Summary
Sometimes, it’s good to embrace video games as a power fantasy. Having the ability to jump three times the height of the average human,demolish waves of enemieswith the press of a button, and solve all problems with violence can be so satisfying. The logical conclusion in many cases is that the protagonist (and often the villain) becomes so much of a threat that they ascend to godhood.
Stories of human beings rising up to divine power are not unheard of. However, seeing them depicted in stories or movies is one thing, but playing through the experience and living the ascendance vicariously (or at least witnessing it firsthand) through the medium of video games is quite another. Through whatever means available, these video game characters have reached the pinnacle of power. Beware of heretical spoilers ahead.
InFinal Fantasy 6, Kefka Palazzo begins his journey as an eccentric, power-hungry court mage whose ruthless ambition quickly escalates into one of the most memorable villainous ascensions in gaming history. Kefka’s obsession with power leads him to betray his emperor at his moment of triumph by absorbing the power of the Warring Triad, ancient masters of magic, and ultimately becoming a god of magic.
With his new power,Kefka commits unspeakable atrocitiesand ultimately succeeds in reshaping the world in his own twisted image, spreading despair and destruction across the land. Kefka’s rise to divinity remains one of the most compelling villain arcs and one that still stands out as one of the most shocking twists in theFinal Fantasyseries or in video game storytelling at large.
Kratos wasn’t always the god of war. In 2005’sGod of Wari,he began as a mortal Spartan warrior who, after being manipulated by Ares, the original God of War, into killing his family, was consumed by rage and grief. Fueled by vengeance, Kratos embarked on a violent path of destructionagainst the gods who wronged him, taking on the entire Greek pantheon.
Over the course of multiple games, he ascended to true godhood by savage violence, ultimately earning the title of God of War. Through relentless brutality and sheer willpower, Kratos defeats titans and deities alike, cementing his place as one of the most fearsome gods in gaming history.
TheLegacy of Kainseries, known for its deep explorations of cycles, rebirth, and time paradoxes, is perhaps best known for the iconic vampire wraith, Raziel. However, the titular vampire lord, who first appeared inBlood Omen:Legacy of Kain, began as a simple nobleman resurrected into a life of undeath. Through the course of his adventure, he attempts to cure himself of vampirism and restore balance to the magically corrupted Pillars of Nosgoth.
After defeating eight of their mad, godlike guardians, he realizes that he himself is the last of the nine. By the time ofSoul Reaver, 1500 years later, it is established that rather than sacrifice himself to purge the pillars and save the world, Kainembraced his vampirismand the evil ending by taking control, ruling the realm as a vampire god powered by the nine pillars.
As he appears inThe Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, Vivec appears asa contradictory and opaque deity. As a living god, he can be interacted with at his palace in Vivec, the city with his namesake. Long before the events ofMorrowind, he and the two other members of Morrowind’s Tribunal took it upon themselves to tap into a divine artifact, the Heart of Lorkhan, which imbued them with divine abilities.
While the details of his ascendancy from mortal Chimmer (a forerunner of the dark elves) are spotty and mysterious, Vivec presents himself as the personification of duality and contradiction and, by doing so, leaves clues to the Trubuneral’s heretical betrayal of Azura and their former friend, the Nerevarine. Although Vivec is powerful enough to battle an army single-handedly and hold a meteorite off with his will alone, he can technically be killed by the player and his soul captured in the Daedric soul gem, Azura’s Star.
InGuild Wars Nightfall, Kormir begins her journey as a mortal Spearmarshal for the Sunspears, Elona’s protectors. After unrooting the worship of the exiled god of secrets, Abaddon, the Sunspears battle across the continent. After unleashing demons into the world and tearing a portal open from the Domain of Anguish, Abaddon’s prison, Kormir is blinded and wounded but called to a higher purpose by the Five True Gods.
Her ascension comes after she sacrifices herself to contain the god Abaddon’s corrupting influence. In doing so, she gains his divine knowledge and power, ascending to become the new Goddess of Truth. She makes a brief appearance inGuild Wars 2’s"Path of Fire" expansion, where she enlightens the Commander and Dragon’s Watch on the events that transpired that led to Balthazar’s sudden reappearance.
Although the protagonist ofOblivionis one of the most “normal” or “mortal” main characters of the Elder Scrolls series (as in not the prophecized chosen one destined for greatness), they do round out their adventures in Cyrodiil and the realms of Oblivion by attaining the highest power a mortal could ever dream of.
In the “Shivering Isles” expansion, the Hero of Kvatch, AKA the Champion of Cyrodiil, achieves godhood by “mantling” Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of Madness, effectively becoming his successor. This transformation resolves the cosmic “Greymarch” cycle, a period of destruction in the Shivering Isles that was initiated by the curse put upon Jyggalag, the Daedric Prince of Order, by the other princes. TheHero of Kvatch even shows up inSkyrimfor a little wine and cheese with the new protagonist.
