Slicker than an oil spill.

One thing I've picked up on lately is how much the Japanese really seem to like that greasy, 50s-era slicked back hairstyle look. While I can't exactly speak from much authority of their culture, I would have to imagine it's widely regarded as a ''cool'' hairstyle over there, right along with smoking, and leaning against a wall with your arms folded and your eyes closed whilst explaining some important plot point... Probably has something to do with its history regarding samurai at that. Though over in the west it's more associated with Italian-American dirtbags, mobsters and all around nefarious folk.

In any case, I decided to create a list noting how much of that damned hairstyle has crept into our videya games. Though while I made a mention of the Japanese, I want this list to be all inclusive and accepting to anyone who's gone and combed back their noggin!

I will also of course gladly appreciate any contributions to help expand this list some as well. However I should note that I'm referring to pre-determined characters, so the user-created characters that may have the option to pour grease over their hair won't count.

List items

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  1. Albert Wesker

  Likely one of the most well known sporters of such a look, I've always wondered if Capcom had intentionally designed Wesker to look like Buddy Holly, while also suffering from the world's worst hangover hence his penchant for wearing sunglasses at any and all times.

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  2. Alfred Ashford

  This one certainly fits, what with Alfred's preppy lifestyle he's grown up with, complete with a borderline-incestous fascination with his twin sister. Nothing defines creepy aristocrats quite like incest!

  When I had first played Code: Veronica X I honestly believed this guy was in fact Albert Wesker, primarily because I knew before hand he was in it and was then setting my eagle eyes on the lookout for any such appearances. Noticing the slick blonde hair instantly brought to mind the megalomaniac himself... Until that is... that fekkin voice...

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  3. Jack Krauser

  Capcom's attempt to giving Leon S. Kennedy his own rival/homo-erotic love interest ala Chris & Wesker, complete with the same damn hairstyle at that.

  I've never held any strong opinions towards Krauser one way or the other.. Though he certainly made for a much better boss fight than Wesker did in RE5. He's also easily my favourite RE4 Mercs character at that.

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  4. Edward Dewey

  I'm beginning to notice a pattern here...

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  5. Billy Coen

  Capcom, staph

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  6. Brad Vickers

  CAPCOM

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  7. Derek C. Simmons

  ...

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  8. Javier Hidalgo

  WHEN WILL IT END?!

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  9. Rodrigo Juan Raval

  Mother Of...

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  10. Rodriguez

  HNNNNNNG

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  11. Barry Burton

  Not the most elegant of hairdos on here, but with what little hair Barry seems to have left he's tried his damndest to keep nice and slick!

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  12. Greg Mueller

  Oh, Resident Evil... Not only is the hairstyle alone so comically prevalent, but the amount of character designs so very clearly inspired by Wesker just makes all the more silly. This guy even creates his own Tyrant at that!

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  13. Daigo Dojima

  Oh yeah, here we go... The art style of Yakuza's cutscenes are so weird for how they make EVERYTHING to look just as shiny as the greased up hair. Everybody also appears to have the MOST pronounced footsteps known to video games.

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  14. Akira Nishikiyama
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  15. Junji Sugiuchi
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  16. Makoto Date
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  17. Kazuma Kiryu

  Both he and Date's hairstyle looks a little more feathered than the rest... but I'll allow it.

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  18. Shintaro Kazama

  Like father like EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS DAMN SERIES.

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  19. Ryuji Goda

  We may be here a while...

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  20. Seishiro Munakata
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  21. Yayoi Dojima

  It even appears to be just as trendy with the ladies.

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  22. Yoshitaka Mine
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  23. Derek Pappalardo

  And now we start getting into the aforementioned 'Italian-American dirtbags, mobsters and all around nefarious folk' territory.

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  24. Don Salieri

  More like Don... Slidieri... amiright...

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  25. Paulie
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  26. Vito Scaletta

  More like Vito.. S...Sl?... Oh whatever.

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  27. Ray Boccino
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  28. Victor Sullivan

  Oh Sully, you old scamp. For a guy his age by Uncharted 3, he's still got a handsome head of hair -- enough to comb it back with the best of 'em!

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  29. Harry Flynn

  His hairstyle really helps to evoke the scummy pile of scum Flynn is. In fact his particular style of do generally seems to be a good indicator of whether a character is a villain (secretly or openly).

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  30. Johnny Gat

  Ah, Johnny Gat. He is at least Asian-American himself after all, so such a look certainly befits him. It's a marked improvement from how he used to look at that, with that terrible bleach blonde, 90s boyband hairstyle of his.

  Y'know, as opposed to his 00s boyband look he's currently rockin'.

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  31. Auron

  Just look at this guy... he's essentially the pinnacle of the archetypal Japanese ''old mentor/badass/father figure/stoic veteran/token older fellow'', complete with more of that smooth and silk covering his head. Even has what looks to be some wingtips at that!

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  32. Master Miller

  Say, he looks familiar... I'll admit that Miller's is more mullet than anything, but just look at that sheen...

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  33. Major Zero
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  34. Solidus Snake

  It does seem like the sort of look that's especially popular with the older gentleman.

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  35. Nobunaga Oda

  Specifically his appearances in the Samurai Warriors series. Though the topknot mayhaps distinguishes it a little too much for it to fit on this list... eh, whatever.

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  36. Sebastian Castellanos

  Welp, The Evil Within is essentially a gorier Resident Evil, so.

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  37. Mike Patton

  dis fuckin' GUY