The 20 Best Video Game Characters of All Time, Ranked

One of the best parts about video games is immersing oneself into the game and becoming a role, and as such, an interactive medium, it offers that ability to players. Video games such as Baldur’s Gate 3 and World of Warcraft provide this, but sometimes gamers prefer to play as iconic characters. Just as any storytelling medium, video games also have memorable characters.

The characters gamers play as are just as important as the gameplay itself, allowing them to embody everything about the role, and since it is so immersive, players see their point of view firsthand. That is why this list will rank the twenty greatest video game characters of all time based on their iconic status, popularity, writing, memorability, design, importance, influence, originality, and the quality of their games.

20

Chun-Li

Street Fighter is a roster-based fighting game, meaning it has many memorable characters with distinct designs, but the one who stands out the most is Chun-Li. While her thunder thighs are what Chun-Li is best known for, she is more notably the first playable female character in the franchise, seeking revenge for her father after M. Bison killed him.

Ryu may be the face of Street Fighter, but Chun-Li is the greatest and arguably most iconic character from the gaming franchise. Fighting games like Street Fighter need to have good characters with excellent designs, personalities, move sets, and importance, otherwise they won’t be relevant. Chun-Li, in particular, has stood the test of time to become a definitive fighting legend.

19

Donkey Kong

Mario is the most legendary video game franchise, and it has a handful of mascots, including everyone’s favorite, Donkey Kong. Originally starting as a villain who threw barrels at a certain jump man, he has transitioned into an ally, also sporting his own games, including the Game of the Year contender Donkey Kong Bananza.

Donkey Kong used to be a video game villain icon, but has now evolved into his own character with spin-off titles that are great as standalones. Not only does this character have some of the best-designed 2D platformers, perfectly crafted, but his 3D game was also an innovative staple. Donkey Kong is an influential video game character, etched into history as one of the earliest on this list.

18

Ellie Williams

More and more video games are becoming live-action TV shows and movies, such as The Last of Us, but fans know they are still the best as video games. The protagonist of these two video games is Ellie Williams, a young girl whose blood may hold the key to the zombie apocalypse, yet death and revenge seem to follow her wherever she goes.

This may be a controversial entry, given that she isn’t particularly established and is rather bland compared to most recognizable characters. Ellie doesn’t need to be a household name to be a legendary video game character. She is arguably the best-written gaming protagonist, carrying the narratives of the two The Last of Us games through her tragic story.

17

Red

This list would be amiss without the largest video game franchise of all time, Pokémon, and while none of the pocket monsters themselves are featured, Red does make the list. Red was the protagonist of the Generation One games, where fans would embark on a quest through the Kanto region to defeat Team Rocket and become the Champion. However, he also appeared as the final boss fight in the second Generation of games.

Pokémon like Pikachu and Charizard are more iconic for their roles in the anime. When it comes to the video game side of things, Red is by far the most memorable name. Red isn’t much of a character, but rather an avatar for the player to project whatever they want on as they explore a world full of wonder and mystery. There are many great Pokémon games, but Red is still the staple trainer attached to the franchise.

16

Solid Snake

Hideo Kojima is a legendary video game director, and his most popular franchise is Metal Gear Solid, with none other than Solid Snake helming those projects. A former Green Beret, he is now a special operative who undergoes stealth missions that no one else can complete, making himself a one-person wrecking crew.

Stealth games aren’t as popular as they once were, and maybe that is because they knew they wouldn’t be able to top Metal Gear Solid and the face of the franchise, Solid Snake. He isn’t just the protagonist of this game series; Snake is synonymous with stealth and video game pop culture, prominently memed as hiding in a box. He may be a badass, but Snake is more of a philosophical subversion of the stereotypical macho man archetype.

15

Samus Aran

One of the best things Nintendo does with its properties is make them recognizable through a distinct protagonist or signature character, and Samus Aran from Metroid fits the bill. She is an intergalactic bounty hunter who often investigates mysterious signals from planets, tracking down pirates or other criminals while learning about the planet’s history.

There seems to be a minor Metroid resurgence nowadays, with the remake and 2D game being some of the greatest Nintendo Switch games. Made iconic because of her suit, which may have surprised players initially that she was a woman, Samus broke down barriers by being one of the first major female video game protagonists.

14

Scorpion

Chun-Li isn’t the only fighting game character on this list; besides Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat is the next-biggest franchise. The face of the series is Scorpion, who, after his family was murdered by his rival, Sub-Zero, was revived in hell to become an agent of revenge and chaos.

Scorpion is the figurehead of fighting games, easily being the most recognizable face in the genre, not to mention his iconic “get over here” line has cemented its place in video game lore. Everything about Scorpion is iconic, from his design to his catchphrase to his weapons to his role in the story; he is the definitive Mortal Kombat character.

13

Mega Man

Some of the best video game characters in history come from platformers, and while he isn’t as popular as he once was, Mega Man is still a legend. Initially made to be a robot assistant, Rock was converted into Mega Man in order to defeat the six Robot Masters built by his creator’s rival, gaining their abilities every time he defeats one.

With a new Mega Man game coming out, fans hope he can once again reclaim his crown as the most memorable video game character. With such a timeless design, Mega Man is endlessly recognizable even for gamers who haven’t played a title in his franchise. Not only did he pioneer the mechanics of stealing the boss’s abilities, but he also paved the way for future action platformers.

12

Princess Zelda

The Legend of Zelda franchise is among the most critically acclaimed in video game history, but the protagonist is often confused with the titular character, Princess Zelda. Usually, the story’s subject, Zelda, is the princess of Hyrule, who is often captured by the evil Ganondorf as part of his scheme to take the Triforce for himself.

While it is unfortunate that Zelda is often the damsel in distress, she is still her own character who has many iconic iterations, such as Shiek, Twilight Princess, Breath of the Wild, and the most recent game, Echoes of Wisdom, where she was a playable character as the name of the franchise and the fact that she appears in every game and is a recognizable character, Zelda more than deserves to be on this list.

11

Leon S. Kennedy

Capcom has already had Chun-Li and Mega Man make an appearance on this list, but their best video game character is arguably Leon S. Kennedy from the Resident Evil franchise. Starting as a rookie officer in Raccoon City, he has the worst first day imaginable, but his success only brings more danger, from being sent to Spain to save the President’s daughter from a cult to investigating a haunted mansion.

Resident Evil is one of the greatest video game franchises of all time, and Leon defines everything great about it. His growth is in tandem with the series, starting as a terrified rookie and becoming a veteran badass. His overdramatic flair and useless but cool backflips are a staple of his character, which makes him so adored by fans.