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The Top 7... Lazy Character Clichés

Copy, paste, unoriginality! The most overused archetypes of all time

Words: Charlie Barratt, GamesRadar US

Description: Hmm. Perhaps we judged the whole helmet thing too quickly. If these are the mind-numbingly monotonous faces of the future, we'd rather they remained hidden. Soldiers, engineers, prisoners, Jedi, whatever - if they live amidst the stars, they share the exact same, dull appearance. The lack of gravity tends to remove all trace of individuality as well, ostensibly so players can fill in their own personality. Have fun doing the developers' jobs for them!

Common characteristics:

  • Buzz or crew cut to keep troublesome hair out of the way of important space business.
  • Strong hairline, however, reminds us that these guys could totally grow a full head if they wanted to.
  • Liberal sprinkling of uber macho stubble.
  • Perfectly proportioned square of a skull with chiseled cheek bones and epic jaw.
  • Military garb recognizable despite completely different century and/or universe.
  • Cigars and Castro caps mandatory for all high-ranking officers.
  • Blank mannequin expression. No smiles allowed.


Possible Inspiration:



Wait a second...


The Antidote:

We thought about including Duke Nukem in the collage above, but c'mon - look at the guy! That blood red tank top. That curled snarl. That impenetrable wedge of neon blonde tresses. That pair of unapologetically 1980s sunglasses. Duke Nukem may be a Buzz Cut Space Dude, but he's a buzz cut space dude with some serious flavor.

 
9 Comments
CuddlyBomber - 3 months 4 days ago
Ah Man i just listened to talkradar11 and the top 7 was hilarious.
MSCR - 2 months 23 days ago
Pretty good article, a bit preachy sometimes and I fail to see how that raziel thing is a prettyboy. Moody and shit sure, but the guy runs about naked, has no visible genitals and isn't half his face missing?

Other than that, pretty insightful stuff.
Coolbeans69 - 2 months 17 days ago
That was pretty funny
Psyrate - 2 months 2 days ago
The truth has never been so hilarious.
melloe - 1 month 13 days ago
well done. but you forgot Samus in the collage of masked characters?
Major_Wuss - 29 days 5 hours ago
LOL at including Viva Pinata in the Animal with Attitude page.
NeotericDope - 9 days 4 hours ago
All of these fall into the antidote category:

Black stereotype antidote:Eli Vance (Half Life)

Half naked woman antidote: Alyx Vance (Half Life), Faith (Mirrors Edge), Zoey (Left 4 Dead)

Masked men antidote: (Mega Man) not completely masked, but he's covered in a helmet and owns.

Love interest antidote: Once again Alyx Vance (Half Life)
crustdbeat - 8 days 21 hours ago
forgot about jax from MK,

they emphasize his arms a tad dont they?
crustdbeat - 8 days 21 hours ago
Thanks for the wallpaper!!
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