1. Claude (Grand Theft Auto III)
He is a remorseless mass murderer of dozens if not hundreds of civilians, police, army, and rival gang members. He never uttered a single word throughout his bloodthirsty quest for revenge. He gets shot by girlfriend, left for dead, arrested, and sentenced to prison? Fuck that. Break out and find a way to kill her for her Hispanic treachery. He had no loyalty to anyone but the person who was currently funding his hate-filled rampage of vengeance. He's willing to kill former allies and comrades for the right price, and the only form of communication he ever gave was a nod or two to indicate that he understood the order he had just been given. Plus, you rescued your love interest only to shoot her, like, 3 minutes later because she wouldn't shut up.
2. Link (Legend of Zelda mythos)
He's a given. The only words he's ever said are "Come On". Plus you look me in the eye and tell me you didn't enjoy the fact that you murdered that one guy in Majora's Mask when you shot the bomb bag tied to his back. Sure it was an accident the first time, because you didn't realize he'd actually die; but you restored the three day cycle and did it again, didn't you. Sometimes it was an arrow, sometimes with a boomerang. Point is, it didn't happen just once.
3. Q (Street Fighter 3: Third Strike)
His silence is the very reason he's one of my favorite characters ever.
4. Jack (BioShock)
The man was a puppet, plain and simple. Chronologically a toddler, and biologically a full grown adult. Everything about him was artificially made. His birth, his history and family, the superpowers he has in his employ, even his mind and memories are fake. Nothing about him is genuine and he's had no existence other than what was granted to him by his creator. But the moment this sleeper cell was activated and ordered to return to finally put an end to a war begun by selfishness, he slowly began to become his own man and to grasp his own destiny. His end is as mysterious as whatever the fuck his face actually looks like. Seriously, what the hell does he look like?
5. The Boy (Secret of Mana)Nick Mason (Urban Chaos)David Vincent (Disaster: Day of Crisis)Shiro Amata (Gundam: 08th MS Team)Crono (Chrono Trigger) Fuck it, Sam Fisher.
I ran out of ideas and I wanna go to bed, this is a good enough list as it is.
1. Sora - KH series
2. Jak - Jak and Daxter series
3. The Prince - Prince of Persia series
4. Zack Fair - FF VII Crisis Core
5. Red(Pokemon Trainer) - Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, FireRed and LeafGreen
It's hard to mention my personal five, but the most recent and long time faves of mine are:
1) Vergil Sparda (Devil May Cry 3 and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3)
2) Dante Sparda (Devil May Cry 1-4 and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3)
3) Pascal (Tales of Graces f) (She's just too damn cute!)
4) Fei Fong Wong (Xenogears)
5) Ashley Riot (Vagrant Story)
No particular order.
1. Chesire (American McGee's Alice)
Although not playable, and doesn't play a major role- he's by far one of the great many aspects of the games that make them so memorable. Definitely one of the best 'guide' characters created. With a plethora of great quotes.
2. Zeratul(Starcraft)
Everyone has their own favourite exemplars of the tragic, dark anti-hero. An exiled fugitive, forsaken to the dark void of space, with his relentless pursuit of answers and justice for his people happens to be one of mine. And his insane attack power doesn't hurt, either. (Or, rather- it does. Quite a bit).
3. Samus Aran(Metroid)
A series I've played the shit out of growing up, her story was cool, she was cool, and the games were fun. Whether in an 8-bit bikini or Zero-suit, she's one sexy kick-ass space babe.
4. Wario(Wario World. And a buncha other stuff)
Lovable, bumbling scoundrel. His games were just plain fun.
5: Manny Calavera(Grim Fandango)
One of the best written games of all time, in my opinion. There's not a great many protagonists that I actually give a shit about, but Manny- despite being a dead Mexican guy with an oversized blunt for a head- resonated with me more than basically any character in fiction that I can think of. Just a regular guy. Down-to-earth. Thinks on his feet. Does the most of his situation. Dude's got more depth than likely the top ten franchises today put together.
1. Issac Clarke(Dead Space)
There aren't many protagonists of survival horror games who are just normal dudes who are just trying to survival and not really trying to save the entire population of earth. Issac is just an simple engineer caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
2. Vincent Valentine(Final Fantasy 7)
Calm, cold, acts bad ass, and voiced by Steve Blum. What more could you want in a character?
3. Vergil(Devil May Cry 3)
Must I give an explanation?
4. Niko Bellic(Grand Theft Auto 4)
Niko was cool and down to earth unlike most of the protagonists of GTA. He just wanted to protect his friends and family.
5. Solid Snake(Metal Solid 1, 2, 4, and I hope 5)
Hes a solider fighting for a cause almost no one believes in. Snake has gone through a lot of loss in his life and for what in return? Hes knows no one cares but he continues to fight, even going so far as to kill himself for what few loved ones he has left.
My favorite game of all time, my favorite game character of all time. John Marston is a ruthless outlaw turned mercenary living according to his own twisted morals. However, if you play the game, I'm certain you have noticed how that freedom of choice between right and wrong catches up to him.
2. Caesar, Fallout New Vegas
The totalitarian false prophet, the self proclaimed Son of Mars. Through his political and military intelligence, he initiates the revolution of Vegas, driving away the parasitic democracy of the NCR.
3. Auron, Final Fantasy X
The wisest of all Guardians, Auron embodies the wisdom of a man haunted by his failure, traversing the same path as he once did, in a second chance to bring true peace to Spira. He brilliantly claims, if I remember correctly: «Die and be free of pain or life and fight your sorrow».
4. Zack, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core
Childish at first but we witness his growth as he follows along the footsteps of a fallen angel in his quest to become a hero which he does when he saves the life of the man who will become his legacy by falling in battle against the army he once represented with great pride.
5. Sir Dan Fortesque
Much like John Marston, Dan emerges from his crypt when his world becomes consumed by the chaos brought forth by Zarok, an evil, albeit humorous, wizard. Dan awakens from his troubled sleep to fight Zarok's hordes of the undead and find a way to defeat him so he can bring peace back to his land and return to his crypt having fought a brave battle, thus redeeming himself and truly earning his place in the Hall of Heroes.
1. Ellie (The Last of Us) 2. Joel (The Last of Us) 3. Solid Snake (Metal Gear) 4. Lightning (Final Fantasy XIII, XIII-2) 5. Serah (Final Fantasy XIII, XIII-2)
This is not going to be in order, because it would be to difficult to choose.
Yusuf Tazim - Assassin's Creed Revelation
Adam Jensen - Deus Ex : Human Revolution
Solid Snake - Metal Gear Solid
John Marston - Red Dead Redemption
Haytham Kenway - Assassin's Creed III
Yes, two of them are from AC. But if I was going to put all the characters I love in video games, well...
Redoing mine a little (in no particular order): The Kusagari - Red Steel 2 Peacock - Skullgirls Thomas - Thomas Was Alone Martin Walker - Spec Ops: The Line Solaire - Dark Souls
Aerie (Baldur's Gate II)
Tali (Mass Effect)
HK-47 (Knights of the Old Republic)
Legion (Mass Effect 2)
Deekin (Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide)