Created for the original God of War in 2005, Kratos has since traveled as far as any video game character in his depth and personality. When he makes a joke, the camera zooms in on him while he winks. Riley is a formidable presence, but also a free spirit who confronts the world as she finds it. In Arkham Knight, after the Jokerâs already dead, he lives in Batmanâs head and torments him with visions and dark thoughts. In a world of over-the-top crime capers and big-time heists, Grand Theft Auto 5âs Lester Crane provides a humble counterpoint. This cheeky little skeleton makes his first appearance in Undertale by doing the shake-hands-and-fart thing. Since Gears of Warâs debut in 2006, Iâve probably spent more time controlling Marcus Fenix than any other avatar in all of video games. The 10 Best Female Video Game Characters of 2020. Nintendo really took some anthropomorphized squids and made them into pop sensations. In the original game, and the sequel Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, heâs voiced by actor Matt Mercer, the man behind the Critical Role series. Shovel Knight, created by Yacht Club Games, is a lovely symbol of indie successes for the decade. Like a sick man getting his hunger back, Biggs is a crime fighter again. Attach your videos and images! I defy you not to fall in love with her too. Writers have begun to move on from two-dimensional action heroes, clumsy sidekicks, and offensive caricatures to paint convincing people who inspire empathy. He never quite loses his sense of drama and performance, even as everything else is worn away by time and civilization. BK is her friend but heâs an asshole, and Mira works a lot to get him to be a better person. Set as a prequel to the main game, Left Behind explores the two girlsâ differences and their closeness as they face inevitable separation. He swears simple frontier justice on the firebug carrying out the plot, but of course this case ends up so much bigger than that. Every video game starts with an unspoken agreement. Even more impressive is that theyâre never annoying. The list is presented in alphabetical order. Ultimate. King Pagan Min is the most colorful and disturbing of the bunch. Isabelle is my best friend. It just means more paperwork, after all. Representation has become a popular factor in pop culture and modern media nowadays, and the same can be said for Video Games.Plenty of characters have different cultural backgrounds, beliefs, appearances, and sexualities. As performed by voice actor Melissanthi Mahut, the Spartan misthios feels fully alive. As the game begins, we see de Witt as the savior, but it soon becomes clear that Elizabeth has all the power. Few game characters of the olden days have been so transformed as Lara Croft. In a world where barely any adults can be trusted, Sojiro supports the Phantom Thieves and provides them adult advice they often need to hear. Although heâs mostly a typical grizzled game-bloke protagonist, his character and personality are elevated by a superb performance from Norman Reedus, who imbues Sam with a humanity and need thatâs rare in gamingâs leading men. Years after finishing Gone Home, I still think about Sam. Plenty of games make the main character vague and silent, to allow players to easily project themselves into them, but Sunset Overdrive bucks that trend, and hard. They spend solemn and touching moments with gods before reaching a notoriously emotional denouement atop a windy mountain. Destinyâs characters rarely speak, so nearly all the exposition and internal thoughts come through Ghost, every Guardianâs faithful shoulder angel. As the game progresses, we learn of the prior loss of her brother, and her feelings about his death. In video games, mothers are often portrayed as villains, or they are killed in order to catalyze the heroâs journey. But most importantly, his trial gives us a better look into the otherwise stoic and introverted Geralt. Which he naturally doesnât appreciate nearly enough. Marguerite is trying to offer you hospitality, while Jack serves as the immortal, protective patriarch of his twisted family. What started out as an over-the-top depiction depiction of a no-nonsense infantryman has turned into a much more nuanced character, someone older and wiser. These are video game series where two or more games have LGBT characters. These are some great beards and mustaches that stand out for our most beloved characters. Most of all, the goose is very funny. The greatest teammate in sports video gaming. We have only allowed one character (or duo) per franchise, but itâs worth mentioning that many of the games listed below have more than one memorable character. Either outcome is a fitting end, whether the player views Clay as an avenging antihero or another crook who succumbs to greed. (Thatâs not to mention her flirty delivery when Kassandra romances NPCs â it makes me blush every time.) Tricoâs mishmash of cat, bird, dog, and deer was animated so lovingly that it was easy for many players to see a beloved pet in his large brown eyes. In Her Story, Hannah is being interviewed by police who are investigating the disappearance of her husband. If you search YouTube for the final episode of the first season of Telltaleâs The Walking Dead, youâll find a miniature industry of players recording their own emotional responses to its devastating finale. Since this problem has been addressed numerous times and been gradually brought to the forefront, video game creators are now working to create more inclusive roles and ensembles. However, it isnât until the gameâs final moments that Owlboy reveals he can speak, and despite the emotional turmoil others have set upon him, he only wishes to know if everyoneâs OK. With a few sentences, the facade built around him crumbles, and the game reveals a character with one of the biggest hearts this decade. Although the action is pure gunplay fantasy, Cocchiolaâs interwoven story manages to feel both true and touching. But they bring the best out of each other, creating an interlocking tale of love and learning. Hereâs the thing: Spider-Man has been around for a while. So convincingly human is Alex that inhabiting her life is a truly transportive experience. He hates his job. This beautifully designed avatar drifts across the sands of Journey, one of the most lovely games of all time. Lee is an escaped convict in the midst of a zombie outbreak who finds himself caring for a frightened, vulnerable girl called Clementine. The fans do have a point. In Portal 2, she returns in an even more malicious form, revealing a dark backstory that kind of explains why sheâs so horrid. But when actual monsters emerge, Josh detaches from reality altogether. What if we shattered the reality of the game and worked in direct conflict with the whole concept of the game itself? Originally created as a tutorial guide for Portal, snarky artificial intelligence GLaDOS proved so popular with the development team that her role was extended through the whole game. At the start of the game, sheâs scared and sad and overwhelmed, and she has very little time to become some kind of ruler. In short, heâs a badass hero who appeals to the ideals of self-assertion and duty. Please feel free to post your favorite characters from the past decade in the comments below. Lesterâs sarcasm, vulnerability, pettiness, and greed make him one of the gameâs most memorable characters. He is also self-deluded and embarrassingly boastful. There is no greater villain in the Binding of Isaac universe than Mom, an abusive religious zealot who stomps on her child with high-heeled shoes. They â the Traveler is genderless â do not speak, but rather chirp greetings to other travelers they encounter. One of the voices in her head actually talks to the gameâs player, and itâs often unclear if the things she sees are real or figments of her mental distress. Clearly, Senua was researched and written with appropriate respect for a sensitive subject. Cocchiola is an old man who looks back on a battle in the Dolomites, in which he tries to save the life of his brother. Since heâs a silent hero, his own feelings are never put into question as the plot revolves around him. Set on a train journey, the gameâs various puzzles wonderfully allow us insights into the siblingsâ relationship, which has been shaped by loss. The quality of writing in games, in terms of dialogue, characterization, and plot, has improved immensely. Top 10 Video Game Characters Who Have Suffered The Most. Of those 179 games, only 83 have queer characters who are playable characters. I hope that sheâs happy out there somewhere â in San Francisco or Portland, probably â making queer feminist zines with her wife and two cats. She manipulates the game itself and ultimately smashes through the fourth wall. Isabelle protec, but more importantly, she attac.