpikesOfVillainy costume pieces that are equally available to heroes. Though there's no real representative of them in-game (it has more of a [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] flavor), the closest could be Hardcase, an AntiVillain.

* Dante and the ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' series are either an AffectionateParody of the gothic anti-hero supernatural genre or another edgy trope from Capcom that needed a radical 90's type of anti hero who lived in a satanic nightmarish world filled with leather-clad gothic babes, a DarkerAndEdgier twin brother who was the evil foil, and a one-liner-spewing half-human half-demon rebel without a cause with a tragic back story and the most edgy weapons this side of a ''Comicbook/{{Spawn}}'' comic. Nero embodies this trope more than Dante as the misunderstood angsty teenager with a hidden {{MacGuffin}} and a bad attitude.
** One of the criticisms leveled at ''VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry'' is that it tries to take a light-hearted series and give it the full Nineties treatment, leaving it overwrought with attempted edginess and shallow satire. This is exemplified by the reimagining of Dante, who is a few pouches and a bucket of steroids away from leaping off a Liefeld cover. What's really weird is that the game does still go full {{camp}} every now and then, leaving the game with characters who can't decide if they want to crack wise or just tell each other to fuck off.
* ''Videogame/DrakeOfThe99Dragons'': The titular Drake is a undead assassin with a black leather coat, a pale corpse-like skin color, uses an infinite number of guns, always beats up and kills his enemies, and he speaks primarily in corny {{Badass Boast}}s with a [[GutturalGrowler raspy]], [[BadassBaritone low-pitched]] voice. You may think he's a parody of this before realizing he was meant to be serious.
* ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}''

** ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' follows the trend set by ''Brutal Doom'' in that he's still as [[HeroicMime silent]] as he's ever officially been, and still exudes all of the brutality associated with him, though played ''much'' more seriously and taken UpToEleven. He does have soft spots and, as ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'' shows, is a total geek with a love for comicbooks, metal albums, and action figures. He's still a {{Determinator}} through and through though, completely dedicated to ridding the universe of demons... preferably with as much violence as possible.

* By the standards of [=JRPGs=], Caim from ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'' is a Nineties Anti-Hero, bordering on straight-edge VillainProtagonist if not for the happy side effect that the people he happens to be on a genocidal rampage against want to destroy the world. And then once those bad guys are all defeated, he goes straight back to [[RogueProtagonist gleefully slaughtering EVERYBODY in the sequel]].
** Zero from ''VideoGame/Drakengard3'' is easily the SpearCounterpart to Caim. A crude, [[SirSwearsALot foul-mouthed]], [[AxCrazy violent]], [[HairTriggerTemper irascible]] woman entirely motivated by an almost unquenchable thirst for power, something she plans to accomplish by gleefully murdering her own sisters and forcing their male guardians into her slave harem. She can also activate her LimitBreak by bathing in the blood of her enemies. [[spoiler: Subverted in that she actually has an exceptionally ''high'' sense of personal responsibility. She acknowledges that she is a bad person who the rest of the world would be better off without, mostly kills people to save them from AFateWorseThanDeath, is actually trying to prevent TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt while using a supposed thirst for power as a JerkassFacade, and her constant rage stems from being a DeathSeeker who's [[MilesToGoBeforeISleep just so very, very tired of not being allowed to rest]] due to being cursed with ResurrectiveImmortality. The novelization also further deconstructs the trope by revealing that murder is simply a fully automatic behavior to her which she acquired as a prerequisite for survival in the conditions of extreme poverty and mutual backstabbing she grew up in, and that it bothers her that she can't really find any good reason for why she keeps doing it other than that.]]
* VideoGame/DukeNukem. A sex obsessed, mirrorshade wearing ActionHero wannabe who hangs out in sleazy biker bars and strip clubs, with a LanternJawOfJustice and blond flattop haircut. He's armed to the teeth with {{BFG}}s (as it's a [[FirstPersonShooter FPS]] and all), addicted to steroids (or whatever those pills are) and loves to spew {{one liner}}s like "''I've got balls of steel''", "''Some mutated son of a bitch is gonna pay!''" and of course the immortal "''[[Film/TheyLive It's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And I'm all out of gum.]]''" And his games were big in the early [[TheNineties 90s]]. Duke is generally accepted as being a full parody of the 80s/90s action hero rather than actually being one. He's no exception to the fact that most parodies and extreme cases of this are deeply entrenched in PoesLaw, though.

** Cloud Strife in the original ''VII'' was something of a DeconstructedCharacterArchetype version of this, attempting to act like this as a conscious affectation, and soon abandoning it. Played completely straight in most of his later appearances, especially in the ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' games and ''[[Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren Advent Children]]''. He certainly [[http://semna4.webs.com/KH_Cloud_1.jpg looks the part]] in the first ''Kingdom Hearts''[[note]]That said, the fact that [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Vincent was originally going to take his place]] probably didn't help matters.[[/note]].

* Tombstone from ''VideoGame/FreedomForce vs The Third Reich'', a series that is an {{homage}} to the high [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age of comic books]], is a Nineties Anti-Hero. And he ''still'' fits into the game, because his overblown "dark and tormented" act makes him just as laughable as the rest of the cast.

* The titular Fury of ''Videogame/FuryUnleashed'' is a sterotypical nineties comicbook protagonist whose adventures usually involve blasting away monsters and baddies with big guns. The game deals with the fact that the in-universe Fury Unleashed comic book is facing the threat of cancellation due to poor reviews in the modern era as well as the author burning out, leading the protagonist to fight through their past adventures in an attempt to save their author and their series.
* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'': If Kratos' muscle-bound and grizzled appearance combined with his multitude of oversized weapons and [[DarkAndTroubledPast dark backstory]] don't convince you, then his lethal and very brutal methods and [[NoIndoorVoice HIS MONOLOGUES IN WHICH HE DECLARES THAT]] [[RageAgainstTheHeavens HE WILL ASCEND OLYMPUS TO KILL THE GODS!!!]] may show otherwise. He has mellowed out a lot in the [[VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4 PS4]] game, though.
* Varik, the protagonist of ''VideoGame/TheHalloweenHack'', is made to look like this, what with being a brooding, alcoholic bounty hunter with a Dark and Mysterious Past. We quickly find out this is not played straight at all -- his stats suck, and he's honestly scared of the undead monsters.

* The ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKain'' series gives us two interesting examples. While Kain is more or less a straight example character-wise, Raziel is a much more heroic/noble character. His character design, however, positively drips of it. This is because the game's dev team outsourced the concept art to Top Cow (a comic studio that broke off from Creator/{{Image|Comics}}, responsible for such works as ''ComicBook/TheDarkness'' and ''ComicBook/{{Witchblade}}''); due to complex corporate politics behind the creation of ''[[VideoGame/LegacyOfKain Soul Reaver]]'', which was being made at the same time as Eidos was having Top Cow publish the ''Franchise/TombRaider'' comic.
** Kain himself is an odd example: while certainly an incredibly anti-heroic person, he is remarkably sophisticated whereas most examples of this trope are noticeably (and unfortunately) somewhat more crude, and though arrogant and callous in the extreme, [[WellIntentionedExtremist his ultimate goals are fairly noble]], even if his motivations are selfish. Meanwhile, Raziel is far more outright heroic, often trying to do the "right" thing in any given situation, except his attempts at nobility often lead to even worse things than he attempted to prevent. It might be said that Kain is an outright ''VillainProtagonist'' while Raziel is a true Anti-Hero as Raziel ATTEMPTS to be good but his imperfections cause him to fail, whereas Kain doesn't bother to try at all and ends up helping the world anyway as a side effect.

* Renegade!Shepard in the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series: a ruthless and pragmatic person, willing to take the morally grey (or outright black) actions to get the job done. Basically, s/he is out to save the galaxy, but doesn't much care who or what s/he tramples to get there. Some of the Renegade choices available (particularly in [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 the first game]]) can paint Ren!Shep as uncaring, incredibly xenophobic and a human supremacist with near sociopathic levels of disregard towards others while others can come across as simply being StupidEvil by having obvious repercussions that hurt your ability to fight the Reapers.
** The squadmates Shepard can recruit in ''Mass Effect 2'', Jack and Zaeed Massani, are very reminiscent of the female and male 90's Anti-Heroes respectfully. Jack, AKA Subject Zero, a [[SociopathicHero sociopath]], SuperSoldier, TykeBomb, who's the galaxy's strongest human Biotic, clad in a very Stripperiffic outfit, who makes no bones that she's teaming up for her own benefit. However, as her DarkAndTroubledPast is uncovered, you find out [[{{Deconstruction}} why]] she is the way she is, and her hatred for Cerberus - the people who made her that way - is what keeps her from being completely unsympathetic. By the sequel, she [[TookALevelInKindness takes a level in kindness]].

** Scorpion is an undead, [[PlayingWithFire fire wielding]] {{Ninja}} who is a WildCard [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor who will assist]] whichever side is most convenient to his own agenda (of seeking vengeance against the murderer of his clan and resurrecting his fallen loved ones) and tends to be one of the most brutal fighters in the series, with the exception of [[EvilOverlord Shao]] [[DropTheHammer Kahn]], to boot due to being fueled by his unquenchable rage. Though ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'' presents him as being a {{double subversion}} of this trope due to being more reasonable after being [[spoiler:freed of Quan Chi's service as one of his revenants]] but also seeking to kill the sorcerer responsible for murdering his family and turning him into a revenant [[UnwittingPawn to perpetuate Quan Chi's schemes]] and [[AvertedTrope prevent]] [[KarmaHoudini the necromancer from continuing to commit any other atrocities]] even if it means [[spoiler:voiding any opportunity to free any other revenants from his curse]].

* ''VideoGame/Persona2'': Tatsuya Suou is meant to invoke this trope, but is ultimately a subversion. He is very masculine for series standards and has strong views on the subject (one of his contact options is "discuss manliness"), a ChickMagnet, stoic and aloof, a BadassBiker, and has fire, and nuclear-themed powers. In the sequel he even openly describes himself as an AntiHero, he's extremely angsty, and he's a CombatPragmatist with some PersonOfMassDestruction undertones, who does not hesitate to kill people. However, all of this is subverted in that he is actually misunderstood, as he's very shy, emotionally dependant on his friends, swings both ways, has no future prospects as he is, is somewhat naive to the world due to his age, and ends up being a FailureKnight to everyone who ever mattered to him (justifying the angst).
* The Prince started to go this route in ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaWarriorWithin'', where he became more dark [[MemeticMutation and smouldering with generic rage]] (to the point of growling angrily while smashing pottery) thanks to being hunted relentlessly by [[TheJuggernaut the Dahaka]] after his actions in the previous game. This however was later changed in the [[VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheTwoThrones sequel]] into being an EnemyWithin, of sorts.
* ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'' has Alex Mercer. Mercer intends to stop a [[ZombieApocalypse bioweapon outbreak]] and the [[ArmiesAreEvil military unit willing to destroy New York to contain it]], mainly by murdering his way through both. Mercer, being a shapeshifter, can transform himself into a clawed, bladed abomination. Players also regenerate health by violently killing and consuming people and monsters, including civilians. This leads to some GameplayAndStorySegregation, where the gameplay gleefully embraces player's [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential darker tendencies]], while the cutscenes try to make the main character sympathetic.

* Rayne from ''VideoGame/BloodRayne'' a [[{{Dhampyr}} half-vampire]] ActionGirl with {{Stripperiffic}} clothes who brutally kills monsters and nazis and she is mostly doing it for her own interests, having a distaste for both humans and vampires. But she has her genuine sympathetic moments.
* Parodied in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' by the ShowWithinAShow ''Nyteblayde''. The titular hero ticks off pretty much every single point on the checklist... while being played by an actor who only has two modes, BadBadActing and ChewingTheScenery.
** [[PlayerCharacter The Boss]] plays this straight, having [[TookALevelInKindness graduated]] from the VillainProtagonist they were in ''Videogame/SaintsRow2'' while still being able and willing to kill a whole lot of people for any reason they can imagine.
* The ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series introduced Shadow, a new and much darker rival for the titular hero, albeit released in 2001 rather than the 90's. Shadow stood out because he was pretty much designed to be a "dark Sonic"[[note]]with early concept art reflecting this further.[[/note]]. He shared Sonic's cocky attitude, but was portrayed as being much more serious and foreboding, and his goal was taking revenge upon the planet after his surrogate sister was murdered by the government. He pulls a HeelFaceTurn in the end, and teams up with Sonic to save the day and seemingly dies. However, PopularityPower brought Shadow back and he was more or less a second face of the series along with Sonic until near the end of the decade. This trope was especially prominent when he got his [[VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog own self-titled]] spin off title, where he swore, used guns, and rode motorcycles. All of this and more made Shadow out to be one of the most [[BaseBreakingCharacter controversial characters]] introduced in the entire series within the fanbase.
** Rouge the Bat is a downplayed example of this trope. She debuted along with Shadow, and was pretty much designed to be as [[MsFanservice sexually appealing as possible]], right down to the well endowed chest with JigglePhysics. While she's pretty selfish and works with the villains, she was also TheMole working against them from within and is generally far less intense and brooding than Shadow in subsequent appearances.

* Velvet Crowe from ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria'', unlike other protagonists in the ''Tales'' series, is motivated entirely by her desire to murder the man who killed her little brother with no altruistic motives about saving the world. All she talks is murdering the guy, and any other discussions are met with glares and threats. As a Daemon she cannot eat normal food, instead she can only eat other Daemons, and the only thing she can taste is blood. Her outfit is a RummageSaleReject made up of shredded bits of clothing held together with belts, and has a black and crimson color.

** Zero from ''VideoGame/Drakengard3'' is easily the SpearCounterpart to Caim. A crude, [[SirSwearsALot foul-mouthed]], [[AxCrazy violent]], [[HairTriggerTemper irascible]] woman entirely motivated by an almost unquenchable thirst for power, something she plans to accomplish by gleefully murdering her own sisters and forcing their male guardians into her slave harem. She can also activate her LimitBreak by bathing in the blood of her enemies. [[spoiler: Subverted in that she actually has an exceptionally ''high'' sense of personal responsibility. She acknowledges that she is a bad person who the rest of the world would be better off without, mostly kills people to save them from AFateWorseThanDeath, is actually trying to prevent TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt while using a supposed thirst for power as a JerkassFacade, and her constant rage stems from being a DeathSeeker who's [[MilesToGoBeforeISleep just so very, very tired of not being allowed to rest]] due to being cursed with ResurrectiveImmortality.]]

** Zero from ''VideoGame/Drakengard3'' is easily the SpearCounterpart to Caim. A crude, [[SirSwearsALot foul-mouthed]], [[AxCrazy violent]], [[HairTriggerTemper irascible]] woman entirely motivated by an almost unquenchable thirst for power, something she plans to accomplish by gleefully murdering her own sisters and forcing their male guardians into her slave harem. She can also activate her LimitBreak by bathing in the blood of her enemies. [[spoiler: Subverted in that she actually has an exceptionally ''high'' sense of personal responsibility. She acknowledges that she is a bad person who the rest of the world would be better off without, mostly kills people to save them from AFateWorseThanDeath, is actually trying to prevent TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt while using a supposed thirst for power as a JerkassFacade, and her constant rage stems from being a DeathSeeker who's [[MilesToGoBeforeISleep just so very, very tired of not being allowed to rest]].]]

** Zero from ''VideoGame/Drakengard3'' is easily the SpearCounterpart to Caim. A crude, [[SirSwearsALot foul-mouthed]], [[AxCrazy violent]], [[HairTriggerTemper irascible]] woman entirely motivated by an almost unquenchable thirst for power, something she plans to accomplish by gleefully murdering her own sisters and forcing their male guardians into her slave harem. She can also activate her LimitBreak by bathing in the blood of her enemies. [[spoiler: Subverted in that she's killing people to save them from AFateWorseThanDeath and her constant rage is mostly from being a DeathSeeker who's [[MilesToGoBeforeISleep just so very, very tired of not being allowed to rest]].]]

** Zero from ''VideoGame/Drakengard3'' is easily the SpearCounterpart to Caim. A crude, [[SirSwearsALot foul-mouthed]], [[AxCrazy violent]], [[HairTriggerTemper irascible]] woman entirely motivated by an almost unquenchable thirst for power, something she plans to accomplish by gleefully murdering her own sisters and forcing their male guardians into her slave harem. She can also activate her LimitBreak by bathing in the blood of her enemies. [[spoiler: Subverted in that she's killing people to save them from AFateWorseThanDeath and her constant rage is mostly from being a DeathSeeker who's [[MilesToGoBeforeISleep just so very, very tired of everything]].]]

** Zero from ''VideoGame/Drakengard3'' is easily the SpearCounterpart to Caim. A crude, [[SirSwearsALot foul-mouthed]], [[AxCrazy violent]], [[HairTriggerTemper irascible]] woman entirely motivated by an almost unquenchable thirst for power, something she plans to accomplish by gleefully murdering her own sisters and forcing their male guardians into her slave harem. She can also activate her LimitBreak by bathing in the blood of her enemies.

** Zero from ''VideoGame/Drakengard3'' is easily the SpearCounterpart to Caim. A crude, [[SirWearsALot foul-mouthed]], [[AxCrazy violent]], [[HairTriggerTemper irascible]] woman entirely motivated by an almost unquenchable thirst for power, something she plans to accomplish by gleefully murdering her own sisters and forcing their male guardians into her slave harem. She can also activate her LimitBreak by bathing in the blood of her enemies.

* By the standards of [=JRPGs=], Caim from ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'' is a Nineties Anti-Hero, bordering on straight-edge VillainProtagonist if not for the happy side effect that the people he happens to be on a genocidal rampage against want to destroy the world.
** And then once those bad guys are all defeated, he goes straight back to [[RogueProtagonist gleefully slaughtering EVERYBODY in the sequel]].

** ''VideoGame/BrutalDoom'' picked this interpretation up and ran screaming at a horde of demons to beat them to death with it
** ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' follows the trend set by ''Brutal Doom'' in that he's still as [[HeroicMime silent]] as he's ever officially been, and still exudes all of the brutality has associated with him, though played ''much'' more seriously and taken UpToEleven. He does have soft spots and, as ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'' shows, is a total geek with a love for comicbooks, metal albums, and action figures. He's still a {{Determinator}} through and through though, completely dedicated to ridding the universe of demons...preferably with as much violence as possible.

* The ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series introduced Shadow, a new and much darker rival for the titular hero, albeit released in 2001 rather than the 90's. Shadow stood out because he was pretty much designed to be a "dark Sonic". [[note]]with early concept heart reflecting this further.[[/note]] He shared Sonic's cocky attitude, but was portrayed as being much more serious and foreboding, and his goal was taking revenge upon the planet after his surrogate sister was murdered by the government. He pulls a HeelFaceTurn in the end, and teams up with Sonic to save the day and seemingly dies. However, PopularityPower brought Shadow back and he was more or less a second face of the series along with Sonic until near the end of the decade. This trope was especially prominent when he got his [[VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog own self-titled]] spin off title, where he swore, used guns, and rode motorcycles. All of this and more made Shadow out to be one of the most [[BaseBreakingCharacter controversial characters]] introduced in the entire series within the fanbase.

*
* The Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog series introduced Shadow, a new and much darker rival for the titular hero, albeit released in 2001 rather than the 90's. Shadow stood out because he was pretty much designed to be a "dark Sonic". [[note]]with early concept heart reflecting this further.[[/note]] He shared Sonic's cocky attitude, but was portrayed as being much more serious and foreboding, and his goal was taking revenge upon the planet after his surrogate sister was murdered by the government. He pulls a HeelFaceTurn in the end, and teams up with Sonic to save the day and seemingly dies. However, PopularityPower brought Shadow back and he was more or less a second face of the series along with Sonic until near the end of the decade. This trope was especially prominent when he got his [[VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog own self-titled]] spin off title, where he swore, used guns, and rode motorcycles. All of this and more made Shadow out to be one of the most [[BaseBreakingCharacter controversial characters]] introduced in the entire series within the fanbase.

** Rouge the Bat is a downplayed example of this trope. She debuted along with Shadow, and was pretty much designed to be as [[MsFanservice sexually appealing as possible]], right down to the well endowed chest with JigglePhysics. While she's pretty selfish and works with the villains, she was also TheMole working against them from within and is generally far less intense and antagonistic than Shadow in subsequent appearances.

* [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Shadow the Hedgehog]] is not usually an example, but he was heavily marketed as one for [[VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog his spin-off game]] where he swore, used guns, and rode motorcycles to fight an alien invasion.
** To note: In ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'', he was a villain who did a HeelFaceTurn at the end and [[NeverFoundTheBody seemed to die at the end]]. ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' is [[LighterAndSofter lighter]] overall than ''Adventure 2'' but here he is a regular AntiHero and spends most of the game following Rouge around anyway.

*** The hilarious {{irony}} in Ragna is he's {{Adorkable}} and [[LoserProtagonist a bit of a loser]], with most of the cast snarking and looking down at him. He has a crippling fear of ghosts (likely owing to the fact that [[spoiler:the person responsible for burning down his home, lopping off his right arm, and kidnapping his kid sister is a ghost]]), and ScreamsLikeALittleGirl, and indeed a lot of the game's humour [[ButtMonkey takes place at his expense]]. He's also quite a nice, compassionate guy beneath his gruff exterior, [[RealMenCook and he's a great chef]]. Essentially, while he has the badass appearance and power-set of a textbook Nineties Anti-Hero, his abrasive and headstrong personality get him into trouble more often than not. [[spoiler:In fact, much of his CharacterDevelopment revolves around him realizing that his "destroy my enemies" mindset typical of the trope hasn't gotten him anywhere and instead vows to use his power to protect his loved ones.]]

* ''VideoGame/Persona2'': Tatsuya Suou is meant to invoke this trope, but is ultimately a subversion. He is very masculine for series standards and has strong views on the subject (one of his contact options is "discuss manliness"), a ChickMagnet, stoic and aloof, a BadassBiker, and has fire, and nuclear-themed powers. In the sequel he even openly describes himself as an AntiHero, he's extremely angsty, and he's a CombatPragmatist with some PersonOfMassDestruction undertones, who does not hesitate to kill people. However, all of this is subverted in that he is actually misunderstood, as he's very shy, emotionally dependant on his friends, [[BadassBisexual swings both ways]], has no future prospects as he is, is somewhat naive to the world due to his age, and ends up being a FailureKnight to everyone who ever mattered to him (justifying the angst).

* Parodied in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' by the ShowWithinAShow ''Nyteblayde''. The titular hero ticks of pretty much every single point on the checklist... while being played by an actor who only has two modes, BadBadActing and ChewingTheScenery.

* ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal'': [[MonsterClown Needles Kane]] (AKA Sweet Tooth), who debuted in the first game released in 1995 and was created by David Jaffe (also the director for the ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' series), is a sociopathic BloodKnight serial killer who has no compunction to killing anyone in his way to getting at [[BigBad Calyspo]].
* The titular Fury of ''Videogame/FuryUnleashed'' is a sterotypical nineties comicbook protagonist whose adventures usually involve blasting away monsters and baddies with big guns. The game deals with the fact that the in-universe Fury Unleashed comic book is facing the threat of cancellation due to poor reviews in the modern era as well as the author burning out, leading the protagonist to fight through their past adventures in an attempt to save their author and their series.

* ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal'': [[MonsterClown Needles Kane]] (AKA Sweet Tooth), who debuted in the first game released in 1995 and was created by David Jaffe (also the director for the ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' series), is a sociopathic BloodKnight serial killer who has no compunction to killing anyone in his way to getting at [[BigBad Calyspo]].

** ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' follows the trend set by ''Brutal Doom'' in that he's still as [[HeroicMime silent]] as he's ever officially been, and still exudes all of the brutality has associated with him, though played ''much'' more seriously and taken UpToEleven. He does have soft spots and, as ''VideoGame/DoomEternal shows'', is a total geek with a love for comicbooks, metal albums, and action figures. He's still a {{Determinator}} through and through though, completely dedicated to ridding the universe of demons...preferably with as much violence as possible.

** ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' follows the trend set by ''Brutal Doom'' in that he's still as [[HeroicMime silent]] as he's ever officially been, and still exudes all of the brutality has associated with him, though played ''much'' more seriously and taken UpToEleven. He does have soft spots and, as Videogame/DoomEternal shows, is a total geek with a love for comicbooks, metal albums, and action figures, he's still a {{Determinator}} through and through, completely dedicated to ridding the universe of demons...preferably with as much violence as possible.