Meaningful Name/Video Games: Difference between revisions

** ''[[Final Fantasy VIII]]'''s troubled but courageous hero is named Squall (a term for a violent windstorm, in keeping with the franchise's love of weather-based names) [[King of Beasts|Leon]][[Animal Motifs|hart]]. His kindhearted and passionate [[Love Interest]] uses the surname "Heartilly."

** [[Final Fantasy X|Tidus and Yuna]] are named after the sun and moon respectably and also reflects their personalities. Tidus is sunny and optimistic, compared to Yuna who is gentle and quiet. As if the game wanted to make the point a little clearer, you need the Sun Crest and Sigil to activate Tidus' ultimate weapon, and the Moon Crest and Sigil for Yuna's.

** The games' creators have even lampshaded their love of weather-based names for protagonists (Cloud, Squall, Kaze (wind) in FFU, Sora (sky), Lightning in the ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]''), in a throwaway line by Zidane in [[Final Fantasy IX]] :

{{quote|'''Zidane:''' No cloud, no squall shall hinder us!}}

** The single greatest one in the series, though, has to be [[Mauve Shirt|Ivan Raidenovich Raikov]], which has several layers of meaning thanks to a clever trilingual pun. "Ivan" is the Russian equivalent of John, which is also the main character's real name, because the main character must [[Latex Perfection|disguise themselves as Raikov]]. "Raidenovich", when written in katakana, could also be read "Raiden no bitch", which translates to "Thunderbolt's bitch", Thunderbolt being the nickname of Volgin, his [[Ho Yay/Video Games|lover]]. In Russian, the name means "son of Raiden", the character being a [[Discontinuity Nod]] towards the [[Replacement Scrappy]] of the same name. As for "Raikov", it's the surname of a notable anti-gay protester in Russia, just to add that final sting of irony. Also, the English version of John is Jack, as in Raiden's name.

** Otacon actually lampshades his own [[Meaningful Name]], Hal Emmerich, in an optional conversation in ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]''. He complains that he's always hated his real name growing up, because "I'm not a computer, I'm a person!". He seems to enjoy the 'computer' role a little more once Snake reveals that ''his'' real name is David.

*** He shares the surname Emmerich with a director notorious for making [[Scenery Gorn|movies in which America gets graphically destroyed]]. This is appropriate, since Otacon's entire family are 'cursed' to make civilian-slaughtering weapons, with Otacon creating Metal Gear REX, a tank seized by terrorists in order to destroy America.

** Solid Snake's real name, David, is a [[Shout-Out]] not only to ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', but also to Hideo Kojima's previous work ''[[Policenauts]]''. Meryl Silverburgh's partner was also named "Dave" and she addresses Snake as such in her ending. David is also the first name of Solid Snake's voice actor, [[Jossed|but this has been explained to be a coincidence]] (since the name was already decided before Hayter was cast).

** There is the original eponymous character. ''Phoenix Wright'', who rises from the ashes and flies. Comes back from the dead. Has turnabout trials, and is nearly defeated seventy-''three'' times every trial.

*** His Japanese surname, Naruhodo, is a play on a phrase that means "Yes, I see."

** Then there's the downright diabolical ones that can even give you a few hints as to the character's true nature. {{spoiler|Calisto Yew--Calisto is a butterfly, yew is a kind of poisonous plant, referring to the butterfly/flower symbols of Cohdopia.}}

*** And there's also those which leave nothing to imagine, like Quercus Alba's name in the Japanese version, [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Carnage Onred]].

*** His first name is also notable when one considers [[Rasputinian Death|something else]] that Rasputin was known for, specifically, the "official" cause of his death: [[Super Drowning Skills|drowning]].

** Oleander, {{spoiler|who is the big bad}} has a name that refers to a poisonous plant.

** Sasha Nein and Milla Vodello's names are both [[Bilingual Bonus|significant in their native languages,]] German and Portuguese respectively. ("Nein" is "no" in German and indicates his repressed nature. He's also the one who first introduces you to the Censors, who have "NO" as their battle cry. "Vodello" is probably a play on the verb "to fly," and her specialty power is levitation. She's also very upbeat and optimistic.)

* ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'':

* Subverted with SHODAN from ''[[System Shock]]''. "shodan" is the name of the lowest "dan" rank in Japanese martial arts, and SHODAN sees herself as superior to all forms of organic life, especially human beings, which means that she's at the very top. This status is better represented by her [[Fun with Acronyms|acronym]]: '''S'''entient '''H'''yper '''O'''ptimized '''D'''ata '''A'''ccess '''N'''etwork.

** In both games, she's {{spoiler|[[wikipedia:System shock 2#Plot|everyone you interact with]], including the final boss.}}

* ''[[Knights of the Old Republic]]'' has several. Darth Malak, a double [[Bilingual Bonus]], as "Malak" is both Arabic for "angel", while he might be considered a fallen one, and also more obviously Latin for "jawbone", which [[Artificial Limbs|he no longer has, instead wearing an artificial one]] that makes him sound like Vader. Then there's Darth Revan, whose name has been stated to come from "[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/revanche revanche]", which fits the character; however, it also bears a suspicious resemblance to {{spoiler|"[[wikipedia:Revenant (folklore)|Revenant]]", a spirit that comes [[Back From the Dead]]--as he or she more or less has.}}

** The 2nd game has several, too. Darth Nihilus is an [[Omnicidal Maniac]] poised to devour all life in the galaxy - "nihil" is Latin for "nothing". Atton Rand is a dual reference to [[Ayn Rand]] (he has a similar [[The Social Darwinist|Darwinist]] outlook) and to his current role as [[The Atoner]]. (Counts in-character, too, as it's an assumed name.)

* Why ''[[Spyro the Dragon]]'' is called "Spyro": "pyro-" relates to fire, but the word "spiro-" as a prefix relates to ''breathing'' (spirometer, inspire, expire). He's called Spyro because he ''breathes fire''.

* ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' has quite a lot of meaningful names, as well as using plenty of [[What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic|mythology references]]:

*** ''Fire Emblem 7'' has [[Dude Looks Like a Lady|Lucius]], a monk who uses ''light'' magic.

** From ''[[Fire Emblem Tellius]]'':

*** Soren might be a meaningful name: It's a corruption of the Italian name Severino, which is the diminutive form of Severo, which means grouchy. (See Snape from Harry Potter, above.) Soren is, indeed, both small and grouchy. Soren's original Japanese name was Senerio. Which is part meaningful, part pun. (A tactician named Scenario? Really?) Interestingly enough, in Japanese, Soren means "Russia".

** Another (unintended?) example in the 8th game, the 2 lords wield Siegmund and Sieglinde, named for a Norse hero and his [[Brother-Sister Incest|sister/lover]], their wielders have [[Twincest|bit of subtext]].

** Shepard is probably so obvious that it doesn't even warrant a mention. Especially since in ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'' the whole [[Messianic Archetype|Jesus-thing]] is made really obvious when {{spoiler|s/he's not only resurrected, but resurrected because s/he is humanity's only hope}}... ''and'' you recruit a team of twelve people. Shepard also shares a name with [[wikipedia:Alan Shepard|Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr.]], the first American in space. [[Word of God]] is the name was deliberately chosen as a reference to Rear Admiral Shepard.

** Saren. Meaningful in that it's one letter away from "sarin" or "[[wikipedia:Sarin gas|sarin gas,]]" which is over ''500 times more lethal than cyanide.'' Him being a {{spoiler|[[Eddie Izzard|mass-murdering fuckhead,]] }} it's quite fitting.

** [[The Big Guy|Urdnot Wrex]] has a fondness for [[Incredibly Lame Pun|wrecking]] things.

** Kasumi means 'mist' in Japanese.

*** And goto means "robber". So Kasumi's name translates to "mist robber", fitting for a [[Phantom Thief]]

* The surname of crimelord Dimitri in ''[[Grand Theft Auto IV]]'', Rascalov, is likely a pun of 'Rascal', meaning a troublemaker. His business partner, Mikhail Faustin, is named after Mikhail Gorbachev, and his surname evokes [[Faust]].

* Kyrie from ''[[Sands of Destruction]]'' means 'Lord' in Greek, quite fitting due to his nature as the Destruct. For a more obvious one, Morte the "heroine" means "Death" in Italian and she wants to destroy the world.

** Ulysses is also an example. He mentions he took his name from Ulysses S. Grant, who "turned two flags into one and lost himself in the process."

* Let us just say that Command & Conquer's ultra-character named Kane is not coincidental. If the various hints dropped by him and relics from under his Temple aren't enough, the Interpol file referring to him is named GEN#4:16...

* The final boss theme from ''[[Mushihime-sama]]'' is named "Cry! Scream!" and trust me, [[That One Boss|you will]].

* ''[[Inazuma Eleven]]'' has a ton of these for the story characters. Some examples:

* In [[Mega Man (video game)|Mega Man]] tribute game [[Rokko Chan]] ([http://king-soukutu.com/flash/rokko.html here]), the Dr. Wily and Dr. Light [[Expy|expies]] are given the subtly-meaningful names "Dr. Mad" and "Dr. Sane", respectively.

* For the initial release of ''[[Doom (series)|Doom]] II'', its engine was at version 1.[[Number of the Beast|666]].

** Panda King's name sounds almost like a pro wrestler's, which matches his personality.

** Arpeggio's name refers to a musical arpeggio, where the notes of a chord are played in sequence rather than simultaneously. {{spoiler|This could refer to his auspicious plans that worked out in sequence, each plan relying directly on the one below it, (the nightclub food, the spice, the blimp, the lights, and finally the Clockwerk body) building up to create a 'harmonius' chord. Alternately, it foreshadows his downfall. One direct translation of 'arpeggio' from Italian is 'broken chord'. What does Neyla break right after the Clockwerk body is assembled? His fucking skull, and every other bone in his body, and ruins his entire plan, 'breaking' the harmony of the end product. This could ''also'' refer to Arpeggio foiling the Cooper Gang's plans after Menace of the North.}}

** Don Octavio is a singer. Don ''Octav(e)''-io.