Video game makers leave little to chance; they have an intent behind everything they do. There is a reason for every level and every stage –this includes the appearance of video game characters and the first impression they project. The main motive of video game makers when creating monsters and dangerous-looking characters is aggression. When you meet them, know it is a red flag. It usually indicates that there is trouble ahead.
We are very familiar with the antics of video game makers, and as such, we are always on the defensive when we meet video game characters with questionable appearances. When the game plot allows us to avoid them all together, we do. After all, he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day. It has, however, come to our notice that stereotyping dangerous-looking video game characters as actually dangerous is not always the correct position. This means that not every time you see one should you run. Here are ten video game characters that look dangerous but are nearly harmless.
Related: 10 Bizarre Things People Have Done Over Video Games
10 Stardew Valley: Krobus
Krobus is a monster in the video game Stardew Valley. In the game, you play as a character who inherits a small, run-down farm in a town called Stardew Valley. You must restore the farm to its former glory by growing crops, raising animals, mining for resources, and building relationships with the other inhabitants of the town.
Krobus is hidden in the sewer but is unlike the other video game villains you will find in the game. Under the right conditions, Krobus can move in with the player character and become his roommate. In the game, if the player character takes Krobus to the farm, Krobus can run errands for the player character as a dedicated buddy. Krobus reminds us all of the fact that you cannot always judge a book by its cover. He even proudly tells the player character that he is unlike the others (other monsters in the game).
Krobus likes specific gifts, which will make him increase his friendship with the player character. There are also gifts that Krobus hates which will make him reduce his friendship with the player character. The most interesting thing about this monster is that the player character gets to hug it. Krobus will even help the protagonist raise his children, provided the protagonist had them before meeting Krobus. [1]
9 Hades: Skelly
Skelly is an interesting character in Hades, a popular video game developed by Supergiant Games, an independent video game developer. It is a role-playing action game that was first released in 2018 as an early access game and later officially released in September 2020 for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Nintendo Switch.
In the game, you play as Zagreus, the son of Hades, who is attempting to escape the underworld and reach Mount Olympus. To do so, you must fight through various levels of the underworld, battling a wide range of enemies and bosses and gaining new abilities and weapons as you progress.
Skelly has a monstrous look, but he is harmless. Skelly’s mission is to help the player character acquire fighting skills and learn how to use weapons. The most interesting fact about this monster is that it likes to get beaten up. Skelly will eventually request that the protagonist kill him with the Stygian Blade, which frees Skelly from his contract as a punchbag.[2]
8 Rune Factory 4: Ventuswill
Ventuswill is a green dragon in the video game Rune Factory 4. In the game, the player takes on the role of a protagonist who has lost their memory and finds themselves in the town of Selphia, a land of fantasy where humans and monsters coexist. The player must farm, craft, and battle their way through various challenges while interacting with a cast of colorful characters, including potential romantic partners.
Despite being a monster, Ventuswill is a friendly video game character. She is one of the Elder Dragons in the game and the protector of Selphia. Her duty is to return runes to the world through her body. Ventuswill actually assists the protagonist throughout the video game. What surprises us the most is how Ventuswill bonds with the protagonist considering their unusual and surprising mode of meeting.
The protagonist fell through the ceiling and right onto Ventuswill, something you might expect from an enemy, but this does not make them enemies in the game. They even complete a mission together and return to Selphia, only for Ventuswill to disappear into the Forest of Beginnings. We will never forget this self-sacrificing monster.[3]
7 Pokémon GO: Snorlax
Pokémon Go players capture, train, and battle virtual creatures known as “Pokémon,” which appear in the real world via the game’s augmented reality feature. Players explore their surroundings to find and catch Pokémon, which are scattered throughout parks, neighborhoods, and other locations in the real world. Players can train and evolve their Pokémon by collecting “candy” and “stardust” through various in-game activities such as catching other Pokémon or participating in battles.
Snorlax is supposed to be a formidable opponent in the video game Pokémon GO, but he only makes us laugh. Although dangerous looking, Snorlax performs below expectations in the video game. Snorlax is physically huge and strong, but this video game villain is popular with fans because it tends to sleep all the time, even in unexpected locations.
So Snorlax doesn’t offer the expected level of resistance to the player’s character due to its penchant for sleep. This is why we can safely include it on this list. Snorlax has an imposing stature, but we cannot be frightened by a video game villain who spends most of the day sleeping. We can safely refer to Snorlax as a non-hostile villain.[4]
6 Dark Souls: The Giant Blacksmith
The Giant Blacksmith is a video game character in the video game Dark Souls. The game takes place in a dark fantasy world where the player takes on the role of a cursed undead character who is on a quest to find a way to break the curse and regain their humanity.
The game is known for its difficulty and punishing gameplay mechanics, with challenging combat and intricate level design that rewards exploration and perseverance. The player must battle through a series of interconnected areas filled with deadly enemies, treacherous traps, and powerful bosses. The game’s lore is deep and complex, with themes of fate, sacrifice, and the cyclical nature of life and death.
Ordinarily, the Giant Blacksmith looks dangerous with its huge and monstrous appearance, but it does not harm anyone in the game. It will only fight back if attacked. We find it difficult to believe that a huge and fearsome monster chose to become an ordinary dealer in one of the most competitive video games.
The Giant Blacksmith sells a variety of upgrade materials and weapons. However, one brave fact about him is that several of the weapons he sells are exclusive to him. You cannot find these weapons elsewhere. We hope that video game makers will make their weapon dealers much smaller in the future, as a passive giant in a video game only creates a distraction.[5]
5 Shadow of the Colossus: The Colossi
Shadow of the Colossus follows the story of a young man named Wander, who enters a forbidden land to revive a girl named Mono by defeating 16 colossi, enormous and powerful creatures that roam the land. The game’s story is told through minimal dialogue, with the player left to interpret the events and motives of the characters.
The Colossi are huge characters in Shadow of the Colossus and have the appearance of a living gargantuan statue. The Colossi have a fearsome appearance– they will scare the living daylight out of any video game player, no matter your level of expertise. What surprises us the most is that the Colossi are virtually harmless. In fact, the player character needs to seek them out in the game and attack them first before they fight back.
The Colossi fights defensively and cannot be considered a villain. The Colossi simply want to be left alone. The player character hunts them for their magic sigils. Without that, we might never see any confrontation between the player character and the Colossi. The Colossi totally deserves to be on this list. It is rare to see a being as huge as that in a video game that doesn’t want war.[6]
4 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Zaalbar
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) is a role-playing video game set in the Star Wars universe. The game was first released in 2003 and takes place 4,000 years before the events of the Star Wars movies.
In KOTOR, the player takes on the role of a customizable protagonist who is on a mission to save the galaxy from the Sith, a group of dark-side Force users who seek to conquer and dominate the galaxy. Along the way, the player meets a diverse cast of characters, including other Jedi, smugglers, and bounty hunters, and must make choices that affect the story’s outcome.
Zaalbar is a character in KOTOR—a male Wookiee with a frightening appearance. He stands and walks like a human, but he has fur like that of an ape. Merely seeing him in the game makes us shudder, but what is surprising about his personality is that he is incredibly gentle. The only difference between Zaalbar and the others on this list is that the game has a light-side and dark-side mode. A player can choose to switch to the dark-side mode, which will make Zaalbar become a cold-hearted and wicked character.[7]
3 Mass Effect 2: Charr
In Mass Effect 2, the player takes on the role of Commander Shepard, a human soldier who must assemble a team of skilled operatives to stop the mysterious Collectors from abducting human colonists. In the game, the Krogan race is one of the strongest races. Charr is a Krogan and a transport technician on Illium. He is physically massive and has an intimidating appearance.
The unusual thing about Charr is that he is not a brute but the romantic type who is in love with Ereba, an asari merchant in the transport hub. Charr and Ereba were once in a relationship, but Ereba called off the relationship as she was suspicious that Charr was only interested in her for reproduction—so she refuses to settle down permanently with Charr.
At a point during the game, Charr can be seen reading romantic poetry verses to Ereba in the hope that this would win her love and cause her to have a change of heart. Charr is one video game character we won’t forget in a hurry. He was able to break the stereotype of the Krogan race being a race of ruthless mercenaries and xenophobic beings. Coming across a romantic, emotionally-vulnerable monster in a video game is very unusual.[8]
2 The Secret of Monkey Island: LeChuck
LeChuck is a video game villain in The Secret of Monkey Island. He is completely dressed as a pirate and has a frightening appearance that spells danger, but he is less than dangerous. He is fond of making very foolish moves that render all his effort meaningless. In the game, LeChuck falls in love with a lady named Elaine and decides to marry her at all costs.
LeChuck anchors his ship in the gates of Big Whoop and plans to kidnap Elaine, only to be informed that he has to confront Guybrush Threepwood, a trainee pirate, in order to actualize his plans. His first instinct is to disguise himself as a sheriff and scare Guybrush by stating that the island is too dangerous for Guybrush, but his advice falls on deaf ears, leaving him with no other option than to fight Guybrush as an enemy.
It turned out that Guybrush needed to take Elaine’s idol to pass the pirate exam, and LeChuck managed to get there in the nick of time to catch Guybrush red-handed. All LeChuck managed to do was tie Guybrush to Elaine’s idol and throw both in the ocean—what wisdom!. Guybrush manages to untie himself, take Elaine’s idol, complete the exam, and become a pirate.
LeChuck concludes that Guybrush is dead since he saw him sink into the ocean. LeChuck kidnaps Elaine and arranges a wedding. Unfortunately for LeChuck, Elaine escapes and replaces herself with two monkeys in a bride’s outfit. Immediately after LeChuck is fooled by Elaine, Guybrush, who is now a full-fledged pirate, returns and kills LeChuck. You see why we had to add him to this list—he is a harmless villain.[9]
1 Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor: Ratbag
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is set in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, specifically in the land of Mordor. In the game, the player takes on the role of Talion, a ranger killed by Sauron’s forces and resurrected by a mysterious Wraith. Together, Talion and the Wraith seek revenge on those who killed Talion’s family and unravel the Wraith’s past.
Just like the previous item on this list, Ratbag is a funny video game character. Although he has a fearsome appearance that would strike fear in any potential enemy, Ratbag simply lacks the capacity to be considered dangerous. In fact, he quickly gained a reputation for himself as “Ratbag the Coward.” Although Ratbag craves the greatest power, he doesn’t know what to do with it.
In the video game, we are introduced to Ratbag for the first time when we see him tied to a pole by his superior, Goroth Caragor Tamer. Talion helps him to survive a possible execution from Goroth, but shortly after that, Ratbag runs into more trouble—this time with “Brogg the Twin,” who is a Warchief’s bodyguard. Talion once again intervenes and saves Ratbag. He kills Brogg, which paves the way for Ratbag to become the Warchief’s new bodyguard.
When the Warchief, Mogg, learns that his twin brother, Brogg, was killed because of Ratbag. He orders the execution of Ratbag, but once again, Talion comes to Ratbag’s rescue and kills Mogg, which now makes Ratbag a Warchief. Despite all his narrow escapes due to Talion’s intervention, Ratbag could not survive being a Warchief for so long. When the “Hammer of Sauron” arrives, he quickly executes Ratbag.[10]
