Ranker

Anime Underground

Button Mash

Graveyard Shift

Total Nerd

Unspeakable Times

Weird History

Weird Nature

Weirdly Interesting

Sports

Music

Entertainment

Living

Culture

Food

Makeup

Halloween

Thanksgiving

Holidays

Watchworthy

HBO Max

Lists that rank the best, worst, and otherwise most memorable characters in video game history.

poll

Who are the toughest and greatest video game characters ever? Not all videogame player characters are necessarily heroic, but we take their side anyway, because our fates are intertwined. But who cares about the weenies? This list tackles <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/link-is-doomguy-theory/terrance-w-pryor" target="_blank">only the true badass heroes</a> and protagonists.

The best video game characters immerse us in the story, and eventually gain our sympathy, even if they are anti-heroes (or villains!) And the more badass they are, the more inclined we are to take their side no matter what, and the more powerful we come to feel in controlling them. Even if our princess is constantly hidden in another castle, for some reason...

This is crowdranked list of video game characters, so your votes and lists decide the final order. Which of these popular video game characters do you think is the most badass?

Check out more lists like <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-female-villains">Most Badass Female Villains</a>, <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-fictional-serial-killers/mark">Most Fantastic Fictional Serial Killers</a>, <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-greatest-rpg-video-games-ever-made">Best RPG Video Games of All Time</a>.

Best Characters

Poison

Ever wondered who the greatest <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-female-video-game-characters/devon-ashby?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">female video game character</a> of all time is? Is it Chun Li or Samus Aran? See who are the fan favorite female gaming protagonists beflow. &nbsp;Women <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-badass-video-game-heroes-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">video game characters</a> aren't just damsels in distress or femme fatales, they are taking center stage as the main playable character in many games like Tomb Raider or a strong female supporting character in other games like Mass Effect 2. Actually, a few of them are probably femme fatales because they kick the butts of so many men.Who are the best female videogame characters? A playable&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-female-characters-in-literature?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">female character</a>&nbsp;like Faith from&nbsp;Mirror's Edge? A damsel in distress like Princess Peach? Or maybe just an interesting side character, like&nbsp;Red Dead Redemption's Bonnie MacFarlane?&nbsp;Feel free to use this <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-games-with-girls-in-the-lead/video-game-info">girls in video games</a> list to start a list of your favorite chick game characters or sexiest <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-female-characters-in-literature?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">female characters</a> in video games. Which one of these &quot;girl video game characters&quot; is your favorite of all the video game female characters?

Fictional Characters

Tidus

A good role-playing game has memorable characters, but a great RPG has characters you will never forget. This list collects the best RPG characters in the history of video games, as ranked by gamers who appreciate a hero who is more than just an anonymous grunt with a gun.There was a time when such gamers were few and far between. In 1997, Square Enix released <a href="http://www.ranker.com/tags/final-fantasy?ref=internalCrossLinking_tag">Final Fantasy</a> VII to an American audience unversed in the grand storytelling of role-playing games. With rich characters like Cloud, Aerith, and Sephiroth, FF7 changed everything. Soon gamers were swept up in the story, logging hours upon hours of adventuring. It wasn't long after FF7 that game developers jumped on the RPG bandwagon and began weaving tall-tales featuring memorable characters from Sora in <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/kingdom-hearts-games/video-game-info?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Kingdom Hearts</a> to Mass Effect's Commander Shepard.These aren't cardboard cutouts or bland heroes. These are memorable, complex characters with rich backstories, internal conflicts, and propulsive journeys. Like the games they inhabit, these <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-badass-video-game-heroes-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">video game heroes</a> and villains are full of depth and surprises.See which characters made the list of the top&nbsp;characters in RPGs of all time and be sure to vote up all of your favorites. Do you think we missed somebody? Go ahead and add them to the list!

Mewtwo

When it comes down to it, who is the best video game villain of all time? Video games typically a focus on the protagonist - obviously, because you're playing that character - but many games have become classics due to the strength of the villains. Well-written, well-acted villains can elevate games immeasurably. With this list, you can settle once and for just which bad guys are the best video game villains of all time!When talking about villains in video games, there are a few points to consider. Some antagonists are straight up funny despite the fact that they're trying to kill you, but others are just so charismatic that you can't help but be compelled - you don't feel bad about destroying them, but man, it's a fun ride. Whether they're villains from classic games like SHODAN from System Shock 2 or more recent heavies like the hilarious Handsome Jack from Borderlands 2, there are plenty of video game bad guys to choose from here!So put on your most fearsome cape, twirl your mustache, and check out our list of video game villains and vote up your favorites. Vote for your favorites and downvote the ones you didn't think were among the top videogame villians. If we missed any classic antagonists, add them, and if you've faced off against all these villains, rerank the list!

Gaming is filled to the brim with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-female-video-game-characters/video-game-info" target="_blank">femme fatales&nbsp;of all types</a>. Some are&nbsp;space bounty hunters, others are ancient witches, and there's even&nbsp;a&nbsp;chainsaw-wielding cheerleader. While they're all super cute, these characters are more than just eye candy.&nbsp; Underneath their alluring facades and seductive outfits, these women all exhibit&nbsp;compelling&nbsp;internal&nbsp;motivations and complexly layered personalities. The <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/video-game-sisters/devon-ashby?ref=collections_btm&amp;l=309513&amp;collectionId=1654" target="_blank">added level&nbsp;of character depth </a>helps make&nbsp;these <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-hottest-video-game-vixens-of-all-time" target="_blank">polygonal&nbsp;vixens</a> feel like real people. Well, impossibly attractive real people with inexplicable inclinations towards fishnet stockings and short skirts, but you get the point.&nbsp;

Gaming

Who are the greatest brothers in video games? Lots of video games hinge on <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-video-game-duos/ranker-games" target="_blank">sibling rivalry or familial cooperation</a>. Whether they&#39;re government clones reunited to kick some ass, demonic hellspawn struggling to come to terms with their supernatural powers, or just a couple of hapless plumbers looking to have a good time, some of <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/memorable-oscar-moments/ranker-film?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the most memorable</a> characters in video game history are brothers.

We know we didn&#39;t have to remind you about Mario and Luigi, but what other video game brothers are worthy of recognition? Vote below on your all-time favorite brothers in video games.

Video games have long been a means of escaping the real world. By&nbsp;taking control of characters and building up their power, players&nbsp;can&nbsp;achieve things which would otherwise be impossible. Many <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-video-game-duos/ranker-games" target="_blank">video game</a> characters have become incredibly powerful beings within their own game universes, but some&nbsp;are far too powerful for their own good.

Sometimes, these characters&nbsp;are simply more powerful than the enemies they face, which can make a game less challenging than it otherwise would be. Whatever your experiences&nbsp;with these <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-badass-video-game-heroes-of-all-time" target="_blank">video game characters</a>, they may be overpowered to an absurd level.&nbsp;

Vote up all the&nbsp;strongest, most ridiculously OP video game characters of all time.

Psycho Mantis

Who are the most broken multiplayer characters in video game history? There are thousands of unique <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-badass-video-game-heroes-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">video game characters</a>, but they're not all created equal. In fact, some are downright infuriating. Whether they're single player boss battles with overpowered attacks or multiplayer characters with easily exploitable guaranteed wins, there are always going to be a few characters that just make you want to smash your controller in frustration. This is a list of the most unfair video game characters, the opponents who reward button-mashing and punish smart gameplay.Who is the cheapest video game character? Is it a <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/top-10-hardest-video-game-boss-battles-/pt_tesla">tough boss</a> like the ultimate boxer, Iron Mike Tyson, who can take you down in five seconds flat in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!? Or is it the classic boss from Sinistar, who mocks you as a ridiculous amount of enemies flood your screen in a way that couldn't possibly be beaten? Try not to scream in rage reading this list of cheap video game characters. You might wake the neighbors.&nbsp;So check out our list of the cheapest video game characters and vote up the ones you think are just unreasonably harsh, whether they're big bosses or playable heavies, Downvote the ones you don't really worry about much.

Prince

One of the more delightful aspects of <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/8-awesome-videos-of-animals-playing-video-games/ariel-kana?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">playing video games</a> is jumping. That may seem silly, but really, you're never going to jump from one building to the next in real life, so being able to do that in a video game is pretty darn fun. Over the years there have been many video game characters who jump just a little bit better than the others. So we hopped at the opportunity to create a list of these leaping playable characters. Vote up your favorite jumpers and vote down the ones you think didn't jump as well as the others.&nbsp;One of the more obvious choices has to be Batman, particularly in Arkham Knight. Being able to launch yourself from the Batmobile and fly high over the city is thrilling in a way that never gets old. Then there's Alucard, from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, one of the best jumping video game characters out there. That goes double if you get the double jump upgrade for him. With all of these characters, it's hard to choose the best one!Lots of characters have hops, but these characters jump best. Take a look at our list of video game characters that jump, vote to determine the best jumper in all of gaming, and if you've played as all these characters, rerank the whole list! If there's a hopping hero who really ought to be on the list, go ahead and add them!

From Halo to Super Mario Bros all video games have non-playable characters. NPCs serve their purpose in filling out a world that would otherwise be void except for the hero and his foes. They make it seem like a living and breathing place, and just like the real world, video games sometimes provide us with jerks, idiots and just plain nuisances. These are the worst NPCs in video game history (well, some of them).

NPCs are put into games to provide the player with goals outside of the main storyline. These side quests can be anything from a simple run and fetch, to a horrific mission fraught with peril for nothing more than a few gold coins. Some NPCs are worthwhile and provide a welcome respite in the middle of the game, some you even grow to care for. Then there are the rest.

Whether they are floating balls with irritating voices or followers that can&#39;t seem to put one foot in front of the other let alone fight off hordes of the undead, these are some of the most pathetic NPCs in the history of video games.

If you want to read more on other grating video game characters, be sure to check out the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/the-10-most-useless-women-in-video-game-history/adamthomas" target="_blank">Most Useless Women in Video Games list</a> too.

Pyramid Head (Silent Hill 2)

Whether horror, action, adventure, or anything in between, game developers like to create monsters that terrify you. From creepy little girls to eldritch horrors, this is really why we like to play video games:&nbsp;to slay&nbsp;demons that scare us. Lucky for you, we&#39;ve compiled a list of some of the scariest video game monsters of all time.&nbsp;Vote up the ones that truly frighten you, and downvote the ones that you don&#39;t think are very scary.&nbsp;

From Silent Hill&#39;s Pyramid Head, you get a horror that you can&#39;t escape &mdash; the truly ugly look of your inevitable judgment. In other places, like Resident Evil, you get the utterly gross Lickers, whose tongue will cut you in half, their brains are on the outside of their heads, and they can climb on walls. Then, there&#39;s always the Headcrabs from Half-Life, which will never fail to make you jump out of your seat. Scary monsters in video games are always welcome, if only so that we can end them.&nbsp;

Check out our list of the best video game monsters and vote for your favorites! Then take a look at some of our other video game lists to see what you should be playing next.

Some things are just more enjoyable with other people, and some video games are better when you&#39;re playing two characters. These famous video game duos make your game twice as fun by using the different abilities and personalities of each character to make a more memorable gaming experience.

Maybe these video game character pairs were originally each other&#39;s nemesis, like Chell &amp; GLaDOS in Portal, but that just makes their eventual team up even more satisfying. Even if you don&#39;t have much control over one of the characters, like Ellie in Last of Us or Atreus in God of War, their actions deeply influence how you as a player act. The interplay of their needs and how you want to succeed as a player makes for a better video game experience than if your character was flying solo, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-badass-video-game-heroes-of-all-time" target="_blank">no matter how cool your main character is</a>.

There are even some <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/fallout-characters-and-companions/loganrapp?ref=browse_list_4&amp;l=2&amp;pos=3" target="_blank">non-playable and technically optional companions, like ED-E in Fallout: New Vegas</a>, that become such a huge part of the experience it can be impossible to imagine what the game would be like without them.

What video game character duo is the most dynamic and made for the best gaming experience?

It's surprisingly&nbsp;hard to find a “normal” character in a video game, but it’s all too easy to find knife-wielding clowns and artfully inventive serial killers. Gaming’s obsession with violence has made for some of pop culture’s wildest psychos - characters who are as entertaining as they are terrifying and unhinged.They come in a variety of types. Sometimes it’s an unnerving, wide-eyed stare. Sometimes it’s the blood-soaked clothes and calmly whispered threats. Whatever tips us off to these character’s particular brand of insanity - &nbsp;a subtle hint or, more often that not, a murderous monologue - these psychos rank as the best in gaming. They pull us in close and refuse to let go. Despite all the bloodshed and disturbing behavior, it’s hard to look away.

Ling Xiaoyu

We compiled a list of all Tekken characters across every Tekken game, including the old school Tekken 1 characters and the new Tekken&nbsp;7 roster. Characters in the Tekken series include ninjas, demons, robots, and even a kangaroo, and we were for sure not to forget the girl characters. There are numerous Tekken female characters, like sisters Anna and Nina Williams. Feel free to use this fan-voted tier list of playable characters to make your own Tekken character list or name your favorite fighting game characters. If you know and love the characters from these video games, then this Tekken&nbsp;character roster should be great for you.Who is the best Tekken character? Use this <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/amazing-nebula-pictures/mick-jacobs?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">list with pictures</a> to rank and vote for the best! Don’t judge them by their looks from the Tekken characters’ pictures, instead vote up your favorite Tekken Fighters. Did your favorite character make this list?&nbsp;When you’re done here, make sure to rank your favorite games on this <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/tekken-games/video-game-info">Tekken games list</a>.&nbsp;

Being a dad isn’t easy and that’s doubly true for video game dads. If there’s a father in a video game, chances are his child or spouse has been killed or kidnaped or he's raising his progeny during an alien invasion, a post-apocalyptic fallout or bloody siege. It’s no wonder so many games are based around fatherly revenge.Luckily, there are some guys who, even at the darkest of times, manage to succeed as father figures. Some characters take in orphans, others struggle with fatherhood and strive to be better while some pass down wisdom on the best way to eviscerate an enemy. Regardless of the situation, these characters achieve true dad status - and all without busting out dad jokes or bad dance moves.

Gangsters and mobsters are pop culture's perfect bad guys. We just can't get enough. Every few years, Hollywood releases another epic crime tale set against the backdrop of a twisted American dream with murders set to Frank Sinatra. But video games? They're still catching up to mobster madness.That's not to say there haven't been great crime games throughout gaming history. There have been, and they all have one thing in common: a memorable, brutal gangster at the center.Vote for which characters you think should land at the top of gaming's Most Wanted list.

Rana Thanoptis

List of all Mass Effect characters, ranked by their popularity among fans of the game. Who is your favorite character from Mass Effect? This list includes both main and side characters, so feel free to vote for even the most obscure characters from the game. Do you find one of these characters to be incredibly annoying? Then downvote them into oblivion and make sure they fall to the bottom of the list. The amazing character design is part of what makes Mass Effect such an amazing title, so vote for whoever you think deserves to be called the greatest. The list you're viewing has a variety of items, like Garrus Valkarian and Liara T'Soni, in it.

Like the announcer of a fight in Mortal Kombat, Obama told a team of Navy Seals to finish off Osama Bin Laden, and they seem to have pulled off a Flawless Victory (no seriously, the squad sent in didn't suffer a single casualty or injury) as well as a Fatality (though we haven't seen a body, I'm betting it was frozen then ripped in half). It was like something out of a video game! Now, there are a number of counter-terrorists in video games, and though the following list chronicles some of the best, let's not forget that none of them can compare to the real soldiers who pulled off this plan. We salute you Seal Team Six!

In light of Mother's Day this year, no matter who raised you, here's a list that will make you glad that at least you weren't raised by any of these <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-badass-video-game-heroes-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">video game characters</a>. Here's a list of the 10 video game characters who would make the WORST mothers, given their actions in their respective games. If any of these people were mothers, we'd have to call child services STAT.

Weird sex references&nbsp;have always existed in the background of&nbsp;video games, but they've become especially prevalent in&nbsp;the last 20 years. As game technology has caught up with Hollywood, creators are&nbsp;increasingly able to dish out seemingly endless fantasy worlds&nbsp;to delight&nbsp;thirsty players.&nbsp;Developers can now render sex scenes in much greater detail, and even design some scenes to allow&nbsp;player participation.&nbsp;A few&nbsp;studios have managed to push&nbsp;the envelope by&nbsp;delivering&nbsp;some truly raunchy cut-scenes and mini-games for their fans to enjoy.The uptick in polygonal sexuality has resulted in&nbsp;quite a few&nbsp;video game characters who are <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-sexually-deviant-superheroes/brent-sprecher" target="_blank">total pervs</a>.&nbsp;Just look at Geralt of Rivia&nbsp;from The Witcher series; the monster hunter&nbsp;gets to sleep with quite a few women, and&nbsp;loves collecting mementos from all of his wild nights in bed (or on the back of a unicorn).&nbsp;Then there are the more <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/tv-characters-who-are-sexual-predators/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">predatory</a> protagonists, such as Tim from Braid and James Sunderland from Silent Hill 2. These sexually deviant perverts' desires run much darker than simply wanting to live happily ever after at the end of the game.&nbsp;

Icons of Gaming

pageType

unsafe_grapeshot

unsafe_grapeshot_crime

culled_fall_2019

longtail_search

cb_icons-of-gaming

When the XBox One dropped in 2013, it seemed as though people weren't sure if it was going to make it. Between some of the marketing snafus, and compared to the Playstation 4's super strong response to Microsoft's blunders, it was as if the companies had switched their positions from the last cycle. However, the One finally got itself back up on its feet, and it's good that they did -- otherwise, we might've lost out on a lot of great games.&nbsp;As a result, we've compiled a list of some of the best characters that the XBox One has out right now, celebrating this system's success and the games being developed specifically for it. From the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-popular-shooter-video-games-today/ranker-games?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">first person shooter</a> of Halo, to adventure games and fighting games like the lovingly rebooted Killer Instinct, there're plenty of <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-badass-video-game-heroes-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">video game characters</a> to go around! And hey, we even have some of your favorite gods from Smite!&nbsp;No matter if you're an RPG player, a shooter, or one of those crazed MOBA perfectionists, our list of XBox One characters has something for you. So check them out, vote for your favorites, and rerank the list to your heart's content!&nbsp;

Xbox One Characters | Greatest Characters on Xbox One

The Best Xbox One Video Game Characters

Video Game Character

Games

Video Game Rankings: Top 10 Games Lists and Funny Top 100 Video Games Articles

games

Ranker Games

Gender

Women

Gen Zs

Millenials

Gen Xers

Baby Boomers

Region

West Coast US

Mountain US

Midwest US

Southern US

Northeastern US

International

Master Chief

John-117 "Master Chief" is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Halo fictional universe, created by Bungie. Master Chief is a playable character in the series of science fiction first-person shooter video games: Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo 4. Outside of video games, the character appears in novels – Halo: The Fall of Reach, Halo: The Flood, Halo: First Strike, and Halo: Uprising – and has cameos in other Halo media, including Halo: Reach, Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, The Halo Graphic Novel, Halo Legends and Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.
Master Chief is essentially the face of the Halo series. The character, as he appears in the double story arcs, can be described as a towering and faceless cybernetically-enhanced supersoldier; save for the first installment of the second story arc, he is never seen without his green-colored armor and helmet. The alias "Master Chief" arises from the two ranks which John holds throughout the later events of the Halo universe. By the end of the third installment of the first story arc, John-117 is canonically promoted, in absentia, to the rank of Master Chief Special Warfare Operator of the Navy.

Cortana

Cortana is a fictional character from the 2010 film Halo Legends.

Arbiter

Arbiter is a fictional ceremonial, religious, and political rank bestowed upon alien Covenant Elites in the Halo science fiction universe. In the 2004 video game Halo 2, the rank is given to a disgraced commander as a way to atone for his failures. Although the Arbiter is intended to die serving the Covenant leadership, the High Prophets, he survives his missions and the Prophets' subsequent betrayal of his kind. When he learns that the Prophets' plans would doom all sentient life in the galaxy to extinction, the Arbiter allies with the Covenant's enemies—humanity—and stops the ringworld Halo from being activated. The Arbiter is a playable character in Halo 2 and its 2007 sequel Halo 3; a different Arbiter appears in the 2009 real-time strategy game Halo Wars, which takes place 20 years before the events of the main trilogy.
The appearance of the Arbiter in Halo 2 and the change in perspective from the main human protagonist Master Chief to a former enemy was a plot twist Halo developer Bungie kept highly secret. The character's name was changed from "Dervish" after concerns that the name reinforced a perceived United States versus Islam allegory in the game's plot.

Lara Croft

Lara Croft is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Square Enix video game series Tomb Raider. She is presented as a beautiful, intelligent, and athletic English archaeologist-adventurer who ventures into ancient, hazardous tombs and ruins around the world. Created by a team at UK developer Core Design that included Toby Gard, the character first appeared in the 1996 video game Tomb Raider. She has also appeared in video game sequels, printed adaptations, a series of animated short films, feature films, and merchandise related to the series. Official promotion of the character includes a brand of apparel and accessories, action figures, and model portrayals. Croft has also been licensed for third-party promotion, including television and print advertisements, music-related appearances, and as a spokesmodel.
Core Design handled initial development of the character and the series. Inspired by Neneh Cherry and comic book character Tank Girl, Gard designed Lara Croft to counter stereotypical female characters. The company modified the character for subsequent titles, which included graphical improvements and gameplay additions.

343 Guilty Spark

Fulgore

David Young

Marius Titus

Dick Baker

Beth Wilder

Nick Ramos

Orchid

TJ Combo

Doomguy

The Doomguy, commonly known as the Marine and referred to as the Doom Slayer in the rebooted portion of the series, is the unnamed player character in the Doom video game franchise of first-person shooters created by id Software, and its sequels and spin-off media. He is a space marine dressed in green combat armor who does not speak onscreen. 
Considered a symbolic and iconic protagonist and character, the original depiction of Doomguy does not have a defined personality and barely portrays a predefined character. According to designer John Romero, he is meant to represent "the player itself". In 2017, Romero stated that he was the original model of the character for the cover box art.

fontanezvm2

Jack Joyce

Sabrewulf

Jago

Riley COD Ghosts

Jasonater

ARIA

Riptor

Tank Dempsey

Rhonda Kreske

Paul Serene

Annie

When the XBox One dropped in 2013, it seemed as though people weren't sure if it was going to make it. Between some of the marketing snafus, and compared to ...