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He’s one of the oldest game characters around, and also one of the most hard working. Don’t think he’s just been a guest star in Smash Bros, because his Championship Edition games still retain the classic and addictive gameplay he’s known for.
Man. Soldier. God. Godkiller. Kratos is all of these things, but more than anything else, he is pure and unbridled rage. As he says himself, death is his calling, and if there’s one thing nearly 10 games have taught us, it’s that he’s very good at killing anything and anyone in his path. Nintendo’s sci-fi bounty hunter may have seen rough times in recent years, but she can still hack it with the best of them. Even though she loses her powers with each new game, she still has plenty of it, and Metroid Prime 2 still serves as one of the best first person shooters to ever grace the medium. Plenty of game characters are quiet and let their actions speak louder than words, and Freeman is one of them. Whether it’s with his trusty Gravity Gun or a crowbar, the man gets his point across by saving the world time and time again from those mysterious men…
What more can be said about someone like Sonic the Hedgehog? Yes, he too has fallen on bad times as of late, but his (and SEGA’s) perseverance is weirdly endearing, and if nothing else, he has one of the best social media people on Twitter.
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Big Daddy
Tragic figures that embody the ruined city of Rapture as a whole, certainly. The Big Daddies are absolutely terrifying, not only in terms of raw power, but because of their single minded devotion to protecting the Little Sisters. And that big drill doesn't hurt either.
Kratos
Man. Soldier. God. Godkiller. Kratos is all of these things, but more than anything else, he is pure and unbridled rage. As he says himself, death is his calling, and if there's one thing nearly 10 games have taught us, it's that he's very good at killing anything and anyone in his path.
Gordon Freeman
Plenty of game characters are quiet and let their actions speak louder than words, and Freeman is one of them. Whether it's with his trusty Gravity Gun or a crowbar, the man gets his point across by saving the world time and time again from those mysterious men...
Albert Wesker
The superhuman agent of the evil Umbrella Corporation is thankfully no longer with us, but he defines the Resident Evil franchise in multiple ways. His casual contempt for humanity makes him instantly hateable, and his instincts and cunning makes him one of the deadliest villains in all of gaming.
Vault Boy
He may not be in the Fallout games proper, but when you see him, you know him. His upbeat attitude brings some healthy doses of dark humor to the bleak world of the open world RPG series, and he seems like the kind of guy you'd like to hang around with in the '50s.
Steve (Minecraft)
Minecraft may not be big on propping him up, but Steve is absolutely the face of the entire brand. A heavily pixelated face that doesn't say much, but an iconic face nonetheless.
Ryu
There's no shortage of fighters in the gaming industry, but Ryu is something different. He commands power and respect the instant you see him, and his trademark "Hadouken!" line is one that pretty much everyone knows.
Kerrigan
Sarah Kerrigan is an interesting figure in the Starcraft universe. On one hand, she's certainly a tragic figure after being kidnapped by the Zerg and turned into the most powerful agent of the Overmind. On the other hand, she's also embraced her powers and is one of the most powerful forces in the galaxy. That complexity makes the Queen of Blades so fascinating, and the constant pull between the lure of her powers and her relationship with Raynor makes all their interactions complex to watch.
Commander Shepard
There's no one in the galaxy quite like Commander Shepard. They can have the sharpest tongue in the galaxy, or an iron fist, but no matter what, Shepard gets the job done. They can lead small armies and entire civilizations in a war for survival, and that's why they get to be called 'Commander'.
Mega Man
Keiji Inafune's creation has been through some tough times in last couple of years, but we'll never forget running around with this guy. Just seeing him invokes memories of nostalgia, and the world needs his return.
GLaDOS
The Portal series may focus on Chell, but GLaDOS is the star here. Her deadpan delivery and constant jabs make for some good laughs, and the games do a good job of making them personal without feeling too mean. She may get sick of you, but we won't of her.
Crash Bandicoot
He was Sony's mascot for a time, and it's easy to see why. His stupidity is just infectious in the way it makes you want to progress through the level without a care for possible danger, and he can still dance like a champ. With the remasters coming next year, here's hoping Crash gets a new shot at life.
Scorpion
Ninjas are pretty deadly already, but a ninja who also has fire powers and is a flaming skeleton sometimes? Yeah, that's even worse. Yet it's the constant grapple between vengeance and redemption that makes Scorpion so vital to the Mortal Kombat franchise. That and his hook chain, of course.
Samus Aran
Nintendo's sci-fi bounty hunter may have seen rough times in recent years, but she can still hack it with the best of them. Even though she loses her powers with each new game, she still has plenty of it, and Metroid Prime 2 still serves as one of the best first person shooters to ever grace the medium.
Chocobo
These feathery things are more central to the Final Fantasy universe than some of the protagonists in each game. Whether you just see them roaming the land, hang out in someone's hair, or try to ride one, there's no denying the warm sense of familiarity that comes when you see their cute faces.
Ezio Auditore de Firenze
There's a reason why Ubisoft made three games about this guy. Ezio is one of the most charming and good looking characters in gaming, and underneath all that is a man out for justice. That justice involves stabbing people in the throat, but still justice.
Link
Nintendo has plenty of iconic game characters, and Link is pretty high up there. What he lacks in vocal skills he makes up for in being musically challenged, adventurous, and a hero throughout all of time.
Lara Croft
The heroine of the Tomb Raider franchise has been to hell and back, but it hasn't stopped her from doing what she's best at. She's gone through reboots, films, visual changes, and complete genres shifts as well, but there's been one constant in all of those: her ability to endure.
Pac-Man
He's one of the oldest game characters around, and also one of the most hard working. Don't think he's just been a guest star in Smash Bros, because his Championship Edition games still retain the classic and addictive gameplay he's known for.
Nathan Drake
Okay yeah, he's basically Indiana Jones with a half-tucked shirt, but Nathan Drake is still one of the best game characters around. His ability to take any injury that comes his way borders on the superheroic, but he won't stop until he completes his mission, and even him geeking out at his own misfortune gets to be funny.
Solid Snake
Oh, that Snake, always sneaking around and knocking people out. His adventures can sometimes get a little silly, but he's one of the best soldiers and spies in the business. Even if that sometimes means he has to hide in a box and hope he doesn't get detected.
Sonic the Hedgehog
What more can be said about someone like Sonic the Hedgehog? Yes, he too has fallen on bad times as of late, but his (and SEGA's) perseverance is weirdly endearing, and if nothing else, he has one of the best social media people on Twitter.
Master Chief
Halo's lead protagonist is the definitive face of the Xbox brand, and it's easy to see why. The man is practically unkillable and has taken on pretty much everything, from alien religious groups to the pioneers of the human race. His fellow Spartans are equally deadly, but make no mistake, the Master Chief is what they aspire to be.
Pikachu
Not many game characters are equal parts deadly and adorable, and that's exactly what Pikachu is. Sure, he looks like a fat yellow rat with a jacked up tail, but it could also send painful jolts of electricity coursing through your body and send you blasting off into the sky!
Mario
There's no game character as recognizable as Mario. When you've been a plumber, a soccer star, a doctor, and everything else, that tends to happen. For most of the world, he was the first character they ever played as. For us, he's a legend.
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Published: Sep 19, 2016 03:04 pm