Top Ten Videogame Characters
Originally I was going to try and milk this format by having a separate list for villains, heros, heroines etc. but when it came down to it there was only really a select few videogame characters who I could honestly call my favourites for a reason more substantial than "they look badass." Each character's name will be followed by their series and the best game they feature in and the picture will show my favourite look for the character.
10. Meta Knight - Kirby Series (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)
Kirby's rival and quasi-mentor/ally (and wildly speculated as his father), Meta Knight is the closest to badass Kirby games are ever going to get. Wearing a mask and cloak, which turns into bat wings, and wielding a golden sword, Meta Knight fights tirelessly for justice against the evil infecting Gotham City, I mean Dreamland.
A true man of honour (except that time he went a bit nuts and tried to take over Dreamland with the Halberd, his airship) he always throws Kirby a sword before commencing any of their duels and has ocassionally fought alongside him to defeat a greater foe. Probably one of the coolest characters Nintendo has to offer.
9. Raiden - Metal Gear Solid Series (Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty)
Raiden gets quite a bit of flak from fans of the Metal Gear series, for a number of reasons. 1. He usurped the incredibly popular Solid Snake from the title of main character in MGS2, 2. He was an extremely effeminate character and noob no less, and 3. He was a whiny emo crybaby. And we all know how much teh intarwebz hates whiny emo crybabies.
Oddly enough, Raiden endeared himself to me for several reasons. 1. Since MGS2 was my first game, I was going in at the same level as him, not knowing a lot about the mechanics of the mission or previous Metal Gear Solids. 2. I also experienced the character of Snake much as I had from searching the internet, as a living legend and true hero. 3. He gets to use the HF Blade at the end of 2 and that's pretty fucking awesome.
He would eventually go on to endear himself to other MGS fans by becoming a Cyborg Ninja in MGS4 and becoming less whiny and more brooding, which is totally different and allowed apparently (hey Batman does it). I too liked the evolution of Raiden's character and his new found level of badassery. What I didn't like was that his ninja suit had high heels...that was a bit camp, but besides that Raiden will always be the first experience I had with MGS and will always have a special significance for me.
8. Sergeant Cortez - TimeSplitters Series (TimeSplitters: Future Perfect)
When it comes to big, dumb, action hero stereotypes, you can't get much better than Cortez. However, despite being a total cliché he still has more than enough charm to be a likeable character and has a number of genuinely funny lines in the games (more so in "Future Perfect", in which he takes the starring role).
Even though hardly anything is known about the character, he still makes for a great hero, with a big heart and often has some witty banter at the ready...often with himself (it's complicated). An all-round action man.
7. The Prince - Prince of Persia The Sands of Time Trilogy (Prince of Persia: Warrior Within)
In a bizarre twist of fate, while my favourite POP game is WW, it is actually my least favourite iteration of his character (that award goes to "The Two Thrones"). In "Sands of Time" The Prince is an idealistic young man trying to save his kingdom from the terror he has unleashed, in the second game "Warrior Within" he is a much darker character, world-wearied after battling for years to try and rid himself of the Dahaka, a demon purusing him tirelessly for his perversion of the course of time. While this sounds good in principle, the Prince just comes of as a jerk and a Wolverine rip off. This new Prince is hardly likeable and seems mostly soulless, though of course this is part of the point I suppose. "The Two Thrones" however, has the best incarnation of the Prince. The original voice actor returns once more but now conflicts with the Dark Prince, the evil side of his psyche (which Ubisoft uses as a rationale for the Prince being a dick in WW).
This inner struggle, while often overdone in media, works surprisingly well and giving the Prince a sense of conflict about the actions he takes, as he finally faces up to what he has done. The Prince is a fairytale hero whose uncorruptible nature (in 1 and 3 anyway) and courageous heart make him a worthy addition to the plethora of gaming heroes.
6. Wolf O' Donnel - Star Fox Series (Lylat Wars (Star Fox 64))
While Wolf only really had a bit part in "Lylat Wars," it was easily his most memorable game, due to the sheer number of awesome lines he had. As an anti-Fox he was another gaming cliché but still managed to come across as a cool character. He's gone a little iffy in recent games like "Star Fox: Assault" and "Command" becoming less a villain and more an anti-hero, but his appearance in "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" was a more than welcome return to form and he is my favourite character to fight as in it.
Though little more than a Fox clone with an eye patch and a great theme, Wolf has captured the hearts of many from the first utterance of:
"Can't let you do that Star Fox!" and continues to be one of the franchises most enduring characters.
5. Albert Wesker - Resident Evil Series (Resident Evil 4)
Here's where the list gets very "Resident Evil" heavy, so I apologise now.
Albert Wesker is the series' main antagonist, despite the fact he's only really done anything in 2 of the 6 games so far, not even appearing in 2 or 3. However, this is exactly the kind of character Wesker is. A "schemer," working behind the scenes to his own as yet unclear agenda. Despite being more about brains than brawn, Wesker is still a deadly oppenent, with his favourite weapon being a silenced pistol, and an excellent close-quarters fighter, techniques augmented by a serum which allowed for his resurrection after his apparent "death" in the first game, also giving him superhuman strength and agility.
A true "man in black" Wesker is the ultimate double agent, whose super-cool demeanor and cunning make him a truly impressive foe, and has earned respect of many Resi-fans around the world and to top it all off he's a thoroughly Magnificent Bastard
4. Jack Krauser - Resident Evil Series (Resident Evil 4)
Originally I wanted to put Krauser higher on the list, but I felt it was unfair to other, more well-developed characters. Krauser essentially comes out of nowhere to be a secondary antagonist of "Resident Evil 4" secretly working as a double agent for Wesker. He's an army man, pure and simple, but despite being a somewhat generic tough guy, he proves himself as more than an equal of Leon and isn't just some big, dumb, hired gun.
His knife wielding skills feature in one of thegames highlights (which is all the more impressive when it's little more than an interactive cutscene) and he's my favourite character in the mercenaries mini-game, in which he wields a large bow and nothing else...oh and his freaky one-hit-KO mutant arm of course.
A menacing foe with a lot of style in his brutality, and a worthy adversary for government agent and former comrade Leon.
3. Ada Wong - Resident Evil Series (Resident Evil 4)
The embodiment of everything a videogame heroine should be in my opinion, not only capable and confident, but seductive and sensual. She isn't just a piece of meat showing as much skin as possible to sell games (I'm looking at you "Dead Or Alive"), but has class and an interesting character. She is also definitively female, despite being an action heroine, unlike many action girls who are essentially just their male counterparts with boobs (Lara Croft in some cases).
Ada is a complex woman, with a mysterious past and whose motivations are, like Wesker's, not entirely clear. She plays the double crosser too many times to count, but is ultimately a good person at heart and always helps Leon out of a tricky spot.
Her relationship with Leon is another highlight of the series, very much a Batman/ Catwoman kind of thing, only less overt and... you know... she doesn't beat Leon up (or vice versa). A stellar example of an action girl, who is everything a videogame heroine should be.
2. Solid Snake - Metal Gear Series (Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes)
The ultimate reluctant hero, Snake is brought out of retirement a number of times to combat a threat against the worl from the titular nuclear mechs. Despite his numerous feats of bravery and badassery, as well as his undeniable determination, he is ever modest of his abilities, always telling others "I'm no hero..." One of the reasons he is so well respected as a videogame character is much the same reason Batman is. He's really just a normal man, with a lot of training, yet still manages to take down a number of superpowered villains and gigantic war machines time and time again.
David Hayter's iconic voice has always been one of the character's coolest traits and remains one of the Snake's defining aspects. Snake is pretty much the Chuck Norris of the gaming world whose inner struggle with right and wrong is a very compelling one and is interesting for very much the same reason Batman is.
1. Leon Scott Kennedy - Resident Evil Series (Resident Evil 4)
The 4th "Resident Evil" character from Resi 4 in a Resi heavy list, yes, I have a thing for "Resident Evil 4," mainly because it's my favourite game ever, not just because of the gameplay, but because of the characters. It was the game that got me into the rest of the series and ensared me into the world of survival horror. Needless to say the hero, and the game itself, will always hold a special place in my heart.
Leon was once a rookie cop who was one of 4 (which later turned out to be a few more) survivors of the Raccoon City disaster, where the T-Virus was unleashed, spread by rats into the population, turning them into zombies. Surviving a zombie apocalypse is tough enough, but it's gotta be especially bad when it's your first day on the job.
Later becoming a top government agent, Leon is sent to save the president's daughter from an evil cult, and contain another T-virus outbreak at Harvardville Airport in the CG movie "Resident Evil: Degeneration." Along with Chris Redfield, Leon is one of the most active players in the fight against Umbrella and is dedicated to "scrub(bing) the virus of the face of the Earth."
Despite being an effective field op, Leon has also proven himself working behind the scenes, facilitating Claire Redfield's reunion with her brother, and sending Ark Thompson (Resident Evil nobody) to Sheena Island to investigate an outbreak there.
Leon has had the longest absence between starring roles in the Resident Evil series, waiting 7 years before starring in Resi 4 (not counting the non-canon Gaiden), but the wait was more than worth it. Giving the series a sorely needed roundhouse, Leon Kennedy and Resi 4 was a smash hit, and sold millions worldwide. So popular that Capcom milked 3 ports out of it (despite claiming it would be Gamecube exclusive).
When playing as Leon, you truly feel unstoppable, fighting off hordes of Ganados and Plagas with stellar gunplay and (occassionally) martial arts prowess. Much like Raiden, his evolution from everyday Joe Average to tried and true action hero is an impressive transformation, one that is incredbly fun to play.
Honourable Mentions
Fan Favourite:
Grey Fox - Metal Gear Series (Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes)
While I don't know enough about him to put him on the list proper, his numerous crowning moments of awesome make him a cool character, with the animé standard ability to deflect bullets with his sword.
Newbie:
Frank West - Dead Rising
A photojournalist thrust into the middle of a zombie invasion, using anything and everything he can lay his hands on to beat back the undead hordes.
Soft Spot:
Blastoise - Pokémon Series (Pokémon LeafGreen/FireRed)
Blastoise was one of the reasons I wanted to play Pokémon way back in '99. His picture plastered across "Pokémon Blue," twin cannons protruded from his back. One cannot argue that any creature who develops cannons as an evolutionary neccessity is badass.