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Readers' Choice - Best Heroes
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Number 10
Jim Raynor
Part of his appeal is in his humble beginnings, as an average guy, and his heartbreak at the hands of others. It's a classic bind - the stuff of good movies and books. Raynor is ultimately faced with a horrible choice: obey his heart or do the right thing. The stakes are high, and the payoff is a powerful, human, real character. Here's what you had to say:
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"It's nice that you finally had a Starcraft hero in your mix, but, honestly, I'm pretty sure you got the wrong one. James Raynor is one of the all-time great characters in a game - a Han Solo to Zeratul's Darth Vader, as you might say. Wry, pragmatic, and experiencing life firsthand instead of thirdhand like the Confederate generals he despises, Jimmy has to cope with invasion, corrupt leaders, and the woman he loves becoming a lethal alien hybrid. Perhaps he really should have stayed in bed...."
-Ned Gilmore
"I think it is a grave oversight to leave out one of the most intriguing heroes in the Starcraft universe: General James Raynor. Unlike a lot of the 'heroes' you listed, he was one I and a lot of other gamers could relate to. He was human, with human emotions. He worked on the side of the corrupt Terran Confederation and later the Terran Dominion, but he always displayed great emotion. He had a true belief in doing what was right. He portrayed a soldier trying to do his duty for a lesser evil, obedient and disciplined but always a good human being at heart. I was not too fazed when every other hero or villain died in Starcraft (except maybe Tassadar), but if Jimmy were to ever die, I know I would break down crying. He's a people's hero. We relate to him."
-Chris Ngiau
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"How could you not include Jim on your list? All I can think of is you were hammered at the time."
-Sam Rogers
"Hey, what about Jimmy from Starcraft? I mean, here is a guy who was a simple sheriff on some backwater planet, who becomes thrust into a battle for mankind against the Zerg. In true hero fashion he gets the girl, but then loses her by way of cruel superiors and fate. He then fights and finally befriends the Protoss. And to top it all off, helps the Protoss defend their home against the Zerg. And he does all this without falling out of his serious but jovial character."
-Jim Delaney
"You must have Jim Raynor somewhere in your hearts. Even though you already have a Starcraft hero, Jim Raynor is in a situation much like Zeratul. He is slowly losing everything that he knows and loves: the war with the Zerg, his friends, his nation, everything, except his soul, which he must defend constantly in a war led by someone that was once someone he loved. He is a hero that loses as much as he wins, but his resilient nature allows him to carry on and live. No, not just live but defend the lives of his people, his allies, and even sometimes his enemies. His burden is not that he must do this, for he would do this anyway. No, his burden is that for him to survive with his people he must make the decision that is right for his people while retaining enough of his soul to carry on, and maybe one day he can walk outside and know that his friends and people are free at last."
-Looter
TENSPOT Instant Poll
Who should play Raynor in a movie adaptation of Starcraft?
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"What's wrong with you people? How could you include Zeratul without Jim Raynor? A man betrayed by his own race, dumped by Mensgk, hunted by the Zerg, and forced to do battle against Kerrigan, the woman he once loved. If going against your heart and doing what's right for everybody isn't heroism, I don't know what heroism is, and neither do you."
-SCdude
"Jim Raynor may not be the legendary, just, and ever-triumphant hero that the others on this list are, but he's got something they don't have: You can relate to him. From the moment you meet him in Starcraft, he grows on you. He's friendly and he thinks the same way you do (he was never more relatable than when he was caught thinking "naughty things" about Kerrigan). Also this character took full advantage of the voice acting and dialogue prowess of Blizzard. Of the myriad memorable video-game quotes, one emerges in my mind: 'I swear Kerrigan, I don't now how or when, but someday you're going to die by my hands. You have a good day now,' said Jim Raynor, shortly after Fenix's death."
-Marcus Mattern
Tassadar
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