The Best Fictional Presidents

In honor of Presidents Day, we here at IGN wanted to do our part to say thank you to all of our country's greatest leaders. Throughout our hundreds of years of existence, there have been some fantastic presidents. But some of the greatest leaders of our nation actually haven't led the nation at all. Isn't about time we gave some of our favorite fictional presidents some love? After all, without their fictional judgment calls, the world could have been destroyed by alien invasions, giant meteors, or its own stupidity long ago. Here are our favorite fictional presidents of all time (in no particular order):

President James Marshall - Air Force One

EM: Harrison Ford has played Indiana Jones, Han Solo, and Jack Ryan. Naturally Harrison Ford’s next step was to be our country’s leader. Stuck on a hijacked Air Force One, President James Marshall single handedly defeated countless terrorists all while being able to deliver amazing one liners such as “get off my plane.” Any president that can be cheesy and kick ass is OK in my book. Harrison Ford will never cease to amaze.

President John Henry Eden - Fallout 3

SA: In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, where giant scorpions, mutant trees and Liam Neeson are nothing out of the ordinary, it only stands to reason that the President is secretly a robot. Installed by “The Enclave” as President after the death of President Dick Richardson, Eden presides over the wastelands of DC with an iron (or steel) fist. I would call him my favorite President, but I'm hesitant to do so until I see a birth certificate.

President Tom Beck - Deep Impact

EM: Morgan Freeman. That is all you need to hear before you realize how awesome of a president he was. He could be declaring martial law and we all will oblige happily, hypnotized by his angelic voice. With a seven mile wide asteroid hurling towards Earth, what else could he do? We may not have really seen his political prowess, but that’s ok. Now lie down and let his voice guide you to serenity. You’re welcome.

President Merkin Muffley – Dr. Strangelove

SA: Oh Doctor Strangelove, we can learn so much from you. In addition to learning how to stop loving the bomb, President Merkin Muffley has a couple of other life lessons you can take to the bank. Without Muffley, we would never know how great it is to be fine, or that you can’t fight in war rooms. The late great Peter Sellers plays Muffley perfectly, as a leader who can be both charismatic and clueless at the exact same time.

President David Palmer - 24

EM: David Palmer is the best fictitious president ever to grace our T.V…. FACT. His voice is on par with Morgan Freeman and his presence is as apparent as Abraham Lincoln. All in all, David Palmer is the s%*#. When he knew the nation would want to re-elect him he decided not to run. Not because he was scared, but because of a death of a “friend” inadvertently caused by him.  He’s always been the president that cared more about his principals than his political career.

President Michael Dugan – Red Alert 2

SA: Out of all of the fake presidential events, President Dugan presided over the greatest fictional crisis of all time: An invasion of the United States. Although it doesn't seem like Dugan is all that great of a president, (seriously, how did they not see the thousands of blimps armed with explosives?) but in the end, he gets the job done. Sad to see after all that, Dugan wasn't even awarded a second term. In retrospect he probably should have kept a Chronosphere or two lying around somewhere. 

President Thomas Whitmore - ID4

EM: Bill Pullman is suave. Bill Pullman is a badass. Bill Pullman IS President Whitmore. I can’t help but think he wasn’t playing a character, but was just playing himself. The president is very unconventional; running off and joining the air battle against the aliens. He was a cowboy that just so happened to be living in the White House. We don’t need a president who doesn’t understand how important his safety is, we do however want a likeable president. Why can’t we just have both?

President James "Jimmy" Dale – Mars Attacks

SA: “Why can't we all just get along?” President James "Jimmy Dale is one of the more off-beat fictional presidents. In office during a Martian Invasion, President Dale does his best to foster a treaty between Earth and its alien invaders. In the end despite a spirited plea for peace, Dale meets his demise at the hands of the Martians by falling for the old "fake hand turns into metallic snake and stabs a flag through your heart" trick. In all honesty though, who hasn't fallen for that one?

President George Sears - Metal Gear Solid

EM: George Sears, also more commonly known as Solidus Snake, was a very corrupt president who just so happened to be the third clone from the Les Enfants Terribles project. I can go on and on about his involvement with the Patriots, but I’m just going to let his picture speak for itself. Although he betrayed his country, it is hard to deny his sense of swagger and finesse. Sporting a badass exoskeleton suit and a pair of katanas, Solidus is the most stylish president yet.

President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho - Idiocracy

SA: Eriq seems to think that President Palmer is the greatest fictitious president of all time, but I have to respectfully disagree. No man can fire the people up like Camacho can. In an era of presidential firsts, Camacho blazes a new trail for our country with an M60 and a motorcycle by his side. When the people are running out of french fries and burrito coverings, he's there. When crops need electrolytes, he's there. No matter the issue, Camacho fixes all. 

Eriq Martin and Sean Allen help manage IGN’s social channels and content. They have played through Dead Space 3 four times together on co-op and are looking for someone to host an intervention before they get to five. 

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