Nearly every conversation I\u2019ve had about Baldur\u2019s Gate 3<\/em> this year has started with a series of questions: \u201cCan I see your character<\/a><\/span>? And who are you romancing<\/a><\/span>?\u201d More often than not, I\u2019m more interested in hearing how the characters people make and meet are helping them write their own stories than I am talking about the nuts and bolts of their puzzle solving and combat dice rolls.<\/p>\n That\u2019s because some of my most memorable video game experiences have been intimately tied to the personalities of the heroes I inhabited, the companions I met, and the foes we faced. 2023 has been rightfully touted as one of the best years for video games<\/a><\/span> (though torturous for the people who make them<\/a><\/span>), and some of its most memorable games have centered on captivating characters, their intriguing stories, and how even the most fantastical, larger-than-life hero can also embody the triumphs and struggles of just being a person in everyday life. No, it\u2019s also the wonderful performance by actor David Harewood, who moves nimbly between thoughtful interviewer, song-and-dance man<\/a><\/span>, and menacing villain. Whenever he\u2019s onscreen, it\u2019s impossible to avert your eyes because of the sheer charisma and intellectual power Harewood radiates in the role. Alan Wake 2 <\/em>ends with the figure\u2019s true nature and ultimate aims still unclear, which strikes me as a good thing. It\u2019s all the more likely, then, that we\u2019ll get way more of him in a future Remedy game. \u2014 Carolyn Petit 4 \/ 19 5 \/ 19 Overwatch 2<\/em>\u2019s story has always been messy, and given the erratic state of its story missions<\/a><\/span>, it\u2019s likely to stay that way. But its characters, who act as summations of an unwavering belief that the world can be better, have held strong against the storm of Blizzard\u2019s bad decisions. Lifeweaver\u2019s entire schtick is that the world and all the people on it are growing into something worth fighting for, and that\u2019s beautiful. His fits being pitch-perfect is just a bonus. \u2014 Kenneth Shepard Polygon<\/em>\u2019s Michael McWhertor put it best. \u201cRusty […] offers 621 a path toward redemption, toward that \u2018purpose,\u2019 toward something more than just another job,\u201d he wrote<\/a><\/span> earlier this year. \u201cIn the cold, callous world of Armored Core VI<\/em>, that\u2019s a uniquely humanizing thing.\u201d When Rusty eventually reveals his true mission and identity it only makes him that much cooler, and the respect and dignity he affords the nameless mercenary that much more touching. Everyone deserves to have a Rusty in their life. Especially Rusty. \u2014 Ethan Gach Thirsty Suitors<\/em> lets you reconnect with Jala\u2019s exes, and if you so choose, you can rekindle long-lost love. But as I played through her story, it felt more fitting for her to fly solo for a while. She spends a lot of time interrogating how she once treated her significant others like they were disposable, and maybe learns after she\u2019s unpacked all that baggage, the next step is to figure out who she is underneath. Jala\u2019s journey is basically going through the reconciliation phase in a theatrical, turn-based fashion, and when you\u2019ve done that, you keep working on yourself before you jump headfirst into a tryst with an old flame. \u2014 Kenneth Shepard Venba\u2019s story is deeply tied to her Indian roots and position as an immigrant in a new place, but as she attempts to encapsulate her family\u2019s history in dishes to serve to her son\u2014who is more in touch with his Canadian home than the ones his parents left behind\u2014she touches on universal fears of our history being forgotten, and the ubiquitous love of mutual understanding. \u2014 Kenneth Shepard<\/p>\n 9 \/ 19 10 \/ 19 Slay the Princess <\/em>is ultimately about how we perceive one another<\/a><\/span>. Its key players in each time loop and route are just projections of possibilities of who they could<\/em> be rather than who they are. The Princess explores every path alongside you, even when she\u2019s pitted against you as a mortal foe. Her quest for clarity and purpose in all the carnage is one paved in blood\u2014hers and yours. Even as Slay the Princess <\/em>escalates into universe-affecting change, at its core it\u2019s just a person trying to find out who she\u2019s meant to be and deciding for herself what she wants to be, resisting the answers forced on her by someone else. \u2014 Kenneth Shepard The loveable, short, and cowardly Turgle is both a little freak and a little stinker<\/a><\/span>. You\u2019ll find him running (and hiding) around the planet of Koboh completely nude. And he\u2019s always getting into shenanigans with space criminals and deadly raiders. Perhaps, you think, that makes him annoying. But nope! Turgle is such a goofball and sad sack that you can\u2019t help but like him, even as he keeps almost getting killed after screwing over more criminals. Never give up Turgle, we all adore you. But maybe stop getting into so much trouble. 13 \/ 19 14 \/ 19 This isn\u2019t just a fun reference, a playful bit of fan service. This is Sam Lake making a game about a writer who can\u2019t seem to escape his own legacy, and he does it by leveraging his own legacy, which looms so large in the landscape of early 21st-century gaming. The choice brings rich, exciting layers of thematic meaning to Alan Wake 2<\/em>. But it is also just a pleasure to once again hear voice actor James McCaffrey dispensing the kind of world-weary observations and hard-earned, hard-drinkin\u2019 wisdom that only true noir anti-heroes like Payne\u2014sorry, Casey\u2014can dispense. \u2014 Carolyn Petit 16 \/ 19 17 \/ 19 Fang and their friends have to grieve the lives they wanted and accept the hand they\u2019ve been dealt, and Goodbye Volcano High <\/em>explores every version of that process. Fang has some universal story beats, but as the player, you can express your own rage or acceptance throughout the game. Fang\u2019s story ends on an ambiguous note, but their declaration to be themself up to the last moment is a powerful statement to the very end. \u2014 Kenneth Shepard Their stories can go in wildly different directions depending on your choices as a player, but each of them is the hero of their own story. It\u2019s ironic that the ticking time bomb in each of their heads that threatens to turn them into a grotesque Mind Flayer is often the least of their worries; it just expedites and underlines all their other troubles. Each of them is fucked up in their own way, and it makes half of them deeply unlikable for much of the early game. But Baldur\u2019s Gate 3<\/em>\u2019s cast rewards every peeled-back layer, quest, and permutation you explore through Larian\u2019s interpretation of this universe. This is a group of characters fans will be talking about for a long, long time<\/a><\/span>. \u2014 Kenneth Shepard 19 \/ 19<\/p>\n
As we reach the end of 2023, we wanted to look back at some of the best characters we met along the way, and highlight some unsung heroes from the year\u2019s best games. Without further ado, here are some of the most memorable characters in the video games of 2023.
There will be some spoilers ahead, of course.
2 \/ 19
In some ways, Mr. Door feels like the lynchpin of Alan Wake 2<\/em>\u2019s narrative: the cool, steady center around which everything else chaotically spins. This feeling that he occupies a position of power emerges not just from how the mysterious, likely nefarious character functions in Wake\u2019s odyssey, manifesting as a talk show host who, again and again, probes Alan\u2019s neuroses and lays bare the poor writer\u2019s struggles for his adoring (if totally imaginary) studio audience.<\/p>\n
3 \/ 19
Talk about making the most of little screen time. Cid from Final Fantasy XVI <\/em>isn\u2019t around as long as most of us would have liked, but he is the heartbeat pumping blood through the action-RPG\u2019s veins. He is the Dominant of Ramuh, a radical fighting for the freedom of the enslaved Bearers in the world of Valisthea, and is voiced by the incredible Ralph Ineson, who gives one of the most captivating, recognizable performances of the year. Cid became a fan favorite<\/a><\/span> for his swagger, wit, and because he\u2019s easy on the eyes, but underneath all that bravado, there\u2019s a deeply troubled freedom fighter who bears the weight of the injustice he witnesses every day. Cid may be killed by the first third of Final Fantasy XVI<\/em>, but just as protagonist Clive takes on his name, his wish carries on, and the game is better for having had him in it. \u2014 Kenneth Shepard<\/p>\n
Songbird is a mirror image of Cyberpunk 2077<\/em>\u2019s V. Like the game\u2019s protagonist, she is dealing with a terminal illness, but whereas V\u2019s comes from corporate hubris, hers comes from an employer\u2019s power-hungry apathy. She embodies Phantom Liberty<\/em>\u2019s<\/a><\/span> exploration of how patriotism rots the mind and body of everyone who blindly follows their country. But it\u2019s not her patriotism that has done this to her, it\u2019s Idris Elba\u2019s Solomon Reed. Songbird has been raised by Reed\u2019s ideals, and her life is nearly forfeited until she decides to fight back. Cyberpunk 2077 <\/em>has always asserted that, no matter how depraved and dehumanizing they are, systems can\u2019t change: People can merely escape them. Songbird\u2019s bold declarations of her own personhood capture the desperation and hope we all feel to simply be. She is the best parts of Cyberpunk 2077 <\/em>personified. \u2014 Kenneth Shepard<\/p>\n
There aren\u2019t many characters that embody the ideals of Overwatch 2 <\/em>like Niran \u201cLifeweaver\u201d Pruksamanee. While Blizzard has had its hands full<\/a><\/span> trying to get its new Support hero competitive-ready, the basis of who he is has been pretty solid from the outset<\/a><\/span>. Lifeweaver is a hopeful fugitive who took his breakthrough plant-based technology away from his corrupt employer and is now on the run as he attempts to use this tech for good rather than profit.<\/p>\n
6 \/ 19
Armored Core VI<\/em> is about people who sacrifice their humanity to survive, climbing the militarized corpo ladder for a shot at something that can outlive both their flesh and mech armor: a legacy. No one in FromSoftware\u2019s excellent high-speed sci-fi shooter<\/a><\/span> has cemented their status as a fan favorite and lowkey emotional lightning rod like Rusty, the player character 621\u2019s main peer, foil, and potential frenemy. He\u2019s the best friend that makes you feel like the protagonist in your own life, picking you up when you\u2019re down and knocking you over when no one else is willing to, always there to call you \u201cbuddy\u201d when everyone else doesn\u2019t bother to mention you at all.<\/p>\n
7 \/ 19
In 2023 I learned the term \u201cgirlfailure,\u201d which is apparently the opposite of a \u201cgirlboss\u201d who gets shit done and takes no shit. A girlfailure is an absolute loser trainwreck girly, and after I learned this term through descriptions of Jala, she will forever be the face of the concept in my mind. Jala\u2019s story in Thirsty Suitors<\/em><\/a><\/span> is\u2014or can be, depending on your choices\u2014all about reconciliation. Jala dares to ask how much of a wrecking ball you can drive through people\u2019s lives before there\u2019s nothing left to repair. She\u2019s gone through life like a bull in a china shop, but she has no place left to go but home; she has to pick up the pieces and put them all back together.<\/p>\n
8 \/ 19
Venba is probably the most ordinary of our best characters of 2023. She\u2019s not a superhero or Chosen One trying to save the world, she\u2019s a mother trying to make the best of the world she has. Venba<\/em>\u2019s<\/a><\/span> cooking mechanics personify her fear that her family is losing touch with her culture. Her recipe book is worn around the edges, with swaths of its words and drawings lost to the elements, and in their place are torn pages and smeared scribbles. She constantly wrestles with her fear that, if she can\u2019t preserve her mother\u2019s Biryani or Puttu recipe, will her son Kavin have any connection to where he comes from?<\/p>\n
We needed to recognize at least one doofus here, and who better to shout out than Hi-Fi Rush<\/em>\u2019s<\/a><\/span> human subwoofer Chai? Tango Gameworks\u2019 musical hero embodies the \u201cno thoughts, just vibes\u201d musical energy of this action game, elevated by actor Robbie Daymond\u2019s energetic, quirky, and funny delivery. He\u2019s a lovable dumbass rocking out as he beats up enemies like a concertgoer in a mosh pit. His archetype of slapstick idiot might not be everyone\u2019s cup of tea, but he\u2019s a lot of fun, and constantly moving to the rhythm of the music. He\u2019s just like me, FR. \u2014 Kenneth Shepard<\/p>\n
The Princess you\u2019re meant to slay in Slay the Princess <\/em>appears in dozens of different forms throughout Black Tabby Games\u2019 time loop visual novel. She can be a cold adversary, an attentive lover, or a monstrosity of unimaginable horrors that only resembles a princess by bearing a crown. But just as you fumble through each time loop looking for clarity as to why you have to fight, she is trying to understand who or what<\/em> she is.<\/p>\n
11 \/ 19
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor<\/em> isn\u2019t an amazing Game of the Year contender<\/a><\/span> because of Turgle. But the internet\u2019s favorite frog-like alien dude sure helped.<\/p>\n
Ah what am I saying? I can\u2019t stay mad at the little bastard. \u2014 Zack Zweizen
12 \/ 19
Garl is the definition of a ride-or-die. He anchors Sea of Stars<\/em>\u2019<\/a><\/span> team of heroes with his positive outlook at even the darkest times. He\u2019s always keen to cook up a good meal to make sure his friends are fed as they fight their way through the Fleshmancer\u2019s forces. Garl accompanies his friends through impossible challenges, but he\u2019s not there to be the hero. He shows that everyone has something to contribute, no matter their skill set, as long as they\u2019re willing to help the cause. Each meal he makes is an expression of his loyalty to the mission and his love for the friends around him. While the hero of each story will be the one who gets statues built in their honor, it\u2019s through the support of people like Garl that they\u2019re able to accomplish anything to begin with. \u2014 Kenneth Shepard<\/p>\n
Manon was easily the standout in Street Fighter 6<\/em>\u2019s<\/a><\/span> roster of incredible new characters. Her grappler style, which increases in power with each successful grab attack, is terrifying to face, but she also pulls off these moves with so much grace and style that she is captivating to watch. Her ballet-influenced fighting style makes every fight a performance, with her throws making her opponents an unwilling dance partner. Street Fighter <\/em>has always blended fighting and culture, and Manon is a stellar blend of capable fighting with artful execution, perfectly summarized in every graceful punch, kick, and grab. Watching her fight tells you everything you need to know about her, and you know she is not to be trifled with. \u2014 Kenneth Shepard<\/p>\n
The protagonist of Alan Wake\u2019s novels may be named Alex Casey, but for those of us who\u2019ve been playing games for the past 20 years or more, the sight of a detective with Remedy creative director Sam Lake<\/a><\/span>\u2019s signature scowl who talks like the hardboiled hero in a dime-store Raymond Chandler knock-off conjures another name: Max Payne. Throughout Alan Wake 2<\/em>, this figure\u2014phantoms of him, at least, lurking in the dark alleys and at the grisly crime scenes of the nightmare New York Wake is trapped in\u2014appears before Alan constantly, and it\u2019s just so delicious.<\/p>\n
15 \/ 19
Penn lives in a fantasy world. No, I don\u2019t mean The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom<\/em>\u2019s Hyrule, I mean a world where journalism is treated as valuable by corporations and given enough budget and support to be a viable career. The Rito reporter accompanies Link in one of the game\u2019s most involved side questlines<\/a><\/span> in which he travels all around the game\u2019s open-world map to investigate stories big and small. Penn is a class act, has a nose for a good scoop, and is genuinely fascinated by the people he meets and the places he sees. Even as shit is getting real bleak in Hyrule after Ganondorf\u2019s return, he\u2019s a constant source of optimism and kindness for the little guys caught in the crossfire. Soar long, king. I hope you\u2019re in the next Zelda<\/em>. \u2014 Kenneth Shepard<\/p>\n
To everyone who plays Octopath Traveler II<\/em><\/a><\/span>, I hope you\u2019re also lucky enough to stumble upon Partitio as your first character in Square Enix\u2019s Canterbury Tales<\/em>-style pilgrimage across Solistia. This guy is a businessman and firm believer in capitalism until he realizes that the people on top will always find ways to pull out the rug from under even the most hardworking people for their own gain. Screwed over by opportunistic capitalists, he becomes disillusioned by the entire system, and leaves his town ready to tear the whole thing down. There\u2019s catharsis in someone realizing the entire game is rigged, rather than claiming the rich \u201cearned\u201d their keep when stories like Partitio\u2019s happen every day. The working class is constantly undermined by the bastards enjoying the fruits of their labor, and Partitio is about to Hoot and Holler his way to a new world order. \u2014 Kenneth Shepard<\/p>\n
Goodbye Volcano High<\/em>\u2019s story of a modern society of anthropomorphic dinos preparing to endure the meteor that we all know destroyed them captures a lot of the anxiety everyone feels about deciding what to do with their life<\/a><\/span>. Those fears are multiplied a hundredfold when what little time you have left brings you and your friends\u2019 every lingering tension bubbling to the surface. Fang has spent their high school years wanting to be in a band and tour with their pals. They have aspirations to be in a creative field as their friends, family, and society pressures them to pick a more sensible career. But even as a meteor plummets toward the planet, Fang grasps at any straws they can to create some facsimile of the life they wanted, or at least some validating sense that it would have been possible under different circumstances.<\/p>\n
18 \/ 19
Any one member of Baldur\u2019s Gate 3<\/em>\u2019s<\/a><\/span> merry band of tadpole-infected misfits could have stood on their own as one of the best characters of 2023. We could have put a spotlight on Karlach for her story of pulling herself through literal Hell for a chance to live among her friends. We could have unpacked Shadowheart\u2019s deconstruction of her own religious trauma to become her own person. There\u2019s even a reasonable case that Gale\u2019s hubris breaking down as he grieves his relationship with a god is a profound intersection between religious adoration and romantic entanglement. But rather than single out just a few of them, we figured it would be most appropriate to recognize that Baldur\u2019s Gate 3<\/em> has one of the best RPG casts in recent memory.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve heard our picks, who are some of your favorite video game heroes and villains from 2023?<\/p>\n