My vote for badass FF character would go to Seifer from 8.
Was it “Shadowman”? (Actually, a quick google search revealed a handful of other games where you could eat the souls of your opponents. The search must continue…)
And…another suggestion: The “Postal Dude,” from Postal2. Not really a contender for the #1, I don’t think, but maybe for somewhere towards the end of the “Top 20.”
Max Payne. No super-powers, no gee-wiz weapons; just lightning reflexes, a pair of 9mm and the will to keep on going.
You don’t have to be a demigod to be a badass.
Woosh!
At the moment, my vote goes to Old Duke Kholsa Ehld from Icewind Dale II. You never encounter him in the game except as a corpse in the ground, but you do come across some of his belongings, namely his sword and its pommel, which has been removed and turned into a medallion. Between the descriptions on both items, you get a pretty cool backstory for the guy. Someone’s been kind enough to transcribe them here.
d’oh :smack:
Well, I was always a Frogger man, myself…
Here’s another vote for Kefka. He’s a true villain’s villain: crazy, evil, destructive, all just for the hell of it. The kind of badguy you enjoy hating, but at the same time you secretly hope he’ll win and kill all of the annoying main characters who are wasting their time angsting and running off on pointless subquests. Plus, he has the best lines ever. (“Son of a submariner!” 
)
Seifer’s too pretty!
Agreed. There’s something about a character trying to become a god (and almost doing it) that inspires me. We should all strive to become gods.
I’m just getting back into the gaming loop, but I nominate KOS-MOS from Xenosaga (I and II) for female badass.
To this day, “Beware! I live!” makes my heart skip a beat.
Krauser, from Resident Evil 4.
Especially when you get to control him, squid out and kill a dozen or so ganados with your arm-blade slash thingy, and tear them to shreds. Gotta love it.
And for the “So Lame, he’s Badass” Award, I nominate Salazar from the same game.
I also need to nominate Goldman from House Of The Dead II.
He wore a classy suit and dark glasses. He had what might be the world’s largest office (which contained only his desk in front of a gigantic window at the top of a tower.) And he had the worst voice acting - EVER.
“People of-the-AMS…I- Am - Goldman.”
Argent Towers: I think everybody in House of the Dead II tie for worst voice acting ever.
On an unrelated note, I remember a level called Argent Towers from Blast Corps. Coincidence?
I was always partial to Snake from the Metal Gear games. I mean he carries arround a pack of smokes for christs sake!
Vince, the samuri sword and gatling gun weilding guido with the voice of a crazed Ray Leotta from GTA Vice City is pretty badd ass.
'Nother one…anyone ever play the game “Splatterhouse”? As I remember, the character you play is a hockey mask wearing goon who’s armed with a board with a nail in it.
(Checks site) Well, looks like his name is “Rick,” and his board doesn’t even have a nail. Yoq.
It was on both the Turbographix 16, (the portable sytem couls play the TG 16 games and it could turn into a TV) and the Genesis. I am pretty sure he had a board with a nail in at some point.
It’s no coincidence, pal. And major props to you for having that good of a memory.
Argent Towers: I do have that game, but I haven’t really played it that much. If I could figure out how to wipe the save of the previous owner, I probably would.
But I only bought it myself this year. Why I remembered “Argent Towers” is a bit odder.
You see, back around 2000 a good friend of mine was doing some freelance web design work for this company called Argent. And they were asses to work for. One day, we got together with another friend who had the game. When the guy saw the name “Argent Towers”, he about choked.
It makes me proud that so many people nominated The Nameless One - he is truly hardcore.
However, I think the most hardcore guy would have to be Lothar, from the same game. If you get even slightly feisty while you’re talking to him, you suddenly find yourself transported outside onto the street with no explanation, and if you try it again, you simply get a game over screen (something that doesn’t happen often in that game).
~ Isaac
Regarding the Nameless One from Torment, I am not entirely sure if I think he’s a badass or not. I mean, there’s no question he’s as hardcore as they come and he does deeds that would chill the blood of any ordinary mortal, but he might be a little too serious to be a straight-up badass. Since several others have nominated him, though, my reluctance to join them might just be the result of my playing style, given the considerable amount of freedom you have in this game over the Nameless One’s actions as well as his attitudes.
If I had to pick the most badass charcter in Torment, it would be this:
There is probably an interesting discussion out there about whether or not this character is “the same” as the Nameless One, I think the practical incarnation was extremely badass. That dude did not take shit from anyone.