Any video game character can fire a gun; it takes something more to do it with grace and style.
To highlight these heroes, we compiled a list of the most badass video game gunslingers, each armed with (at least one) pistol, quick reflexes, and a talent for overcoming impossible odds... most of the time.
Spoilers may follow. You've been warned.
Silas Greaves
An old bounty hunter walks into a bar in Kansas. Then he gets drunk and proceeds to tell exaggerated versions of his already exciting tales. This is the story of Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, and it’s awesome. Greaves may let the booze get to him from time to time, but he’s a still a sharp shooter who’s been around the block a few times. His crimson pancho, fingerless gloves, and torn cowboy hat complete the badass gunslinger look.
Lucian
Most gunslingers fight for fame, respect, and personal glory. League of Legend's Lucian, instead, uses his twin relic pistols to stave off the undead hordes. He once had a loving wife, Senna, but she was captured by the powerful soul collector, Thresh. Whether he’s blasting out a huge beam of piercing light or making it rain with his signature move, The Culling, it’s never a good time to be on his bad side.
John Marston
Red Dead Redemption's John Marston’s father died in a barfight. Earlier in his life, he became a gang member who murdered, raided, and robbed his way to infamy. If you’re looking down the barrel of his gun, you’re gonna have a bad time. He may have abandoned that path of crime, but he’s still a skilled shooter and survivor - and now he has a family he’ll fiercely protect. On top of that, he can slow down time, which is a tad unfair.
Revolver Ocelot
Metal Gear Solid's Revolver Ocelot thought Spaghetti Westerns were so cool that he chose to mimic them. He wears traditional cowboy garb, spurs included, and fires a Colt .45 Single-Action Revolver. His gunfighting skills have earned him the moniker “ricochet genius.” Ocelot may not have been an original gunslinger, but he certainly looks the part, and his skills match those of Big Boss. That’s good enough for us.
Kirby
Nintendo’s adorable pink puffball probably doesn’t float to mind when you hear the word “gunslinger,” but he should. In Kirby’s Adventure, Kirby demonstrated his pistolier prowess time and time again in the challenging Quick Draw mini game. In the middle of the desert, with only cacti for an audience, he took out five enemies with lightning speed, leaving their hats in the dust. Plus, he didn’t just fight with a pistol. He brought out a bazooka and a cannon for his final duels. What a pioneer.
The Gunstringer
The Gunstringer may be attached to strings, but they don't tie him down. The undead marionette puppet is, in true gunslinger fashion, betrayed by his former posse. Using the Kinect and a mark-and-target functionality, the Gunstringer rises from his grave and takes revenge.
Dante
A lot of gunslingers nail the wardrobe; few nail the hair. Dante’s snow white top and long-tailed red coat complete the look, but his skills as a mercenary and demon hunter speak loudest. The son of a demon has taken out more enemies than you can count across several Devil May Cry games, and he alone possesses the power to set the gaming world on fire just by getting a haircut.
The Stranger
The Stranger’s motives aren’t deep or difficult to decipher. Mad Dog McCree and his gang have taken over a small western town - a town that just isn’t big enough for the both of them. As the star of the cheesy light gun game, Mad Dog McCree, The Stranger fights bandits, searches for maps, and rescues prisoners. He may not be as stylish as some of the others on this list, but he’s old school, and that counts for something.
You
Yes, you. Before first-person shooters became the genre, you were mercilessly blasting ducks out of the sky with pinpoint accuracy in Duck Hunt. Sure, you probably only handled one gun at a time, and sure, you probably held the barrel only a few inches away from the TV screen, but we’re willing to throw you bone for all that restraint you showed when the dog taunted your face.
Bayonetta
Every pistolier on this list is good with their hands. But how many can fire with their feet? Yes, she does suffer from memory loss much like seemingly every other video game character, but Bayonetta is also a shapeshifting witch whose hair does just as much work as her firearms. Her unique style, wide range of powers, and potency with a pistol secure a spot on our list.
What do you think? Did the bounty hunter, Stranger, from Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath deserve a spot? What about Hol Horse from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure? Let us know in the comments below.
Brian is an associate editor at IGN. During the holiday break he plans to play GTA V, Tearaway, State of Decay, and, of course, more Dota 2. You can follow him*@albinoalbert on Twitter.
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To highlight these heroes, we compiled a list of the most badass video game gunslingers, each armed with (at least one) pistol, quick reflexes, and a talent for overcoming impossible odds... most of the time.
Spoilers may follow. You've been warned.
Silas Greaves
An old bounty hunter walks into a bar in Kansas. Then he gets drunk and proceeds to tell exaggerated versions of his already exciting tales. This is the story of Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, and it’s awesome. Greaves may let the booze get to him from time to time, but he’s a still a sharp shooter who’s been around the block a few times. His crimson pancho, fingerless gloves, and torn cowboy hat complete the badass gunslinger look.
Lucian
Most gunslingers fight for fame, respect, and personal glory. League of Legend's Lucian, instead, uses his twin relic pistols to stave off the undead hordes. He once had a loving wife, Senna, but she was captured by the powerful soul collector, Thresh. Whether he’s blasting out a huge beam of piercing light or making it rain with his signature move, The Culling, it’s never a good time to be on his bad side.
John Marston
Red Dead Redemption's John Marston’s father died in a barfight. Earlier in his life, he became a gang member who murdered, raided, and robbed his way to infamy. If you’re looking down the barrel of his gun, you’re gonna have a bad time. He may have abandoned that path of crime, but he’s still a skilled shooter and survivor - and now he has a family he’ll fiercely protect. On top of that, he can slow down time, which is a tad unfair.
Revolver Ocelot
Metal Gear Solid's Revolver Ocelot thought Spaghetti Westerns were so cool that he chose to mimic them. He wears traditional cowboy garb, spurs included, and fires a Colt .45 Single-Action Revolver. His gunfighting skills have earned him the moniker “ricochet genius.” Ocelot may not have been an original gunslinger, but he certainly looks the part, and his skills match those of Big Boss. That’s good enough for us.
Kirby
Nintendo’s adorable pink puffball probably doesn’t float to mind when you hear the word “gunslinger,” but he should. In Kirby’s Adventure, Kirby demonstrated his pistolier prowess time and time again in the challenging Quick Draw mini game. In the middle of the desert, with only cacti for an audience, he took out five enemies with lightning speed, leaving their hats in the dust. Plus, he didn’t just fight with a pistol. He brought out a bazooka and a cannon for his final duels. What a pioneer.
The Gunstringer
The Gunstringer may be attached to strings, but they don't tie him down. The undead marionette puppet is, in true gunslinger fashion, betrayed by his former posse. Using the Kinect and a mark-and-target functionality, the Gunstringer rises from his grave and takes revenge.
Dante
A lot of gunslingers nail the wardrobe; few nail the hair. Dante’s snow white top and long-tailed red coat complete the look, but his skills as a mercenary and demon hunter speak loudest. The son of a demon has taken out more enemies than you can count across several Devil May Cry games, and he alone possesses the power to set the gaming world on fire just by getting a haircut.
The Stranger
The Stranger’s motives aren’t deep or difficult to decipher. Mad Dog McCree and his gang have taken over a small western town - a town that just isn’t big enough for the both of them. As the star of the cheesy light gun game, Mad Dog McCree, The Stranger fights bandits, searches for maps, and rescues prisoners. He may not be as stylish as some of the others on this list, but he’s old school, and that counts for something.
You
Yes, you. Before first-person shooters became the genre, you were mercilessly blasting ducks out of the sky with pinpoint accuracy in Duck Hunt. Sure, you probably only handled one gun at a time, and sure, you probably held the barrel only a few inches away from the TV screen, but we’re willing to throw you bone for all that restraint you showed when the dog taunted your face.
Bayonetta
Every pistolier on this list is good with their hands. But how many can fire with their feet? Yes, she does suffer from memory loss much like seemingly every other video game character, but Bayonetta is also a shapeshifting witch whose hair does just as much work as her firearms. Her unique style, wide range of powers, and potency with a pistol secure a spot on our list.
What do you think? Did the bounty hunter, Stranger, from Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath deserve a spot? What about Hol Horse from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure? Let us know in the comments below.
Brian is an associate editor at IGN. During the holiday break he plans to play GTA V, Tearaway, State of Decay, and, of course, more Dota 2. You can follow him*@albinoalbert on Twitter.
More...
