10 Times Video Game Villains Spared You
These adversaries were tough, but also merciful.
Video game villains have a long and vital history; whether it's their diabolical nature or brutal difficulty in confrontation, they've worked to make the games they've appeared in more memorable.
While many of the greatest antagonists offered few redeeming qualities, others show a more merciful side and held off from killing the heroes we control outright. Their motives can vary, from the classic "they're hiding something", to them sticking to their own moral code, or even needing the protagonist alive for some unrevealed motives.
Some of these individuals became the most memorable aspect of the games they appeared in, drastically increasing their overall impact.
They may have beaten you down, but by leaving the player character alive, some villains left themselves wide open for a chance at revenge, escape or uncovering the truth. If nothing else, the following foes in this list had more honour than most, coming to respect the protagonist or challenging them to be better.
From skilled swordsmen to super-powered individuals, these are the ten villains who spared the player from total defeat.
Be warned, as there are massive spoilers ahead for every game on this list.
10. Jetstream Sam - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Starting off the list is Samuel Rodrigues, better known as Jetstream Sam from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Serving as Raiden's primary rival throughout the story, Sam is a master of Brazilian swordplay and a member of the Desperado PMC faction.
He first appears in Africa, looking to assassinate its prime minister N'Mani. Challenging Raiden to a duel, Sam severed the protagonist’s arm and left him in a pool of blood on a train. Raiden - and by extension, the player - would hold a grudge against Sam afterwards, aiming to take revenge on the disciplined warrior.
Jetstream Sam was an incredibly skilled and worthy opponent for Raiden, one whose skills were honed not through technological enhancement, but mainly through pure study and discipline. Aside from his strength-enhancing exoskeleton, he had few cybernetic enhancements to speak of. He was also an expert in reading his foe's tactics and personalities, often using them to throw them off balance in combat.
Raiden and Sam would eventually battle a second time in a barren field, where the former would prove himself the greater swordsman. But, our protagonist gained a new respect for Sam, and went on to use his high frequency blade in the ultimate confrontation.