John Egbert: Goody Two-Shoes, Hero, Nothing
John is a hero. No one would argue against that. Every moment of John's life is full of genuine enjoyment, and he cares for everyone around him. He defends non-player characters, and insists that he not be treated differently simply because he is the "leader," but this moment is not one of heroics​. It's just lame. Surviving this first death leaves John's understanding of the game's justice system even more confused, as he goes on to repeatedly offer himself as a sacrifice to the game, especially when it comes time for the players to fully destroy it.
Someone is going to die to tear the game apart. The players want to blow up its power source, but the one to deliver the bomb will not survive. John, ever the hero, wants to go in the place of his non-god friends, but must be reminded this would invalidate his immortality. Going against the fabric of the game, dying in his friends' place, as his friend Karkat explains, just might be considered heroic. Against the game's opportunities for power-grabs and cowardice, John still brings his selfless values into every interaction with the world around him, and the game encourages, no, thrives on this fact. SBURB/SGRUB is more than familiar with ideas such as Flanagan and Nissenbaum's in Values at Play, knowing that everything we do involves our values, some common values exist, and good games integrate these values in their very design (Flanagan and Nissenbaum 11). SBURB/SGRUB is a good game, and one that bets on common values of selfishness and selflessness, the heroic and the evil. Being too good is dangerous, but the game trusts that people, like John, will still be good and risk themselves anyway. It's right, just as it also knows some people will still cause pain, despite similar risks.
