Shack Chat: Who is your favorite politician from a video game?

With the arrival of November comes things like cozy autumn weather, Thanksgiving, Black Friday holiday shopping, and of course... voting in elections, particularly for those residing in the United States. And with the topic of elections come questions such as what video game politician or politician-like character do members of the Shacknews staff like best? From Nintendo properties to Bethesda and Bungie and everything in between, join us as we look at some of our all-time favorite video game politicians. Also be sure to share your favorites with us in Chatty!  

Question: Who is your favorite politician from a video game?

Pauline - Ozzie Mejia, Senior Superstar

How often does one make the jump from damsel-in-distress to mayor of a bustling metropolis? Granted, Princess Peach started out in the realm of kingdom politics before settling in as a perpetual kidnapping victim, but Pauline went in the other direction. After spending the early part of the 1980s waiting atop Donkey Kong's construction towers, Pauline spent the ensuing decades taking civics and government courses to eventually become the mayor of New Donk City. That's a pretty good career trajectory.

On top of that, she's an amazing singer. Can Joe Biden or Ron DeSantis sing like her? I don't think so. (I don't want to hear them try, either.)

Mayor Mike Haggar - TJ Denzer, Firm believer in statecraft & suplexes

There are a surprising number of politicians, statesmen, and women in video games that I almost picked for this one. However, then I remembered one of the ultimate politicians: Wrestling superstar turned brawling mayor, Mike Haggar. Haggar hung up his tights from Saturday Night Slammasters to become the Mayor of Metro City, but it wasn’t the end of his days as a fighter. The Mad Gear Gang has brought Haggar out of his office time and time again to lay waste to them with suplexes and piledrivers.

Between Slam Masters, Final Fight, and even Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Haggar is clearly a man who is not afraid to fight for what he believes in, quite literally. I’m sure he’s done some politicking here and there in between all the fighting, but boy howdy can he deliver a spinning lariat when diplomacy won’t cut it anymore.

Dr. Wallace Breen - Sam Chandler, Loves to hate

Though he is a colossal douche for enslaving humanity (though, I suppose he did technically save us), he has got to be one of my favorite politicians in a video game. I love hating him. I love the Big Brother-like presence he has in City 17. Seeing his face bearing down on the train station and listening to his speech still sends shivers down my spine. I don’t think anyone can hold any higher government position than Administrator of Earth, right?

Hancock (Fallout 4) - Bill Lavoy, Sole Survivor

My favorite politician from a video game is Hancock, the mayor of Goodneighbor in Fallout 4. You see, Hancock doesn’t hide from his flaws. In fact, he openly uses drugs and doesn’t hesitate to take out the competition. In one mission, the Sole Survivor (you) goes to various locations to kill Hancock’s enemies.

This is obviously poor behavior from a politician, but what I appreciate is that Hancock is honest about his corruption. I think most of us get a sense that it’s quite common for politicians to be corrupt, so seeing one who just kind of owns it is appreciated. That, and Hancock has a nifty hat, so there’s always that to fall back on.

Arbiter (Thel 'Vadam) from Halo 2 - Morgan Shaver, Fan of Halo 2 and 3

I’m not a fan of politicians both in games and outside of games, but if I had to pick one of the more interesting “politician” type characters it’d have to be the Arbiter (Thel 'Vadam) from Halo 2 onward. While he earns the Arbiter status as a punishment by the High Prophets, he nevertheless demonstrates how past allegiances and actions ultimately aren’t as important as doing what’s right when it counts.

Specifically, Thel 'Vadam ends up abandoning the Covenant, teams up on the side of the humans, helps put a stop to Tartarus, and helps prevent the activation of Delta Halo in Halo 2. He also helped organize the Sangheili (former Covenant) on Sanghelios by founding and governing the Swords of Sanghelios. 

Mayor Lewis from Stardew Valley - Donovan Erskine, Starfruit farmer

Although Stardew Valley features cave-dwelling monsters, food with healing properties, and literal magic, Mayor Lewis may be the most unrealistic part of the game. He’s a political leader that genuinely cares about the people he governs over. He knows every citizen on a first-name basis, understands their needs, and he also throws some awesome holiday celebrations. There’s a reason this guy has been running Stardew Valley with no opposer for two decades.

And there you have it, our favorite video game politicians. Now, we're turning it over to Shacknews Chatty to ask the same question. What are your favorite video game politicians, and why? Comment below and let us know! 

Shack Staff

Shack Staff stories are a collective effort with multiple staff members contributing. Many of our lists often involve entires from several editors, and our weekly Shack Chat is something we all contribute to as a group.