The Far Cry franchise has had its fair share of memorable characters. Players often remember the series’ antagonists and their insane antics. That said, some of the games’ protagonists are pretty interesting as well. Jason Brody is a prime example.
Jason is the main character of Far Cry 3 and one of the most dynamic protagonists in the series. Players see him change throughout the main game, and Ubisoft even shows what he’s become — at least in Vaas’ perspective — in Far Cry 6’s Insanity DLC.
Jason at the Start of Far Cry 3
At the beginning of Far Cry 3, players are introduced to Jason and his group of friends. Among them is Grant Brody. When they’re first captured by the pirates, Jason and Grant are imprisoned together, but there’s no sign of their other companions. It’s Grant who steps up, freeing them and planning their next move. All the while, he has to calm down his brother, who’s growing more and more panicked.
If anything, Grant appears to be the typical action game protagonist. He was trained in the army and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty should the situation require it. Unfortunately, he’s killed right as he and Jason exit Vaas’ compound, leaving his horrified younger brother to run from the pirates.
As Jason flees, he’s attacked by one of Vaas’ men but manages to overpower the pirate, plunging the man’s own knife into his throat. It’s Jason’s visceral reaction that really sells his character; the way he backs away from the corpse with shaky hands coupled with the panicked curses highlights his aversion to violence — at least, at the beginning of the game.
From College Student to Rakyat Warrior
Dennis, a Rakyat warrior, saves Jason from the pirates and recognizes his potential to help his group. Jason then finds himself a new recruit of the Rakyat, and he goes along with it so that he can find his friends, including his younger brother Riley. This is where the player can start to notice changes in Jason’s character in Far Cry 3.
Progressing through the game’s main quests will prompt a confrontation with Vaas of Far Cry 3. He has, once again, captured Jason, leaving him and Liza — Jason’s girlfriend — to die in a burning building. Naturally, Jason escapes with Liza, and the two hop on a truck, driving away from the hordes of pirates chasing after them. Liza is understandably alarmed by the gunfire as she’s maneuvering the stolen vehicle, but Jason is excited by what’s happening. He happily mows down their pursuers while his girlfriend mumbles that she’s about to throw up.
This becomes a trend throughout Far Cry 3 — Jason barely batting an eye and, at times, even reveling in the deaths he’s causing. Later, when he returns to Liza, she expresses that she’s worried about his mental state and how the violence is affecting him. But Jason brushes this off, saying that he’s “taking control of his life for the first time,” and that it’s a good thing.
Eventually, Jason’s rescue mission becomes a quest to kill Vaas and Hoyt — the main villains of Far Cry 3. He wants revenge for what they did to his brothers, and he’ll stop at nothing to get it — even if it comes at the cost of his sanity. Even worse, he falls for Citra’s ploys, the same ones she used to manipulate Vaas. So, when his friends finally find a way off the island, he refuses to leave with them. He chooses to go after Hoyt instead.
There’s something to be said about how low a Far Cry character has fallen when he’s willing to torture his little brother, even if it’s done as part of a plan to escape. After meeting up with Hoyt under a false identity, Hoyt has Jason interrogate his prisoner, who happens to be his younger brother. Jason barely flinches as he punches Riley over and over, but still promises to come back for him.
From Warrior to Monster
Jason manages to save Riley, of course. However, Citra captures his friends before they can escape and forces Jason to kill them so that he can take his place by her side. This is where the player can choose the ending of the game.
The route where Jason saves his friends is the “good ending,” but it isn’t exactly hopeful. Jason finally realizes all the lives he’s taken, calling himself a monster and saying he can never come back from this. Still, he believes that he’s better than his recent actions, and the credits roll. As for the alternate Far Cry ending, choosing to join Citra feels somewhat like Jason giving in to the monster he’s become. He kills his friends and happily joins Citra in the Rakyat, only for her to kill him after.
This is precisely what makes Jason such a dynamic protagonist. He changes so much throughout the game — starting off as a fearful boy, becoming a powerful warrior, and eventually devolving into a sadistic killer. The other protagonists of the Far Cry series simply don’t change as much as Jason, which is what makes him stand out. Granted, Jack Carver of Far Cry goes through a major change between his game and Far Cry 2, but players don’t really see how it happened. Jason’s progression, on the other hand, is clear as day. By the end of the game, he’s no better than Vaas in Far Cry 3, and is perhaps even worse.
In Far Cry 6’s Insanity DLC, players can see just how insane Jason’s become, at least in Vaas’ eyes. At the very beginning of the expansion, Vaas comes face to face with Jason, and the manic look in his eyes tells the player everything they need to know about his mental state. This trend continues throughout the DLC, and the change in perspective makes it jarring to see what Jason has become — a monster.
Far Cry 3 is available now on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
