As a gamer and hopeless romantic, I have come across a plethora of male video game characters I certainly wouldn’t mind taking home to meet my family (as well as lure into my bedroom), if they actually existed in real life. But, PSH. What fun would they be if they existed outside of the realm of our favorite video games (Okay, sue me—they’d probably be as exciting as a clown car on fire!)?

Regardless, with the season of being thankful setting in, I would just like to take a moment and give mention to my Top 5 Hottest Video Game Guys I’m thankful (OH SO THANKFUL) exist—

5)Tidus of Final Fantasy X/X-2/Dissidia

Alas, I will NEVER forget the day I was sitting with my friend, Adrian, as I watched her venture through Final Fantasy X. It all began at the introduction…when Tidus comes onto screen, sitting there, bronze skin soaking wet, with water dripping off of his beautiful, bleach blonde hair as he prepares himself mentally for a game of Blitzball. This bratty little piece of eye candy grew on me, and I absolutely fell for him like a ton of bricks.

His swordmanship is impressive, and he evolves from a total douchebag with daddy issues into a strong, well-adapted man who shows his undying love for Yuna (don’t even try to deny that we all felt the same penetrating, heart-wrenching rage in our souls that he did when she was forced to marry that undead pain-in-the-ass, Seymour), and he has a quirky sense of humor—even at the expense of their fellow travelers thinking he (and Yuna) had gone absolutely insane:

And we certainly cannot forget about the legendary scene in Macalania Woods where Tidus and Yuna first kiss, and he realizes that she’s the only woman he’s ever really, truly loved the way he does. The music, the scenery, the lights…and, of course, Tidus soaking wet again. All things to be thankful for.

4) Dante of Devil May Cry

Good. Lord. Whether it’s that white hair, that red trenchcoat, or just how he is a sarcastic badass with the sword and gun skills to prove it, Dante makes my fluttery little heart beat wildly every time he comes onto screen, and you better believe I about fainted when I saw the screencap of him, dressed in all black, with that axe guitar slung over his shoulder. This undead babe can walk into my bar whenever he wants, so long as Deadpool isn’t with him.

And speaking of which, let it be known that was a reference to MVC 3, and how LOUD I screamed when I realized Dante would be a playable character in the game. I screamed, flailed wildly around like a frog in a blender, and relished in Dante in all of his badassery. The window shattering behind Deadpool and making Dante’s bullet-ridden cloak waft in the wind only served to make me fangirl harder.

If Dante is the devil, then take me now, sweet death! (Not really, but for Dante, unf.)

3) Knuckles the Echidna

…And somewhere in the world, there is somebody judging me for being head-over-heels for an anthropomorphic, red echidna, and that someone can just bite me. Knuckles was the very first video game guy to capture my heart; Sonic and Knuckles was the very first video game I ever played as a wee gamer. There’s no denying it: Knux is a beast (pardon the pun)—he can glide long distances thanks to those dreads of his, punch through steel walls, breathe underwater, swim, and, with the help of a pair of nifty shades he finds later in Sonic Adventure 2, has the ability to see things that others can’t.

…Wait a second. Is it just coincidence that Knuckles shares a few of the same traits as Dante, including their affinity for the color red, being smartasses, and the essential “lonely bad boy” type, along with, coincidentally, my number two in this list? …Probably.

Knuckles leads a bit of a lonely life, given that he has to constantly protect the Master Emerald from whomever wants to shatter it/steal it/abuse its otherworldly power, but there is definitely no denying that Knux is definitely one of the coolest guys in the video game world.

2) Hwoarang of Tekken

I just want it to be known that the reason Hwoarang is so high up on my list has nothing to do with the fact that he’s Korean (and that I happen to think Asian men are rather attractive), and everything to do with what a complete and total asshole he is. He is, hands down, the most arrogant, brash, and cocky character (in my opinion) I have ever come across in my years of playing the Tekken franchise!

Oh, and don’t even get me started on how he’ll use dirty tricks, such as his taekwondo moves, to win a match in a simple blow. The man is all leg, if anyone hasn’t noticed, and I happen to have a thing for tall, sexy, confident men with strong legs with enough power to mule-kick Snorlax from in front of the cave he’s always blocking.

P.S. He’s a biker, and I have the biggest raging ladyboner for motorcycles and the men who ride them (some of them, anyway), and Hwoarang is no exception, especially with those goggles, his buckly pants, and dem muscles. Oh, and don’t forget his cowboy boots with his spurs. No wonder he can so easily f*ck up an opponent with those kicks! You ever seen a spur? Those things are sharp. But even pretty bad boys have their soft moments, and, though few and far apart, Hwoarang has his—he’s humble in regards to his master, and will occasionally be friendly towards his rivals.

But like I said, those moments are few and far apart, and for the most part, he’s just a loveable, badboy jackass who makes my heart flutter, and probably doesn’t even care that I entertain the thought of him calling me in the middle of the night from his cell phone, as he’s sitting on his motorcycle outside my window and telling me, “Get dressed. Let’s go for a ride, babe…” despite the fact that I have a CNA final at 6 am. Be honest—I doubt you’d ignore that invitation either!

1) Luke of Harvest Moon: Tree Of Tranquility and Animal Parade

Now I know I’ve confused some readers. Then again, if you know me, with my huge love of the Harvest Moon series, this comes as little surprise. I’m a hopeless romantic, I love animals, I love nature, I adore children, and not only do I have Buffalo Soldier blood in my family, but my father’s father owned a ranch that I someday hope to buy back, so that I can raise horses, cows, and live the good ol’ country girl life. So, naturally, when I first started playing Harvest Moon when I was younger, it completely catered to and encouraged my deepest wishes.

More so when they began creating female lead characters, and male bachelors, and especially when they released Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility for the Wii. The graphics were amazing, the stories were dynamic and, of course, it was the perfect amount of cute for me—and I’m not just talking about the plot or the graphics either! I’m talking about the hottie bachelors I got to choose from, and immediately, I fell for Luke like a ton of lumber.

Pardoning that terrible pun, Luke is the son/apprentice of the Carpenter, Dale, and they live near the woods where there’s plenty of chopping and hacking away at trees that will later turn your flat little house into a mansion. There is no two ways about it: Luke is goofy, he almost seems like a spaz (actually, he totally is, and does once you go into labor and he’s frantically telling you to “Breathe” and “Relax” when it’s actually him who needs to…and he could probably use a sedative as well), and he’s just a happy-go-lucky guy who blushes whenever he’s around you but never hesitates to bring you gifts like flowers, or compliment you on how you look.

He’s the type who will hijack a horse from another farm and take it on a joyride, then stop by your place and invite you to ride with him. Not only that, but he’s got muscles (obviously, from being a budding lumberjack), is absolutely loyal to you, and thinks you’re awesome when you manage to beat him in chopping down wood and scarfing down more food than him!

Overall, Luke is exactly what I look for in a guy (and probably the reason my standards for men are so absurdly unrealistic in today’s world) — friendly, honest, loyal, silly, down-to-earth (even if he is something of a space cadet), hard-working, strong, and, above all, makes a great husband (packs you lunch every day, and helps out on the farm!), and a caring, sweet father who loves his children to bits and pieces.

I’m thankful for Luke existing in the Harvest Moon world because he showed me that guys like him really do exist in the real world (and if I’m wrong, no one tell me otherwise, or I will snipe you from my keyboard, you dasher of dreams), and how a lot of love and a lot of hard work can get you everything you’ve ever dreamed of.