Favorite Video Game Characters

[Interdimensional Observer]

Simple enough, just a topic for expressing your particular likings for any video game character(s).

Do refrain from stating your least favorites/hated characters- don't want to flood this topic with negativity (you can respond to someone else's opinions though, just keep it civil).

 

First, the Anguished One from Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2- my current avatar character. Though he does do a few questionable things (like threatening to kill Otome), I love him overall. He's fascinated with humanity and has watched over them for millennia- his only wish is to see them be free to explore and develop their boundless existential potential to its fullest. I envy him, and his route is my favorite of the 4~5 selectable (haven't played Record Breaker- so I don't know the Triangulum plot at all).

Also on the SMT side, of the more important demons, I like Mastema and Lucifer (but not SMTIV Lucifer!)- even though my days of romanticizing them have passed. Another demon favorite would be Loki in his smiling blue-skinned design (not the older purple one) because it perfectly blends the spirit of his ancient mythos with modern design. On the human characters, Atsuro is a very good "bro" character, and Jungo is endearing in his simplicity and innocence.

For some reason I can't get over Odin Sphere- the game has just stuck with me. In particular I love Mercedes- she's fun in gameplay with her crossbow and flight making her very different from the other four playable characters (she's kinda broken). In plot, her story isn't anything original- her mother dies 5 seconds in, and then she over seven short chapters matures from a princess-now-queen unwilling to take responsibility, into a true leader who confronts her mother's killer and defeats him in battle for all to see. She's a good female lead, with romance playing only a small role in her storyline (but the bit we get becomes quite touching when Armageddon rolls around), and my only criticism is her shorts need a couple extra inches (which is less in adjustments than what Velvet's attire requires). The other PCs are likable too with their own gameplay fun (Cornelius probably comes in 2nd place- he has Alm's Scendscale plus lots more). I thought Ingway and Odin on the NPC side were solid too.

Melia from Xenoblade Chronicles is a fairly sympathetic character- a generic princess like Mercedes, but she gets a lot of bad things thrown her way over the game. She's fun to play as too, I like how the developers developed her arts selection.

Guillo from Baten Kaitos: Origins is a very quirky but strong character. He's a weird blue robot thing with stretchy arms, a two-toned voice- one male and the other female, a temper, and interesting word choices. All of his magic-laden attacks look awesome and several target all enemies, so he destroys normal battles. In particular, his ultimate Ex Combo Frigid Queen's Festival is wickedly powerful and one of the flashiest attacks ever seen on the Gamecube.

Prince Weiss from the rare Wii JRPG Arc Rise Fantasia, despite coming off as a little edgy/evil when doing so doesn't do him any good, was well done in this Tales wannabe game. I named my EOU2 Sovereign (male with blue hair- the FE fan in me) after him and his brother Alphonse (Alveiss).

Edited June 11, 2017 by Interdimensional Observer

[Elincia]

I've explained my love for Elincia in a favorite FE character thread, but just to sum it up, I love her for the fact that she's such a divergence of the typical naive Princess trope, and is a great representation of what a strong female character should be.

One of my all time favorites though would have to be Geralt of Rivia from the Witcher series. He doesn't go out of his way to get involved in things that dont concern him and doesnt always play the hero. He's a professional, not a hero, and he choses not to concern himself with petty quarrels. He's, imo, one the best morally grey characters out there.

[Azz]

Oh God is this a horrible questions cause there are so many fucking characters to choose from. However, if I were to pick a favourite, I'd have to say Yuna from FFX.

First off I'll start with her design. IMO, she is a very well designed character, especially in her original FFX appearance. While I do like her FFX-2 design, I think it pales in comparison to her beautiful and elegant kimono esc outfit that is beautifully design and has great colour co-ordination. Her heterochromia also makes her quite unique as it a feature that you don't tend to see in characters and it isn't just there for the sake of it, but it represents how she is half Al-Bhed.

As for her combat utility, she is a basic white mage, being your main healer, however, she is also a summoner. Not only does this make her very interesting since in most FF games, summoners are typical a unique class role that only one or two characters have. What also makes Yuna a very interesting summoner is her relationship with her Aeons, whom she summons. Unlike in most games where you don't typically see the summoner and summoned beast have a connection, Yuna does have with hers and you can especially fell it at the end of the game where Yuna has to ultimately...

Spoiler

Sacrifice all of her Aeons whom she had to travel all around Spira to get to aid her so she can end the cycle of Sin and save Spira.

It really made me actually feel for the Aeons this time and by God did the end of the game leave me shattered.

Her role in the story is pretty integral as she is pretty much the main character of the game. While Tidus most certainly has his spotlight, without Yuna the game wouldn't function. Yuna really helps advance the plot in 95% of the time. During the story we see how she is an incredibly strong young girl who sets off on a pilgrimage in order to defeat Sin, much like her father, in order to bring in a new Calm for the people of Spira, despite well knowing what will happen once she defeats Sin..

Spoiler

That she will die and that Sin will inevitably return.

This really paints Yuna as selfless and compassionate person since she is willing to give up so much in order to bring peace. And then, once the corrupt Yevon church's dark side is finally revealed, we see her struggle to accept that an order with which she was very faithful too,

Spoiler

Willing to die for

is just so corrupt, we see how she gets up and decides she will carve a new path and how she will Sin, and will do so permanently and that she will no longer be a puppet for Yevon.

Her relationships are also something that really define her.

With Wakka and Lulu, we see how she looks at them like elder siblings and deeply cares for them as they do her.

With Kimahri, we see his softer side and how he truly wants to protect her and how Yuna has a respect for him.

With Rikku, we see Yuna's lighter younger side, a side we don't typically see due to how seriously Yuna takes her mission.

With Auron, we are able to see a somewhat father-daughter kind of relationship and how Yuna has the utmost respect for Auron and also how Auron is willing to do anything for Yuna.

And finally, with Tidus, we see a beautiful, blossoming relationship in which we can truly see how two teens, both in horrible circumstances can come together and support and love one another despite their ultimate destinies. It is truly beautiful.

This is why, Yuna is my favourite character in all of gaming.

[Etrurian emperor]

To many to list but Pit from Kid Icarus deserves a very strong mention.

In Kid Icarus no character ever stays silent and through those loads of dialogues Pit consistently comes off as very endearing. He's always nice, makes a lot of puns, witty remarks and sarcastic complains, frequently shows boyish enthusiasm despite nobody in the game ever respecting him and his relation with his boss is very sweet. 

But there is also some more depth to the seemingly rather standard anime hero. Behind his cocky nature lies some insecurity, especially when Palutena isn't around, his dumb anime hero is less restrained then one like Goku but at the same time it also makes him somewhat handicapped in his heroism if he doesn't have mission control to hold his hand, and its implied his 100% adoration of Palutena may not be as healthy as he thinks it is. 

[Dengres]

56 minutes ago, Elincia said:

I've explained my love for Elincia in a favorite FE character thread, but just to sum it up, I love her for the fact that she's such a divergence of the typical naive Princess trope, and is a great representation of what a strong female character should be.

Pretty much this. I love how Elincia grows from this naive Princess.

 

Also I really like Arthas from the Warcraft Universe. I think his fall from this Prince who only has the best of his people in mind to the King of Undead is pretty well told. I love it to bits at least.

[Slumber]

Just off the top of my head:

Jill Valentine was the first to come to mind. I don't know why she was first, but man, I really like Jill Valentine. Playing Resident Evil 3 when I was probably 9 with my friend in his basement were some great memories, and I've been a fan of Jill since. She's also the one I go to when it comes to Resident Evil in general, which is one of my favorite franchises. I fucking hate Leon, since he has no consistent character, and seems to just be whatever the developers want him to be with no rhyme or reason, Chris is the only RE character with an actual character arc, but he himself is pretty bland, Claire's fine, but her presence in the overall franchise is pretty minimal, and I don't know what to say about anyone else, since every other protagonist only shows up once.

Zidane Tribal from FF9 is up there, too. Of all the FF protagonists, I think he has the best balance of "actually likable personality" with "legitimate identity crisis", which tends to be big for FF characters. He's upbeat, without ever being so upbeat that he comes off as inconsiderate or ignorant of how social cues actually works, and he was a nice break from the moody protagonists that we got with Squall and Cloud(I still like those two, too).

The entire cast of Psychonauts... like, I'd be hard-pressed to pick a favorite. I love pretty much all of them. They're all pretty charming and unique.

Patches from... uh, From Software games. It's always fun to see him show up in the Souls games and Armored Core, the fucking prick. Special shoutout to Patches from Bloodborne. That caught me off guard.

Garrus from Mass Effect. A lot of great characters in the original trilogy, but Garrus is just a total bro. I like that his character arc is shaped by Shepherd's, moreso than any of the other companions. His tends to be a lot more subtle, since he'll start doing/sounding more renegade if Shepherd does, more paragon is Shepherd does.

Edited June 11, 2017 by Slumber

[Anacybele]

Luigi is the one I have to mention first! I practically grew up with him rather than Mario. He was the first video game character I grew really fond of and played as every moment I could. I liked his jumping ability more than Mario's and I like green more than red. :P And then I only loved him more when he got his own games (the Luigi's Mansion games) and more personality. He's so funny! Luigi is always the best green bro ever. Luigi #1!

Ike is up there with him too though, and I've explained lots of times why I love him. I respect his character and morals a lot, I really like how he deviates away from the typical royal/noble FE lord, he's just well written in general, his design is awesome, he's just a badass in general, and I also think he's incredibly HOT in RD. <3 He's also really fun to play in Smash, but that's a more minor thing. :P

I also really like Vaati and Ghirahim from the Zelda series. Best villains ever! And I normally don't really dig characters like Ghirahim much, but he was, well, fabulous. :P

Daisy from the Mario gang and Skyward Sword Zelda are my favorite females. They're both just so adorbs. Daisy is also super cute and wears yellow (one of my favorite colors) and ISN'T an annoying princess that goes "Mario, save me!" all the time. I do wish she would appear as a playable character in games like SM3D World though. >_> Skyward Sword Zelda is just awesome and I love how she stands up for Link all the time. You usually see the reverse, the guy defending the girl. But no, Zelda is the one going "leave him alone or else!" and that makes her awesome. Girls can defend guys if they need to, guys don't always have to be the savior. It's amusingly ironic too, since Link is supposed to be the hero. XD SS Zelda has a cute design too! I like her dress.

[carefreejules]

Simply put, Yoshi will always have a special place in my heart.

Thanks for getting me into video games, buddy \ o /

[Skynstein]

Among Nintendo folk it's definitely Falco.

[OakTree]

Kirby, King Dedede and Meta Knight.

Name a more iconic trio, i'll wait.

Memes aside, i have loved the Kirby franchise for a long time now, those games can bring a smile to my face in a way most other franchises just can't, and the memorable cartoony characters definetly help with that, all of them are fun characters on their own right, hell, Dedede and Meta Knight feel like they could easily be the protagonists of their own platforming franchises, that's just how great they are.

 

Another character who deserves mention is Amaterasu from Okami, Okami is my favorite game of all time so i might be a little biased, but i find it breathtaking how much personality they managed to give her despite her not having a single line of dialogue. She is a loveable silly furball but also a poweful, graceful goddess at the same time.

 

Also, i am a Touhou fan, and like most Touhou fans, i have a favorite character, people who look at my profile screen can see that it's Toyosatomimi no Miko, i love Miko for many reasons, but the biggest one is probably her desire for more wisdom and knowledge, there are a lot of characters in media who pursuit knowledge and are presented as either insane or a little weird, Miko however is presented as a person who has the occasional smug moment but who, for the most part, remains friendly and casual towards others.

[thr0w4w4y10120]

Pikachu always has a place in my heart since my first ever game was Pokemon Yellow. I mained Pikachu in Smash 64 cause I'm a jerk who likes top tiers.

Honorable mentions:

I'm a Sheik main in melee. I'm not huge on Zelda and I barely remember her from OoT but gawd I love cheesing gimps with her.

Kirby was my first ever tournament character back in Brawl. Thank you Gonzo combo and Chu's infamous red kirby.

I hated her actual personality in the game but Agnes from bravely default is super hot.

[SoulWeaver]

Welp, gotta say I love most all the Heroines from Conception 2 for various reasons, but I'll keep it down to only describing what I like about three of them to keep this post nice and short-ish. I'll advise against the younger folks playing the game before anything else, though.

First off must of course be the ever adorable Torri Feiiji, who in addition to her character and weaponry also seems to be wearing a not-super-subtle reference to Monokuma, so anyone who knows about Danganropa will probably be able to appreciate her just from her basic color scheme(or lack thereof). As your average girl-raised-in-a-lab-with-no-parents, Torri misses out on several social cues that should seem fairly obvious, usually with adorable results. She also greatly values friendship and promises, and, somewhat typical for someone with as childlike a personality as she is, seems to believe that she must try to fulfill the wishes of her friends - no matter how impossible it may be for her - in order to retain the friendships she makes. As if this wasn't enough to make you love her to death, her voice is probably the most innocent I've ever heard a 16-year-old sound and if it doesn't melt your heart when combined with seeing the little pose she does when happy(it looks like she's trying not to squee if you know what that is) then I personally think there's something wrong with you, although I also can't remember when my opinion's mattered for anything so yeah. One last tidbit to add to all this is the fact that her weapon is a freakin' portable gatling gun. So she's an adorable girl. With a gatling gun. Did I mention she's adorable?

Next up would probably have to be Serina Leaf, the Tsundere. 'Nuff said. A fierce 18-year-old with a height and bust complex, she comes across as somewhat frightening quite a bit of the time due to her situationally short temper, but definitely has some rose petals to go with all the thorns, assuming you can get past the biggest thorn, her weapon - an interesting leg device called a 'kick-gun' that should function in a fairly obvious fashion all things considered. One of my favorite parts of her character is her somewhat stereotypical obsession with milk, apparently fairly common among characters with the same complexes as she has. I know that's kind of weird to say, but it's hilarious to see her freaking out about milk, and it only gets better when the main character wonders aloud in a conversation with her if a part of the reason one of their classmates has such an amazing figure is because her family sends her so much cheese - enter the quote "But that makes sense - what if cheese unlocks all the hidden power of milk?!" which makes me laugh every time and will probably end up in my sig at some point. In the end, fans of Severa and Selena will probably like Serina for her similar personality, plus there's a special surprise in her storyline that I won't spoil but makes for some…interesting waifu situation possibilities.

Finally, there's Fuuko Amicus, who says "I'm average at everything I do" as her best self-description. Obviously there's something super special awesome unique about her, and there is but I won't go into that because spoilers. Easily the closest to 'normal' any of the Heroines gets, Fuuko is almost a grounding character in a game full of otherworldliness thanks to her relative normality - when you're fighting demon monsters made from the dark desires of human hearts with small children warriors that were born literally yesterday and call you 'daddy' then an average teenage girl can be a refreshing change of pace, even if her hair is in my opinion unrealistically long and her guns questionably functioning. Fuuko also hits kind of close to home for me with her insistence that she's a "Bad Girl" because of something she's done in the past that none of us would blame her for, particularly as I have the same issue of mentally beating myself up for tiny things I've done in the past and trying to blow off compliments I receive because of the things I see wrong with myself that nobody else even knows about, much less would find fault with me for. I also relate to her apparent laziness brought on by living on her own - her description of a typical after-school routine is "Read some comics, listen to music, then fall asleep." and she describes said routine as not the best way to be spending her time. I think I'd have to say Fuuko ends up being my overall favorite Heroine of the entire game.

[Armagon]

I have too many favorite characters to list them all but i will list a few

• I love the cast of Xenoblade Chronicles but my favorite among them has to be Dunban. Dunban is actually pretty badass. I love how he's capable of fighting with his non-dominant left hand after his right one was damaged from overusing the Monado. Also, his Talent Art, Blossom Dance, is just amazing. Say it with me everybody: "BORN IN A WORLD OF STRIFE! AGAINST THE ODDS! WE CHOOSE TO FIGHT! BLOSSOM DANCE!"
• While there isn't a whole lot to his character, i do like Gunvolt from the Azure Striker Gunvolt series. I typically don't play a whole lot of indie games but the Gunvolt series was my first and is currently my favorite indies series. Gunvolt himself isn't too interesting as a character, he has nice and occasionally funny interactions with his friends. For example, Gunvolt's lightning powers run on EP, which he can recharge whenever he wants, as much as he wants, all while doing a pose (this makes his Prevasion -his ability to negate all damage- extremely OP). When asked why he does the pose, he admits that he does it because he thinks it makes him look cool. I also find it interesting how he's merciless to his enemies, yet he would sometimes try to get them to surrender instead, showing that he would prefer not to kill. Of course, most of the time, he has to kill his enemies, mainly because they shoot first.
• Joule and Lola from the Azure Striker Gunvolt series, mainly because the songs they sing are beautiful.
• In Fire Emblem, Alm, Celica, and Roy are my favorite Lords. Outside of the Lords, my favorite characters are Azura, Tobin, Gray, Dieck, Florina, Joshua, and Lyon. I have more favorite characters but they would take too long to list and explain them all.
• Skull Kid. He was always my favorite Zelda villain. Also, Majora's Mask bias.
• The entire cast of Kid Icarus Uprising. 

Edited June 12, 2017 by Armagon

[henrymidfields]

@Azz: Although for a different reason, I'm also a fan for Yuna when I played FFX and FFX-2. Though it is more a case of how she grew up and adjusted to the newfound freedom she came across in FFX-2. Her in X-2 alone, and the entire game in general may look rather too saccharine and too silly on their own, but considering how messed up Spira was in FFX, and how Spira (and to an extent, Yuna) earned their freedom from Sin at the end of FFX, Yuna trying to enjoy her freedom more in FFX-2 was heartwarming.

The entire cast of Fire Emblem 6, as they introduced me to the Fire Emblem franchise that I have known and loved. They (and the entire franchise for that matter) have much deeper and more nuanced characterization that any other Nintendo franchise I came across. Particularly Lilina, who was my first example of a strong, yet sweet heroine before I really get to know Caeda, the very first example of a strong, yet feminine heroine. (Seriously, why the fuck Caeda isn't in Smash, and that stupid damsel scrappy is!? She's the main heroine representative of the entire FE Franchise!!!)

Rosa and Serena in the Pokémon games are also strong contenders for my favourite heroines. The sheer hilarity and awesomeness in looking really goofy (courtesy of her hairstyle), yet having such a badass career of being a Pokémon Champion, a property mogul (Join Avenue), and a movie star (Pokestar Studios). Serena also eventually being the champion in the games and, on the other hand, having the classiest outfit of all of the player characters.

And Ganondorf in Hyrule Warriors is just pure awesome. I know, I know, he's the arrogant bad guy all right. But let's not forget that, during his invasion against Hyrule, and his open battle against Link, Ganon had a lot more going against himself compared to his other incarnations in the other games, and regardless, actually won outright. (Even better, he, the villain, was the protagonist during that arc - another rare moment in the Zelda franchise.)

Surprisingly, I've been a long time fan for Yoshi...and I still am, unlike other characters in the Mario franchise. He still has the adorable charm without any of the utterly retarded characterisation that two (possibly three) of the rest of main cast in the same franchise have.

[Zera]

KIRBY
He is round, the perfect shape
He is pink, the perfect color.
He has infinite power.
He has a kind and gentle soul.
He has good taste.
He is adorable.
He is... The Perfect Character™

[Thane]

Kreia. A blind, one-handed, creepy, old woman who manipulates everyone and tugs at the strings of the plot, complete with fantastic voice acting. I'm not very interested in Star Wars, but holy shit. She also has a certain line that more video game villains should take to heart.

The original Ace Attorney crew is also together one of the most fleshed-out, likeable and overall well-written bunch I can think of.

Edited June 13, 2017 by Thane

[blah the Prussian]

Right, let's do this:

First off, Princess Melia from Xenoblade. People have already said the reasons why, but I especially like that she never really grows into her role as Empress in that she decides to live up to it. Her character arc rather takes the notion that she will rule her people as a given and focuses on her internal struggle to accept that to herself. I also do think there's another element to her relationship with Shulk that doesn't get discussed as much: they can't be together because he'll grow old and die and she'll still be in her twenties in human years. Overall one of the most legitimately admirable fictional characters.

Second, the Boss from Metal Gear Solid 3. Everything great about her is a spoiler for one of the best game stories ever, so I won't spoil it, but play MGS3, seriously.

Thirdly, basically a tie between every The World Ends With You character. They're funny, well developed, well written, likeable, etc. That game really masters the ability to switch between seriousness and silliness, which I value a lot in writing.

Fourth, well, Thane already beat me to Kreia, but Bastila from the first KOTOR game is an enjoyable character in her own right.

Fifth, Miles Edgeworth. His character development is great, and I'd argue enhanced by the fifth case of the first game, and he's a total badass. No joke, he's 90% of the reason I wanted to be a prosecutor as a kid. Well, I want to be a historian now, but I don't know if that conviction can survive another Edgeworth. It's a good thing for my love of history that Edgeworth hasn't been topped in Ace Attorney(and likely never will, with his creator no longer writing).

Finally, I love Sanaki. Thirteen year old female Mikhail Gorbachev for the win! Honestly, though, in some ways Sanaki has to go through even more crap as Empress than Melia does, because Sanaki has to deal with her own people hating her. I suppose I like her for all the potential she has as a POV character; how does she feel about her father figure being an omnicidal maniac? How does she rule Begnion after RD? If there is ever a third Tellius game it should be with Sanaki as a focus.

[Thane]

35 minutes ago, blah the Prussian said:

Fourth, well, Thane already beat me to Kreia, but Bastila from the first KOTOR game is an enjoyable character in her own right.

Fifth, Miles Edgeworth. His character development is great, and I'd argue enhanced by the fifth case of the first game, and he's a total badass. No joke, he's 90% of the reason I wanted to be a prosecutor as a kid. Well, I want to be a historian now, but I don't know if that conviction can survive another Edgeworth. It's a good thing for my love of history that Edgeworth hasn't been topped in Ace Attorney(and likely never will, with his creator no longer writing).

I see you're a man of culture as well.

[SoulWeaver]

9 hours ago, henrymidfields said:

And Ganondorf in Hyrule Warriors is just pure awesome. I know, I know, he's the arrogant bad guy all right. But let's not forget that, during his invasion against Hyrule, and his open battle against Link, Ganon had a lot more going against himself compared to his other incarnations in the other games, and regardless, actually won outright. (Even better, he, the villain, was the protagonist during that arc - another rare moment in the Zelda franchise.)

Don't forget the hair - Rest In Peace, the canonity of The Mane.

[henrymidfields]

7 hours ago, SoulWeaver said:

Don't forget the hair - Rest In Peace, the canonity of The Mane.

*sighs*...Man, if only Nintendo would take their words back and actually incorporate Hyrule Warriors into its official Zeldaverse history, then absolutely everything about that franchise would be absolutely golden to the seams.

I also forgot, ever since I've been doing my LP for Fates Conquest (see my signature), Arthur is my proud patriot. Not just that, but I also like how he doesn't go too much into "Mighty Whitey" territory. In addition, unlike another butt monkey guy in the Nintendo franchise who pretty much deserves every bad luck he gets for being the worst kind of coward, Arthur's butt-monkey tendencies is something that I do enjoy in terms of story. It's one of those things where I just have to pity him for having it so hard, admire him for not giving up on life regardless, and laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of his bad luck, all at the same time.

Edited June 14, 2017 by henrymidfields

[MediocreLee]

*Clears throat*

• Just to get it out of the way, Ike is one of my favorite video game characters for a lot of reasons.  But to simplify it all, he's a character that I looked up to as a kid and still do to this day.  His story and personality are all really great in my opinion and he's just an overall character that I can really gel with.
• Strider Hiryu is another one of my favorite characters.  I've played all of the Strider games and I get extremely excited when I see him in an MvC game.  He's almost always on my MvC teams, no matter which one, and I can't wait to play him so more in MvC: Infinite.
• While a not well received game and a rather underdeveloped character, Z.W.E.I. is my absolute favorite character from the Soul Calibur series for a couple of reasons.  I really like his design and playstyle.  What little story we got of him, he was pretty cool.  And he was also the guy who got me to win a couple of Soul Calibur V tournaments when I used to compete a lot.
• Persona 5 is my favorite Persona game now, but Akihiko from Persona 3 will forever be my favorite Persona character.  He's just such an interesting character with a really cool personality.  Calm, collected, yet can get flustered depending on the situation.  I also have a slight affinity for characters that use their fists to fight.  His backstory and resolve are all things I really like about him too.
• Phoenix Wright is a character that I feel like I can really relate to, but I'm not quite sure why.  But he is one of my favorites because he's internally sarcastic and has also had his ups and downs in life.  I think something I really like about him and his story is that it always seems like everyone is against him, but he proves himself over and over again like the underdog he is.
• Sissel from Ghost Trick is such a cool character.  I generally just love the intertwining story that Ghost Trick has and just the fact that Sissel plays such an integral part of unraveling it is really fun to experience.  Sissel is generally a cool character too.
• Capcom's poster boy Ryu is a huge favorite of mine because I feel like he symbolizes fighting games all on his own and despite his rather simplistic design, he looks really cool andhotRyuishot.  He's my main for any Street Fighter game, even though I'm not quite that good at Street Fighter, and I honestly do like the story he has.
• Flik from Suikoden I and II has been a childhood favorite of mine and he continues to be a favorite of mine.  He's a good example of how you write a good character who isn't the main focal point of the story.  He's always been a solid character on my teams and I would always have him be on my team whenever I can.
• I know this might get some flak, but I really like Kasumi from Dead or Alive.  While I'm way better with Jann Lee, Kasumi is a character I can definitely gel with better.  Her design is beautiful and her story, yes there's story in Dead or Alive, is somewhat tragic.  She's such a nice, empathetic character that it really draws me in.  And I really enjoy using her in other games outside of DoA like Warriors Orochi or Ninja Gaiden.
• Kaidan from Mass Effect is so cool.  He's the unpopular choice between himself and Ashley, but honestly I just really like Kaidan way more.  He's nice and does his best in everything he does and he cares about everyone around him. He has also managed to just be a really solid teammate in every playthrough of the Mass Effect trilogy which is funny in comparison to my friends as they all have had problems with Kaidan as a teammate.
• Lastly, for here, is Tifa from Final Fantasy VII.  FF7 is not by any means my favorite Final Fantasy game, but I absolutely love Tifa because of her personality and character.  She's compassionate and always doing her best to help her friends.  She's loyal and trying to do what she believes is right.  And like I said above, I do generally like characters that use their fists to fight.

[Sentacotus]

Oh gosh I have too many to list but I'll say ones off the top of my head.

Ike from FE just liked his design character arc and the fact that he wasn't a lord or noble but still absurdly strong.  Great stats help too.

Ryu from Street Fighter.  Capcom honestly couldn't have chosen a better mascot for the series great design well rounded in game and an actually decent backstory in a fighting game

Samus from Metroid.  Again really like her backstory and how expansive it covers the metroid universe.  Strong mostly silent type (excluding Other M)

Prompto From Final Fantasy 15 humorous without being too forced, relatable, and a tragic but deep origin story.

Captain Falcon.  Cool bounty hunter racer and I'm a sucker for super hero style characters.

I'll probably add more later...

[SoulWeaver]

12 hours ago, MediocreLee said:

Capcom's poster boy Ryu

Initiate sobbing for Megaman in 3…2…1…MEGAMAN WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

[The Malign Knight]

Vaan "Ratsbane". Many people find him annoying, but I honestly can't help but love everything about him: he starts as a pretty childish boy who has to let go the Death of his Brother - who he is trying to not think about or else It makes him feel a great pain on the inside as shown

Spoiler

in the dialogue between Vaan and Basch at the Nalbina Fortress when they meet for the first time:

>Basch: Please, get me out. For the sake of Dalmasca.

>Vaan: Dalmasca!? What do you care about Dalmasca!? Everything that's happened is because of you! Everyone that's died, every single one! Even my brother-You killed my brother!

This part loses a bit without the voice acting, but in the last sentence, Vaan doesn't sounds he is angry at Basch. Instead, It feels like he is sad and is almost about to cry due to thinking about the Death of his Brother.

And well, when he kind of does, he understands that he doesn't have a place in the world - or to be more specific, he doesn't know what do with his life: he has been thinking so much about having Revenge against the empire and thinking about becoming a sky pirate that...he didn't do anything with his life. This is also why he decides to continue his journey with Ashe: he thinks that travelling with her, he will know what  he can do in his life. And in a way, he was right: as the story progresses, Vaan becomes much more mature, finding not only his "supposed" place in the world(which is also the "dream" has been using to not think about his Brother, funnily enough), but in the semi-last dungeon of the game, Vaan finally breaks himself from the chains of Reks's Death and becomes free from his past, if I may say so. But Vaan doesn't have just his character arc for me: his relationships with the some members of the cast are also great as well:

- Balthier. with this skypirate, Vaan has an interesting pupil-master relationship(altough It's something that Balthier doesn't want to admit) and when Vaan becomes a real sky pirate in Balthier's eyes, he decides to give Strahl to Vaan if he was to die like The Leading Man he is, making it the "peak" of their pupil-master relation-ship.

- Basch:  with this knight, Vaan initially doesn't have a great relation-ship and understandably so, after all

Spoiler

Basch is known as the traitor of Dalmasca at that point of the game.

However, when Basch "defends" Reks from the other "knights" talking badly about his Brother, Vaan starts to see Basch in a different light: no more as an assassin, but more like...a father. Yes, Vaan slowly starts to grow fond of  Basch, to the point that he later sees him more like a father, which is quite surprising, considiering how much Vaan hated him.

- Ashe: now, this is probably the most interesting one. Vaan and Ashe are quite similar: they both have lost someone dear to them at the hands of the Empire, both hate Basch and both want to get Revenge against the Empire. However, they don't really like each other initially: for Vaan, Ashe seems to be quite the selfish princess and, for Ashe, Vaan is more anoying than anything else, but - as you would expect - they get to know more about each other the more they travel together, with their friendship "flourishing" at Jahara and at the end of the game, where Vaan comforts her saying that she has now friends like him, Penelo and the others.

- Larsa: while It's true that penelo is his first friends, Vaan is undoubtedly the one he has the more interactions with. So, with Larsa, Vaan has a friendly relation-ship:

Spoiler

When Larsa asks to go with them at the Lhusu Mines, Vaan is the first one that accepts him in the group and in the other parts of the game, Vaan(and penelo) don't treat him as the Child of the Emperor, but more as a normal boy and friend, comforting him in the moments of need(and funnily enough ,Vaan and Penelo have such a moment in two different parts of the game: Vaan comforts him at Bur-Omisace, when Balthier tells him "Will he now? You sound sure of yourself. You can never know another, even your father."; penelo, instead, helps him at the Bahamut,, when the poor guy has assisted at the fall to madness of his Brother and at the "nearly-death" of the Gabranth,.

An interesting detail about these two is that they help develop each other: thanks to Larsa, Vaan stops holding any real grudges towards the Empire and vaan(and Penelo) help Larsa understand what the Empire has truly bought to Dalmasca.

There would also be Penelo, but their relation-ship is just a generic "Childhood friends.jpeg" and becomes truly interesting only in Revenant Wings. One cool thing about them tough is that Vaan and Peneloare the opposite of each other, in terms of personality: Vaan can be rude, childish and unable to control his emotions while Penelo is calm, mature and knows how to act in different situations.

One last detail I like about Vaan is also how ignorant he is about Ivalice: he only knows about the deserts of Dalmasca and the Giza Plains, so the questions he does about the world of the game make sense and also help flesh out Ivalice herself.

 

[Erureido]

I have a definite top 4 for my favorite video game characters:

1) Professor Hershel Layton: Easily my favorite. I'm a huge fan of the Layton series because of the great story-telling, memorable characters, and shocking plot twists that all the plots have, and the Professor himself is a character who really stands out to me. Not only is he a brilliant puzzle-solver and fencer, but he's also a true gentleman. The latter of these traits is something that I find truly admirable about him. I love how kind and respectful he is towards others. He also knows how to be level-headed in the midst of desperate moments. Hershel Layton also has one of the most tragic backstories I have ever seen from a character.

Spoiler

A criminal organization named Targent kidnapped his birth parents for their findings on the Azran civilization when he was very little, leaving him and his older brother as orphans. Eventually, an older couple named the Layton's wanted to adopt the one named "Hershel." The Professor we knew now was originally named "Theodore Bronev," while his older brother was once "Hershel Bronev." Right before the Laytons arrived, his older brother switched names with him because he didn't want the little Theodore to be left alone. Thus, Theodore Bronev became "Hershel Layton," and he would grow up with his foster parents.

While growing up in a small town called Stansbury in his teenage years, he was best friends with Randall Ascot, his fencing pal who also had a huge interest in archaeology. It was Randall who ignited Hershel's interest in archaeology, even though he was reluctant about it at first. He accompanied his friend on an archaeological adventure, but Randall lost his life (although we later he actually survived) from one of the traps in the ruins. Poor Hershel felt devastated when Randall died.

The most tragic part of his life has to be his love story with Claire. Claire was Layton's girlfriend from ten years before the events of Curious Village, Diabolical Box, and Unwound Future, and she was the one who gave Layton his signature top hat. Sadly, she died in a failed time machine experiment that she was working on, but we later learn that the machine worked for a split second and sent her into the present time when the events of Unwound Future take place. There, she claims to Celeste, her supposedly estranged younger sister that was searching for clues regarding Claire's death and ways to stop the Mobile Fortress. Eventually, it's revealed she was Claire all along, and by the end of the game, the time machine was no longer stable enough to keep her in the present. This leads to a very tearful goodbye between her and Layton. Layton becomes emotional and begs her not to leave him again, and once she vanishes, he cries and takes his hat off in her honor. Personally, I think this scene is up there for one of the saddest moments in gaming history. The Professor is commonly shown to be calm and collected individual who rarely gets angry, but in Claire's farewell scene, we see him emotionally broke down. That scene really humanizes him and shows how even the calm individuals are capable of feeling sorrow.

For all the tragic events Layton had to go through, you really have to admire this man for how he was able to move on.

Layton also has many inspirational quotes:

• "Critical thinking is the key to success." From Curious Village
• "One must always show gratitude to one's teachers. That's what a gentleman does." - From Diabolical Box
• "You see, true friends share a special connection. And this connection endures no matter how far apart they may be separated physically. Distance and time apart are irrelevant to the bond formed by a true friendship." - From Unwound Future
• "In this life, one must always be true to oneself." - From Last Specter
• "If you spend your life trying to fit in with others, you'll never belong anywhere." - From Last Specter

If I had to be honest, Professor Layton is one of my biggest role models. I truly admire how much of a gentleman he is towards others, and I want to be more like him.

2) Gallade: My favorite Pokemon in existence. I remember first seeing this Pokemon during the DP leaks back in September 2006, and I was enamored by its design: a badass gladiator-like knight with arm blades. I grew to like it more in December 2006 when I watched gameplay footage of it in Pokemon Battle Revolution, and by the time DP was released in the 'States, Gallade became my favorite Pokemon since then. He proved to be a pretty useful physical sweeper from my experience. His appearances in the anime also deepened my appreciation for him. There, I witnessed what a gallant and brave Pokemon did in the midst of action. I also remember how ecstatic I was when his Mega Evolution was revealed for ORAS, and I loved that form as well: it looks even more knightly and heroic with those improved arm blades and those majestic capes, and he proved to be an even better physical sweeper than his base form. I've grown so attached to Gallade that I always use one on my story team whenever it is available within a regional dex, and even my username is his Japanese name.

3) Takumi: If you had to ask me which character I relate to the most, it's this guy. Takumi shares many of the insecurities that I've experienced during the course of my life: I relate to his inferiority complex but instead of feeling such within family, I felt like what Takumi did amongst my friends in high school. Like Takumi, there were also times when I got pretty vocal about such insecurities. Thus, I understand where Takumi is coming from when he whines. He can also become anxious when thinking about what others see him as, and there are times when I'm like in that regard as well. The Birthright Drama CD also reveals he doesn't like feeling left out, and if he does, he feels useless, which is something I can connect with as well.

I also appreciate how he doesn't kiss Corrin's feet when he/she stepped foot into Hoshido, and the reasons he does are justified since Corrin was raised in an enemy nation for most of his/her life. The way he treats Corrin following Mikoto's death and into Conquest's story also feels realistic. I mean, if you're mother was murdered shortly after your long-lost sibling arrived in your home and ended up being used as a means of destruction from the enemy nation, why wouldn't you be angry. I'd go as far as say Takumi was the most realistic character in the game IMO.

Being a really good unit with an awesome also gives bonus points to my likability towards him.

4) Jean Descole: My favorite villain in any work of fiction, Descole is the main antagonist of the prequel trilogy of the Professor Layton series. He has plenty of traits that make a him a fantastic villain in my eyes. For one, Descole is very cunning. He's a master inventor that can create various objects that would benefit him in many ways, whether it'd be for his own personal use or as tools of destruction. He's also a master manipulator, using other people to achieve his goals and even backstab them once he doesn't need them anymore. Although he is usually calm and arrogant, he can be frightfully angry and lose his temper when things do not go his way.

Descole even has a noble side. In fact, it's because of that he sees himself as a hero for what he does, and that ties into his tragic backstory.

Spoiler

He is revealed to be Hershel Layton's older brother originally named "Hershel Bronev." When both were very young, their birth parents Leon and Rachel Bronev were kidnapped by a criminal organization named Targent because the two parents were on the cusp of uncovering a major secret regarding the Azran civilization, leaving the two brothers as orphans. There came a point in his life where Descole switched names with his younger brother, Theodore Bronev. That way, the Laytons would adopt him so that he wouldn't be left alone. With his younger brother gone, Descole began to heavily research the Azran civilization, the findings of which were the reason behind his parents' kidnapping, on his own. He would also be eventually adopted by a new family, and they gave him the new name Desmond Sycamore.

Some time passes, and he eventually gains a butler named Raymond, who assists him throughout the Prequel Trilogy. Later on, he also gained a wife and daughter. However, tragedy struck again when those two individuals were killed at the hands of Targent. It's from that moment that Desmond developed the Descole persona fans are familiar with. Whereas Desmond is the manifestation's of the man's hope, Descole represents the despair side to him. He also grew to despise his birth father, who had become the leader of Targent at that point.

Because of his hatred for Targent and how the organization ruined his life, everything Descole does is to exact revenge on them. Targent's goal is to discover the Azran's greatest legacies, so Descole executes his vengeance on them by doing all he can to beat them to these sites. In fact, he is so desperate for revenge that he would even resort to destruction in the hopes of finding certain Azran ruins. This desperation also ties into his relationship with Layton. The main reason he is mad at Layton over the course of the three prequel games and the movie is because, to Descole, Layton gets in his way of discovering those Azran secrets first. Descole does eventually work with Layton for most of Azran Legacy, but that's because he realizes the two share a common enemy. While there comes a point in Azran Legacy where the two split and fight, they align again for the final chapter.

In all, I consider Descole to be a very well-written character and one that I definitely enjoy the most when it comes to villains.