Editor’s Note: Found this today while trolling the Community Blogs in the SGC.   BonfireAg03 examines various video game characters and diagnoses their various mental health challenges.

By BonfireAg03

I’m currently pursuing my Masters degree in Clinical Psychology, and one day I thought it would be interesting to look into the psychology of some of our favorite videogame characters, specifically psychological disorders that seem to be present. Compiled below is a very brief list that I have developed. I’ve tried to steer away from beloved characters such as Mario, as I don’t want to offend anyone (or be slapped with a lawsuit by Nintendo), but there are one or two popular characters in here. If there is any type of positive response to this (or if I bloody well feel like it), I may make future entries. Better entries.

*Disclaimer* This article is intended as a humorous article only, and not as a serious examination of these characters. Many of these definitions have been summarized a bit, for ease of use, but I have tried to stay as true to the definition as possible. And I do not find these disorders humorous in any way. These are serious diseases that disrupt people’s ability to lead normal lives.

Oh, in writing this I kept having the nagging feeling that I had read a similar article somewhere in the past, but I haven’t been able to find anything in my searches. If anyone knows of such an article, please send me the link, so that I can give credit where credit is due. I’m into paying homage, not stealing.

Okay, with the serious stuff out of the way, on with the psychoanalysis!

“Ace” Harding Déjà vu (Mac, NES) – Ace Harding is a 1940s private eye who, at the game’s onset, wakes up in a bathroom stall with no memory of who he is, or how he got there, and through the course of the game he seeks out clue to find out who he is, how he ended up in that bathroom, and why people are trying to kill him.
Diagnosis: Retrograde Amnesia-The inability to recall facts or events occurring prior to the onset of amnesia. Okay, this one was a gimme.

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Kratos God of War (PS2) – Former Spartan warrior and slave to Ares, Kratos is manipulated one too many times, and goes on a quest to kill the god of war, and break his bonds, so that he may finally pass from this world. After succeeding however, Kratos is not allowed to die, and instead receives a promotion…to the empty god of war position.

Diagnosis: God complex – The belief that an individual possesses god-like abilities. Wow. I really need to stop reaching for the low-hanging fruit. Seriously though, you would think that job security would be pretty good on Olympus, being a god and immortal, and all. But when a mortal can usurp your throne this easily? I bet productivity increased 300% around the Mount after this little debacle.

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Gordon Freeman Half-Life series (PC, Xbox, PS2, 360, PS3) – “The one free man”. From a run-of-the-mill MIT graduate working in a secret underground laboratory with unstable inter-dimensional materials to the savior of humanity, Gordon Freeman probably had no idea exactly how much popularity he would gain when he sent in that application to Black Mesa, and probably didn’t want it.
Diagnosis: Avoidant Personality Disorder – A pervasive pattern of social inhibition, avoidance of social interaction, a loner mentality, and alienation from society. Gordon Freeman has opened a rift into another dimension, done battle with aliens, special-ops forces, zombies, etc., driven at breakneck speeds while having everything, the kitchen sink, and the drainplug thrown at him, brushed off city-levelling explosions like they were nothing, repelled an unstoppable invasion, and saved the world numerous times. All of this without ever speaking a word, and almost all by himself. The only companion Gordon takes with him on his journey is Alyx Vance, the daughter of a trusted colleague. Gordon never says a word to a single person, and if he interacts with them, it is brief, and only to further his progress. On his quest, Gordon almost always finds himself alone for extended periods of time, and on one occasion, finds himself isolated from the world itself for a number of years. Coincidence? Or did Gordon Freeman pursue his career in an underground lab to escape from society, and do what people ask of him simply to make them happy, so that they will leave him alone? And no matter what anyone says to him, Gordon Freeman remains silent. Sorry Gordon, I don’t think there are many therapists in this dark future.

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