Gen-Z Explores 5 Best Video Game Characters Of The Last Two Decades!

The gaming industry has produced some of the best video game characters in the last decade. The success of facial capture technology has allowed actors and voice actors to deliver some of their best performances. The writing, the dialogue, the plot and the characterization have come a long way. Video games have evolved tremendously. The industry has shifted from providing 2D characters to well-written humane characters who inspire empathy. And so, these need some limelight.

The following are 5 of our favourites and the best video game characters in the last two decades:

1. Delilah Copperspoon, Dishonored Franchise

Born an illegitimate princess to the Emperor of Dunwall, Euhorn Kaldwin, Delilah is a sweet young girl who craves her father’s attention. However, she is soon expelled from the kingdom for a crime she did not commit, and she has to live a cruel, unfair life in the unforgiving slums of the city. The girl’s little heart rages with anger, and sometime later, she is marked by the Outsider, the supernatural, black-eyed chaos-loving God. With her newfound occult powers, the deliciously wicked Delilah forms a colourful coven of witches, The Brigmore Witches, and returns to power. This time wiser and burning with supernatural malice.

 

 

2. Handsome Jack, Borderlands Franchise

“Never Meet Your Heroes, Kid, They’re All Dicks. Every Last One.”

This man represents the best of the Borderlands franchise. The ever-present villain, not 5 minutes pass before the player’s character hears one of Jack’s threats, taunts or his cajoling. At one point, he laughingly narrates a tale about how he murdered an innocent man with a spoon. Fantastic voice acting by Dameon Clarke makes even the most horrific and cruel parts of Jack’s lines seem likeable. No matter how much he trolls the player throughout the game, a small piece of me cheered for this smug, theatrical jackass until the very end. He’s sassy, suave-y, classy and last but not least, handsome.

 

 

3. Kratos, God of War Franchise

Players of the original God of War series may remember the Spartan warrior as a bloodthirsty, impulsive, hot-headed warrior out for revenge. The 2018 reboot of the franchise showcased Kratos as a tough-loving, seemingly irritable father. His approach to parenting is underlined with an immense capacity for love and tenderness that won many hearts. But don’t let this fool you. He still retains his skills as a warrior. This portrayal of Kratos was so inspiring that the game won the “Game of the Year” award for 2018.

 

 

4. Haytham Kenway, Assassin’s Creed III

I may be wrong for saying this, but Assassin’s Creed III is one of the most boring Assassin’s Creed games. Nonetheless, this boring game also gave us one of the most compelling lead characters in the franchise, Haytham Kenway. He is Edward Kenway’s son, the pirate Assassin, and he is Connor’s father, another Assassin. However, Haytham himself is a Templar Knight and not just any other Templar, but the Grandmaster of the Colonial Rite. He is a complex, conflicted character and is much more than the villain his Templar allegiance makes him out to be. His witty replies to other characters and his elegant charm make him a joy to play as. Soon after, Connor becomes the protagonist, and the whole story goes downhill very quickly. If you wish to know more about Haytham Kenway, read Assassin’s Creed: Forsaken. This book recounts the events of the game from Haytham’s perspective. It’s a collection of excerpts from his journal, after all.

 

5. Master Chief, Halo Franchise

Many players complain that Master Chief lacks a personality. His having only a few lines doesn’t help either. So what makes this super-soldier so endearing to millions of Halo fans across the globe? It’s simple. Master Chief is a simple character. The player does not play as the Master Chief; they are the Master Chief. Everything he experiences in-game is your experience. It wasn’t until the fourth instalment of the game Halo 4 that Master Chief, John-117, gets humanized. He receives more dialogue, and his relationship with his AI unit, Cortana, is explored in much greater detail. The game’s finest moment was when Cortana asked Master Chief to figure out which one of them was the machine. At the end of the game, the super-soldier is alone aboard the UNSC Infinity above the Earth, pondering her words and the sacrifice Cortana had to make. 

 

 

“She said that to me once. About being a machine.”

Video games have come a long way since the time the first video game came out. Moreover, the general impression of the public regarding gaming has improved as well. Now more and more people are playing video games. And this is an excellent thing, as more and more people now have the chance to experience some of the greatest stories known to man.