Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Who are your favorite video game characters?

AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 7,836
What are your favorite character archetypes? Which characters stuck with you the most? Why are they so appealing to you?

Characters and their stories are a big part of why many of us love this medium. Share your love here.

I've decided to separate mine by franchise. The trends that are most likely to come up in my list are "spoony bards," romantics, rogues, deadpan snarkers, scholars, and those who are anti-establishment (especially anti-religion).

Fire Emblem

My favorite franchise overall. Nintendo's ambitious strategy RPG franchise has seen over 700 characters between its playable heroes, villains, NPCs, etc. Here's some of my favorites.

The Glorious Count Bastian Fayre

A minor character in Path of Radiance. Bastian is a mage who is mediocre as a unit but chews all of the scenery in the world in his short time on screen. He's the brains behind the Crimean throne, and he loves the sound of his own voice. His every word is poetry. He complements and flirts with pretty much everyone, but he has eyes only for his childhood friend, Lucia.

Naesala

The raven king doesn't cross the line between anti-hero and villain. He plays dance, dance revolution on it. As the king of a poor island nation, he does everything in his power to increase its wealth and influence, from piracy to mercenary work. Spoilers be ahead, matey, yarr. He sells his own best friend with the intention of rescuing him back. But his actions are also slowly redeemed, from the rescue of a trapped heron princess to fighting alongside the heroes in the end. And fittingly, all of his side-swapping ends with him being a perfect diplomat.

Hapi

One of the new DLC characters in Three Houses. Hapi is basically a gypsy, and her harsh life experiences have led to a casually pessimistic attitude and anarchist sympathies. She nicknames the rest of the cast (even affectionately calling the silent protagonist "Chatterbox"), and speaks to everyone casually and sincerely. She's also one hell of a unit to boot, with one of the best offensive and supportive magic spell lists.

Edelgard

Edelgard is the heart and soul of Fire Emblem Three Houses, so describing her without heavy spoilers is pretty much impossible. You've been warned.

Despite being one of the game's traditional lord characters, Edelgard is the primary antagonist of the game. She was tortured and manipulated into developing an extreme anti-Church outlook, and she raises her empire's armies to overthrow the church and end of the system of nobility and crest-worship that caused her so much pain.



Trails

Olivier Lenheim

Olivier immediately steals the show and chews all of the scenery in the entire universe at all times. A hedonistic, flirtacious traveling bard who immediately shows signs of underlying intelligence. His relationship with the gypsy-like Bracer and former circus performer, Scherazard is adorable, and he brings constant levity to the games. But he is clearly playing his own game and his motivations are kept ambiguous for some time. He's a real case of crouching moron, hidden badass.


Tales

Yuri Lowell

In a rather conservative, oft-times generic franchise, Yuri is a breath of fresh air. A street-wise, rogue of a protagonist who is more moral than his actions and behavior have others perceive. There's a reason why he's so popular that Tales popularity polls tend to remove him, just to give others a chance.

The Witcher

Geralt of Rivia

Geralt is basically everything I want in a protagonist. A badass with an awesome aesthetic, a disdain for the authority figures he's forced to tolerate, and an ever present deadpan sense of humor that plays on his alleged lack of emotion.


Devil May Cry

Nero


Thought I'd say Dante, huh? Nero is everything I like about Dante - rogueish, smarmy, sarcastic, and over the top, and so much more on top of that.


The way he deals with his trauma and abandonment by latching on to his surrogate family is relatable. The way he unites his dysfunctional real family is admirable. His personal growth from DMC4 to DMC5 is impressive.


And in DMC5, a game in which 2/3 of the soundtrack is abysmal, Nero owns all of the best songs.

cheyaneAmatheAsheram

Comments

  • AmatheAmathe Member LegendaryPosts: 7,630
    Archtype: Mesmer in GW2

    NPC: Lich King in WoW

    Quest line: Duskwood/Darkshire quests in WoW; Ring War in EQ.
    AsherammaskedweaselAlBQuirky

    EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests

  • AkulasAkulas Member RarePosts: 3,006
    The type that is an ass but for the right reason (antihero?)
    AsheramAlBQuirky

    This isn't a signature, you just think it is.

  • AlBQuirkyAlBQuirky Member EpicPosts: 7,432
    1) Revan: KotOR 1
    2) The Bard: Bard's Tale remake (Cary Elwes voiced)

    That's about it for "Developer made" characters. I much more prefer to create my own characters. I do like that most "dev made" characters can be played good, middling, or evil, though evil usually lacks depth as you just a play a dick to everyone in the game :)

    MendelAsheramUngood

    - Al

    Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.
    - FARGIN_WAR


  • AsheramAsheram Member EpicPosts: 5,071
    For me it is Arthur Morgan.

    UngoodAlBQuirky
  • lahnmirlahnmir Member LegendaryPosts: 5,041
    The entire cast of Shadow Hearts 2. Honorable mention goes to the Skies of Arcadia crew.

    /Cheers,
    Lahnmir
    AlBQuirky
    'the only way he could nail it any better is if he used a cross.'

    Kyleran on yours sincerely 


    'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'

    Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...



    'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless. 

    It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.

    It is just huge resource waste....'

    Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer

  • cameltosiscameltosis Member LegendaryPosts: 3,706
    I don't really have any favourite dev-made characters, I'm not really the target market for most games and so their characters tend to be designed for other people and not me. Beyond that, I tend to find that my actions in a game conflict with the actions from the devs, leaving most characters with a non-cohesive personality.


    So, my favourite characters are always the ones I create myself.


    Top of the list is Jennifern, my captain from LotRO. Loved her, played her for nearly 6 years. A greying battle-axe of a lady, she loved taking charge and loved running at the enemy.

    Next up is probably Spit. He's had two incarnations - first as an orc in lotros pvmp, then as a black orc in WAR. Defining trait? Never runs away. Loved playing this blood thirsty psycho orc. Meant I died a lot in PvP, constantly charging the enemy (often by myself!). A lot of people say roleplaying doesn't happen in PvP, but hell yeh it does! Just a different flavour of roleplaying to what is normally seen.
    AlBQuirky
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 12,263
    The user and all related content has been deleted.

    거북이는 목을 내밀 때 안 움직입니다












  • UngoodUngood Member LegendaryPosts: 7,530
    Well.. in an MMO.

    GW2. 
    Forgal

    I liked his stoic facing the world aspect, even after he lost so much, he still fought on, never one wallowing in self pity.

    "And you monster will not make me kneel"

    Determined and Defiant to the bitter end.

    The other one was:

    Overwatch:
    Balderich &
    Reinhardt.

    "I must answer, always"

    Two badasses, Determined and Defiant to the bitter end.
    AlBQuirkyAsheram
    Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.

  • GorweGorwe Member Posts: 1,428
    Oh, there's a lot of them, I will list them later.
  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 7,836
    edited August 2020
    Ungood said:
    Well.. in an MMO.

    GW2. 
    Forgal

    I liked his stoic facing the world aspect, even after he lost so much, he still fought on, never one wallowing in self pity.

    "And you monster will not make me kneel"

    Determined and Defiant to the bitter end.

    The other one was:

    Overwatch:
    Balderich &
    Reinhardt.

    "I must answer, always"

    Two badasses, Determined and Defiant to the bitter end.
    "We're going on the same walk, seeing the same sights, kicking the same ass. Who are you to tell us whose ass we can and cannot kick?"


    I freaking love Forgal.
    Ungood
  • GormogonGormogon Member UncommonPosts: 224
    Kreia - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 - The Sith Lords

    The Nameless One/Transcendant One - Planescape: Torment

    Tommy Angelo - Mafia

    Sylvanas Windrunner (prior to becoming warchief) - World of Warcraft


    AlBQuirky
  • Tuor7Tuor7 Member RarePosts: 982
    Well, if I were to make a list of characters that I liked, it would be really long. So, I'll just list one for now: Garrett, from the Thief series. He was so bad-ass that he out-tricked a god named The Trickster. And, like Geralt (whom I also like), was an amazing deadpan snarker.
    AlBQuirky
  • TwistedSister77TwistedSister77 Member EpicPosts: 1,144
    I know I may get some hate for this on mmorpg.com, but...

    Master Chief (Halo)

    Been playing since the original xbox, read books, saw movies.
    AlBQuirky
Sign In or Register to comment.