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Thread: Top Video Game Characters

  1. #16
    Pinkasaurus Rex Pumpkin's Avatar
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    Glad to see this taking off

    Also, Karifean, feel free to share your visual novel characters. There's a reason I put this in gen gaming instead of gen RPG, despite my list basically being only RPG characters.

    Next 5!

    Zell Dincht (Final Fantasy VIII):
    char_zell.jpg

    In game use: Zell's magics and summons can be customized by the player, but what does stick is his use of fists to pummel his enemies, as well as his limit break, which has the player input certain button combos.

    16322_320.jpg

    Why I like him: Zell serves as the comic relief for the game, but he also has a heart of gold. He got picked on a lot, but he doesn't let it keep him down for long. He puts his whole heart in to everything he does, doing it with enthusiasm and positivity.

    Lyon (Suikoden V):
    Lyon.jpg

    In game use: Lyon has pretty solid stats, although a bit low on magic and HP, but she also has pretty high speed.



    Why I like her: Lyon is the definition of dedicated. She has a checkered past, but she is eternally grateful for those who saved her from it being her future. She puts her life on the line for others and never takes her duties lightly. She's also a sweetheart.

    Faris Scherwix (Final Fantasy V):
    ffv-faris-sprite.jpg

    In game use: Faris is a pirate, and like other characters in the game, she can be whatever job(s) you want her to be (the game is as old as I am, I'm gonna go ahead and spoil that one for ya)



    Why I like her: Faris, on top of having some amusing lines, is a badass. She climbs mountains she was knocked off of, she has a whole crew of pirates who love her, and really she is very confident in who she is. Even when they find out Faris is a lady, she doesn't suddenly start dressing all girly or acting all feminine. She's just Faris.

    Celes Chere (Final Fantasy VI):
    celes.jpg

    In game use: Celes has pretty balanced stats and is one of two characters who learns magic naturally, although you can customize more what magics she uses via Espers. She also has an ability that allows her to negate the next magic attack and use it to restore her MP.



    Why I like her: Celes is a very tragic character that you just can't help but feel for. But still she tries her best. She's more reserved about her feelings, and she can be a bit cold sometimes, but she has some of the most touching scenes in the whole game.

    Mishera (Ys Seven (Ys 7?)):


    In game use: Mishera has some great magic attacks, which I think is probably her main strength. She isn't the best at taking hits, though.

    YS-7_PSP-guide_moon-dash.jpg

    Why I like her: Mishera is basically the calm, intelligent, and caring woman I always strive to be. She doesn't let her emotions get the best of her and is very useful in helping the group in their adventure. She can also kind of predict the future which is pretty neat.

    Those are my 5 for today. Stay tuned

  2. #17

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    Oooooh, those are my favorite PCs from FF 5 and 8, and Lyon was awesome too (way better than Miakis; your sister gets robbed)! Great picks.

    So, next up, representing the Tales series:


    Dhaos (Tales of Phantasia)


    tumblr_md68zxWbI11rkbf7qo1_500.jpg

    ToP is easily my favorite entry in the series, having the combat system, characters, story, and world I appreciate the most, and, in line with that, Dhaos is my favorite villain in the series as well. Someone on this forum once said they appreciate shades of grey in their villains and this character absolutely embodies that concept. His actions appear to live up to his title of 'Demon King' until his motives are understood much later in the game, as he is (SPOILER)revealed to be on a mission to save his dying planet, only to find YOUR planet on the verge of repeating the same mistake that doomed his and desperately trying to save both worlds from the dangers of magitech weaponry. When you beat the final boss in a game and HE pulls that 'hopes and prayers of the people on my world' card on YOU, you know you done smurfed up.




    Annnnd up next, representing The Last Blade

    Kojiroh (Kaori) Sanada (The Last Blade 2)



    So, you know how I mentioned Vanessa being an adaptation of a Rick, inheriting most of his moveset while effectively being a lesser copy of the original? Yeah, SNK tried that 'reinvent a character' thing again with The Last Blade 2, only this time they did it right. Where her brother, the REAL Kojiroh Sanada, in the first game was a boring bonus headswap of another character, Washizuka, Kaori bust onto the scene in The Last Blade 2 with a variation of his moveset and appearance, but with a style all her own. She's faster, uses standard skill motions, has different normals, and her new specials have a flowing elegance to them Washi's shoulder charges and running stabs lack. She is the evolution and divergence of a great character done perfectly, surpassing Washi (for me) in every way, and, with her design and moveset, is easily my favorite character in the franchise.

    Some good Washi vs. Kojiroh:



    Moving along to another fighting series . . .

    Shao Kahn (Mortal Kombat series)



    I . . . cannot EVER be sick of this guy, I just lack that capacity. Mortal Kombat, like many fighting games, may get passed over for story recognition in most circles, but that doesn't change how impressive the lore can really be. This guy? Usurper of crowns, destroyer of realms, stealer and consumer of souls, all while donning stylish skull themed attire and a voice that melts butter. What's not to love in this villain? Well, maybe his balance in most appearances is something, as he is almost always a boss character, but it doesn't do anything but improve the situation for me, as it just means he's usually as badass as he supposed to be. When controlled by the player he certainly lacks the finesse I appreciate in most fighting game characters, often relying on brute force and single-strike energy attacks more than flowing combos and constant motion, but sometimes that's okay, especially against friends. Oh, and Dan Hibiki could take taunting lessons from this guy -- not even company logos are safe from him! D:



    Merciless.

    And, to wrap it up for now . . .



    Aurica Nestmile (Ar Tonelico)



    1038766-aurica__2_.jpg

    So, I'm going to be frank here, I don't like harems in anime, I don't like them in games, I don't like ecchi crap, and I don't appreciate dating sims either. Because of all of that it took me YEARS (no joke) to get into Ar Tonelico after I got it, but once I finally did, two things kept me with it for three complete playthroughs and unlocking every conversation tick thingy. The first was the soundtrack, which is amazing, and the second was Aurica. She starts out all but crushed and shy with no self estreem, afraid to open up to people for fear that they will see her for what she is and abandon her or that she'll fail them, believing herself to be a useless, nigh defective Reyvateil; throughout the game some pretty unpleasent things happen to her that almost reinforce some of those beliefs. But, you know what? You stick with her through it all and she becomes more aware of her abilities, what she can do, and that's she's not as useless as she always told herself she was. While it may be a sterotypical character growth, I loved it, and she was always in my team backing me up with awesome buffs, dealing awesome damage, summoning some . . . pretty strange stuff. She is one of the few game characters I felt a connection to and had any investment in and she's not only my favorite from the franchise, but also one of my favorites in gaming overall.

    You go, girl, summon them death lasers. >: D


    (Poor woodland creature. )
    Last edited by Rez09; 11-12-2014 at 08:36 PM.

  3. #18
    Pinkasaurus Rex Pumpkin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rez09 View Post
    Lyon was awesome too (way better than Miakis;
    You're going to be disappointed in a few days

    Also that Ar Tonelico seems like an interesting game. I might look in to that

  4. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by shion View Post
    You're going to be disappointed in a few days


    Nuuuuuuuu! Really though, Miakis messing with Lym was super entertaining, but I've got double standards to adhere to and she would have driven me nuts if she were my bodyguard instead of Lyon.

  5. #20
    Pinkasaurus Rex Pumpkin's Avatar
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    I love Miakis! She's probably probably top 3 Suikoden characters ever.

    I'm already spoiling my list

  6. #21

  7. #22
    Witch of Theatergoing Karifean's Avatar
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    Beatrice (Umineko no Naku Koro ni)
    Picking a favorite character from Umineko is of course impossible, but Beatrice is literally the heart and soul of this visual novel.

    Why I like her
    Beatrice is one of Umineko's major antagonists, as the figurative culprit of the first four games. Now what could drive someone to commit methodical mass genocide on an island and all the while make it into a murder mystery for those that are still alive? At first glance this might seem like a question with no good answer, but if you've come to understand Beatrice, or rather the person behind her, you may be able to relate to her and accept her motive, something I would not have ever expected going into Umineko knowing nothing. I love that about her. Plus, her coupled with Battler in the Metaworld makes for some of the most amazing character interaction and fascinating sequences ever. The person who came up with the Red Truth is a genius.




    Kyousuke (Little Busters!)
    This is hardly the first time I mention this guy and I reckon it won't be the last. After all, he holds the number one spot on my list.

    Why I like him
    Kyousuke is a really charismatic leader and he manages to make everyone around him feel happy from the bottom of their heart. This is hardly a feat that's easily accomplished; yet Kyousuke seems to have a natural talent for it. Hell, he was just a kid when he casually saved Masato from his loneliness and isolation, showed Kengo a world beyond his narrow view and snapped Riki out of his depression; all to provide a group of intimate friends for his unsociable sister Rin to feel comfortable around. He is the driving force behind everything that happens in the plot and when the tragedy of Little Busters strikes he's the one that pushes for a happy outcome. Sure, he may be relentless at times - who could ever forget that "CHEAP TRICKS!" scene - but that's because he does not want to freeze a happy time; he wants to keep going forward, even if it means facing a horrible tragedy head on - overcoming it is better than pretending it never happened. That's a focal point of Little Busters in general and Kyousuke embodies it like no other.

  8. #23

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    I'm sad that my visual novel experience is so limited, having only played through Tsukihime back when Mirror Moon finished their translation of it years ago; I liked it a lot despite generally finding myself a bit railroaded at times. I also remember being super happy when I found out it had a fighting game spin-off, which, as it happens, brings me my next favorite character! \ ^_^ /


    Riesbyfe Stridberg (Melty Blood: Actress Again)




    Now if there was one thing I NEVER expected from Melty Blood it was for a character to supplant Warakia as my series favorite, but then Actress Again hit and I saw Riesbyfe. It was love at first sight. That weapon? ADORE it. The outfit? Hells yeah. Combo appearance? Punctuated perfectly. Specials and supers? Best of the best, only topped by some of Warakia's arsenal. Her story? A bit questionable, admittedly, but not so much it hurt anything. And her normals? About my only complaint is that they took some getting used to compared to the rest of the cast, but even then I actually ended up liking the feel of them once I got them down. All in all, she was a late delivered package of excellence to the series for me, and though some characters manage to do some things I like better than her, she still supplants Warakia as my number one in the series.

    Up next, from a game I have spent waaayy too much time with . . .


    Malzahar, the Prophet of the Void (League of Legends)





    Sometimes luck smiles on me. I've been playing League since September of 2010, and I've seen a lot of new characters join the League, yet, somehow, after four years of regular play not a single champion can hold a candle to this guy for me. He was the first character I saved up to buy, and only because he was NEVER on free rotation and no one played him, so I had no idea what to expect. What I got was a character with great AoE damage and scaling, great pushing power, great CC, great passive, great voicework, the versatility to work with most any item build, and a solid mana regen mechanic. Most of all, his skillset allowed me to play more defensively while still farming my lane, something I desperately needed the ability to do when I started playing; it's a play style I still love him for. He certainly isn't the strongest character, or even competitively viable, nor has he ever been near either, but he is still that pick I always happily rely on.


    Beeeeeamu


    Cynthia (Pokemon D/P/Pt)




    I always have a hell of a time picking between Cynthia and Blue for favorite Pokemon character, but, when it comes down to it, the sheer anticipation I had for Pearl, and the fact it fully delivered and EXCEEDED all of my expectations, pushes her ahead of Blue for me. Cynthia's boss music is my favorite in the series, her team is always a joy to fight ( 'Chomp and Milotic ), her design is excellent, and Poke Mythology is a pretty nifty area of study, not to mention she gives me a potion to get those Psyducks out of the way, which I infinitely appreciate. I also feel she has more personality and character when you speak to her than Lance, Steven, or Wallace (good reason for this, though) ever did, and she was certainly more interesting than Alder or Iris (not to mention Diantha, but that's territory best left forgotten) ended up being. I was sooooo happy when I found her in that random beach town in Pokemon Black and got to fight her revised team, and then both her AND Blue showed up in Black 2. <3 Oh, and I think Red might have been there too, but who even cares about that guy.


    (SPOILER)


    GAOH (Samurai Shodown series)



    Samurai Shodown has too many characters I love, most with very distinct fighting styles and personalities to them, but this guy takes the cake. Goah is the final boss of Samurai Shodown V and VI, but he's not too unbalanced to use against friends in casual play (unlike, say, Zanuko of the 'lawl, where's your health?' heavy slash), which I greatly appreciate. His spear gives him a lot of zone control, while his combination of high and low knockdowns and command throw make for great mind games. His specials are also fairly satisfying, especially that dash, but the startup/recovery on them are influenced by button strength a lot more heavily than other characters, so care is due to prevent some nasty retaliation. I also really love how he looks (this is becoming a common theme, I'm noticing. <_< ), especially that silly mustache of intimidation and spear. He may lack Tam-Tam's energy, Ukyo's style, and Gen-An's agility, but as a whole package he's solidly my pick for favorite character in the franchise.




    Recson left arm (Front Mission series)



    Parts come and parts go, but one thing remains the same, and that . . . is every Wanzer I build packing a Recson left arm. For those unaware, the Front Mission series is built around customizing your mechs with different parts, each with different stats and functions, and the arms from these particular machines are notable for their extremely high accuracy modifiers, high weight/power consumption, and low defense. Since I don't often dual wield weapons, opting instead for the survivability offered by shields, this makes them excellent gun arms, as their low survivability is offset by the opposite arm I select specifically to take hits for it. This allows me to score more hits with all of my weapons with no real downside; it's a very simple bread and butter combo that has served me well since the model's introduction in FM3, and, though not a 'character' (that'll be coming later), these arms are easily the MVPs of the series for me, and I felt they deserved some credit for all the battles they've won me.

    Anyway, that's it for now, more later.
    Last edited by Rez09; 11-14-2014 at 01:24 PM.

  9. #24
    Pinkasaurus Rex Pumpkin's Avatar
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    I have 4 today!

    Libra (Fire Emblem: Awakening):
    tumblr_inline_n9hkblAoGA1r2o3uw.png

    In game use: Libra is overall a pretty average character, but he starts out packing a decent punch and also being able to heal. He wasn't the best healer but it was still nice to have a backup and he was physically much stronger than my other healers.

    tumblr_miduphDdyY1rm1fpko2_500.jpg

    Why I like him: I like Libra because he's kind and supportive of others. Being religious, I can appreciate a religious character in a video game who isn't insane, preachy, or evil. It was quite refreshing actually. Plus the poor guy gets mistaken for a woman by everyone..... myself included.

    Emilie De Rochefort (Tekken 6 or 5ish+):
    162888_tekken_6_lili.jpg

    In game use: I'm not a fighting game pro so I can't go in to details about what combos she uses and what they do and any battle winning strategies, but I do know she's relatively fast, she hits hard enough, and she's easy to use.

    0000530821.JPG

    Why I like her: I really don't care much about her personality, since its a fighting game anyway, but I was so happy when I finally got to play her in Tekken 6. She's easy for me to use, and also enjoyable. I'm not good with slow characters or characters who rely on big combos because I can't pull one off to save my life, so I found her to be easy and fun to use and get the hang of and not get my butt whooped using her.

    Ayla (Chrono Trigger):
    ayla_chrono-trigger_pictureboxart_160w.jpg

    In game use: Ayla punches things with her fists. She is one of the strongest in game attackers and also has pretty good defense, although she can't use magic. She does make up for it by having some awesome combos. She's also cheaper to shop for.

    Ayla_FMV.png

    Why I like her: When I first saw Ayla in the opening intro thingy (me no good with words) I was worried she would be a typical MsFanservice and was not looking forward to it. I mean, how does a cave lady manage to pull off a full body wax and such nicely coiffed hair? My point is further proven when I was googling images of her to share her and ended up seeing strange women in ways I'm not comfortable seeing them. But while I was expecting a MsFanserve what I got instead was AWESOME. She's funny, she's kind, she's positive and determined. All of these things made me love the character despite my prejudice stacked against her. She doesn't let things get her down and keeps pushing.

    Zidane Tribal (Final Fantasy IX):
    a549689debdd25aa1f9d1fd34d6f2b53.jpg

    In game use: Zidane is a speedy thief. He uses daggers and he... steals things. He's also your unswitchable protagonist meaning he will be with you FOREVER

    65890.jpg

    Why I like him: Zidane is another person I'd strive to be. The guy is so upbeat and positive. Hardly anything gets him down. He deals with stress in an amazing way. Also, he's an excellent friend, being there for everyone and even taking to them quickly. Overall just a very good guy.

    That's all for now!

  10. #25

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    Would I be correct in assuming Colette is one of your favorites now, after playing Symphonia?


    First up of my next four:


    Bruce (Tekken)

    Bruce was a character I actually completely ignored when he was introduced in Tekken 2, mostly due to the game including a boxing raptor (the runner up for this series' slot), but while I felt Alex really fell off in later titles, the ones he was actually included in, Bruce just got better. As he currently stands, I love his pop-up potential and the flow of his attacks. There's this perfect delay between some of his attacks that makes it hard for people to guess if you stopped attacking or not that scores a lot of free hits, or safe block strings if you actually did stop. I also love, surprise surprise, his design, especially the black pants / white tank top combo he rocks as his alternate outfit in T5.

    Sooooo good the popups.


    Ryoko (Ring of Red)



    It's always interesting to encounter a game where you and the game developers don't especially agree on who should be the main character. Ryoko and Masami (the main character) are both arrogant (and borderline offensive at times) test pilots that set off across an alternate history Japan teetering on open war to recover a stolen mech (AFW), but where Masami's main motivation is revenge because someone insulted him during close combat (Really, game? We're going with that?), Ryoko is hunting for her father after he abandoned her and her mother during the events prior to the game. She's got a lot of bitterness driving her, but even with that she also cares about her country and the state it is in, commenting at times about the destroyed homes left behind and growing defensive when comments turn to the sad state of the country. I haven't played the game in a long time, but replaying it now I realized fairly quickly that, while John and Kinasato may be units I prefer in combat, Ryoko is far and away the character I like the most.

    Too bad she can't punch Masami in the teeth for me, though!


    Death (Castlevania: Rondo of Blood)


    Sometimes a character is the best because of their story or personality, or because they manage to entertain you or are hyper useful. For me, Death is my top Castlevania character because the boss fight with him is the ONE thing I look forward to EVERY Castlevania game (and I am seldom disappointed by it not appearing). For me, he's really the main boss of the series, since his fights are always more interesting and challenging than the Dracula fights, and I often prefer his visual design as well. The best fight with him, for me, was in Rondo of Blood atop that ghost ship where, half way through the fight, he gets sick of your crap and jumps down in front of you for an epic melee duel. >: D Long Scythe vs. Whip! Mano e mano. He's got damn surprising reach with that thing, too. X_X

    I assure you it isn't as exciting to watch as it is to play, but, here it is all the same.
    Love that second half.


    Justice (Guilty Gear: The Missing Link)




    So, this character sits in a bit of an interesting place for me. From a story point of view, and I LOVE Guilty Gear's story, Justice is my run away favorite -- no one else comes remotely close. AND MOST OF HER BACKSTORY IS STILL UNREVEALED. What is known is that, due to the treatment and use of 'Gears', she led a massive war to eradicate humanity and would have succeeded in her goal had she not been sealed prior to the first game. But, it's not really as simple as all of that, as is revealed in several endings throughout the series, and her name is a lot more fitting than it initially seems.

    What places her in an odd situation for me, though, is that I don't LIKE playing her outside of the original Guilty Gear, and I have different favorite characters in other games in the series. And it's not like she's BAD in later games -- she remains tournament banned in every incarnation that I know of -- but she's nowhere near what she should be. She doesn't do the damage she used to, several of her specials became supers and require meter, and she lost access to dash-modification. She feels like a shadow of herself after the first game (which, all things considered, is amusing), and I've never really felt I was playing the engine of humanity's destruction that I should be. If you are gonna give me a monster, Arksys, give me a damn monster! >_< /


    (SPOILER)

    That's the stuff. >: D

  11. #26
    Depression Moon's Avatar
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    Is this just for personality and development, or are we including gameplay in this? The list below is going from personality.
    Zidane
    Vivi
    Jade (Beyond Good & Evil)
    Alyx Vance
    The Boss

  12. #27
    Pinkasaurus Rex Pumpkin's Avatar
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    Colette is indeed one of my favourites now!

    Also Depression Moon, you can do it however you like. Personality, gameplay, development, boobies all of the above, totally up to you

  13. #28
    Nerf This~ Laddy's Avatar
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    The Nameless One. Never has there been a character better-developed, more nuanced, and more malleable without ever deviating from the tone or direction of the characters. He encompasses so many aspects of humanity and can interpreted in so many fascinating ways. Namely, how he handles his previous actions, incarnations, and what he ultimately does when faced with the weight of these.

    So yeah, Planescape: Torment probably would have at least five of these characters.



  14. #29

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    Planescape is one of those games I REALLY need to pick up, especially since I loved the Baldur's Gate series so much.

  15. #30

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    This seems like a good opportunity to gush about Dunban from Xenoblade


    Consider by most Homs (humans) to be a living legend. Single-handedly driving back a wave of killer robots at the end of a last stand, even after the order to retreat was given. He was actually intending to sacrifice himself for it, it just worked out that his drive and an enchanted weapon were just barely enough to get the job done. But in doing so he ruined the use of his right hand, and amusingly enough his character animations are true to that, he can move it, but most of the time it hangs dead at his side and he's always using his left to climb and fight and whatnot


    In normal cases like this, the older hero in a video game or anime trope he'd have a dark past, and either be all uppity or not talk much at all. This hero is actually very human, and humble. He doesn't consider himself a hero, just a tool that did a job when the time was needed. Other than that he doesn't expect or want any adulation and never treats anyone differently. He does however accept that everyone looks up to him. He can't change that, so he does what he can with it. He's a great father figure, and a great brother figure. He uses his fame to try to make a difference in the world and the lives of those he cares about, and generally deals with his own issues on his own and in his own time. Even when people are worried about him, he generally ends up cheering them up or motivating them instead


    He's just super selfless and awesome. And I'm always complaining that JRPGs don't have enough worthwhile adult characters. And when they do, they're usually completely unrelatable. Dunban is not only someone I can relate to, but also someone I, myself, can look up to and admire. He's a great guy, and a great character


    But if any of that changes over the course of the game, please note that I am only like 2/3 of the way through. But I can't see him falling and failing to be who he's set himself up to be already, and at this rate, even if he does, I'm sure he'll do it admirably and still be a good example of a well developed and humanized character in a video game


    Yay Dunban



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