The future is dangerous. Whether on earth, amongst the distant stars, or in a different universe altogether, war continues to rage. Soldiers hunker down in trenches to snipe at one another with laser rifles and particle cannons. Fighters swarm around dreadnoughts. Psionics crush tanks and limbs with their very minds.
No matter how large, well-trained, or well-equipped an army is, there are some tasks too difficult for the average soldier. For this, a specialist is needed: a space marine. Blessed with genetic engineering, advanced weaponry, or just the skill and luck to claw their way through every confrontation, these super soldiers are the best of the best in a universe in flames. Here are some of the best space marines in gaming.
8 Sgt. Cortez (TimeSplitters)
Cultists, mechs, zombies, 20th century soldiers, and a gaggle of other villains stand between Sgt. Cortez and saving the universe once and for all. By all accounts, TimeSplitters is a weird franchise in terms of story, jumping everywhere and everywhen, and packing in tons of bizarre details along the way.
Bald, gun-toting, timeline-hopping Sgt. Cortez is the one who brings it all together. Despite not being introduced until the second game, Sgt. Cortez became the character upon whom the franchise's twisting lore centered. He's just funny and cool enough to carry the series, even if he feels pretty vanilla compared to some other famous space marines.
7 Captain Titus (Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine)
It would be an insult to the very idea of space marines not to mention Warhammer: 40,000, a setting whose entire premise is a rollicking satire of toxic masculinity and jingoism, with big stompy soldiers and laser tanks everywhere.
From the Iron Hands and Blood Angels to the Salamanders and Imperial Fists, the 40k setting is rife with interesting space marines to choose from, but one soldier in particular stands out: Captain Titus of the Ultramarines. The genetically-modified super soldiers of the Adeptus Astartes strike fear into every foes' heart, and with 150 years of combat experience behind his chainsword, Captain Titus is amongst the most fearsome of all.
6 Marcus Fenix (Gears Of War)
A former soldier for the Coalition of Ordered Governments, Marcus Fenix is reinstated despite his conviction and imprisonment for leading an unauthorized mission to free his father. His fight against the Locust Horde is a bloody one with numerous losses along the way, but throughout the series Marcus keeps the good fight going no matter who falls.
Marcus Fenix is in many ways the prototypical space marine: hulking, foul, violent, and an absolute genius when it comes to decimating the enemy. When it comes down to it, what more does a sci-fi army really need?
5 Jim Raynor (StarCraft 2)
Zoom out enough and it can be difficult to maintain a connection to the characters. After all, it's harder to relate to a face when it's just half a dozen mangled pixels. The RTS genre has struggled from the beginning to forge meaningful connections between the player and their legion of tiny troops, but StarCraft II does it right.
Jim Raynor goes through trial after trial in his war against the Protoss and Zerg, but his tribulations with Sarah Kerrigan surpass all else, showing the character's heart as well as his determination to protect his people, whatever that costs. Raynor has more personality than typical space marines, only rarely wearing his armor, preferring low-key clothing and a modified hoverbike to more conventional military wares.
4 Ashley Williams (Mass Effect)
Mass Effect, more than almost any other video game franchise, is packed with deep and complicated characters who the player is encouraged to befriend, love, and perhaps even grieve for. Space marine Ashley Williams served as a Gunnery Chief in the Systems Alliance prior to her placement with Commander Shepard, and in many ways, it's the small details that make her story so compelling.
A devout and outspoken theist, Ashley constantly pushes Commander Shepard to consider things from other angles, be that the mission or the Commander's love life. In all, there is probably more nuance to Williams's character than in the cast of most other games.
3 Samus Aran (Metroid)
Though most famously known as a bounty hunter, Samus Aran was first trained as a space marine for the Galactic Federation Army. Between her PTSD and the infantilizing manner in which she is treated by her superior officers, Samus has more problems than just bloodthirsty aliens.
Metroid may be about her time as a lone wolf, but it is her years of training and service as a space marine that gave her the skills to function so effectively on her own. Even deprived of a unit, Samus remains one of the most lethal, effective, and independent characters in science fiction.
2 Master Chief (Halo)
Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 is the face of the Halo franchise, even if that face is locked behind a heavy green helmet. As a towering Spartan, Master Chief was trained from the earliest days of childhood to be a soldier.
That training paid off, and whether facing off against the Gravemind, the Flood, the Covenant, or any other foe, Master Chief is one of the most deadly soldiers in existence. Though he can't save everyone, countless soldiers and civilians are alive because of Master Chief's bravery, determination, and skill.
1 Doomguy (Doom)
The gateway to hell has opened, demons are pouring through, and there's only one space marine in the universe with the strength and the steadfastness to stop them: Doomguy. Doom may have failed to give its hero a sensible name, but it more than managed to equip him with enough artillery to pulverize a demonic city or two.
Unlike other space marines who are given lavish backstories and motives, Doomguy is intended as a stand-in for the player. When Doomguy mows down a legion of the damned, his hands are the player's. Doomguy is the pinnacle of the space marine power fantasy: big armor and a big gun to kill big threats, no matter what foe the universe provides.