Not long ago, I published a piece on my ten favorite video games. Today I will showcase my ten favorite playable characters from a video game.

To clarify: just like the aforementioned list, this is entirely subjective. It does not aim to suggest you are an inferior gamer for disagreeing or having a completely different list. This list will also strictly specify characters, not their video games. This is a personal preference top 10 on playable characters specifically, and does not intend to rank any based on narrative impact.

So, let’s begin.

10. Miles Edgeworth (Phoenix Wright: Trials & Tribulations)

Edgeworth has a large presence across most of the first trilogy and even gets two of his own games. So why am I specifying this particular appearance? Because Edgeworth gains a unique role in the Bridge to the Turnabout episode where the player uniquely gets to play as him. In the context of this game, this is a pretty mind-blowing opportunity that’s really fun and fresh to play out especially since it’s done using Edgeworth as a defense attorney, where he had strictly only ever been a prosecutor to this point. It helps that this sequence is attached to the, bar none, greatest piece of Ace Attorney content ever made. Bridge was an impeccable episode, due massively to Edgeworth’s presence, both as a playable character and when he returns to being an NPC.

9. The Cook (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)

In video games in general, I’ve always thought myself as more the part of a ‘field general’ or a frontline tank where applicable, than a high octane DPS player who aims to put up big numbers while getting themselves killed in elaborate fashion. The Cook feeds into this type of playstyle a lot in this game, and does so in an incredibly productive way. He is great at setting up, rewarding smart play and use of his locks, while having a nasty wall hack he can use to help his teammates out. TCM is likely done and dusted at this point, but if ever it were to experience a random resurgence, I’d come back ready to cook any time.

8. Doom Guy (Doom series)

Whether speed-running or simply enjoying the game casually, Doom Guy is as simple and as violent as they come. Being able to experience the journey through his point of view in any manner seen fit makes all of his different iterations a blast to play.

7. Meta Knight (Super Smash Bros)

While the majority of my time playing Meta Knight came in Smash 4, especially the 3DS version, I did get to experience just how brokenly overpowered he was in Brawl first. Even when not dominating the entire meta game hands down, Meta Knight was one of my childhood favorites when enjoying Kirby Superstar Ultra and a lot of what made him fun to play carries over nicely in Smash, a far more engaging game. To end off this segment: my gamer name at Smash tournaments has always been Knightmare, and that’s largely due to my roots as a Smash player involving me using Meta Knight to succeed.

6. The Artist ( Dead by Daylight)

Man, I genuinely cannot recall a time feeling more hyped for a character’s impending release back than late 2021, when I was waiting on The Artist. This is the part of the list where I need to remind everybody that this is entirely subjective, and not a declaration that one character is objectively better than any other.

The Artist fits me as a player perfectly in a few different ways. From a gameplay perspective, recall what I said earlier about me feeling at home as more of a tactical, methodical player as opposed to a high tension, high risk/reward one. The Artist embodies this concept, as she does not possess anything terribly flashy within her kit and is instead aiming to be efficient and establish command over the map she is being used on. She can detect and, in theory, even damage or potentially kill someone from the length of the map away while being difficult to lose in chase.

Thematically, since day one I have found myself nearly smitten with The Artist’s background story, flavor on her various add-ons and her general aesthetic. In addition, because of how she works, The Artist can be built, perkwise, in a litany of different ways. I absolutely love build making in any game I play, so this was yet another plus.

5. Mourn (Predecessor)

Predecessor was my first MOBA. Mourn wasn’t the first or last character I maxed en route to 100%ing the game, but he was definitely my favorite. As well, playing Mourn fits me so well that I’d even consider Mourn gameplay in any context to be “cozy”, something I could come home to after a long day at work. Similarly to The Artist, Mourn can be built, effectively, in a near endless amount of ways. I don’t mean to brag either, but a lot of my games with Mourn tend to end very well for me, which definitely helps.

4. Tank Dempsey (Call of Duty up until Black Ops 4)

Some people had the pleasure of growing up with Doom Guy. I really enjoyed Doom Guy, evidenced by his position on this list, but for me, Dempsey was the ‘Doom Guy’ I got to grow up with as Doom’s origins were a wee bit before my time. Instead of a silent protagonist effortlessly shooting and blowing up the dead, I got the American loudmouth blowhard in Dempsey to do it with. Because of his ego-driven and humorous wit, Dempsey became the character I quickly latched onto, preferring him to the three alternate options of Richtofen, Takeo and Nikolai. In Black Ops 3, which is one of my favorite games ever, Dempsey experiences a really satisfying character development arc in a cinematic way, which was pretty incredible to experience after having experienced his story in gameplay for years. In Black Ops 4, Dempsey and the entire storyline he had been apart of for nearly a decade experienced a thorough, satisfying conclusion that will stand as one of countless pieces of media I point to as demonstration for video games being a form of fine art.

…we don’t need to talk about how his character is actively being tarnished in Black Ops 7. Let’s pretend that game doesn’t exist, and we’ll be good. This list is for happy thoughts and sentiments!

3. Matador (Shin Megami Tensei series)

Ever play a game where you beat a challenging boss, then later you get the boss to fight on your side, only to find they’ve been seriously watered down? That probably feels pretty lame, doesn’t it? I bet you wish there was some game out there, somewhere, that let you actually enjoy the boss on your team having retained what made them so powerful. Too bad there isn’t a game out there that lets you do that.

Except there is, and Matador from the Shin Megami Tensei series is easily the poster child of the game letting you do exactly that. Matador has been absolutely masterfully designed in these games, as both a very sturdy first true boss fight, one the player can and likely will lose to, and as a perfectly solid comrade in arms who wields everything that made him so formidable to fight against.

I love the idea of being able to use narratively-important non-main characters in meaningful ways. Niche and specific, I know, but this is a niche and specific list, so I’m not sorry. Matador being the first option in this regard in a few different SMT games makes him the most memorable. He does an unbelievably perfect job toeing the line between being really strong but not so strong that he starts to play the game for the player. Absolutely hit it straight in the wheelhouse.

2. King Dedede (Super Smash Bros)

Like Meta Knight, I played Dedede a fair bit in Brawl before playing him a motherlode in Smash 4 and a little bit in Ultimate. Brawl was sadly definitely Dedede’s hayday, as he plainly and simply sucks in the following two games. But, I had a lot of fun with Dedede and even experienced tournament success with him, to a degree, in doing so.

A little like Mourn, Dedede is a really cozy character for me to play. He offers me everything I need to feel comfortable- he’s heavy and tanky with fantastic stage recovery, so he can take a beating. He has range and a really big, heavy weapon that suits me well. Finally, most importantly, he originates from a franchise in Kirby that had a major impact on my childhood, so when I started playing Smash, he was instantly recognizable for me. I am, at present, no longer going to competitive Smash tournaments, and I may never do so again. But if I do or, even if I just boot the game up casually, I will probably play Dedede at least a bit in doing so.

Honorable Mentions:

Captain Falcon (Super Smash Bros)– You know those silly memes going around with the “Chad” guy? Captain Falcon was Chad before Chad existed, a peerlessly cool, buffed up racer running around and kicking everyone’s ass in as stylish a manner as can be. Who doesn’t love landing the Knee of Justice or a Falcon Punch? In Smash, he generally has really fluid, consistent gameplay that hasn’t changed a bit over the years.

Byleth (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)– Probably the best silent protagonist I’ve played, playing Byleth actually feels like more of a proper self-insert than other RPGs who try this concept. It isn’t too off the walls, and yet it doesn’t make Byleth feel empty and hollow when dialogue choices need to be made.

Kyle Crane (Dying Light 1)– A really satisfying ‘coming of age’ arc on a character with wit, a healthy ego and a passionate desire to help the people of Harran was a lot of fun to engage with.

1. Bearer of the Curse (Dark Souls 2)

Sure, Dark Souls 2 is a fantastic game, I’ve beaten that sentiment to death. What about the character we play as, though? Though we can design them however we want, there’s more to the Bearer of the Curse than simple cosmetics or the weapon they’ve wielded.

In Dark Souls 2, the Bearer of the Curse is sent on a journey to, in essence, prevent the world around them from descending into total darkness and despair. Along the way, though, they get treated to a different perspective that may or may not shift their mindset; instead of fighting so long and hard to retain a broken, dying world, would it maybe be better to let it all fade, for reclamation some day under a better premise?

After the final, climactic showdown at the end of the game, the player is pressed to ‘give their answer’ as to where they stand on the dilemma. Regardless of what players choose, the ending is really satisfying and endlessly prompts further discussion as to which ending is the best or the most proper. Overall, a beautiful game with a beautiful protagonist to boot.