Ethan Mars has one truly momentous claim to fame: he will do anything to get his kidnapped son back. When the game begins, Ethan lives an ordinary suburban life with his wife and two children. After a tragic series of events, Ethan's wife divorces him, he loses one of his sons and, years later, his second son, Shaun, is kidnapped. With a determination fuelled by love for his son, and because he's all Ethan has left in his life, he sets out to rescue his child and confront the Origami Killer. Following a series of clues, Ethan is forced to participate in and complete five trials if he wants to save Shaun. He must drive for minutes against the traffic, crawl through tunnels of broken glass, kill another man, poison himself and, most famously, cut off one of his own fingers using household tools. The latter of these is, arguably, the most dramatic scene in all of video game history. No hero is more a family man than Ethan Mars.

Nier dedicated his life to his daughter in a world of ruin without compromising his integrity. He had compassion for the outcasts and mutants, cared for his village, and did his best to make the world a better place. Most of all, he went through an interminable hell of disturbing creatures to save his daughter. He delved into the heart of the world and uncovered painful secrets to wrest his daughter from the hands of those who would do her harm. This might be enough accomplishment for a dozen medals, but Nier also happens to succeed.