So, some things that came to mind as I thought about this:
-Recency is, obviously, a big factor here and I don't think that's surprising. Writing in games has continued to evolve since I first started playing them - characters just straight-up have more to them all around. It doesn't take away from my love of games I played earlier in my life (hence entries like Geno and Agrias still making it in), but a lot of them just....couldn't really compete at this point for me. Or they kiiiiinda aged terrible (Cid in FF7, for example)
-Probably the biggest surprise here is the mobile game presence, but it's been my experience that in some kind of sick twisted joke of the universe, mobile games like FGO and Limbus have had some of the best writing I've seen in the genre, both story and character-wise, over the last few years. Other devs need to get it the fuck together.
-I've started really appreciating the "less is more" approach of From on some level. The characters I listed, despite having a fraction of a fraction of the screentime characters from many other games get, all found their ways to hit home and leave a lasting impression on me. Shit, I straight-up just broke down when reading the description of Morgott's Remembrance.
I gave this a try. This was hard, I'm listing them as they come to mind since that feels like my mind picking favourites. I could probably tweak this but I won't.
Ozzie is an interesting one. Wasn't one of the first names that came to mind but as I sat here thinking, I thought of him and could not leave him off.
Vivi was a highlight for me of the PS era. Coming up with this list made me realize I did prefer the SNES era RPGs over any other - at least for characters
SoS really is a love letter to the SNES era, I think you'll enjoy it when you get to it. Garl may be recency bias but I couldn't leave him off.
I've always been a fan of the way From tells their stories through lore, obscure dialogue, and item description.
Their actual character development was never a huge strength though. Elden Ring shows they're beginning to get how to develop characters within their formula.
There's some really notable ones this time around. Ranni is the biggest one that people say. However the stories of Morgott, Melina, Radahn, Maliketh, and Radagon are all done very well in my opinion. Heck even sub characters like Alexander, Patches, the Volcano Manor, and Blaidd get a lot more attention.
This is extraordinarily hard. There are absolutely amazing games that don't have any particularly standout characters; games with bad stories but amazing characters; characters that are fairly boring or trope-y but have stellar designs.
I'll think this over. Yuri Hyuga (Shadow Hearts + Covenant), Yuri Lowell (Tales of Vesperia), Luke fon Fabre (Tales of the Abyss), Papa Nier (NieR) and Kaine (NieR) would all easily be Top 10 just off the top of my head.
But in all seriousness, this is super hard, agreeing with @Raine. I feel like it's tough to pick my favorite characters as I often like them as a set of characters in the game as a whole creating a complex unique story for me to enjoy, and usually with a few oddballs I don't like in contrast (perhaps by design..)
But in all seriousness, this is super hard, agreeing with @Raine. I feel like it's tough to pick my favorite characters as I often like them as a set of characters in the game as a whole creating a complex unique story for me to enjoy, and usually with a few oddballs I don't like in contrast (perhaps by design..)
Seriously, this is the absolute biggest problem in the game. LOOK AT HIS MOUTH. JUST LOOK AT IT. To see him masticate is to know the end times are upon us. Gaze, and realize fear as you knew it before was a phantom of the true terror that exists in our fair world: the terror of Bastok's...
Neither am I but if I had to pick a few....
-Cmdr. Shepard and Ashley Williams from Mass Effect
-Master Chief from Halo
-Max Caufield & Chloe Price from Life is Strange
Alright, let's do this! First up, pulling up a list of RPGs that I know have characters I like/enjoy. Small task, this should narrow it down pretty qui--oh lord, we're at 80 games as a base?!
Well let's list this, and then work on excluding from there... Basically just listed in alphabetical order for now. 44 characters left after like two hours of digging! We've got this.
01. Yuri Hyuga (Shadow Hearts & Shadow Hearts: Covenant)
The Rude Hero himself, the first two Shadow Hearts are ultimately his story. These are games with, if not horror, then macabre trappings and plenty of occult spookery to shake a stick at. They're also games deeply rooted in the themes of loss and grief, with those tendrils finding their way into every character's backstory and the major narrative keystones. Arguably none moreso than Yuri himself. But through the progression of these games, Yuri becomes something more - to himself, to the party, to the supporting cast of characters - culminating in a brilliant, if unsettling, conclusion that I will always encourage people to go and experience for themselves.
02. Yuri Lowell (Tales of Vesperia)
Mr. Lowell is an anomaly amongst this, and many other, lists. He does not experience much if any character growth through the game's progression; he already is who he is. A seemingly disgraced former Royal Knight, whose best friend is still among their ranks, Yuri wanders and drifts in the more impoverished outskirts of the city. And here the catalyst for the adventure begins, with the theft of what is ostensibly a water purification device that services the poor and downtrodden city-folk, which Yuri ventures out to retrieve. And when the system he used to be part of predictably fails to punish the perpetrators, Yuri is not shy about doing what's right. It is very cathartic to have no-nonsense leads in these types of games every now and again.
03. Kaine (NieR: Gestalt)
I have no doubt that Kaine started as a little bit of an edgelord outlet for creator Yoko Taro, as many other characters and events have and are in both Drakengard and NieR. But either through genuine understanding or blind luck, Kaine is... someone very special. Born intersex (a "hermaphrodite"), Kaine's childhood was wrought with torment and suffering. Her peers constantly bullied and assaulted her, and only her non-biological Grandma stood in her corner. Because of her treatment by others Kaine is brash, crass and provocative - she curses like a sailor, likes shit from no one, and dresses in revealing attire to assert to herself and others that no matter what they think, she is in fact a woman. ...The world is a cruel place under normal circumstances, though. And the world of NieR: Gestalt is crueler still.
04. Luke fon Fabre (Tales of the Abyss)
Nobody that claims Luke is a spoiled, annoying brat of Noble birth has made it particularly far into Abyss. Of every character on this list, Luke experiences the most radical personal growth and experience. He does indeed start that way, but through events both within and outside of his control the narrative serves to humble him, turning him into someone far more compassionate and understanding. Tales games are notorious for having predictable story arcs, and Abyss is perhaps no exception, but Luke himself is worth the experience.
05. [Papa] Nier (NieR: Gestalt)
The adult Nier is an angry, desperate and stubborn oaf of a man. In a harsh and cruel world filled with no hope and constant suffering, he simply does whatever he must to protect his young and severely ill daughter. Her time is running short, her medications require a good deal of resources to acquire, and so Nier goes out every single day to run errands on behalf of the mayor and the townspeople; slaying beats, gathering materials from dangerous areas. Whatever it takes. As events begin to spiral out of control, Nier becomes a sort of adoptive father to strangers he encounters - to outcasts like intersex Kaine and to homosexual Emil - while doing his best to delay the inevitable. All a man like him is truly good for is killing, though. And surely that can only take you so far.
06. Tidus (Final Fantasy X)
It's Meg Ryan! Final Fantasy X's party, in a very real sense, is not just a band of misfits but a complex and deeply troubled family. Every character is related to one another pretty directly, with the singular exception of Tidus that's a step removed. And for his part, Tidus is the son of an abusive alcoholic and chronic deadbeat that just decided to completely disappear one day, leaving the young boy and his mother behind. It's very easy to dislike Tidus; it's very easy to list someone from this game instead of him or above him. But for me, everything Tidus does - the way he moves, the way he acts, the ways he tries and supports Yuna despite being a complete doofus - just works. And it works really, really well. X-2 doesn't exist, and the world will burn if X-3 moves forward.
07. Kanji Tatsumi (Persona 4)
The modern Persona games get a bad rap for being homophobic and transphobic, and for good reason. Yosuke Hanamura and how he behaves towards Kanji is very likely to be the worst offender, with the game itself pushing back only slightly. However, in spite of this, Kanji himself is actually a very good character. His problems, as told through his Social Link, are that he doesn't feel like he fits in - he enjoys "girly" activities such as knitting stuffed animals, and constantly worries that he'll be perceived as gay. So he adopts a delinquent, biker-esque persona and builds a bad boy reputation as a defensive mechanism. As the story progresses and the party meets "boy" detective Naoto Shirogane, Kanji experiences a crisis of faith - he's deeply attracted to "him." Ultimately the game cops out and reveals that Naoto is a woman, and isn't transgender, and that Kanji isn't gay and everything's okay. ...Everything is okay. But Kanji was attracted to Naoto when he thought for certain she was a man, and that does mean he's at least bisexual. And he's better for it.
08. Kaim Argonar (Lost Odyssey)
Throughout the early game Kaim comes across as cold and detached. Apathetic, and mostly if not entirely disinterested in life and those around him. Just a simple mercenary for hire that's seen more death than anyone ever should. And that's true... to an extent. The problem is that Kaim is immortal, and has been alive for many generations. Through the beautifully written 1,000 Years of Dreams novellas, and in the main narrative as the game progresses, we learn that Kaim is a very caring individual that always goes out of his way to try and help others. The game's story ultimately gets sidetracked by his two mortal grandchildren multiple times, and this can be seen as detrimental, but as more time passes - I wonder if that's not the point? Kaim himself doesn't want for more time, but those around him will grow old and die as the countless friends that came before.
09. Vivi Ornitier (Final Fantasy IX)
Vivi is The Woobie. There are many on this list, but I don't know that any get beaten down quite as badly as this little guy. He always earnestly tries his best, but those just like him that appear throughout the game almost universally meet with a bad fate. They constantly remind him that his time is short, that the world doesn't care whether he's there or not. The game proposes the question of why and should he - we - even exist, and through his actions alongside the rest of the party I think we get a pretty decent answer.
10. Lyon (Suikoden V)
Functionally the mouthpiece for the game's silent protagonist, Lyon occupies a couple of roles at once. Main character, childhood friend, loyal bodyguard - Suikoden V's narrative is as politically-inclined as the others, and treachery is afoot everywhere. She plays a vital role in both the story and party, and kind of does that thing I seem to enjoy my characters doing: suffering and finding their place in the world. It's sort of impossible to disconnect Lyon from the main character, and to an extension Miakis, but that isn't necessarily a detriment here - she does stand on her own as well.
11. Fei Fong Wong (Xenogears)
All of the Xeno series are pretty trippy, but it all started here. With Gears, with Fei. Fei is a person that's incredibly twisted up and broken inside, which resonated strongly with me even in a time where I didn't fully understand. While the game seems to lean more towards the ideas of Freud's psychoanalytic theory, with Fei acting as the superego and Id literally just being the id, I think viewing him through PTSD and Compartmentalization is perhaps equally valid - shards and strands of a singular identity, grinding against one another instead of in tandem. The entire thing is out there regardless, but it's enjoyable - and Fei is a good protagonist to experience it through.
12. Joachim Valentine (Shadow Hearts: Covenant)
A complete dumbass of a profressional wrestler, who is completely coded as being gay - so, he's gay. He's ours. You can't have our precious dumdum back. Also he's a vampire. Not really shiny, but certainly sweaty with all the wrestling... so that may or may not count? For as horrifying and twisted as Shadow Hearts is and can be, it's also filled to the brim with gayness and general camp (yes he uses all of these as weapons), and while I hope it holds up 20+ years later, at the time it came across as a celebration more than mean-spirited mockery.
13. Albedo Piazzolla (Xenosaga Series)
Can't have a list without at least one villain, right? Albedo is a real twisted piece of work, in a series full of very peculiar individuals. Simultaneously sympathetic and awful, Albedo starts as an antagonist to his brother Rubedo (Junior/Jr.) but quickly turns into something so much more. You're supposed to hate a good villain, and Albedo doesn't leave a whole lot of room for anything else.
14. Marona (Phantom Brave)
An orphan living alone on an island removed from the general population, Marona is a sort of medium that contacts and converses with the dead. The spirit of a friend of her deceased parents, Ash, serves as her guardian and helps her complete the various tasks requested of her to earn a living. Constantly mistreated by others because they fear her powers, Phantom Brave serves as the story of Marona finding friendship and acceptance by doing her best to help others. Radically different from Nippon Ichi Software's usual fare, but ultimately better for it I think.
15. Edea Lee (Bravely Default & Bravely Second)
The daughter of the antagonist nation's Grand Marshal, Edea is more than a little naive when it comes to how the world works. Quick to become irritated and fly off the handle, especially when she sees or hears about something that goes against her moral code, she serves as the protagonist Tiz's colorful introduction to the world. Appearing in both games, she grows over time and works to uncover secrets about herself and the nature of those she knew before joining the party. Also, she has the best of the character themes in the first game.
16. Darc (Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits)
While technically a dual protagonist, from the actual standpoint of the game and its world Darc is actually the antagonist-in-making for a majority of the game. A partial Deimos in appearance - beast or demon humanoid - but actually a half-human, half-Deimos offspring alongside his twin brother Kharg, the game's actual protagonist that has the "honor" of appearing fully human, Darc starts as a kind and caring individual and slowly becomes more aggressive and ruthless as he realizes his people aren't typically the sort to listen to reason. The game obviously uses this monstrous appearance of the Deimos people to discuss race relations in a roundabout way, and at least back then I found myself almost universally on Darc's side - enough so that I borrowed his name, with an extra R, for my internet handle. The other protagonist Kharg is a dipshit whose only redeeming quality is that Paulette stands by him, anyway.
17. Sazh Katzroy (Final Fantasy XIII)
I would like nothing more than to put Sazh higher on this list. As a character, he's actually pretty great: A loving and devoted father, trying to find his son that has fallen on the wrong side of the in-universe Bad Magic. And, obviously, as he's a Black man from a Japanese company - he's getting hit with a lot of stupid ass racist tropes and stereotypes, just like Barret Wallace before him. Sazh has an afro, because of course, and inside that afro lives a baby chicken Chocobo - because of course. And yet, despite that, Sazh nearly achieves greatness in one of the game's more serious moments. Alas, he was denied. And denied further by XIII-3 not being him, Hope and newcomer Noel heading off on an adventure to rebuild the world, instead refocusing on Lightning and creator Motomu Toriyama's absolutely creepy fascination with her. Including giving her a boob job, but I digress.
18. Miakis (Suikoden V)
The personal bodyguard to the protagonist's younger sister, Miakis is sort of a package deal with Lyon. They each have their own trials and tribulations as a war of succession wages and betrayal strikes time and again, and for Miakis in particular there's an absolutely heart-wrenching scene between her and the protagonist that left me feeling icky for a good while. She's not on-screen as much as Lyon, of course, but it's real hard to not root for her all the same.
19. Lilisette (Final Fantasy XI)
One half of Future Perfect, alongside your avatar Adventurer. Lilisette serves as your ride or die throughout the Wings of the Goddess expansion, a spunky and cheerful young girl trying to get to the bottom of some supernatural happenings and prevent a terrible fate from befalling the world of Vana'diel. As the WotG expansion happens in the past, there is of course lots of time travel shenanigans afoot. But I won't say more than that in the unlikely event someone actually decides to take this ancient beast of a game for a spin, or Square does the unthinkable and makes an offline or free version available.
20. Cheria Barnes (Tales of Graces)
While Graces itself has a fairly bad story, I found some of the characters to be quite enjoyable. Cheria here is top of the list; a frail and frequently ill girl growing up, Cheria has been with the protagonist Asbel Lhant basically since birth alongside her grandfather that serves the Lhant family. After a pivotal moment and a time skip, Cheria has regained her health - and used the opportunity to become a combat medic. And, in a surprising twist, I mean that pretty literally: She's a healer that actually knows how to fight. That alone gets her on the list, but she's a caring and compassionate character that has a lot of good interactions besides.
21. Bahamut (Final Fantasy Series)
Perhaps cheating a little, but I can't have a list without the Wyrmking. And it doesn't matter too much which version of Bahamut it is; he generally fulfills the role of being one of the most powerful entities around, with surpassing knowledge and influence when capable of speech. IX and XIV, the latter obviously taking notes from the former, are definitely standouts in badass moments. Though X is still overall the most memorable for me, I think.
22. Prier (La Pucelle Tactics)
A rare exception of a character being expanded upon in cameos in other games, and then having those cameos made canon and expanded upon in a re-release/remaster. And all of that generally being good for the character. Prier is a sort of Demon Hunter, working for a church/holy organization. Her original story is enjoyable and adequate for what it was, if maybe a little eye-roll-educing with the romance subplot. Nevertheless, the original game had a "bad" ending: If you did too much grinding in a certain area, Prier would become corrupted and turn into a Demoness/Succubus. In the Disgaea series, Prier would frequently appear as a post-game optional boss in this form as an "Overlord." With the release of La Pucelle: Ragnarok, those appearances were made canon and given context through some new endings that follow Prier's transformation into a Demoness. Some have her become a full monster, while others allow her to attain the power and retain her human mind/sanity.
23. Axel/Lea (Kingdom Hearts Series)
Kingdom Hearts is a dumb and bad series. Contrary to still-popular belief, it's not hard to follow or really understand - it's just told really amateurishly and the self-imposed rules are always bent or broken. Axel is sort of no better, but he's at least entertaining. Part of Organization XIII, otherwise known as the catalyst for making the series suck to begin with, Axel becomes friends with Roxas (and Xion) and forms a second, of three, hero trio for the player to root for. Unlike Roxas, Xion and many others, Axel - and his "complete" form Lea - manages to get fleshed out a bit, experiences some character growth and development, and manages to somewhat earn his happy ending.
24. Justin (Grandia)
The spirit of youth's boundless energy and love of exploration, personified. Justin is literally just some kid going out and exploring the world with his friend Sue, and getting into all sorts of trouble and mischief in the process. Grandia is at its best when it's just about that sense of adventure, of having fun, and Justin is the focal point. Even when things invariably start to get more serious, Justin is still fun to play as and experience the world through - and I think the genre still needs more characters like him.
25. Masaji Kato (Shadow Hearts & Shadow Hearts: Covenant)
You should play these games, so I won't say too much. But Kato is a fiercely loyal man doing the best he can to make the world a better place in both games, and becomes a good friend to Yuri and his companions. The world doesn't necessarily want to be made better though, and so sometimes you just need to beat it up a bit. Maybe crack it in the head with a wrench or something. That'll get the job done, probably.
KOS-MOS (Xenosaga Series) Garnet Alexandros (Final Fantasy IX) Judith (Tales of Vesperia) Rydia (Final Fantasy IV) Prishe (Final Fantasy XI) Laguna Loire (Final Fantasy VIII) Miranda (Grandia III) Haseo (.hack//G.U.) Chie Satonaka (Persona 4) Alkaid (.hack//G.U.) Yangus (Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King) Adell (Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories) Millenia (Grandia II) [+Ryudo & Elena] Raven (Tales of Vesperia) Sprout (Phantom Brave) Odin (Final Fantasy Series) Hildibrand Manderville (Final Fantasy XIV) Ashley Winchester (Wild ARMs 2) Alexander (Final Fantasy Series)
Honorable Mentions Emil (NieR Series)
Emil is honestly every bit as good as Nier and Kaine, and I do adore him. He's a gay kid subjected to unspeakable horrors, and can literally never catch a break. Poor kid's been through a lot. And yet, he stays positive and supportive of his friends, presses onwards, and... yeah just go play NieR and Automata already. I don't have Emil on the main list just because it's a little much having the entire cast from one game on the list, and he's equal parts mascot and joke as he is good, solid character at this point.
The Whole Cast (Persona 3)
If I had to pick a favorite, of course, it would be Aigis. But really, especially with (Fe)MC being silent and most of the characters having deep flaws that would exclude them from the list on their own merits, this is a group effort. Persona 3 is my second most played (in game hours) non-MMO RPG of all time, second only to Final Fantasy X. It is the RPG that I've replayed the most, all 80~100 hours of it. I love it, warts on all of the versions and all.
Karol Capel (Tales of Vesperia)
I actually quite like Karol, which is surprising all on its own - because I fucking hate child characters. Actual children? Those are fine. Adults writing children, making them extraordinarily fucking annoying and obnoxious? Can't stand that shit. Delete Eternal Sonata from existence on that basis alone. So, yeah, good on Tales Studio for making Karol likeable. And a generally good character besides.
Nanako Dojima (Persona 4)
Must. Protect. "Every day's great at your Junes~" ...Must. Kill!
Nanako's a good kid. I was... in a really weird/bad place in 2008, personally. Was about to become an uncle aunt, so, really a lot of things about Persona 4 were nice to experience. I-I mean maybe not so much the murder and homophobia, but hey, it's not all sugar and rainbows.
Piros the Third (.hack// & .hack//G.U.)
The character himself? Idiot. Honestly kind of forgettable. But he gets his own theme song because he's someone's self-insert Unga Bunga, and that theme song is fucking stupid so of course I now love both it and him. It's just how this works, don't question it.
An edited list I sent into Easy Allies back in 2016 (cant believe its been that long) Not really in order, though the first 19 listed where in order from my top 30, after that Im just adding to hit 25. Some of these I would re-rank Im sure
Garrus - Mass Effect
Edgar FFVI
Rydia FFIV
Geralt - The Witcher
Vivi FFIX
Chie Satonaka - Persona 4
Kazuma Kiryu - Yakuza
Wrex - Mass Effect
HK-47 KOTOR
Terra FFVI
Celes FFVI
Kanji Tatsumi - Persona 4
Triss - The Witcher
Goro Majima - Yakuza
Kefka FFVI
Auron FFX
Alistair - Dragon Age
Ultros FFVI
Flik & Viktor - Suikoden
Gale - Baldur's Gate 3
Ichiban - Yakuza
Laguna - FF8
Geddoe - Suikoden 3
Akiyama - Yakuza
Estelle - Trails in the sky (would be in the top 5 if I reranked the list, but Im too lazy too)
Nah, I get that. First playthrough was male Shep Infiltrator romancing Ashley. After that, though, I missed Kaiden's biotics in later games to a point I had to rebuild my Shep to compensate. Yeah, my Shep essentially was the Garrus role, but Wrex was better at Ashley than Ashley lol. Ashley was a MUCH more replaceable squad mate. She offered nothing unique. Glad later games altered what the first had.
