Video games and fighting are no strangers to one another. Most games have combat mechanics baked into their design, and so many video games have stories of battles between the forces of good and evil, wars being fought between nations or simply protagonists who have some need to turn to aggression to achieve their aims.
But sometimes we see video game characters who reject this outlook and do everything they can to avoid violence, whether that’s only fighting back when absolutely necessary, or finding alternate ways to stand up for themselves. These are video games’ pacifists, the characters who avoid conflict even in worlds full of it.
10 The Bard (Wandersong)
Produced by indie developer Greg Lobanov, Wandersong is a game all about a hero saving the world from destruction. However, the goddess who calls upon the prophesied hero calls upon a bard instead. This bard is not interested in combat, and instead relies entirely upon the power of song and dance.
This doesn’t stop them from embarking on the quest to save the world, however, as they realize the world can be saved by gathering the pieces of a mystical song that will prevent destruction. Relentlessly optimistic in the face of danger, The Bard shows the world that violence isn’t always the way to become a hero.
9 Chozo (Metroid Series)
The Chozo’s presence is felt all over the Metroid franchise, with many of their ruins making up areas that Samus can run through and explore, and Samus herself even being raised by people of the bird-person race. While rarely seen directly, it’s clear from documents and environments what kind of people they were.
With the exception of a few warrior tribes, the Chozo prioritized knowledge over war, wishing to study an analysis the universe, and fighting only for defense. They walked the line between a druidic race respecting nature and a highly advanced technology focused race. However, this focus on tech may also have been their downfall, as they created the Metroids, and didn’t anticipate how much of a problem they would become for the galaxy.
8 Phoenix Wright (Ace Attorney Series)
As a defense attorney, Phoenix Wright has always preferred to fight his battles in the courtroom. His weapons are evidence and testimony, his counterattack is a hearty “Objection!” and he is driven by a determination to do right by his clients.
His pacifist nature becomes really obvious, however, in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, where his attacks don’t change much, using evidence, pointing and shouting to attack opponents who come equipped with martial arts skills and superpowers. Even when facing down aggressive foes, he still prefers to enact justice in a legal fashion, not a physical one.
7 Professor Layton
Professor Layton is a brave, heroic character with a love of fencing, so clearly he must be a noble sword fighter battling to protect others. Except he isn’t, preferring to tackle problems with his love of puzzle solving.
He’s a refined gentleman who’s a professor of archeology at Gressenheller University, and uses his knowledge to help people in need with his apprentice Luke in tow. Layton can always be relied upon in any situation where wits over violence are required.
6 Dandelion (The Witcher)
Also known as Jaskier in the original Polish novels and the Netflix series, The Witcher's Dandelion is a bard who frequently travels around with protagonist Geralt. Despite this proximity to the titular witcher, he doesn’t tend to do much fighting himself, preferring poetry and song.
An educated yet cowardly man, he tends to avoid direct physical conflict, instead relying on his wits and charm to get him out of tough situations. However, he remains a loyal friend to Geralt and co, and does prove himself useful at times with nonviolent actions such as distractions.
5 Otacon (Metal Gear)
Hal “Otacon” Emmerich is a popular character in the long-running Metal Gear franchise, introduced as the lead scientist behind Metal Gear Rex and quickly becoming Solid Snake’s main confidant and intel provider. However, while he supports Snake in the field, he does so reluctantly, unhappy with the need for wars and violence.
This might seem odd for the man who designed a walking battle tank, but as he admits in Metal Gear Solid, he agreed to help build it due to a love of mecha anime, not because he wanted to hurt people. He’s a little naive, but his heart is always in the right place.
4 Luigi (Super Mario Series)
Mario’s younger brother is arguably one of the most famous pacifists in gaming. However, it’s less down to a fierce refusal to fight and more down to a more cowardly demeanor than his heroic brother.
Not that Luigi will never get involved with a fight when it’s necessary, as he’s proven to be able to face his fears and take on ghosts to save his brother on three occasions. He’s just more likely to hang back and be more cautious of the dangers than Mario. Except perhaps on the kart track, where Luigi is much more likely to choose violence.
3 Gandhi (Civilization)
Mohandas Gandhi, better known by his title Mahatma Gandhi, was a noted Indian lawyer who famously employed non-violent resistance in a push for his country to gain independence from the British. He’s also a recurring character in the Civilization series, presented as the leader of India in every game to date.
Just like his real-life counterpart, he prefers to use diplomacy instead of violence to achieve his aims. As a rival AI player, Gandhi will never declare war and is much more likely to declare friendship with other nations, unless that nation is a warmonger. However, it should be noted that despite his unwillingness to start wars, he’s famously much less afraid of using nuclear weapons to end them.
2 Abe (Oddworld)
The face of the Oddworld series, Abe first appeared on the PS1 in the critically acclaimed Abe’s Oddysee. Originally a floor cleaner employed at the meat factory RuptureFarms, Abe learned that he and the rest of his race, the Mudokons, were in danger of being turned into meat products, leading him to escape and become a freedom fighter for the enslaved Mudokons.
Abe does tend to cause explosive damage to a lot of the institutions founded by the capitalistic Glukkons, which does cause quite a bit of indirect death and destruction. However, Abe’s goals are not to kill, but to take down the system, and will rarely fight his enemies directly, preferring stealth and cunning to achieve his goals.
1 Frisk (Undertale)
While Undertale offers players a choice of whether to play aggressively or as a pacifist, it’s clear that the pacifist run is much more memorable and rewarding, suggesting it’s the canon way to play. In fact, the pacifist ending is the only time the protagonist’s name is revealed to the player.
Undertale is a game where the power of friendship matters more than physical strength. As Frisk, the player finds new friends in unlikely places, heals a divide between humans and monsters, and goes on a date with a skeleton, showing that sometimes the peaceful option is the better one.