Favorite Video Game Characters

Great video games need great characters in order to become true blockbusters. As gamers, we love to assume the role of unlikely heroes or empowered entities to achieve the impossible or JUST HAVE FUN! From Mario to Master Chief, Sonic to Sam Fisher, Mega Man, Crash Bandicoot, Kratos, or ANY character that's ever brought you pixelated pleasure, this list is all about the icons of an industry and determining which ones are your favorites!

Filter coming soon.

Real-Time Results(actually, partially randomized placeholder data for now)

  • 1 image/svg+xml
    Solid Snake
    Ranked by 100 users
    885 +54
  • 2 image/svg+xml
    GLaDOS
    Ranked by 81 users
    768 +55
  • 3 image/svg+xml
    Big Boss
    Ranked by 58 users
    663 +71
  • 4 image/svg+xml
    Link
    Ranked by 81 users
    662 +62
  • 5 image/svg+xml
    Commander Shepard
    Ranked by 54 users
    583 -99
  • 6 image/svg+xml
    Garrus Vakarian
    Ranked by 56 users
    580 -48
  • 7 image/svg+xml
    Ellie
    Ranked by 52 users
    566 -38
  • 8 image/svg+xml
    Nathan Drake
    Ranked by 64 users
    557 +80
  • 9 image/svg+xml
    Geralt of Rivia
    Ranked by 43 users
    466 +1
  • 10 image/svg+xml
    Clementine
    Ranked by 45 users
    428 +0
  • 11 image/svg+xml
    Ezio Auditore da Firenze
    Ranked by 47 users
    424 -92
  • 12 image/svg+xml
    Samus Aran
    Ranked by 47 users
    415 +71
  • 13 image/svg+xml
    John Marston
    Ranked by 42 users
    410 -59
  • 14 image/svg+xml
    Mario
    Ranked by 61 users
    403 +91
  • 15 image/svg+xml
    Joel
    Ranked by 44 users
    397 +45
  • 16 image/svg+xml
    Sonic the Hedgehog
    Ranked by 55 users
    372 -33
  • 17 image/svg+xml
    Tali'Zorah nar Rayya
    Ranked by 32 users
    356 +52
  • 18 image/svg+xml
    Lee Everett
    Ranked by 44 users
    348 -32
  • 19 image/svg+xml
    Lara Croft
    Ranked by 43 users
    328 -88
  • 20 image/svg+xml
    Elizabeth
    Ranked by 34 users
    319 +45

Conversations

  • 5 years ago
    Saved!
    The bracket's open for gamefaqs' Character Battle X.
    https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/features/cbx_entry
    I always enjoy these.
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    • rockshard PhD
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      rockshard PhD
      Editing … what's stopping everyone from just voting according to their brackets?
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    • Magus
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      Magus
      Editing … Nothing other than people not wanting to do that and most voters not even having entered a bracket.
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  • 7 years ago
    Saved!
    Why no love for Shadow the hedgehog :(
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  • 7 years ago
    Saved!
    Link at number 3? I thought this was a favorite video game CHARACTERS list.
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    • Erektionsite
      Saved!
      Erektionsite
      Editing … Link has lots of character. Like that time when he killed that guy with his sword or when he blocked that one attack with his shield
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    • Silent Gamer
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    • Rich .
      Saved!
      Rich .
      Editing … In all fairness Wind Waker Link has a personality. No way he belongs that high though.
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    • Magus
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      Magus
      Editing … What you seem to have glossed over is that it's a favorite VIDEO GAME character list. Link is fun to play as and has a pretty large arsenal of cool items and weapons to use, some of them fairly unique to him. Why isn't this a completely valid reason to rank him? Shallow personality-less characters (which actually does not always describe Link) with fun gameplay utilize the strength of the medium through interactivity. Thinking that people should focus solely on story and characterization in lists like this therefore seems pretty short-sighted.
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    • Rich .
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      Rich .
      Editing … LoZ has weapons/items/fun gameplay and if this were a weapons/items/gameplay list then ranking it's fair enough but this is a character list and Link is a shallow "chosen one from humble beginnings" stereotype that doesn't even speak and in most games barely makes facial expressions.
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    • Magus
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      Magus
      Editing … But Link's the specific character that uses those weapons and items and has that gameplay. It's at least as much a part of him as any of the story stuff. This is a favorite VIDEO GAME character list, therefore the game aspects of the characters are relevant. Characterization is cool but it's not the only cool thing and isn't even strictly necessary.
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    • Rich .
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      Rich .
      Editing … Characterisation isn't necessary to be a good character? Don't be daft.
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    • Rich .
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      Rich .
      Editing … By your logic as long as they have cool weapons/power ups/gameplay we should put games that barely have a story in the favourite gaming story list and awful looking games in the favourite gaming art list.
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    • Magus
      Saved!
      Magus
      Editing … The problem is that you're looking at "characters" way too narrowly here. The stuff you can do with characters in games is pretty obviously relevant to how much people will like said characters. As the introductory paragraph states: "As gamers, we love to assume the role of unlikely heroes or empowered entities to achieve the impossible or JUST HAVE FUN!" Therefore, characterization is indeed optional. I could ask why you're so myopically focused on the story aspects of characters being their only valid measure when we have another list for favorite gaming stories. I see you have a favorite fighting games character list. Are you really arguing that those characters' actual fighting mechanics should have no consideration whatsoever when making such a list and that anyone who says otherwise is wrong?
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    • Dr Eggnog
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      Dr Eggnog
      Editing … Part of why I like Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil 4 is because of his gameplay abilities such as jumping through windows and off ledges without getting hurt, kicking enemies and slamming open doors to stun enemies and such. That said, those tie into his personality as a purposely over-idealized American action hero. His scene personality and gameplay actions mesh well together.
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  • 7 years ago
    Saved!
    Pyramid Head and Aegis sitting just outside the top 100. It looks so cold out there. Come on guys? Let em in.
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