There’s no love lost between any of these siblings…
Having a sibling can be a rollercoaster experience since you'll never feel lonely, yet siblings can undoubtedly annoy the daylights out of you. There's also often playful banter and inside jokes between brothers and sisters. Video game siblings like Jacob and Evie Frye from Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed: Syndicate depict the perfect blend of lightheartedness and camaraderie, with witty quips here and there.
But sometimes friendly competition between siblings can take a deadly turn. The need to be the superior sibling makes for some of the most iconic siblings rivalries in video game history.
A sibling rivalry that has stretched for more than two decades since the first Tekken game in 1994, the conflict between sisters Nina and Anna Williams is long and bloody. From assault rifles to bazookas, Nina and Anna use everything in their arsenal to off the other.
Rooted in their father's blatant favoritism to Nina, the two deadly sisters battle it out with Anna often losing. Although their rivalry appeared to have died down in Tekken 7, Anna returns as a playable character, seeking vengeance after Nina killed her fiancé. It seems there's no end in sight for the two.
Yet another bitter feud between sisters, the Mortal Kombat franchise sets former antagonist-turned-good-gal and Princess of Edenia Kitana against the half-Tarkatan hybrid Mileena. The latter was created by Shang Tsung as a clone of Kitana, whom Kitana is endlessly repulsed by.
It certainly doesn't help that Mileena is absolutely loyal to their evil, power-hungry father Shao Khan, whom Kitana betrayed in Mortal Kombat 2. Though both sisters are mirrors of one another (minus the mouth), Kitana has shown herself to be both kind and loyal, while Mileena is a sadistic, bloodthirsty tyrant. But honestly, who wouldn't feel disturbed at seeing a living, breathing twisted version of yourself?
We think it's pretty safe to say that famous Greek hero Hercules is relegated to the shadows in comparison to the enigmatic Kratos in the God of War series. This seems to be a pretty sore spot for the killer of the Nemean Lion, who's jealous of Kratos's rise to become the God of War after eliminating Ares in the first game.
Although both half-brothers were tricked into killing their families, bonding seems to be the last thing on their minds. After having killed a few gods in God of War 3, Kratos and Hercules finally clash in an unforgettable battle. Kratos absolutely demolishes Hercules with his own weapon, ending the one-sided sibling feud.
The sibling rivalry between twins Vergil and Dante in the Devil May Cry series is quite a tragic story indeed. Both were born half-demons and separated not long into their lives, after which Vergil and Dante went down completely different paths in life.
While Dante chose to embrace his humanity, Vergil preferred to exploit his demonic side and further his powers. What's worse, Vergil became corrupted, causing him to turn colder and more distant. The two brothers' duel throughout the span of the franchise, with Vergil featuring as the main antagonist and final boss in Devil May Cry 5.
Both Solid Snake and Liquid Snake of the Metal Gear franchise were born in a lab as the result of a cloning experiment. Liquid Snake had always been envious of his twin brother, hating him because of the belief that he was the defective product.
Their rivalry grew when Solid Snake was able to kill their father Big Boss, which Liquid Snake wanted to do himself. Liquid's hatred intensified, causing him to go on a car chase after Solid. Unfortunately, his misguided quest led to his demise, as he died from a virus before being able to land the final blow against Solid.
On a more lighthearted note, the dynamic between fraternal twins Mario and Luigi from the Super Mario franchise could be said to be a more friendly and humorous sibling competition. There's even a multiplayer mode dubbed 'Mario vs. Luigi' in New Super Mario Bros.
Despite Mario spearheading the entire franchise and pushing his brother into the backseat, Luigi does not seem to have taken this personally. On many occasions throughout the franchise, they display teamwork and a sense of brotherhood in order to achieve their goals. Really, the other siblings in this list should take notes from these two.
Street Fighter is not one to be left behind in the dust in the next wave of deadly sibling rivalries in fighting games. Gouken is a wise and austere mentor-like figure, while Akuma is ruthless and values strength above all else.
The hatred between brothers worsened when Akuma killed their former teacher, Goutetsu. Believing that Akuma has lost his way, Gouken ultimately battles Akuma to the death in order to protect his disciples, Ryu and Ken.
Both half-sisters from Dead or Alive are powerful characters in their own right, and the relationship between Kasumi and Ayane is fraught with misunderstanding and one-sided jealousy.
They were close when they were younger, but Ayane could not understand why she was treated like garbage by those around her while Kasumi was treated like royalty. But once Ayane learned of her origin, she began to develop resentment and bitter jealousy towards Kasumi.
Final Fantasy's Golbez – originally named Theodor – has had a truly tragic life, spiralling out of control when he was a young boy. At first, he was excited about Cecil, but after the death of his parents, Theodor blames Cecil for everything. This allows Zemus to possess Theodor, thus changing his name to Golbez.
Fueled by hatred and grief, Golbez (and Zemus) begin to commit atrocities, becoming one of the primary antagonists of the franchise. When not controlled by Zemus, Golbez returns to being Theodor, who is horrified and feels guilty about what he's done. Golbez even sacrifices himself for Cecil during the battle against The Dark Knight.
Not unlike Golbez's story, twins Lucas and Claus from Mother 3 were separated from one another not long after a Mecha Drago attacked them and killed their mother.
Unbeknownst to Lucas, Claus had been kidnapped and brainwashed by the Pigmasks. Controlled into being their attack dog, Claus becomes the Masked Man and will kill any who stand in the way of the Pigmasks. In the quest to pull the seven needles, Claus takes back control of his body and sacrifices himself for his brother.
I just want to give Growlithe a little cuddle
Charlene Teressa is an Indonesian-based writer and a final year Ancient World student at UCL. She has had experience writing in various fields, from skincare to tourism. She particularly enjoys reading fantasy books and playing RPG games. Charlene is also an aspiring fantasy writer and is currently working to finish her first book.
