Whereas theFar Cryfranchise has remained consistent in creating interesting villains, its protagonists have been all over the place. The latest, Dani inFar Cry 6, is a full-fleshed character brought into a war she doesn’t want, but they do have their own thoughts and personality traits. This follows the silent protagonists ofFar Cry 5andNew Dawn, while that followsPrimal’s unique protagonist andFar Cry 4’s Ajay Ghale. Ghale was stoic and intense – andFar Cry 4played to that well.
But Ajay Ghale andFar Cry 3’s Jason Brodyare nothing alike. Jason Brody’s adventure on Rook Island was his very ownHeart of Darkness-style adventure, as he dug himself into the very hole that either ends his life or destroys him mentally at the end of the game. Jason Brody is a reflection of Vaas—both characters whose struggle with identity define them and whose violent, over-the-top psychotic tendencies bring them to life—andFar Cry 6’s Vaas DLC proves one thing: Vaas won, staying true to himself no matter what, and Jason lost everything.
RELATED:Far Cry 6’s Vaas Insanity DLC is a Fun Spin on Roguelite Genre
While Jason is a reflection of Vaas, Ajay Ghale is everything his villain, Pagan Min, is not. Pagan Min is eccentric, and Ajay is stoic. Pagan Min is flamboyant, but Ajay is intense. Pagan Min laughs off everything, and it’s possible Ajay doesn’t crack a smile once duringFar Cry 4.But this difference in personality isn’t whyFar Cry 6’s Pagan Min: Control DLC can’t useFC4’s protagonistthe same wayFC6’s Vaas: Insanity DLC did.
Far Cry 6: Far Cry 3’s Jason vs. Far Cry 4’s Ajay
A lot remains to be seen given Pagan Min hasn’t got a proper release date yet (though is expected in January 2022), but fans know it’ll be anotherroguelike adventure similar to the Vaas: Insanity DLC. In it, Jason Brody played a primary antagonist alongside Citra, with Jason having to defeat various incarnations of him several times. Because Jason and Vaas are so similar, it made perfect sense—as Vaas tormented Jason, Jason torments Vaas. That was their dynamic.
Despite their difference,Far Cry 4eventually reveals the primary dynamic betweenPagan Min and Ajay Ghale is family. Pagan Min is Ajay’s step-father in a way, and when Pagan Min lost his daughter and then his wife (Ajay’s mother), it broke him. It made him become the dictator he was until Ajay’s return. ConsideringFar Cry 6’s Pagan Min: Control DLC is likely to be incredibly similar to the first DLC, it would make more sense if Ajay was his own questline—then Pagan Min’s daughter and wife—and the ultimate villain was Ajay’s father, who was responsible for Pagan Min’s greatest fall. (He was always going to be an insane dictator, but even Pagan admits the worst of his reputation comes from the months that followed his daughter’s death).
Ultimately, it’ll be interesting to see how Ubisoft adaptsAjay Ghale into Pagan Min’s mind, but it can’t be as a villain. To Pagan Min, Ajay Ghale may have been his own personal hero.
Far Cry 6is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
MORE:Far Cry 6’s Vaas DLC Was About Letting Go, but Pagan Min’s Is About Holding On
