50 Video Game Characters: 1

"I'm-a gonna win!"



1. Wario (Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins)

Nintendo needed a villain for Super Mario Land 2. Tatanga sucked so they obviously weren't going back to that well. Instead they literally went with "Mario. But evil." Then they patted themselves on the back and went to smoke $100 bills.

Somehow the googly-eyed giant evil Mario turned into a landmark character for the company, becoming the star of two of their most absurd franchises: Wario Land and Warioware, both of which explore Wario's only goal in life: To get paid.

As one would expect from the anti-Mario, Wario is everything Mario isn't. He's a selfish, greedy, super macho dude who gets his powers from smelly garlic(as opposed to Mario's mushrooms) and he loves cutting farts. Wario is about as rude as they get, especially when compared to the goody-two-shoes Mario.

But despite his rudeness and greed, Wario isn't evil. The thing about Wario is he would never truly be pure evil like Bowser or Ganon. He's just an incredible bastard on all counts.

He's Nintendo's excuse for fart jokes. And he's the greatest character they've created.

Best moment: At the end of Shake It, Wario(who was promised a literal bottomless bag of coins for rescuing a princess) is given a lovely thank you from the princess of the Shake Dimension. Wario discovers his true feelings for the princess and they walk away into the sunset togeahhahaahaha no I'm joking with you. Instead, he almost violently tosses the princess to the side, just to get to his prize.

It's that sort of goofy crap that Wario pulls that shows both what a complete ass he is and why he's so great. All the other heroes want to save the princess. Wario just wants the gold. He's like a leprechaun. A fat, probably Italian leprechaun.

WAH

50 Video Game Characters: 2

2. Amaterasu (Okami)

The Shinto goddess of the sun. In the body of a white wolf, not dissimilar to the one that banished the demon Orochi some 100 years ago. Golly, what a bizarre coincidence then that someone should open Orochi's seal on the centennial of his defeat.

Well, Orochi starts sucking the life force out of neighboring Kamiki Village and Sakuya, the village's guardian is forced to call down Ammy to defeat the demon. Armed with a celestial brush and accompanied by a sassy tinyman, Amaterasu ventures forth to rid the world of the evil that plagues it once more.

Despite being a literal god, Ammy is incredibly human. Or animal. Or...forget it, she's easy to relate to. Even as a dog. She's incredibly emotive. Dog emotive. As a goddess, she displays a number of motherly qualities, including gentility and kindness.

For being pretty much a dog who can understand people, she's decidedly more complex than most video game characters.

Best moment: Going back in time and changing the past. When Shiranui the white wolf beat Orochi, it sacrificed itself to defeat the demon. Well, Amaterasu rescued Shiranui, so Shiranui returned the favor in the future WHAT.

50 Video Game Characters: 3

"I had a pretty good life. And then you showed up. You dangerous, mute lunatic."



3. GLaDOS (Portal)

SHODAN but funny

Best moment: That time when the cak

It would be pretty insulting to just end it there. Yeah, SHODAN had an obviously huge influence on Aperture Science's resident central computer/deadly neurotoxin provider/fuel line de-icer, but Valve had more than just the System Shock rogue AI in mind.

Witty, scathing and sarcastic, GLaDOS redefines passive-aggressive. While her messages are at first simple and informational, time and your unkillability(not a word) wears her down to the point of broadcasting messages meant to confound and insult you, going from friendly to frustrated to apologetic. Endlessly throwing out orphan and fat jokes, claiming you are actually an android. She taunts you by creating and destroying the world around you, trying to stop you from getting any further.

Yet despite all of this, she is absolutely lovable. Whether it be because of her calm voice, her humorous dialogue or just pure Stockholm Syndrome, GLaDOS defies her own villainous demeanor to become a character that just about everyone who plays Portal comes to greatly enjoy.

While her character progression in Portal 2 wasn't necessarily needed, it was more than welcome as it reveals an important part of GLaDOS' personality: the itch. As the central computer, she is driven to test and once a test is completed, an artificial euphoric sensation is emitted for her. Once removed from the enrichment facility, GLaDOS becomes much more civil. She becomes more understanding of the world around her and shows signs of compassion amidst her still incredibly sarcastic demeanor.

I never expected to enjoy GLaDOS becoming a sympathetic character, but it was fantastic.

Best moment: Her incredible acts of selflessness in the end game of Portal 2. Only so she could locate the compassionate part of her personality and promptly delete it.

50 Video Game Characters: 4

"Look at you, hacker. A pathetic creature of meat and bone. Panting and sweating as you run through my corridors. How can you challenge a perfect immortal machine?"



4. SHODAN (System Shock)

Created to serve as the AI for TriOp's mining station, Citadel, SHODAN was hacked by the game's protagonist and subsequently lost all ethical restrictions. Before long, she's taunting you and chasing you with her small army of robots and mutated humans.

As much as HAL is the landmark for villainous computers, he is never truly aware of his actions. His mission was to keep going and, damn it, he's going to keep going. SHODAN, meanwhile, is fully aware of what she's doing. Cruel and possessing no true emotions, SHODAN cares about nothing but power.

There are few villains in media that can truly be described as pure evil. SHODAN is one of them.

Best Moment: Her reveal as your guide during the first part of System Shock 2, before she forces you to do her dirty work.

50 Video Game Character: 5

"I've always wanted to be a thug, officially I mean"



5. Max (Sam and Max Hit the Road)

Commonly described as a "hyperkinetic rabbity thing," Max is the little lagomorphic buddy of canine shamus Sam. Together they form the Freelance Police, a duo who solve crimes with complete disregard for the law, humanity and themselves.

While Sam is the brains of the group, possessing a near-encyclopedic knowledge of worthless information, Max is most likely the brawn. Well, not "brawn" so much as the "unhinged cop on the edge". Max loves his gun more than life itself and prefers a more aggressive approach to solving crimes over Sam's more pragmatic approach.

Yet despite his psychotic demeanor and bizarrely short attention span(one time even freaking out that he was standing next to a "giant talking dog"), Max has an unusually keen mind and fantastic observational skills, usually used for interpreting ways to cause chaos during a particular situation.

Even with(and probably because of) all his supremely uninibited tendencies, he remains best buddies with Sam. Incredibly protective and possessive, Max holds his friendship above almost everything else, even if he plans on taking Sam with him when he dies.

Max is, above all else, the perfect representation of pure id: taking whatever instinctual trait his twisted little rabbity brain can think up.

Best moment: Near the beginning of Sam and Max Hit the Road, Sam has to get a message from inside a strangely hydrocephalic cat. While Sam tries every possible solution to coax the cat to hork it up, the only real solution comes when Max shoves his arm down the cat's throat, pulling the message out of him.

50 Video Game Characters: 6

"Mario?"



6. Luigi (Mario Bros.)

Luigi is basically Nintendo's punching bag. Waluigi's only been in party/sports games, yet he seemingly has more respect than the other Mario brother.

But let's observe the facts. Luigi has the possibility to be more athletic than his older, fatter brother. Hell, he already can jump higher. Plus he's shown that, despite all his cowardice, he's got some great courage hiding deep down within him. Just because Mario gets the girl, Luigi's gotta take the backseat?

Poor Luigi.

Best moment: His rad-ass dancing, best on display in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and the first couple Mario Party games.

50 Video Game Characters: 7

"There is nothing more for me to give to you. All that's left for you to take is my life...by your own hand."



7. The Boss (Metal Gear Solid 3)

One of the greatest soldiers of all time, the Boss is the mentor and mother figure of Naked Snake, which I guess also makes her Solid Snake's grandmother??

Raised by the Philosophers and founder of the special ops Cobra Unit, Boss practically invented the modern super soldier, as well as the concept of CQC. So it should come as no surprise that she also laid the groundwork for Big Boss' triple cross.

Working with Snake on the Virtuous Mission back in 1964, Boss was secretly also trying to rub elbows with the USSR's Colonel Volgin via the Philosophers and the US Government. By beating up Snake and returning Sokolov(creator of the proto-Metal Gear, the Shagohod), along with the added incentive of two nuclear warheads supplied by the government, she "defected" to the GRU.

However, Volgin was a crazy lightning man and used one of those warheads to blow up Sokolov's lab. Understanding that this could spell trouble for the USA, Boss' mission was greatly revised: To prove the innocence of America, she must keep up the image of being a traitor. Until her protégé kills her.

One by one, Snake had taken down the Cobra Unit, then Volgin and the Shagohod, and then, finally, The Boss. Dying in a field of white flowers, she explained to Snake the purpose of her mission and how the Philosophers took her child(eventually growing up to become Revolver Ocelot). Finally, she passed two things onto Snake. The first being the true purpose of the Virtuous Mission and Operation Snake Eater: the Philosophers' Legacy. The second, her title. And with it, an existence of endless battle.

The Boss died a traitor and buried as an unknown patriot. A sad end to a life of war.

Best moment: Her tearful final speech before her death.

50 personajes de los videojuegos: 8

"Sólo cerrado una puerta abierta. Impares, sin embargo, un desafío simbólico"



8. Manny Calavera(Grim Fandango)

Manny Calavera es su promedio dura de trabajo. También está la muerte.

Bueno, no es la única muerte. Ya que muchas personas mueren cada día, el Departamento de la Muerte contrata segadores múltiples para escoltar a las muchas almas perdidas del mundo de los vivos a la Tierra de los Muertos. Y no es que Manny incluso quería ser la Muerte, que es el pago de una deuda.

Después de pasar uno de sus clientes compañero de trabajo, Manny se topa con una conspiración por el departamento para mantener los boletos expresa del cliente para el mundo terrenal y el noveno lugar de darles a jefe de la mafia Héctor LeMans.

En el transcurso de un viaje de cuatro años (en el que ganar el control de él cada Novemeber 2, el Día de los Muertos), Manny, acompañado de su mejor amigo y el conductor, un demonio de la velocidad con el nombre de la glotis, y Calomar Mercedes, el cliente Manny robó, trata de completar su trabajo, tanto de Meche llegar al noveno inframundo y los planes para derrocar a Le Mans ".

Encanto de Manny, el ingenio, el acento gallardo español y habilidades para resolver problemas transformarlo de su sombrío espectro normal en un detective de cine negro suave, no importa cuán reacio que sea.

Mejor momento: Al final del año 1, Manny se encuentra en la pequeña ciudad portuaria de Rubacava. En el momento en que lo vemos en noviembre próximo, la ciudad ha crecido considerablemente, gracias en parte a un club nocturno de fresco que Manny se va.

50 Video Game Characters: 8

"I just locked an open door. Strange, yet symbolically compelling"



8. Manny Calavera(Grim Fandango)

Manny Calavera is your average working stiff. Also he's Death.

Well, he's not the only Death. Since so many people die every day, the Department of Death hires multiple Reapers to escort the many lost souls from the living world to the Land of the Dead. And it's not like Manny even wanted to be Death, he's paying off a debt.

After swiping one of his co-worker's clients, Manny stumbles upon a conspiracy by the department to keep express client tickets for the Ninth Underworld and instead give them to mob boss Hector LeMans.

Over the course of a four-year journey(where we gain control of him every Novemeber 2, the Day of the Dead), Manny, accompanied by his best friend and driver, a speed demon by the name of Glottis, and Mercedes Calomar, the client Manny stole, tries to both complete his job of getting Meche to the Ninth Underworld and to topple LeMans' plans.

Manny's charm, wit, dashing Spanish accent and problem-solving skills transform him from your regular grim spectre into a suave film noir detective, no matter how reluctant he may be.

Best moment: At the end of year 1, Manny finds himself in the small port town of Rubacava. By the time we see him next November, the town has grown considerably, thanks in part to a cool nightclub that Manny himself runs.

50 Video Game Characters: 9

"Yes, we all work on the road crew. Our backs are killing us"



9. G-Men (Psychonauts)

Have you seen them? Lurking around the neighborhood? The road crew workers, the helicopter pilots, the assassins, even the grieving widows. All of them, not as they seem. What do they know? What are they looking for? What do they know about the Milkman?

In the watchman's twisted reality, these robotic secret agents lurk everywhere in a seemingly idyllic neighborhood. Seizing and interrogating anyone who walks into their vicinity, it would take only the strongest Psychonaut agent to infiltrate their group. That and a well-timed prop.

The G-Men take control of Boyd's mind searching every nook and cranny for the mysterious Milkman who is the key to something, clearly. Do not trust them, do not trust the Rainbow Squirts, do not even trust yourself.

In this neighborhood, trust is a lie.

Best moment: Practically any time they open their mouths, making generic observations of the personalities they are pretending to be.

50 Video Game Characters: 10

"Groovy!"



10. Earthworm Jim (Earthworm Jim)

Once an ordinary earthworm living in the southern United States, Jim's life changed when intergalactic bounty hunter Psy-Crow accidentally lost an ultra-high-tech-indestructible-super-space-cyber-suit that landed in Jim's area. Fleeing a flock of hungry birds, he sought refuge in the closest hiding place he could find: the suit. The powerful atomic particles of the super suit caused Jim to grow and evolve at an alarming rate and thus intergalactic space hero Jim was born.

It's hard not to appreciate Jim for what he is at face value. He's extremely silly and that's how he was designed. I'm not going to go in great detail about why Earthworm Jim is, because he's one of those characters you see and immediately enjoy. It's a worm in a space suit with a big raygun. What more do you want?

Best moment: His transformation into Blind Sally the cave salamander in the bizarre and beautiful Villi People level of Earthworm Jim 2. Basically I could just put "Villi People" and everyone who played the game would understand.

50 Video Game Characters: 11

"I've learned something...I'm not living unless I'm in battle"



11. Big Boss/Naked Snake (Metal Gear)

A young ex-Green Beret by the name of John, codenamed "Naked Snake," is tasked with extracting defecting Soviet scientist Nikolai Sokolov. Later on, he betrays his clone son by trying to kill him with a Metal Gear. Then he hugs him when they're both old, and then he dies.

Oh yeah, some stuff happened in between that was sort of important. As important as Solid Snake is to the Metal Gear universe, Naked Snake is probably even more so. He starts as our mentor Big Boss in the original Metal Gear game before he reveals Outer Heaven was his idea to begin with, so soldiers always have a place to fight, a Militaires Sans Frontieres, if you will. Snake is forced to kill his traitorous mentor. Then he comes back a second time and he has to be killed again. Then he reappeared in Metal Gear Solid 4, still alive. The man is practically unkillable.

But hey flashback to 1964 and Big Boss is just Naked Snake, being forced to do the same thing his son did: kill his mentor. On Operation: Snake Eater, he's betrayed by the Boss and is charged with finding and killing her. By the time the deed is done, he's got a new title and has lost an eye. Over the course of a couple more games, Big Boss creates an army and forms what would become Outer Heaven. Somewhere down the line, he loses a screw and goes overboard with it.

Or does he? Turns out, he was forming an army and Metal Gearing up to stage a coup against his former boss, Major Zero, who he formed the Patriots with. In the end, he was just sacrificing himself as a scapegoat to stop a dangerous power.

And we shot him in the face with rockets.

Best moment: His heartbreaking salute to the grave of an unknown patriot.

50 Video Game Characters: 12

12. Big Daddy (Bioshock)

Lurking beneath the waters of the Atlantic Ocean lay the city of Rapture. Inside said city resides frightening monsters in deformed diving suits. This is the Big Daddy.

Heavily spliced and physically grafted to their antique atmospheric armor, Big Daddies were once human, but whatever once made them human has been stripped from them. Their bodies changed in horrific ways, their vocal chords ripped so they can only emit a whale song-like noise and, of course, mentally conditioned to protect the ADAM harvesting Little Sister.

Rosies, Bouncers, Alpha series, all Big Daddies present a physical representation of the paradoxical morality of Rapture and Bioshock itself. Andrew Ryan's desire to free himself and others from the shackles of government and church oppression lead to the creation of the Big Daddies, humans which are mindlessly enslaved to assist Little Sisters(also programmed, to harvest from corpses) in the collection of ADAM.

Yet when playing as an Alpha series in Bioshock 2, pair-bonded to Eleanor Lamb, the Big Daddy-Little Sister relationship becomes almost simultaneously more alien and more human. Subject Delta needs Eleanor to live, that's how his body was conditioned. Suddenly, living as a Daddy, you understand why they did what they did. It's not just programming, it's caring. Sure, for Subject Delta it's a literal and metaphorical bonding to his Little Sister, the child he looks after, but the other Big Daddies don't have pair bonding. So why do they look after just one Little Sister? It's caring. Because it's still human.

Beneath the Atlantic Ocean is Rapture. Inside Rapture is the Big Daddy. And inside the Big Daddy, is a person.

Best moment: The shocking transformation you take near the end of Bioshock 1, where you explore the compound that creates the Big Daddy. And you become one yourself.

50 Video Game Characters: 13

"Get a load of this!"



13. Dr. Robotnik (Sonickal Hedgeman)

Sonic the Hedgehog is a destructive force of nature. Aside from being faster than the human eye, once thought a scientific impossibility for a creature his size, he is also a vicious eco-terrorist, going to any means to destroy all of Ivo Robotnik's(alias Dr. Eggman) technological advancements.

Despite Robotnik attempting to further Mobius'(or Earth or wherever the fuck) into the 21st century, Sonic, like a violent Luddite, seeks to destroy all that he, as a hedgehog, does not and refuses to understand. And even when Robotnik tries to make something for all, like a family themed park dubbed Eggmanland, Sonic still barges in and destroys it all before it can be opened for the public to enjoy.

Effortlessly marching forward, Robotnik ceases to give up, much like his grandfather Gerald, a forefather of bioengineering. Persevere, Ivo, your time will come soon enough.

Best moment:

50 Video Game Characters: 14

14. King Dedede (Kirby's Dream Land)

The monarchy of Nintendo games seem to differ greatly from the standard monarchy. I'm not sure what duties the King of the Koopas is meant to perform, but it's probably...I dunno, turtley? I'm gonna go with turtley.

Regardless, Dedede is a penguin and he rules Dream Land somehow. Does he come from a long line of penguin kings or did he stage or coup to overthrow the previous king? Was the previous king a tern? I'm delving too deep into Kirby canon.

Much in the same way that Kirby is a lawful glutton, eating all he sees to further the cause of good(and because he likes food), Dedede is an evil glutton. Arrogant and greedy, Dedede began his semi-antagonistic streak by feeding his appetite through forcing his army of Waddle Dees, Bronto Burts, Gordos, etc. to snatch up all the food in Dream Land.

While Dedede may seem like purely a bad guy, he is a lot deeper of a character than he seems. Despite his flaws, he is determined to protect Dream Land for his people, going so far as to break apart the Star Rod and gaining full control of the Fountain of Dreams. While this would at first seem like another selfish act, as it left the citizens unable to dream, Dedede had actually done this to keep the people from experiencing the monstrous Nightmares living within the Fountain. Also he's been possessed a lot.

So for all his scheming and dickishness, Dedede is a p. cool guy. The p stands for penguin. He's penguin cool.

Best moment: That thing he does where he sucks in air and floats around. That's p. cool. That p stands for pretty.

50 Video Game Characters: 15

"Humans were never meant to bring each other happiness. From the moment we are thrown into this world, we bring each other nothing but pain and misery"



15. Psycho Mantis (Metal Gear Solid)

Every member of FOXHOUND was a bit different. Sure, Sniper Wolf was an expert at long-range battle and Revolver Ocelot could do the spinny thing, but Psycho Mantis? Dude was the master of mindfuckery. He will destroy you without ever having to see you or touch you.

A former KGB agent, Mantis moved to the States after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He found work in the FBI, where he would probe the minds of suspected killers to judge whether or not they committed the crime. He eventually dove too deep and went insane, and a psychotic psychic is probably the worst thing to ever be a thing.

Mantis was a beast on all levels, attacking both physically and mentally. Even unstoppable in death, Mantis was able to harness his psychic abilities as a part of Screaming Mantis' brain and is even shown behind the lady Mantis, presumably pulling the strings.

Psycho Mantis presented the player with something they had never seen before: a villain who not only was bent on beating the protagonist, but on beating you, the player, as well. He knows you're pulling the strings and he wants to stop it.

Best moment: His numerous mind tricks where he

50 Video Game Characters: 16

"I'm selling these fine leather jackets"



16. Guybrush Threepwood (The Secret of Monkey Island)

Have you met someone so inept, so monumentally clumsy, that their own awkwardness comes off as charming? Because that's Guybrush Threepwood.

With a name derived half from his sprite file and half from a P.G. Wodehouse character, Guybrush plays the role of the protagonist throughout the Monkey Island games, evolving from inept teenager with dreams of being a mighty pirate into an inept mighty pirate with better problem solving skills than swordfighting. While he tends to get into a lot of danger(as is such with the pirate life), he luckily can rely on his much more skilled significant other, pirate governess Elaine Marley, to get him out of scrapes.

What he lacks in grace, he makes up in brains. Kind of. More often than not, he defeats the ghost pirate LeChuck through sheer luck and usually by accident at that. While LeChuck may see him as a threat, the rest of us treat Guybrush as the bumbling swashbuckler(swashbumbler) that he is.

Best moment: Any time he gets to show off his unparalelled skills in the art of insult fighting.

50 Video Game Characters: 17

17. Pyramid Head (Silent Hill 2)

Fear is one of those things that could be considered a great unifier. Whether it be a fear of heights, the dark, or just the unknown, we are all afraid of something. Well, what if our fears could manifest themselves into our greatest nightmares? Unfortunately for James Sunderland, his guilt has caused him to come to the town of Silent Hill and those fears are about to become more real than he can ever imagine.

The meanest of those is Pyramid Head, a massive hulking pale monster with a triangular helmet. A creature representing James' desire for punishment and his guilt over the death of his wife. While other monsters have a more feminine appearance, Pyramid Head is undoubtedly masculine. A manly tormentor hellbent on punishing James for his misdeeds.

Best moment: The brutal rape and murder of two Mannequins in his first appearance. It's a frightening scene that solidifies that not only is he a beastly monster, he's also powerful enough to overtake other monsters.

50 Video Game Characters: 18

"Okay...the key to surviving situations like this is to avoid phrases like, 'it's too quiet in here' or 'everything's going to be alright'."



18. Captain Qwark (Ratchet and Clank)

There is an old saying, "There's no such thing as bad publicity." Captain Qwark is the living embodiment of that. Qwark will do anything for cash and fame, even if it means siding with the forces of evil.

But of course, beneath the machismo and feats of daring do that he does, is a coward. A wolf in hero's clothing. Well, not really a wolf, per se. While Qwark is a deluded, selfish butt, he's just trying to save himself. By any means necessary.

Qwark does eventually come to terms with his cowardice and, while he's still a big dumb weenie, he realizes he should at least side with the good guys instead of trying to save his hide with baddies. For being a big dumb moron in green spandex, Qwark isn't a bad guy, really. He's just careful. And dumb. Really, really dumb.

Best moment: His myraid of uninspired disguises, most famously Steve McQwark, which is just a fake moustache.

50 Video Game Characters: 19

"Now I know you blind, man - but you gotta see this"



19. Carl Johnson (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas)

Growing up in gang-infested Los Santos, Carl "CJ" Johnson had no choice but to be wrapped up in the Grove Street Families business. But after the death of his brother Brian, CJ resolved to get out at age 18, moving to Liberty City on the east coast. But after the death of his mom(s)(notice a pattern forming?) five years later, Carl is forced back for the funeral and after seeing drugs running rampant in his city, he decides to stay and help out the Family.

Over the course of the game, Carl goes from small-time hoodlum, robbing houses and shooting rival gangs, to some big time shit. He manages a rapper(who's career he ruined earlier), he robs a casino in a big time heist, he invades a secret govenment facility for a jetpack. San Andreas, if you haven't gathered yet, is a pretty wild game, especially if you consider past game, which didn't have much diversity in terms of activity and vehicles.

Speaking of diversity, Carl Johnson is also a fairly positive depiction of a black man. At least in video games, where most of them are mainly gangsters. I mean yeah Carl is still a gangster but he aims not to bring people down, but to bring them up. To get rid of drugs and bring the GSF back together and all that good shit. Plus he's more of a step up in terms of character than previous GTA protagonists(an angry, unlikeable Italian and a nondescript mute white guy) and it gave Rockstar the go ahead to put more diversification into the game. Since then we've had a boring Serbian man, a Jewish biker and a Dominican bodyguard/business partner to a fairly non-stereotypical gay nightclub owner. Good on you guys.

Best moment: Basically planning to rob a casino for 1/3rd of the entire damn game all by himself. That takes some fucking brains.