Samus Aran - quite probably the most powerful and badass character in all of gaming. It helps that she is the protagonist of one of my favorite video game series.
She also stands as proof that a character's actions speak louder than their words.
It's impossible to choose just one. There are so many... like Cloud, Helena (Dead or Alive), Ryu Hayabusa, Kirby, The Arbiter, Ayesha Altugle, Rise Kujikawa, Rita from Tales of Vesperia, etc.
So many to choose from. Characters in Rockstar's, BioWare's or Naughty Dog's games are the ones that stick out the most to me. I also have the feeling that last generation finally introduced us to round characters. Or maybe that's just me, getting older and understanding more of what a character and his motivations are supposed to be. Or maybe I haven't played the right games up until then.
francis york morgan.
he's a really appealing character and basically 90% of why deadly premonition is great. he might legitimately be one of the best written main characters in a game for real but you won't understand why until you play through the game.
From his fear of insects, his lengthy explanations, to how scatter brained this scholar is, he has always been my favourite character from this series. Even though he tries to stop himself from delving into his many stories & anecdotes, I always drop by to listen to this adorable creature doing his thing. His baby sister (Celeste) is just as cute, especially when she bashfully flirts with the male villager.
Solaire has to be my favourite for Dark Souls, he's just so awesome. Portal GLaDOS is clearly the best, her condescending attitude ks just so loveable.
Never thought I'd see someone with the same answer as me here. Mainly because it's such a strange pick, given that Adol is a typical silent protagonist without much personality.
I think the main thing that's always made me like this character is just how typical of a hero he is. Wherever he goes, he's almost always some form of "chosen one" and there's always one (or more) girls to fall in love with him, but his wanderlust always drives him on to the next place despite whatever he accomplishes and whoever he meets. It's even better in some of the later games in the series where the characters become self-aware of how things are going to go down, yet still go through with it anyway.
The Ys series is just filled with this great sense of carefree adventure that I rarely see in modern games that over-complicate things with overwritten narrative and characters that try too hard to be badass or complex and wind up just being annoying or unrelatable.
One of my favorite moments in the Ys series and possibly in video games is during Ys Seven when
after being framed for the murder of the king and a night of torture in the Colosseum, Adol is thrown into a battle against a giant monster that has been used to kill hundreds of prisoners beforehand, given nothing more than a broken sword. Cue Crossing Rage starting to play as you fight a battle most players instantly assume to be an unwinnable story battle. Slowly, it dawns on the player that the battle isn't actually unwinnable and that Adol is badass enough to defeat this colossal monster with just a broken sword and a battered body.
He's like an indie-Japanese bootleg Link who is always followed around by an awesome soundtrack. It gives me nothing but the greatest joy to see more fans of Ys and Falcom in general develop as this series keeps getting Western releases.
Well put. This is why I chose Adol. Doesn't hurt that Ys I & II is my favorite game of all time.
What you described above is why I am a fan of why Link never speaks and hope he never does, and think that the ability to 'create your own characters' is an overrated feature. Adol is a great example of a relatively strong and likeable protagonist but enough of an empty shell to fill in the blanks.
Viewtiful Joe, such a great design. Personality-wise he's a bit of a twat, but that's part of the charm I guess. I love his composure and just look at that amazing cape.
Also Samus Aran and Wind Waker Link, one of the most expressive characters and full of charms ♥
Ellie (TLOU) - she and The Walking Dead's Clementine have really set the bar in terms of child deuteragonists, but to choose between the two, it has to be Ellie. I most fondly remember Ellie for her general spunky attitude, her banter with Joel, and moments like giving Bill the flip.
George Stobbart (Broken Sword) - he's so loveable, whether he's being naturally cynical, or when he's making wise cracks even in the face of adversaries. I can never get enough of this guy, and I can certainly never get tired of Rolf Saxon voicing him.
Honourable mentions:
Kreia (KOTOR 2) - no doubt about it, this is one of the most fascinating characters I have ever come across in gaming. Delightfully complex, a figure as tragic as she is often ambiguous, and the embodiment of neither virtue nor evil.
Why? Becaise radiance is what inspire us to be better folks in general. You cannot help but be blinded by light. She embodies everything that love stands for and she represents the hope that life can offer us
From his fear of insects, his lengthy explanations, to how scatter brained this scholar is, he has always been my favourite character from this series. Even though he tries to stop himself from delving into his many stories & anecdotes, I always drop by to listen to this adorable creature doing his thing. His baby sister (Celeste) is just as cute, especially when she bashfully flirts with the male villager.
