Summary
Given the concept of an immortal character, it’s often surprising that there aren’t more of them in video games. Though there are few, the ones that have made their way onto the player’s screen have often been remembered fondly, as they stand out as being some of the most powerful fictional characters in gaming. From special, superhero-like powers, to endless regeneration abilities, these characters don’t age, and they just don’t die (whether for better or worse).
In many ways, video games are actually the perfect medium to portray immortal characters, as players can have endless amounts of fun controlling characters who can’t be defeated, and who exude pure power. However, it’s often tricky to maintain a balance as there still needs to be some sort of challenge, as the player can’t die if they control an immortal character. As such, immortal characters in games are often side characters, or shrouded in mystery. However, there are still a number of player-controlled ones too.
Immortality in theMortal Kombatuniverse is unnecessarily difficult to wrap one’s head around. There are gods and elder gods, some of which are immortal and some of which aren’t. And even when they are immortal they can still sometimes die? It doesn’t seem to make sense, but there’s clearly some order to it all.Raidenis one of the most memorable characters from the fighting franchise and is a powerful god of thunder.
With all of his powers, Raiden’s immortality is questionable, though, especially since the lore dictates that he gives up his immortality to fight against Shao Kahn. However, it’s slightly unclear as to when he is or isn’t immortal, and the extent of his immortal powers. Hetakes on different formsthroughout the franchise and it’s all a bit confusing. What is clear, however, is that Raiden is a deity, he’s super powerful, and he is immortal at some point. He’s also a beloved character and incredibly iconic.
Vincent Valentineis one of the most mysterious and intriguing characters fromFinal Fantasy 7that players can add to their party. He’s insanely cool, being kitted out with a red and black cloak and mask, making him look like some sort of ninja. Despite only being an optional character, it’s quite impressive that Valentine has managed to garner such a dedicated following from fans.
His immorality comes in the form of mutated experiments which gifted him super strength and speed, as well as the envious ability of agelessness. Sure, Vincent can technically die from serious injuries, but he will never die from old-age due to his immortal nature. He is not, however, invulnerable to every single danger, but he stillmakes an excellent additionto anyFinal Fantasy 7party.
One of the best, yet elusive, side characters to comefrom theMetal Gear SolidfranchiseisVamp, a man with extraordinary vampire-like superpowers. His background is seemingly mysterious, yet it’s evidently made clear that he possesses some highly unnatural abilities, and it’s later revealed that he is, in fact, immortal.
Vamp was subjected to nanomachine experiments when he served as part of Dead Cell, which greatly enhanced his abilities. He proved capable of withstanding events that should have been certain death on several occasions, always coming out on top. However, Snake discovers a way to effectively render him mortal by injecting him with repressed nanomachines, temporarily undoing his powers.
Kainfrom theLegacy of Kainseries is an interesting character, not only because of his characterization, but because of his immortal status. Not only is he mostlyimmortal through being a vampire, but he also has access to the ancient Pillars of Nosgoth powers, which form the Scion of Balance. These Pillars give each “Guardian” immortality, making Kain not only immortal through age, but also invulnerable.
This effectively makes Kain one of the most powerful characters in gaming. There is, however, one weapon that can kill Kain - the Soul Reaver, which happens to be an essential part of the overall franchise. It’s a unique take on the vampire genre, and Kain is a genuinely great character to play.
The Nameless Oneis one of the oldest immortal characters in gaming, with his age falling somewhere around 7,000 years. They are a powerful, immortal being who has died time and time again, but always comes back through endless reincarnation. The downside to this specific form of immortality is that The Nameless One often experiences heavy memory loss upon reincarnation.
The Nameless One’s journey is all about finding out why he is the way he is and if he might ever become mortal. It’s a clever, intriguing, and often beautiful narrative with a searching main character fueled by passion and curiosity. Despite having no name, The Nameless One sure is pretty memorable.
There seems to be a reoccurring theme of immortal characters not quite being fully immortal in gaming, as proven in thePrototypefranchise when the protagonist of the first game, Alex Mercer, is destroyed by James Heller, the protagonist inPrototype 2. Alex Mercer had the same powers as James Heller, and was supposedly immortal due to his Blacklight infection, but Sergeant James Heller proves that’s not quite the case.
Heller’s immortal status is cemented when he consumes Mercer however, as hebecomes the most powerfulBlacklight being. Heller’s immortality comes with various superpower abilities, such as shapeshifting, super strength and many other Blacklight-related powers.
Let’s get something out the way;Alucardis one of the coolest characters in any video game, and it just so happens that he’s also immortal - which just makes him even cooler. For those that don’t know, Alucard is theprotagonist ofCastlevania: Symphony of the Night. He appeared in earlierCastlevaniatitles, but was never a prominent character.
Symphony of the Nightchanged that and gave Alucard the spotlight he deserved. He’s genuinely the most powerful vampire in any game. He’s handsome and charming, but he’s also viciously powerful and cunning. Let’s just say that gamers wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of this immortal being.
Talion is the protagonist in bothMiddle Earthtitles, but it’sMiddle Earth: Shadow of Mordorthatintroduces this interesting character. Talion’s notably different to the other characters on this list in the sense that he gains his immortality through being undead. Talion is actually murdered near the start of the game, although he is brought back to life by the wraith of Celebrimbor, an Elvish prince.
Shadow of Mordoruses Talion’s immortality repeatedly in the gameplay through the excellent Nemesis System, where enemies remember killing him after he is brought back to life. He’s a great character and his immortal nature actually enhances both the story and gameplay, a rare case in video games.
