Who are your favorite characters in ANY game?

[Corylea.723]

Who are your favorite characters in ANY game?

Some of you know that I'm working on a computer game, a stand-alone game of my own. It's going to be a very character-heavy game, and while I have lots of ideas about characters I want to write, I was also wondering...

Who are your favorite video game characters, and what about them did you find especially interesting or endearing or compelling? (I'm talking about any and all games, not just The Witcher, though of course I'm sure that some of our favorite characters are from those games.)

Players spend a lot of time with game characters, yet game characters don't get as much dialogue as would be in a novel, so they need to be painted quickly yet vividly. It's an interesting challenge for a writer.

I'll list three of my favorite characters and talk about why I liked them. I could choose all Witcher characters (Geralt, Zoltan, Shani, Yaevinn, Thaler, Vincent, Kalkstein, Vesemir, The Resolute Girl), but I'd like us not to limit our discussion to Witcher characters, so I'm going to force myself to talk about characters from other games, too.

Character --- Game --- What made me like/remember/be interested in him or her

Alistair --- Dragon Age: Origins --- The sense of humor drew me in, the honesty (about things like people not usually saying they were glad to know him or about being a virgin) appealed to me, the sweetness made me love him, and the goodness made me respect him.

(A lot of people are taken with the whole "reluctant king in hiding" thing, but it doesn't especially grab me, possibly because the idea of "true" kings doesn't sit that well with most Americans. But "the king in hiding" was used well by Tolkein and has been used by roughly 100,000 writers before and since. (If you haven't read it, I recommend Robert Silverberg's Lord Valentine series for another take on this theme.))

Minsc --- Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 --- Minsc is a bit like a much stupider Zoltan, and you know how much I love Zoltan. Minsc has a joie de vivre that I find compelling, he has a lot of funny lines, and he does as much good as he can, in his own way. I love his "Butt-kicking! For goodness!" line, because I think that sums up what he understands about his job. I think Jim Cummings' voicing is a lot of what I like about Minsc -- it's SO over-the-top -- but Minsc isn't being ironic or insincere, so we can just enjoy him.

Geralt --- (I don't have to specify the game, do I? ) --- He's an outsider everywhere he goes, so he has a clear, unbiased perspective on the society he lives in, plus that outsider status makes me want to take him in and take care of him. (The Outsider is a figure used quite often in science fiction and fantasy, possibly because so many readers of SF and fantasy feel like outsiders, themselves, in mainstream culture. Outsider characters are usually special or highly skilled or truly wonderful for some reason, just so the reader gets to see how it's all those stupid people who are rejecting the Outsider who are wrong, since clearly the Outsider is an immensely valuable person. It's one reason why Mr. Spock was so popular. But I digress. )

Geralt is smart and witty -- I love the part where he tells Thaler that Salamanders are amphibians -- and he knows a lot more things about a lot more topics than one would expect of a swordsman. He's extremely good at what he does and very confident, yet he doesn't usually cross the line into swaggering arrogance, except maybe when he's alone. He's mostly good, though not so very good as to seem unrealistic or naive. He's phenomenally loyal (this comes across especially in the books -- thanks to Asheral and Brian for enabling us to read more of those).


So, who are your favorite game characters? And what is it about them that made those characters your favorites?

 

[DonSwingKing]

Liara T'Soni - Mass Effect 1-3 - Very nice background story, brilliant voice acting, unique appearance.
Leliana, Morrigan, Alistair, Sten - Dragon Age: Origins
Max Payne - Max Payne 1-3 A depressive, traumatised, hard-boiled New York cop with nightmares!
Paulie - Mafia He is the Joe Pesci of the video game industry (and he has the same voice actor in the german version).
Lambert - The Witcher Asshole!

 

[KnightofPhoenix]

Seeing how my favorite characters are usually of the magnificent bastard variety, I doubt you'd find that useful for your game haha. Unless you want me to list and explain them anyways.

 

[Corylea.723]

Seeing how my favorite characters are usually of the magnificent bastard variety, I doubt you'd find that useful for your game haha. Unless you want me to list and explain them anyways.

I've never really understood why people like that kind of character, but I would LIKE to understand. I find human beings endlessly interesting, and the varieties of experience that don't make sense to me are especially interesting. So please do explain.

 

[mrowakus]

Ok, I'll bite

From TW games, I will deliberately omit the most obvious options and give one character from each:

* Vincenet Meis in TW1 - the best characterization of a cop in a fantasy RPG to date, period. Let's be honest - it's basically commander Vimes from T. Pratchett's novels (just read after me Vincent Mai[m]s), but boy did they manage to capture his wry character, sense of duty, honour mixed with streetwise aptitude and a heart of gold. Love such characters - more of the m please.

* Vernone Roche - the strongest character in TW2. The same reasons as V. Meis + unscrupulous actions when the game is all about high stakes. It helps that in the course of the story he aids your efforts from the start. He is just easy to sympathize with. Unfortunately a lot of his charm stems from the fact that his counterbalance - Iorveth - cannot hold a candle next to him much due to much poorer setup.

We've finished with the most obvious chars - time for the two most excellent characters from other games:

* The entire cast of Planescape: Torment The Nameless One (Planescape: Torment) - the only reason I limit myself to him is that all other characters are reflected in him. You'd think that banal-shit-boring setup - amnesia - you cannot squeeze anything original from the character and sooner or later he'll become a static brick. Wrong! While initially it seems he has no personality to speak of - him being your avatar in the world - in the course of you adventure you'll learn of so many of his faces and their deeds, noble and devious, their twisted motivations and how the sheer existence of the previous incarnation impacted the world you explore that suddenly you become invloved in forming his character. Admittedly a lot of this happens just in you had, but it's the testament of the game's success in storytelling - you want to learn what happened before, what force drove your previous lives and above all you want to mend their mistakes - which makes for defining your avatar's personality. The presence of varied party members with different backstories that also happen to care how you are forming and what values you stand for only adds to Nameless one's complexity.

On the side note - after so much praise from me to return to my snarky and cynical self - I have to say the amnesia plot device is exactly one of two critical areas in TW2 story where CDPRed dropped the ball. As a penalty they should be made to replay PS:T until they learn their lesson.

* One-of-many (Mask of the Betrayer) - arguably One-of-many is the best joinable evil party member you will encounter in any game. Why? Because he is the embodiment of pure alien evil - the sheer force of corruption. It helps that he has an amazing, tragic backstory about which, at the paricular point in time when you meet him, he just doesn't give a damn. And let's face it - who wouldn't you want a heinous, soul-devouring, spectre in her/his party?

 

[harryagamez]

Nameless hero in Gothic 1-2-3 (forsaken gods and arcania are not canon).
Diego in Gothic 1-2
Gorn in Gothic 1-2
Letho
The Professor The Witcher 1
Alan Wake

 

[Corylea.723]

Nameless hero in Gothic 1-2-3 (forsaken gods and arcania are not canon).
Diego in Gothic 1-2
Gorn in Gothic 1-2
Letho
The Professor The Witcher 1
Alan Wake

But WHY? Why is the interesting part!

 

[CostinRaz]

I've never really understood why people like that kind of character, but I would LIKE to understand. I find human beings endlessly interesting, and the varieties of experience that don't make sense to me are especially interesting. So please do explain.

People like them because generally they are intelligent, practical, charming and visionary. I see these qualities in Loghain, Illusive Man, Jacques, Letho, Emhyr and Phillipa. Hell even Saskia shows them. Of course she isn't a magnificent bastard because that would involve manipulation as well.

I don't see why it would be so hard to see why people would want such a ruler, or respect them for what they are. I am not saying any of the people I mentioned is a good ruler but rather that he or she should have all the qualities in them, as well as being skilled at manipulation.

 

[mrowakus]

People like them because generally they are intelligent, practical, charming and visionary. I see these qualities in Loghain, Illusive Man, Jacques, Letho, Emhyr and Phillipa. Hell even Saskia shows them. Of course she isn't a magnificent bastard because that would involve manipulation as well.

I don't see why it would be so hard to see why people would want such a ruler, or respect them for what they are. I am not saying any of the people I mentioned is a good ruler but rather that he or she should have all the qualities in them, as well as being skilled at manipulation.

Simply put, they get the job done.

 

[Blothulfur]

Kreia from Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. Darth Traya is a flawlessly executed character, she puts to shame most every female npc ever developed. There is no sexual pandering involved in her development, no cutesy nods to girlish flirtation or efforts to be liked. Kreia is a grown woman, she needs nobodies acceptance or affirmation. She has a purpose and a philosophy, which she is all too keen to expound upon to the one being in creation that she deems as worthy.

Her every action and intention is driven by her philosophy, and that philosophy has been developed through hard won experience and relentless drive. Frankly she scares the crap out of me, but I can see how she might come to be. For millenia the Star Wars galaxy has divided itself according to a binary tyranny, nobody thinks to question the nature of the Force or its benefits. Kreia alone treads both light and dark paths, and finds them to be similarly wanting. She has the courage to set herself against destiny and fate, and seeks to wound the Force itself unto death.


Sten from Dragon Age: Origins. There are two stand out features in Origins, the dwarves and their fading byzantine empire teetering on the edge of extinction, and the Qunari. Sten single handedly introduces and teaches us of an alien species and philosophy, that stands as a breath of fresh air in the poorly implemented supposedly medieval world of Thedas. Though a fierce warrior he is literate, reasonable and well spoken. For me he made Origins, my wardens were never as interested in their supposed love interests or enemies as this stoic outlander who held such refreshingly argued convictions.


Kain from Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen. Admittedly this may be in large part due to the fantastic vocal work of Mr Simon Templeman, but Kain is one hell of a character. Dying as a spoiled entitled nobleman, Kain awakens into a ghoulish unlife and begins to see the benefits of his new life and the inhumanity of mankind. When it comes to the choice of whom to save, humanity or himself he chooses selfishly never knowing that the choice was loaded and that he was playing into the hands of a master manipulator, whichever side the coin landed on. Finding himself at the mercy of tyrannous stars, he resolves to fight the impossible by any means necessary and waits for that moment when the coin at last lands on its edge.


Letho. Whereas the Witchers of the wolf school tread the path to extinction with stoic cynicism and a certain bloody minded enjoyment of their nihilistic plight, Letho chooses to do something about it. Having the courage to put aside tradition and upbringing, and seek a new way is a hell of an undertaking. And though one cannot in good conscience advocate his methods, his intentions are beyond reproach. As a big man, many people automatically think you're mentally slow, i've seen this myself numerous times. Letho embraces this preconception and furthermore plays up to the stereotypes that people wish to believe, using their own mental flaws to defeat them.

Reasonable, respectful and clever, he positively disassembles the modern myth of what an antagonist should be and remakes it into a twisted mirrors image of the protagonist. And in his advocacy of a totally opposite path, he makes me doubt what I am doing and thinking. Brilliant.


Boone from Fallout: New Vegas. A broken hearted and broken minded man, who you can neither heal or help. For the rest of his life he will be reliving the moments that life broke him, he is a prisoner, trapped in a cage of his own devising. The best that one can hope to do, is aid him come to terms with his past and actions. But whatever happens, he will always be staring down the scope of his rifle, at innocent women and children fleeing for their lives or his pregnant wife. And he can never stop the trigger being squeezed.

There are many others but these stand out.

 

[mrowakus]

Kreia from Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. Darth Traya is a flawlessly executed character, she puts to shame most every female npc ever developed. There is no sexual pandering involved in her development, no cutesy nods to girlish flirtation or efforts to be liked. Kreia is a grown woman, she needs nobodies acceptance or affirmation. She has a purpose and a philosophy, which she is all too keen to expound upon to the one being in creation that she deems as worthy.

Her every action and intention is driven by her philosophy, and that philosophy has been developed through hard won experience and relentless drive. Frankly she scares the crap out of me, but I can see how she might come to be. For millenia the Star Wars galaxy has divided itself according to a binary tyranny, nobody thinks to question the nature of the Force or its benefits. Kreia alone treads both light and dark paths, and finds them to be similarly wanting. She has the courage to set herself against destiny and fate, and seeks to wound the Force itself unto death.

Jesus, why did I forget about her... Best realisation of the archetype of a witch since Ravel. Next to her Morrigan and Flemeth combined are just schoolgirls.

 

[luc0s]

Here is my top 3, I hope it is useful to you:



1. Norman Jayden - Heavy Rain:

This character is my favorite. He's not just a character, he's a true person, that's how he feels like to me. He is incredibly fleshed out (any character in Heavy Rain is by the way) but what's the best about Jayden is his character development.
Jayden starts as a rookie FBI agent who hasn't really done much dirty police work. He is an expert in crime-scene investigation, but he never really saw some action. During the events of Heavy Rain he sees a lot of action, which slowly transforms Jayden into a more hardened person. Depending on how you play the game, Jayden will be much less of a softy at the end of Heavy Rain.
Jayden is far from an innocent goody-two-shoes though. He's a drug addict and he has a strong sense of justice and he won't follow orders that are immoral or unjust in Jayden's eyes, which will often get Jayden in trouble with his superiors.
Jayden is a very confident man however and he doesn't take failure for an option.
Because of his drug addiction, Jayden often gets in trouble when his body asks for another dose of drugs during a very crucial moment. When Jayden comes to the conclusion that his drugs keep him from completing his mission to catch the Origami killer, Jayden will do everything to get over his drug addiction. Nothing will stop Jayden from catching the Origami killer, not even his drugs addiction!

Jayden appears as a weakling at first, but his absolute determination and his strong willpower will change the mind of many who played Heavy Rain to the very end. This makes Jayden one of my favorite characters of all time.


2. Geralt of Rivia - The Witcher:

I think most people on this forum will have Geralt in their list and since all of you already know Geralt I'll keep this short.
The reason why Geralt is in my top 3 is because he's not your typical hero, far from it. Geralt is an unique human being with an unique and unbiased look at the world around him. Most people who would be in Geralt's position would be bitter and probably pessimistic, but not Geralt. I love it how Geralt always manages to stay optimistic despite all odds. He often lightens the mood with stupid jokes and sarcasm, which is awesome. Geralt is a deep and fleshed-out character and it's obvious that Geralt has some deep emotional scars, but he always keeps his head strong and he always stays focused.

What I love most about Geralt is the fact that under his rough skin, scary look and strange moral views, he has his heart at the right place.


3. Adam Jensen - Deus Ex: Human Revolution:

I like Adam Jensen for much of the same reasons as Jayden and Geralt. In fact, I think Adam Jensen is best described as a mix between Geralt and Jayden. Jensen has the same strong determination as Jayden, but he's not in it to be a hero. Much like Geralt, Jensen has his own view on things and he's mostly focussed on pursuing his own personal goals. But like Geralt, Jensen still has his heart at the right place. While pursuing his own goals, Jensen would not pass an opportunity to inflict justice, whether that justice is saving a tortured innocent prostitute or murdering the pimp that tortured his prostitute.

I love Adam Jensen because he's a coldblooded man that appears to be very shallow at the beginning of DE:HR but turns out to be a very deep and philosophical character with his own goals and his own personal worldview.

 

[80maxwell08]

Kreia from Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. Darth Traya is a flawlessly executed character, she puts to shame most every female npc ever developed. There is no sexual pandering involved in her development, no cutesy nods to girlish flirtation or efforts to be liked. Kreia is a grown woman, she needs nobodies acceptance or affirmation. She has a purpose and a philosophy, which she is all too keen to expound upon to the one being in creation that she deems as worthy.

Her every action and intention is driven by her philosophy, and that philosophy has been developed through hard won experience and relentless drive. Frankly she scares the crap out of me, but I can see how she might come to be. For millenia the Star Wars galaxy has divided itself according to a binary tyranny, nobody thinks to question the nature of the Force or its benefits. Kreia alone treads both light and dark paths, and finds them to be similarly wanting. She has the courage to set herself against destiny and fate, and seeks to wound the Force itself unto death.


Sten from Dragon Age: Origins. There are two stand out features in Origins, the dwarves and their fading byzantine empire teetering on the edge of extinction, and the Qunari. Sten single handedly introduces and teaches us of an alien species and philosophy, that stands as a breath of fresh air in the poorly implemented supposedly medieval world of Thedas. Though a fierce warrior he is literate, reasonable and well spoken. For me he made Origins, my wardens were never as interested in their supposed love interests or enemies as this stoic outlander who held such refreshingly argued convictions.


Kain from Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen. Admittedly this may be in large part due to the fantastic vocal work of Mr Simon Templeman, but Kain is one hell of a character. Dying as a spoiled entitled nobleman, Kain awakens into a ghoulish unlife and begins to see the benefits of his new life and the inhumanity of mankind. When it comes to the choice of whom to save, humanity or himself he chooses selfishly never knowing that the choice was loaded and that he was playing into the hands of a master manipulator, whichever side the coin landed on. Finding himself at the mercy of tyrannous stars, he resolves to fight the impossible by any means necessary and waits for that moment when the coin at last lands on its edge.


Letho. Whereas the Witchers of the wolf school tread the path to extinction with stoic cynicism and a certain bloody minded enjoyment of their nihilistic plight, Letho chooses to do something about it. Having the courage to put aside tradition and upbringing, and seek a new way is a hell of an undertaking. And though one cannot in good conscience advocate his methods, his intentions are beyond reproach. As a big man, many people automatically think you're mentally slow, i've seen this myself numerous times. Letho embraces this preconception and furthermore plays up to the stereotypes that people wish to believe, using their own mental flaws to defeat them.

Reasonable, respectful and clever, he positively disassembles the modern myth of what an antagonist should be and remakes it into a twisted mirrors image of the protagonist. And in his advocacy of a totally opposite path, he makes me doubt what I am doing and thinking. Brilliant.


Boone from Fallout: New Vegas. A broken hearted and broken minded man, who you can neither heal or help. For the rest of his life he will be reliving the moments that life broke him, he is a prisoner, trapped in a cage of his own devising. The best that one can hope to do, is aid him come to terms with his past and actions. But whatever happens, he will always be staring down the scope of his rifle, at innocent women and children fleeing for their lives or his pregnant wife. And he can never stop the trigger being squeezed.

There are many others but these stand out.

Well you beat me to it. I was going to say Kreia and you already did and said everything I would have said. Also agree with everything else on your list as well.

 

[KnightofPhoenix]

I've never really understood why people like that kind of character, but I would LIKE to understand. I find human beings endlessly interesting, and the varieties of experience that don't make sense to me are especially interesting. So please do explain.

To put it simply, I respect people with intelligence and cunning. Even more so when that intelligence is being used in great ways for a greater goal. I've always been interested in visionaries and the successful ones in our history were usually very cunning, intelligent, manipulative and ruthless when the need came. Think of Augustus. These kind of people leave a huge impact on the world, most of the time a positive one.

Their primary reliance on intellect and the deep understanding of human psychology over brute force and physical strength appeals to me. As is their desire to remain in control whatever the situation. Their refusal to be controlled or dominated by anyone and anything. Their desire to bend reality to their will. The fact that they are one step ahead of everyone. At the same time, their quick ability to admit a failure and learn from it.

I suspect many would not see the difference between villain and magnificent bastard. I argue that a good magnificent bastard (actually, a good character in general), shouldn't fit in basic categories (which imo, are simplifications that I never took seriously).

It's their pro-activism, ambition and methods that appeal to me (qualities protagonists very rarely share. All I can think of is Michael Thorton), even when I may not share their vision (of course the more I agree with his / her vision, the more I'd like that character. Like Bhelen Aeducan). The greater the interactions with the protagonist, the better. The more they make me question my path, the better. And if the game allows me to surpass them (a la Alpha Protocol) while using my head, the more satisfying it is to beat them at their own game.

Two characters I like a lot are Jacques de Aldersberg and Letho of Gulet. I've explained why here.

It's been a long time since I played Kotor 2, so I don't remember Kreia much, though I do remember she was a very good manipulator herself. What is intriguing about her though is her dedication to her vision, even when I do not quite agree with it.

I like Kane from Command and Conquer (excluding the fourth). Actually, I only like him in the 3rd game (plus expansion). In 1 and 2, he's more like a comic book villain.

My favorite protagonist is Michael Thorton, if played the way I play. He becomes proactive, a superb manipulator and an excellent chessmaster who beats the most intelligent guy in the game via his intellect and perhaps surprisingly to some, by sparing certain people and not killing them. A magnificent bastard is never blood thirsty, nor is he obsessed with petty revenge.

One character though I really like as well is Loghain Mac Tir. He is not a chessmaster nor is he manipulative, in fact he hates that kind of stuff. But it's the tragedy in him that I like, in addition to me agreeing with most of his actions. In fact I criticize him for not being ruthless enough (Cailan should have died a long time ago and the poison for Eamon should have been used to kill). I also criticize his extremely bad handling of the bannorn, who should have been manipulated into obedience instead of openly forced. But like I said, Loghain is not a magnificent bastard. But he is still appealing and I sympathize with him a lot. I may like the chessmasters, but I understand when people don't want to go on that path.

So I do like other types of characters. I think Ned Stark from Game of Thrones is politically stupid (in some ways, he is like Loghain, except less ruthless), but I like him as a character. I of course really like Geralt. I like Wrex and Garrus from Mass Effect (though Wrex might be considered a magnificent bastard, it's debatable).

So while I lean towards one type of character the most, I appreciate all characters that are multi-faceted, subtle, profound, with complex motivations and some basic competence and intelligence.

 

[schmooples]

Deckard Cain - Old humble know-it-all with Sean Connery imitation. What's not to like.

 

[Garrison72]

Geralt - He's a bad ass. Too simple? Well, that's actually hard to pull off imo. Geralt is a very understated bad ass with touches of unique character that flesh him out, but not too much for the player to ease into his shoes. CDPR did this so well that it surprises me this aspect of the Witcher games hardly ever gets mentioned. Making a blank slate character by comparison is almost a joke.

Samara - My favorite Bioware character, and she just beats out Alistair. Whereas the Asari started out largely as fanservice, their culmination in this character was anything but. She had an extensive history and set of morals guiding everything she did, to the point where her devotion to the code was disturbing. In fact I see her as the most compelling zealot in all of gaming ( Aldersburg comes close ). It's a shame then what Bioware did with her in ME3, as the climax between her and her daughter plays out exactly opposite of the Samara I know from ME2. Rot in hell for that one Bioware.

White Rayla - A ruthless and efficient commander. This is how a female badass is done, not the type we see in Hollywood films, but a tragic and cold-hearted woman. The brief time we see of her was somehow enough to make me sad at her fate. I don't think anyone in TW1 had a worse ending than Rayla.

Triss - she's not too popular here, but to me she stands out for two reasons. She's arguably the most capable and reliable ally in both games. She seems to be a friend for the sake of being a friend, and a person who repeatedly opens up to Geralt and expresses her desires. Secondly, they still haven't answered all the questions about her, especially considering her motives in TW1 - that infamous mirror scene. I suspect she'll play a huge role in TW3.

 

[227]

Obviously all of the playable characters in Planescape, as well as Yves the Tale-Chaser. Her stories were one of the highlights of the entire game, to the point where every time something happened I would run back to her to see if I could share the story and get a new one in return. Some of them were long and others were just a few sentences, but all of them were well-written:

Spoiler

I also love Kefka from Final Fantasy 6. There's no logic or reason behind what he does, just a psychotic desire to tear everything down. Even that as a goal is suspect, and the way he acts makes you wonder if he even knows what he wants. At the same time, he's so schizophrenic and hilariously abstract that you can't help but look past the whole "unequivocal evil" detail and love his character:

Iris from Lufia 2 is also one of my favorites. Don't click the spoiler tag if you plan on playing it or the first game.

Spoiler

So the plot is that there are Sinistrals, who are basically evil. They're godlike beings who have that "We're better than you, nuh nuh nuh," kind of condescension toward ordinary people. Lufia 2 is a prequel to the first game, so I'm starting there.

There's a character named Iris who gives the main character guidance and helps him along his path, and toward the end you come to find out that Iris is one of the Sinistrals (Erim, one of the strongest of them), but she's much more "human" than the others and helps the main character so much that it borderline sabotages the Sinistrals' plans. What's amazing about her character is the idea of a superior being masquerading as a human and accidentally learning compassion. Her theme was also great, keeping in mind the limitations of the SNES:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8GjMCOoWK8

Then in the first Lufia, you're a descendant of the character from Lufia 2 and you have an amnesiac friend named Lufia. Stuff happens, and then the twist—Lufia is Iris/Erim, who suffered amnesia after being defeated at the end of Lufia 2. Okay, it's not really amnesia so much as her slowly rebuilding herself and the fact that her memories haven't quite caught up yet, but you know. Anyway, she's the Sinistral of Life and Death, and so long as she lives, the other Sinistrals can't die. Basically, the only way to save the world is to kill your best friend.

She tends to develop feelings for descendants of the main character in Lufia 2. Apparently she has a happy ending or something with yet another person from that bloodline in Lufia 3, but I haven't played that one yet. The idea of a god who hates being a god and all of the tragedy that occurs as a result of that is a really interesting theme, though. Definitely one of my favorites.

Lucas, Carla, and Tyler from Fahrenheit, too. They were written to be very real and deserved better than that stupid purple clan nonsense. Not really sure why they were so good as characters, but the ability to hear their inner monologues is probably one of the reasons why. From Lucas piecing things together to Carla trying to coach herself through her claustrophobia, you couldn't help but feel (mostly) sympathetic for them.

Alyx Vance! She's not exactly fleshed-out as a character, but sometimes games are made better simply by giving you a buddy to comment on things and shoot headcrabs that you missed. I call it the Saria effect (as in LoZ: Ocarina of Time Saria): Sometimes all that's required of a character is for them to be a buddy and you'll come up with a connection to that person all by yourself.

Okay, last one I'm going to mention (though I could probably triple the size of this post) is Tio from Grandia 2. A lot of the characterization in the game is pretty sappy, but her development is much more natural and subtle. She's basically a robot who was used as a puppet, but then freed, and she spends most of the game learning emotions and how to live for herself rather than someone else. I'm a big fan of characters who start out helpless and become such strong-willed badasses that they're the one coaching the main character through tough times. It's always amusing to look back and be like, "Wait, wasn't I the one who was saving you? When did that change?"

 

[volsung]

Interesting how the majority of these characters are from very new games. Also, I am glad to see some BG in Corylea's own list! Minsc, whether you like him or not, is unforgettable.

In no particular order:

- Nameless One (Planescape: Torment). Not much to say that hasn't been said before. The writing and characterization that give him life are unprecedented (in a game). His many personalities give room for a multitude of emotions towards him, and it is extremely interesting to see how he is haunted by himself.

- Others from PS:T. 1) Dak'kon, as a slave, philosopher, and the carrier of many burdens, manages to tint all his dialogues with melancholy and wisdom. Especially love his stories of the Gith. 2) Ignus: His mind, like his body, are apparently consumed by fire and chaos. He, like fire, is unpredictable but manageable. He is like a bratty kid with immense power. 3) Yves-the-Tale-Chaser: What can I say? I stayed for all her stories, and then wanted some more! I like intelligent and imaginative girls. 4) Ravel: Yeah, she's not a hottie. She might even be a little evil, chaotic and destructive. So what? She might be a torturing "monster", but still by the end of the game I found myself thinking "oh Ravel, you poor, poor soul".

- Guybrush Threepwood (Monkey Island series). He's clumsy, weak, untalented but also clever, tricky and, above all, funny. At heart he is a real pirate since he constantly cheats and steals, but it all comes out in such an innocent way that he may not even realize it himself. He got over his inability to speak to women and even grew a beard... well sort of. People make fun of him for being the opposite of the strong, dirty pirate, but he's the one who always ends up facing LeChuck... whether he wants it or not!

- Several from Baldur's Gate II: 1) Jan: he's so funny and ridiculous that you just *have* to bring him along. 2) Cernd: He's not too bad as a healer, but it's the duality of being a calm, neutral druid AND a werewolf that make him stand out. 3) Viconia: as a drow outcast she breaks the stereotype set by Drizzt, by remaining an evil, lustful drow even in the surface. She will use you, insult you and command you, and maybe even show you some "drow hospitality" while the rest of the party is sleeping. Funnily enough, she is probably the only female character in the game who doesn't react negatively at the PC sleeping with Phaere, the Matron's daughter in Ust Natha; instead, she laments not having time to kill her for seducing you! 4) Minsc: couldn't leave him behind, heh. His dialogue lines get on my nerves, as I don't like goody-two-shoes characters. But let's be honest: Minsc is awesome, and him and Boo carried a big part of the series' success over their shoulders, with exemplary character execution.

- Geralt of Rivia: well he is not an original character, but he is a game character. The Geralt in the games is a little different though. Even though he comes from the familiar amnesia formula that lets you reinvent any character, his decision making needs still offer a nice degree of variability and freshness. He is not a hero, he is just a witcher. He just happens to find himself trapped in between politicians, sorceresses, assassins, drug dealers, abusers, racists, and so on. Who can remain neutral, when confronted with the many injustices going on in the world?

- Crono (Chrono Trigger): Not a very big fan of jRPG's, but I always like this game. Crono is the typical silent hero, who rises from nothing to all, from anonymity to savior of mankind. However, the whole game puts much emphasis on friendship and loyalty, to the point that Crono, a young boy who just wanted to see the millenial fair, endangers his own life to save others. Killing Lavos is irrelevant after that, heh.

will probably edit if I remember others

Edit: Aaand here I'm back!

- Manny Calavera (Grim Fandango): Whatever he did in his life that "condemned him" to years of bureaucratic work at the corrupted D.O.D does not matter in his afterlife, as he is, simply put, a winner. He gets what he wants not by cheating or luck, but by hard work. He undergoes a 4 year search for his client/love interest, Meche, and not only does he find her, but also exposes the corruption behind the Number 9 tickets.

 

[CoronerZg]

I can't belive no one mentioned HK-47 ...meatbags! Well anyway,
here it is then, one of my favorite characters of all time

Character
HK-47

Game
KoTOR

Why?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg1gTas7OAA

 

[drowranger87]

Ezzio Auditore from assassins creed 2. why bcz he was able to kill 5 guards , two of them by air assassination strike when jumping from roof , other 3 in epic kill moves and literaly dessapear from sight in 2 seconds