Most people assume that video games place a hero front-and-center as they help out those in need and take out an evil power hell-bent on destroying the world, taking over it, or fulfilling any variety of nefarious needs. After all, it's easy to sympathize with the hero, and players would obviously want to play a game where the fate of the entire world hinges on their actions since it adds a level of urgency to the story that is much needed.

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However, while this structure was pretty popular for most titles, this scenario isn't absolute for every game. In fact, there are several games where players can actually end up fighting the hero at the end for a variety of reasons.

Updated on May 28, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Video games have evolved to the point where simple gameplay loops and threadbare content simply won't cut it. Modern gamers demand a lot from their games, showcasing a pressing need to enjoy everything from compelling systems to riveting stories that keep players engaged till the very end. Sometimes, these stories can throw a curveball at players, forcing them to accept certain developments that can be hard to stomach, especially if they've grown attached to the protagonist they control only to be forced to face off against the very person they developed a connection with, either in obvious or convoluted ways.

11 Chaos Rings 3

The Main Character Transforms Into A Heinous Monster That His Friends Must Rescue

• Platforms: Android, iOS, PlayStation Vita
• Released: October 16, 2014
• Developer: Media.Vision
• Genre: RPG

The Chaos Rings series is undoubtedly one of the most underrated JRPG trilogies of all time, with the first two games being a blast to engage with. While Chaos Rings 3 may not have hit the ground running and came out somewhat unfinished, there are still a lot of things to love about this title as long as players are willing to accept the changes.

Instead of exploring in pairs and participating in a twisted game, players are thrust into a story that's more jovial and hits familiar notes for JRPG fans. So, it's rather sickening to see the main character transform into a horrible monstrosity that the main party must defeat to reach the game's ending. The sequence is pretty hard-hitting, so many fans were disappointed to witness an ending that didn't really wrap up all the loose ends of the franchise.

10 Persona 3 FES

The Protagonist Appears As A Boss During The Epilogue In His Sealed Form

Persona 3 is the game that implemented a winning formula for the series that players absolutely adore to this day. Persona 3 Reload has allowed players to check out this classic tale with a fresh coat of paint, and the Episode Aigis: The Answer DLC remakes the epilogue to the story, where Aigis gets the Wild Card and a new android joins the party.

While a lot of fans weren't stoked about this addition to Persona 3 Reload, there's no denying that gamers will love playing through this DLC just to see what transpires after the main character's sacrifice at the end of the game. What most people aren't aware of is that a fight near the end of the series is against the sealed form of the main character, which is bound to break many hearts during the DLC.

9 NieR: Automata

Features Numerous Endings, Including Ones Where The Playable Characters Must Battle Each Other

After struggling in the gaming industry for quite some time, Yoko Taro finally received the praise he deserved following the release of NieR: Automata. This amazing title focuses on the story of an android named 2B who explores a desolate world, slowly experiencing human feelings that make her question her very existence.

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What follows is a heart-wrenching tale with numerous endings that make the narrative experience quite unique, including some endings where the game's two playable protagonists must duke it out against each other. There's a different ending reserved for each character's victory, meaning that players will have to break their hearts twice to enjoy more of the game's conclusions as they make their way to the true ending.

8 Braid

The Protagonist Was The Villain All Along

Braid is one of the most unique platformers of the early two-thousands, sparking the wave of indie games that have become all the rage now. This title combines side-scrolling platforming with the mechanic of rewinding time to make for some unique gameplay challenges.

The gut punch of this story comes at the end, with it being revealed that the protagonist, Tim, was actually the monster that the princess was avoiding all along. The Knight who seemed like the villain was actually the true hero of the story.

7 A Way Out

The Two Characters Duke It Out At The End, With Only One Surviving

A Way Out is one of the many great co-op experiences that players can check out from Hazelight Studios. The game depicts two people who become friends and escape from prison together, only for a major plot twist to complicate things later on.

It turns out that Vincent was actually a double agent who was participating in a sting operation to get the valuable Black Orlov. The game ends with a confrontation between the two, with only one person being able to survive.

6 Injustice 2

Dimensional-Traveling Shenanigans Mean That Everyone's Favorite Heroes Can Be Villains, Too

Injustice 2 is a sequel to one of the best superhero fighting games in recent memory, with the original story of both games being a joy to uncover. Players love beating up other heroes in Injustice 2, and the final fight shows just how engaging the narrative really is.

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By the end of this story, players can choose to either play as Superman or Batman, with the former being more of a villainous figure. As a result, if players decide to control Superman and fight against the hero of the tale, the world can be plunged down a pretty dark path indeed.

5 Infamous

Kessler Is Cole From The Future

Infamous is an excellent open-world superhero title that needs a remaster sooner rather than later. The title's fun parkour and electricity powers made for a great time as players bombarded the enemy with a host of shocking abilities.

The protagonist, Cole McGrath, ends up fighting a mysterious Conduit called Kessler by the end of the first game. It's only after defeating this antagonist that players realize his true identity. Kessler was actually Cole from the future who tried to save the world from its doomed fate.

4 Omori

Sunny Fights Off His Negative Persona That He Used To Escape From Real Life

Omori is an absolute tearjerker, with this psychological horror not showing its cards until the very end of the experience. After going through his fair share of trauma, Sunny decides to fight back against the manifestation of hate and self-loathing that he used to retreat into all the time: Omori himself.

Fighting Omori is a harrowing affair, and players can't even win against its imposing might and influence. It's only when the player refuses to give in and completes his duet with Mari that this hateful force inside of him vanishes once and for all.

3 Grand Theft Auto 5

Players Can Choose To Kill Either Franklin Or Trevor In The Game's Two Distinct Bad Ends

Grand Theft Auto 5 is one of the most ambitious sandbox games ever made, with the switch to three unique protagonists being received quite warmly by the fanbase. After a roller-coaster ride full of thrills and twists, Franklin is seemingly forced to choose whether to kill either Michael or Trevor.

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Making one of these two choices leads to Frankin either taking out the eccentric man who has a history with Michael or the man who essentially served as a mentor of sorts. Of course, seasoned GTA 5 players know that the canon ending is Death Wish, where all three protagonists team up to take out their enemies.

2 Prototype 2

The Final Boss Is The Protagonist Of The First Game

Prototype 2 is a great open-world title where players can go on a destructive rampage as they take over the identities of other people and use their morphing powers to great effect. One of the most memorable things about Prototype 2 is that its antagonist is actually the hero of the first game, Alex Mercer.

Of course, Alex Mercer was far from being a typical hero, but seeing him take on this massive heel turn is still quite jarring. Suffice it to say, this character serves as the final boss of the game, with his hate for humanity causing him to go down a dark path.

1 The Last Of Us Part 2

Ellie And Abby Duke It Out To Settle Their Differences Once And For All

Truth be told, there aren't really any heroes or villains in The Last of Us Part 2. It's the circumstances that make people the way they are, and the central message of this title revolves around the cycle of violence and how no one is outright bad, barring a few exceptions, that is.

Both Ellie and Abby are flawed characters who let their thirst for vengeance get the better of them time and time again. After a brutal fistfight at the end of the game, Ellie decides to spare Abby and forsake her quest for vengeance.

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