Aside from engaging gameplay and engaging story, every video game needs interesting characters and creative character design to really make a lasting impression on players. Every great character design starts with a unique element that makes them stand out rather than just being another face in the crowd.
Rather than being seen as a weakness or disadvantage, eye patches have been used to give characters a bit of a mysterious edge and to show their unwavering perseverance in the heat of battle. Here are some of the most iconic video game characters with a stylish eye patch.
Disclaimer: Series of spoilers ahead!
10 demo man
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Game Title/Series
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Team Fortress 2 -
Reason for eye patch
: Lost eye in an incident that involved a magic spell to prevent the Bombinomicon from possessing it
Demonman is the famous TF2 Scottish demolition expert and is one of the most versatile characters on the roster. Due to his rough childhood as an orphan, Demoman had a lot of time to spare and later found an interest in explosives. He eventually improved his crafting and explosives tinkering skills, but not before losing an eye during his stay at the Crypt Grammar School for Orphans.
Though he’s now stuck with an eye patch, he’s lucky he only lost one eye after all his years dealing with dangerous explosives!
9 xigbar
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Game Title/Series
:
Kingdom Hearts -
Reason for eye patch
: Lost eye while fighting Terra
Xigbar, the Nobody of Braig (and Luxu by extension), serves as an antagonist to the series and is associated with both Organization XIII and the Real Organization XIII and was known for occasionally helping fellow Organization member Roxas with missions for his conflict with Sora.
Due to Xigbar’s status as Nobody, his missing eye is due to the injuries his original/human form, Braig, sustained during his battle with keyblade wielder Terra.
8 Wolf O’Donnell
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Game Title/Series
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Star Fox -
Reason for eye patch
: aesthetics (?)
Wolf is the leader of Star Wolf, also known as Fox McCloud’s rival from the Star Fox series. While there’s no question that Wolf carries the one-eyed aesthetic well, the reason behind his eye cover is a bit of a mystery.
There is no canonical information about Wolf losing an eye in a fight or accident. Wolf’s previous appearances in Star Fox Commando and Star Fox: Assault also implies that Wolf can see through his left eye while having a handy scout/visor instead of a covering. To make it even more puzzling, concept art by Wolf asked for Star Fox 2 Wolf has his signature eye patch on his right eye instead of his left!
7 beidou
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Game Title/Series
:
Genshin impact -
Reason for eye patch
: Pirate tactics
Captain Beidou may not be the only one Genshin impact character with an eye patch, but she’s definitely the one most fans think of first (sorry, Kaeya). Beidou lives in Liyue as the fleet captain of her crew, The Crux, and is a user of electrovision.
Beidou, a pirate, wouldn’t be complete without an eye patch. Pirates were known to use eye patches to preserve their eyesight when going below deck; keeping one eye adapted to the dark while the other is still exposed to light is probably why Captain Beidou also uses one.
6 Undyne
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Game Title/Series
:
undertale -
Reason for eye patch
: Lost an eye in a spear-related training accident
Undyne is undertalethe resident fish-like monster and the lover of royal scientist Alphys. Undyne is the incredibly determined leader of the ‘elite’ group, the Royal Guard. Not only is Undyne talented on the battlefield, but she also has a great eye for fashion as she tends to change her look depending on the situation. In battle, Undyne wears a dark eye patch, while on dates with Alphys, she swaps it for a light-colored one.
However, after her HP reaches zero and she enters her Undying form, she completely closes the eyepatch, revealing her empty eye socket and unleashing her spear-shaped light attack.
5 Beatrix
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Game Title/Series
:
Final Fantasy 9 -
Reason for eye patch
: Probably lost eye in battle (?)
Beatrix is the fearless top general of Alexandria’s female army and the most feared soldier around Gaia. She appears as a boss, but later also appears as a playable character to have on the player’s team. Beatrix is the perfect soldier, beyond her stubbornness that peeks through every now and then.
She is a strong leader, but still speaks to her loved ones in a much softer tone and manner. While there was no formal explanation as to how she ended up with her silver eye patch, it’s safe to assume she probably lost it in a fierce battle.
4 D-Dog
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Game Title/Series
:
Metal Gear Solid 5 -
Reason for eye patch
: Lost eye as a puppy in the wild
D-Dog (sometimes called “DD”) is a wolf with a full-time job at Mother Base for the private military company, the Diamond Dogs. On an early mission in Metal Gear Solid 5Venom Snake comes across a small injured pup who seems to like him.
After being sent back to mother base via the fulton system, DD is trained to be Venom’s own attack dog and is fitted with his own smooth eye patch to cover his missing eye (just like his owner!).
3 sagat
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Game Title/Series
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street fighter -
Reason for eye patch
: lost his eye in a fight with Dan Hibiki’s father
Sagat is the famous boss of the original street fighter and the famous “Emperor of Muay Thai.” Sagat was once a member of Shadaloo and is widely regarded as an iconic street fighter antagonist despite eventually changing ways and leaving the organization.
Before Sagat changed his mind, he had challenged Go Hibiki in a fistfight in which Go had put out Sagat’s eye after recognizing it as an obvious weakness. At that moment, Sagat, in a frenzied rage, summoned the powerful Tiger Shot and killed Go in an instant.
2 Goro Majima
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Game Title/Series
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Yakuza -
Reason for eye patch
: His eye was put out for his insubordination
Goro Majima made his debut in the Yakuza series in the original game in 2005 (Japanese release)/2006 (North American release). Since his introduction, he became such a popular fan favorite that he returned as a supporting character in later games and even became a playable protagonist in Yakuza 0 and Yakuza: Dead Souls.
While many video game characters have accidentally lost an eye, Majima lost his left eye in the heat of battle as punishment. After being ambushed for refusing to step down from a hit he planned, he was tortured and eventually his eye was put out by a knife, leaving behind his iconic tough guy look.
1 Big boss
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Game Title/Series
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Metal Gear Solid 3 -
Reason for eye patch
: Got a muzzle burn that completely blinded his eye
Although there are quite a few good candidates in the metal gear series featuring mysterious eye patches, Big Boss himself is by far the most iconic. Big Boss was the famous special forces agent who served as the basis for the government project Les Enfants Terribles.
During Operation Snake Eater, Boss (still called Naked Snake at the time) was captured by Volgin and Ocelot. In an effort to save EVA from Ocelot’s game of Russian Roulette, Snake nudged Ocelot as he took the shot, wounding his eye and leaving him with his signature eye patch.
Bonus: 2B
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Game Title/Series
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NieR: Vending Machines -
Reason for eye patch/cover:
: Android utility, symbolic design
2B sports something more accurately called a “covering” or blindfold rather than the typical eye patch. 2B, who is an android, doesn’t need an ordinary pair of human eyes to see well; in fact, the covering around her and her partner 9S’s eyes functions as a HUD-type visor, giving them more information about their surroundings.
In addition to their Android utility, the creator of 2B, Yoko Taro, stated that the blindfolds of 2B and 9S serve as a meaningful analogy, showing how they (YoRHa units) are blind to the truth.
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