The Top 100 Video Game Characters of All Time

The Mask of Norro · June 12, 2007

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"GET OVER HERE!" - Scorpion, Mortal Kombat for the Sony Playstation

Ladies and gentlemen, this is it. The list has been organized, it is time to see who the EWB: Coin Op thinks are the Top 100 Video Game Characters of All Time! It's been a close race the whole way through, and now it's coming to an end.

First, let's take a look at the 140 characters nominated for contention in the Top 100. Because of the size of the list, it will be placed in spoiler tags for the sake of the thread.

Spoiler: Click here to view

Now then, that being said... out of the 140 characters, obviously only 100 were able to make it. However, of the 140, there were 4 characters who put up a good effort and almost made contention for the list. A vote or two more for them would have likely swung them into the Top 100, actually.

All other contenders before them received no votes, and thus stayed in the 0 Points range the whole way through. However, these four characters were able to escape that area, but were unable to make it in the Top 100. They are:

BLANKA (Street Fighter Series)

"The Hulk" of Street Fighter II, Blanka was one of the more popularly used characters in the game. This green beast could tuck into a ball and launch across the screen at you, use electric attacks against you to drive you back, and was an all-round animalistic powerhouse. Hard to believe he didn't make the Top 100 considering what a well-known character he is, but then again... the same could be said for E. Honda not even getting nominated.

ZERO (Megaman X Series)

Of all the new additions to the Megaman/Megaman X series of games, Zero is by far one of the most popular characters created for the game. With his energy sword attacks, coupled with the standard blaster attacks, Zero is favored by a large portion of the Megaman fans, sometimes rivaling or even surpassing Megaman himself. That being said, the fact that Zero didn't make it to the Top 100 was a shocker too. A hell of a good character, with a hell of a good story behind him.

PRINCESS ZELDA (Legend of Zelda Series)

She started off as the stereotypical "Damsel in Distress", but as the "Legend of Zelda" game series progressed, Princess Zelda proved time and time again that not only was she combat capable, but she played a greater role in the grand story of Link and Ganondorf then originally expected. Zelda's spells are powerful, but her hand-to-hand combat skills are just as remarkable: when disguised as Sheik, Zelda displayed an incredible talent. Considering her name is shared with the popular series, it's a shame she didn't make the Top 100. Maybe next time.

MANNY CALAVERA (Grim Fandango)

Manny was his own kind-of Grim Reaper-- hell, he dressed the part, so why not? In the game "Grim Fandango", the iconic Manny Calavera is a travel agent to the dearly departed, helping them find their way to the Land of the Dead through pleasant travels or terrifying journeys. Manny himself embarks on one having discovered a secret plot, and in doing so becomes a fugitive. I don't have much to say about Manny myself, having never actually played Grim Fandango, but now that I've looked into it I'm definitely interested.

And that concludes our honorable mentions. I'd say who else didn't make the cut, but I thought adding suspense for the later stages of the Top 100 would be better.

Throughout the week I will continue to update the list and leave a "Table of Contents" on this post so that each section can be easily navigated to once the list is finished. All discussions, comments and the like should be posted in /forum/index.php?showtopic=53963&st=0#entry1156709">here.

Thanks for all your votes once again, now let's see who our Top 100 turned out to be!

Edited August 5, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · June 12, 2007

SIMON BELMONT (Castlevania Series)

Simon Belmont whipped ass-- literally. The primary character in a large number of the Castlevania games in the series, Simon Belmont used his whip most of the time to fend off his enemies. Considering he used his whip to defeat a superpowered Dracula, along with other massive enemies and creatures of the damned, it's hard to question the strength of the character. His appearance has been changed over time-- attire, hair color and the like-- but in all the games, that same undead-whipping bad-ass remained. This one was definitely a shocker: I thought for sure he'd have been at least in the Top 80.

TSENG (Final Fantasy VII)

Who didn't like any of the Turks from Final Fantasy VII, especially if you enjoyed the game itself? Considered one of the best antagonistic groups in a Final Fantasy game, the Turks were an excellent side-story to the game, and among them was Tseng, an old, old friend of Aerith's. Tseng was a competent fighter and, with his appearance in Advent Children, apparently was able to survive an attack from Sephiroth. Considering Sephiroth's undeniable strength over Tseng, that in itself is impressive. When it comes down to it, I was shocked this particular Turk made it in... but with how the character was designed, he certainly deserves mentioning.

"SERIOUS" SAM STONE (Sam Stone Series)

Probably one of the most humorous characters to ever be labeled "serious", Sam Stone was practically a parody of Duke Nukem that would eventually grow into a hell of a character with a good series under his belt. Throughout the years, the appearance of Sam has changed, pulling him further away from that Duke-esque appearance he started out with, but the character has stayed the same through and through. When the earth had no hope, when all seemed good as lost... Sam Stone stepped in, and boy, did he kick some alien ass.

NIGHTMARE (Soul Series)

The Soul Series of fighting games were incredibly popular arcade smashes, and their console counterparts provided more in-depth development for characters-- characters like Nightmare, for example. Here's a character torn between the evil of his sword and the good of himelf (Siegfried), and the resulting struggle eventually splits the two entities apart from each other and into two separate people. Nightmare was, by and large, the most powerful hitter in the Soul Series-- he was also one of th slowest. But the sheer strength of Nightmare was perfect for new players to the game to adjust with; and when he becomes Night Terror? It's ridiculous just how strong he becomes. Definitely deserving of a spot in the Top 100.

THRALL (Warcraft Series)

Let's hear it, people, that mighty battlecry of the masses: "FOR THE HORDE!" The undisputed master and war chief of the Horde, Thrall is considered the greatest orc in all the world... of Warcraft. Thrall's story itself is impressive: brought up to become a slave to his human master, but raised into the leader against the Alliance. Thrall's name was chosen by Blackmoore, his human master, as it implies slavery; however, instead of choosing to change it, the proud warrior keeps it as a reminder to Blackmoore, so that a day would come where Blackmoore would remember the things he'd done to Thrall and regret them wholeheartedly. How could we not include Thrall in the Top 100? A great character deserving of a spot here, and so he's received it.

Edited July 23, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · June 13, 2007

KNUCKLES (Sonic the Hedgehog Series)

Guardian of the Master Emerald since birth, and the proverbial 'Luigi' to Sonic the Hedgehog's 'Mario', Knuckles has been a respected and well-received character in the series since his induction, actually becoming a fan-favorite among many Sonic fans and rivaling Sonic himself at times. He's the brawler of the series, which comes in handy for him, considering he has spikes on his fists. Where did you think he got the name? In the games, however, this loner of a character is also a bit dimwitted at times, as most "tough guy" characters usually are: Dr. Eggman, at one point, actually convinced Knuckles that Sonic was the badguy, prompting a running joke about the gullibility of Knuckles in that he believed him. All in all, he's become a steady and traditional character to the series, and so it's none too surprising to see him make it in the Top 100.

THE FROG (Frogger Series)

Right, up, up, left, left, up, left, SHIT. Alright, admit it: how many of you got pissed at the latter levels of Frogger, when you'd get trapped in a section of the road where you couldn't go forward or back because of the cars, and you had to watch as this fucking speed-demon of a car flies by on your section and kills off your last little frog? Just me? Damn it. Nevertheless, Frogger was an addicting game with a clever concept, that even during the time of such primitive graphics in games, was able to keep you on the edge of your seat, leaning into that screen to watch that frog as close as possible. Why did the frog hop across the road? To inspire millions to buy its goddamn game, and it worked: definitely a character that shouldn't be left off this list.

QUISTIS TREPE (Final Fantasy VIII)

She had a way with whips that rivaled Simon Belmont, and not to mention? She was a teacher. An attractive, 18-year-old teacher with a depression problem. Who here could only wish for a teacher like that? During the course of the game, Quistis hints towards possible feelings she has for the main character, Squall, but inevitably figures out that they're more sisterly then romantic(wow, the line really so blurred between the two?). A popular character from the game nevertheless, Quistis packs quite the punch in battle, and is yet another Final Fantasy character who has entered the ranks of the Top 100.

CECIL HARVEY (Final Fantasy IV)

Look out, folks, it's a veritable Final Fantasy invasion of the Top 100! Cecil Harvey was the protagonist of the revolutionary game, Final Fantasy IV, which featured up to 12 playable characters, each with their own story to them. Up to this point, only Final Fantasy II had characters with actual names and stories, and so Final Fantasy IV returned to that trend and further deepened the connection possible between player and character. Cecil was an orphaned child, raised by the King of Baron to become a dark knight. Of course, over time, Cecil rebels against the King and forms an alliance to oppose him, due to the lack of morality shown by the King in his actions. Cecil's story is long and heroic, and despite all the trials he is faced with, he eventually comes to be the new King of Baron. He was a great character that deserved mention, so I'd say his place on the list works well.

MIKE TORENO (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas)

Kind-of surprised about this one, actually... I was expecting GTA characters, but I figured they'd be the usual suspects. In comes Mike Toreno, and we've got a whole new ball game. Here's a guy who could play things smart: a CIA agent (presumably, some form of government official anyway) disguised as a drug dealer, he eventually manipulates the situations surrounding him so much that he gains control of Carl Johnson, the game's main character, by threatening the life of his brother in jail. Eventually, Toreno takes a liking to Carl as a kind-of war buddy, but continues to manipulate him throughout the game. Despite everything he'd done to Carl, Toreno actually survives the game: a surprising feat, considering how many people he'd pissed off.

Edited July 23, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · June 16, 2007

'SIM' (The Sims Series)

Ah, the debatable character nomination makes it to 91st place. The 'Sim' is, essentially, the base character off of which all Sims in the game, "The Sims", are created. What you see in the image above is just an example of a created 'Sim' off of the base design. The only reason this character was allowed onto the choice was because "The Sims" is, by and large, the best-selling computer game in history, and as such has established a firm and solid grounding in the world of games. Not allowing a 'Sim' onto the list simply because it has no identity would be robbing the list of a necessary mention to one of the more influential games in our time. This is a character's list, sure, but a character is just as defined by their structure as they are by their impact on the industry, and no-matter where you see any one of these characters, you know what they are: a 'Sim'.

SPYRO (Spyro the Dragon Series)

One of the first games I played back when I got my first PlayStation was a demo for the Spyro the Dragon game, and by the end of the demo I'd actually thought it was a decent game worth checking out. Well, as it turns out, I was right: Spyro the Dragon is a fun game, but the character really is a unique one. Completely sure of himself, filled with energy and extremely intelligent, Spyro is a complete package that the player controls. He fearlessly faces against foes much larger then himself without backing down, and is practically his own David versus Goliath story. Of course, his story hasn't always been the same: when he was young, he helped everyone and was very nice. When he grew older, he still helped, but began growing an attitude. In the games where Spyro's matured the most, he refuses to help anyone who won't reward him. Nice. Definitely deserving of a Top 100 spot.

JOPS (Cannon Fodder Series)

What can I say about Jops... nothing, really. I don't even know if the guy in the picture is an artistic representation of Jops, or another character. Cannon Fodder was a great game, but really, you played as a squad and Jops was one of the possible characters you could go with. He was really just a name with certain skills and weapon uses attributed to him, so uh... hey. Fun fact about Jops: he was among the original characters a player could have, that was directly named after a member of the development staff. And it sucked if he died, because generally he wouldn't until much further in the game, and by then, the little bastard was a seasoned veteran. You don't wanna lose those.

GORO (Mortal Kombat Series)

As a kid, I was one of the cheapest players of Mortal Kombat around. I was one of those annoying kids who loved to get in close and uppercut you, and not stop tapping that button, until you died. No skill, just doing what worked best. Thankfully, that shit didn't fly when I got to Goro: the bastard usually caught me if I got in too close before I could do the uppercut thing. I'd often get pissed off, having taken forever to reach him, only to be killed seemingly without incident from the creature when I tried to uppercut him. Goro was usually the second-to-last opponent you'd face on your way to Shang Tsung, and he really was a worthy foe for newer players. On harder levels, he still was for even the more skilled players. The prince of the Shokan race, and defending champion of Mortal Kombat during the first game, Goro was indeed a character worth making to the Top 100.

BALTHIER (Final Fantasy XII)

The sky pirate of Final Fantasy XII, Balthier was wary of his father's madness and, instead of staying as Imperial Judge, decided to cut ties with his father and lead a life of piracy in the skies. His new position, coupled with his skill at it, wound up getting a massive bounty placed on his head. Thanks to his skills in combat, however, Balthier was more than capable of protecting himself from the threats, even insisting that he was immortal. Following the rich tradition left behind him in the list and, likely, ahead of him, Balthier is yet another Final Fantasy Character who's entered the fray of the Top 100.

Edited July 23, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · June 17, 2007

FLONNE (Disgaea Series)

One of the cutest characters to ever kick some wicked ass, Flonne was one of the main characters in Disgaea and, of all things, actually taught demons about love. She was an angel trainee who was sent to, yes, assassinate someone. She's pretty much an otaku kind-of character, obsessed with Japanese media and culture-- one of her costumes, actually, resembles a purple Godzilla. Amusingly, with that costume she becomes "Flonnezilla". She also has the ability to change into a space monster, though these transformations seem to rely on her costumes. Innocent, ditzy and loving... how can you not love this character as she beats the living shit out of her adversaries? So freakin' cute.

DEATH (Castlevania Series)

There's very few symbols of fear in our society that can contend with the Grim Reaper. When it comes to our own mortality, the Reaper is a clear reminder that he's always waiting for your time to come, and in Castlevania, the motherfucker just gets creepier. Forming an alliance with Dracula, Death himself serves as an antagonist for the warrior Simon Belmont, and becomes a loyal servant of Dracula throughout the series. Despite this servitude, it's hinted that the raw power of Death is so great it may surpass even Dracula's-- the man he serves-- and that he chooses to serve of his own accord, rather than out of humility. However, Death is also a respectable fighter: though arrogant about his strength, he will treat the strongest of challengers with the utmost respect. Probably the coolest of all Castlevania villains, he deserves mention too. Still amazed Simon didn't make it, though.

ROBERT FOSTER (Beneath A Steel Sky)

Probably one of the toughest Aussies there was, Robert Foster was the sole survivor of a plane crash in the 'Gap' (Australian Outback), where he was saved by, and inevitably raised by, Indigenous Australians. They teach him the skills needed to survive in the harsh environment, and even give him his name: based both by the fact that they were 'fostering' him, and the fact that they found an empty can of 'Foster's Lager' near the crash site. As Robert reaches adulthood, things go straight to hell: Storm Troopers kill off his tribe and kidnap Foster, only to have Robert break out of the helicopter and cause it to crash, leaving Robert and his robot friend alive and looking to find out why they were brought there. Now, let's recap: he survives a plane crash as a child, is raised by Indigenous Australians and learns how to survive the Outback, brings down a helicopter with STORM TROOPERS in it, and goes on an adventure with a robot. Yeah, so, he deserves mentioning. Big time.

SODA POPINSKI (Punchout!)

Ah ha ha! Ah ha ha! Ah ha ha ha! The boxer formerly known as Vodka Drunkinski, Soda Popinski was censored for release in the American Punchout! game, yet kept his drunken quotes throughout the fight. Seeing a man guzzling soda and talking about being punch drunk wasn't lost on anyone's young minds: that fucker was drunker then the father of a red-headed step child. According to an interview conducted on I-Mockery (read: not official), his favorite food is spaghetti, boiled in vodka, and topped with chocolate sauce. Soda Popinski, thanks to I-Mockery, has become something of an internet legend. It makes sense-- in a game where a New York stereotype beats up other ethnic stereotypes, the Russian one who gets drunk off of Soda thanks to censors would likely stand out as the most eccentric. Just a shame that Little Mac wasn't nominated... I was really hoping to see the guy make it in. Ah well, at least Popinski made it.

ALBERT WESKER (Resident Evil Series)

Captain of the special-forces unit S.T.A.R.S., Albert Wesker wound up betraying his team and leading most of them to their deaths, effectively turning him into the game's recurring antagonist. Determined to, at all costs, further his own success, Albert Wesker actually betrays not only S.T.A.R.S., but the Umbrella Corporation as well, and attempts to steal the Tyrant's combat data by injecting himself with a serum and waiting for S.T.A.R.S. to get killed by the Tyrant. Of course, they instead killed the Tyrant, making Wesker hate them even more. There's more to Wesker then it originally seems, too: with an enhanced healing ability, and an uncanny ability to get out of seemingly impossible situations (including situations where it seems almost factual that he's, well, dead), Albert Wesker just refuses to stay down, and refuses to let his missions go unfinished. Probably one of the most determined villains in the series, Wesker's earned his spot in the Top 100.

Edited July 23, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · June 18, 2007

FROG (Chrono Trigger)

Apparently, knights in 600 A.D. were walking amphibians. Frog, AKA Glenn, was a "Knight of the Square Table" and wasn't actually ALWAYS a frog: he was turned into one by a dark wizard. Determined to push forward despite this, Frog keeps on fighting despite his state, which inevitably leads him into the Chrono Trigger game as one of the characters. He, just like any good knight, is honorable and noble: he vows revenge on Magus, who he saw kill Cyrus, and is the true bearer of the Masamune (Take THAT, Sephiroth!). Frog holds a deep regret for being unable to save Cyrus' life in the past, and this sometimes does effect him visibly: however, he continues to fight in honor (though, in the Japanese version, he actually is kinda rude; in the American version, he speaks in Olde English very poorly but remains chivalric). It's good to see some Chrono Trigger characters make it on here: these are some characters that certainly don't deserve to be overlooked.

RYUTA IPPONGI (Osu! Tatakae! Oendan)

Cheerleading is serious business folks: especially when people are so depressed, that the only way to keep them from giving up on their projects is to bust the fuck out of nowhere and cheer their emo asses up with a good old cheer. That's where Ryuta comes in: leader of the Ouendan, Ryuta and his cheer partners go where ever a good cheer is needed, and is seemingly without fail at making it there right on time. By the end of the game, the player amasses such a massive Ouendan force, that they must guide the entire world into a cheer to save it from an asteroid (how on earth a cheer, rather than a high-powered beam or, perhaps, some bombs drilled in by the world's finest non-astronauts, could save the world... you got me). In any case, Ryuta is the player's usual choice (as he's the default on normal mode, turning him into the game's own little Ryu, so-to-speak). I... honestly? I never heard of this game before, and considering most of the characters have no backstory, it's awkward to induct Ryuta onto the list, but... hell, man, this guy helped save the world by doing a fucking cheer. Give the man his glory.

THE BARD (The Bard's Tale)

Snarky or nice: damn, that's a tough decision... humor, or quest-saving items? The Bard, whose actual name is, well, I don't know it, was the main character in both the classic game by EA, "The Bard's Tale", and the subsequent spin-off of it made by InXile Entertainment under the same name. I'm choosing to do an overview on the one who actually had charisma, considering the original game was really just another one of those "epic games that have characters without backgrounds". In InXile's version, the Bard is solely concerned with earthly pleasures rather than the pleasure of saving the earth. In fact, in one of their advertising campaigns, the ad itself captures the attitude of the Bard entirely: between a choice of going down two paths, one marked "Save the Earth" and the other "Coin & Cleavage", he goes down the C&C path (without hesitation, no less). Probably one of the funnier head-characters to a game, I have to admit: the Bard does deserve mention. I've not played the game, but now that I've read more about this character, I really am interested in checking it out. Looks like a lot of fun.

BERNARD BERNOULLI (Maniac Mansion Series)

Maniac Mansion was a really fun game of adventure and strategy, and not only that: it brought a refreshing change to the gaming industry in its first induction in the late 80s, allowing the player to select from a multitude of characters to form a group, where whomever they picked would effect the outcome of the story itself. What's more, during cut scenes outside the scope of the player's interactivity, clues towards the player's objectives could be located. In this game, one of the characters one could select was Bernard Bernoulli: and often was he selected. An excellent choice to balance out the group, Bernard was your stereotypical nerd, and evolved as a character so much that he was actually the only one of the original Maniac Mansion characters who appeared in the second game, where Bernard was the main character. With the ability to dismantle complex electronics, Bernard was a useful addition to the team and was rarely overlooked despite his nerdiness in the original. Worth mentioning? You bet. He was featured in, and led in the sequel, to arguably one of the most influential computer games of the past two decades; how can you overlook that?

LI LONG (Soul Series)

Thank God for cross-referencing, I almost had that graphic up there portray Li Long as a chick. He was definitely not a chick, leastwise the busty one I went and nearly put up there. Li Long-- though his name is so generic that Google Image Search was a bitch at trying to get a decent image of him-- was definitely not a generic character. Nearly everything about the character was a tribute to Bruce Lee, and he is styled heavily after traditional ninjas-- and not the kinds you see in pop culture nowadays, either. He'd suffered a terrible defeat at the hands of the dead pirate Cervantes, narrowly escaping with his life, and wound up running into hiding to avoid the numerous assassins trying to hunt him down. Over time, his faith and fighting ability is restored by a young girl who helps him and shelters him during his hiding, and Li Long finds himself fighting once more for what he believes in, rather than running away. The classic tale of a hero led astray, who manages to find his way back to the right path and benefit heavily from the journey, Li Long also adds his own bit of flare to the story, as any good Soul Series character would. As I said with Nightmare: it's good to have some Soul Series characters on this list.

Edited July 23, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · June 20, 2007

KING SLENDER (Pro Wrestling)

The fact that King Slender not only made the Top 100, but made it all the way to #76 when characters like The Amazon or The Great Puma from the same game didn't even get nominated, makes me cry a little on the inside. King Slender was one of the characters the player was able to pick from the selection offered to them in the NES game "Pro Wrestling", and was probably also one of the most frustrating and useless characters to play as. His specialty was a back breaker, and if you picked him when you played? You had to play five extra times in order to beat his part to the game. Considering Slender's moveset was rather basic and without flare, coupling with the fact that your ultimate reward was "A Winner Is You!", I'm amazed anyone played as him. Really, guys, was this a joke? Was it? ... fuck, I'm supposed to be saying positive things: alright, uh... Pro Wrestling was a very, very fun NES Game that I spent hours on sometimes (no lie) playing. Slender was a character in this excellent NES game. I guess, by relation, that makes King Slender excellent. And slender. ... and a king. Something like that.

ICO (Ico)

Born a bad omen to his village, Ico stars as the protagonist character in a game of the same name. He was a bad omen because he was born with horns and, in his village, that is a sure sign of, well, a bad omen. It was required that Ico be sacrificed, as all horned children before him, however the warriors who left Ico to die in a sarcophagus had no idea that a tremor would cause it to shift loose and, with enough moving inside of it, Ico was able to free himself from those confines. He the goes on to free a young girl by the name of Yorda and, together, they go on puzzling adventures with each other. Ico is a determined child, standing up against an evil queen (who is actually Yorda's mother) in battle to save Yorda's life, despite her superior magic. The story behind the character is certainly intriguing and, though not a fan of puzzle games myself, I can't help but be interested in looking into this particular game because of him.

LUC (Suikoden Series)

Arrogant and mysterious, yet unhappy with his role in life, Luc of the Suikoden Series is one of the 27 True Runes in the universe of the game-- bearer of the "True Wind Rune". It is because of this unhappiness that Luc harbors, this hatred to the fact that since his birth his fate had been predetermined, that inevitably leads Luc to the conclusion that mortals, all along, had the power to control their own destinies, but were so wrapped up in their own agendas that they never realized it. Luc's determination only grew more and more over time, until finally, as a last act of both determination and defiance to destiny itself, Luc sacrifices both himself and his True Wind Rune to show that he was in control of his life, just as others were able to. Considering that most characters in games like these are all too-often unwilling to make true sacrifices, much less make them unless a life is at stake, Luc stood for a concept, the idea that man controls his fate and, in showing his spirit of that belief, he made the ultimate sacrifice in hope of showing the world what was possible for them.

LARRY LAFFER (Leisure Suit Larry Series)

He was a nerd, a geek, a push-over kid who was nothing more then a walking stereotype for most of his life. He lived with his family, he was a computer programmer, and his contact was limited with the outside world. He was Larry Laffer, and by the time he turned 38, something in his gonads told him it was time to move the hell on. Larry became so consumed with pornography that it literally ruined his career, and decided to live life anew and away from the ways of his past. Dawning a clothing style straight out of the 70s (Hence "Leisure Suit"), Larry hits the bar and, well, the rest is history. This guy who had been a nerd all his life, this geek who had never once had sex up to where he nearly became his own 40-Year-Old Virgin, not only lost his virginity during the span of the series of games he was in, but was also married, and divorced, twice, wound up engaged, then was back on the singles scene again by the end of his last game. An icon for any aspiring sexual deviant of a nerd who ever played this game, Larry Laffer is truly a one-of-a-kind kind-of guy.

B.B. HOOD (Darkstalkers)

She looks cute, doesn't she? Fashioned after the innocent 'Little Red Riding Hood', with a cute smile and that little basket... it really would seem that Baby Bonnie Hood was, judging by appearance, the sweetest little thing you ever did see. However, dear reader, you would be terribly, terribly wrong: this chick has a heart of pure evil. Her eyes, so filled with youthful innocence, have seen countless amounts of blood and pain caused by her own hands. That basket you would think holds tasty morsels actually holds the world's largest supply of lethal weapons, and those pockets you might think are filled with bread crumbs? Those are fucking land mines. She has an unquenchable thirst for money, she'll stop at nothing to obtain what she wants, and all the damn time, she'll look so cute it'll make your head explode. B.B. Hood is the symbol of everything evil with humanity: from her greed to her downright deceptive looks, she embodies nothing more than pure evil. She is, ladies and gentlemen, many a person's worst nightmare; more than fitting for contention in the Top 100.

Edited July 23, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · June 20, 2007

GUAN YU (Dynasty Warriors Series)

I was at first reluctant to allow characters from Dynasty Warriors in, but, let's face it: if they were the way they are portrayed on the game in real life? We'd have alot more fanciful tales about their exploits. Truth of the matter is, the Guan Yu of the game Dynasty Warriors closely follows the life of the Chinese War God, but obviously takes some liberties when it comes to his true abilities. Guan Yu was a master of combat, but he was not so great that he could strike the ground and send a shockwave that blasted people into the air. Nevertheless, he WAS a mammoth of a man with mammoth-like strength, so chances are that fabricated tales of his arrival included footsteps which shook the ground. In any event: chances are that future lists may omit characters such as Guan Yu, for deserving as they are, they're only fanciful adaptations of a real person, and thus may not really be considered the game's own "character", so-to-speak. Still, though, for what it's worth? The guy was a damn good character in the series, and as long as he's allowed in for now, he definitely deserves it.

CHRIS REDFIELD (Resident Evil Series)

Another member of S.T.A.R.S. and one of the primary characters in the Resident Evil series, Chris Redfield is the tough, battle-hardened point man of Alpha Team. In Resident Evil Code: Veronica, Redfield's primary objective is to save his younger sister, no matter how many zombies and monsters he has to fight through to do so. In the games, he's the more difficult character to control due to his lack of items compared to the alternate character, Jill. He is, however, capable of taking more damage than her, helping the player last longer despite the weaponry handicap. Rebecca Chambers stands alongside Chris as his partner, where he makes use of her skills in chemistry and medicine to help further them through. Redfield is bound and determined to take down Umbrella Corp., and, with his sister, may eventually do so. He was able to stand toe-to-toe with a resurrected Albert Wesker, and considering Wesker's place on the list, it seems only fitting that Redfield would place just ahead of him.

PRINCE ALEXANDER (King's Quest Series)

Honestly, I can't say much about Prince Alexander. I can talk about King's Quest, sure, but the info I've found on Alexander is limited. However, from what I COULD gather, he's apparently the "Tall, Dark and Handsome" type (so, uh, I suppose you female gamers out there could take a liking to him), and, uhm, well... King's Quest was an excellent game where the player consistently fought for the forces of good, and among the characters the player had at their disposal (namely, the royal family) was Prince Alexander. Really, to those of you who voted for him, I do apologize I can't say so much about him. I'm sure though, based by his standings, that he deserves his shot in the Top 100.

ROGER WILCO (Space Quest Series)

A regular magnet for trouble, Roger Wilco could be called an "everyman", but he could just as easily be called a bumbling halfwit. Hailing from the planet Xenon as a janitor, Wilco was the sole surviver of an attack against the research ship he was aboard. From these humble beginnings in the game, Roger eventually goes on to save the universe on multiple occasions. Yet despite all this, Roger seems forever doomed to janitorial work, being promoted to captain of the garbage scow in another ship, only to then later be demoted back to janitor once more. Still, this does little to stop him from going on and living a happy life, getting married to a character he was romantically involved with named Beatrice and having a child named Roger Wilco Jr.. Thus, the janitor who saved the universe with little in return for him is still able to live a happy life and, in doing so, has worked his way onto this list.

MIFUNE (Way of the Samurai 2)

The default character to the game "Way of the Samurai 2", Mifune is a wandering ronin in the universe of the game, and is introduced through his collapsing at the gates of a city, where a little girl later gives him a riceball to restore his energy. Mifune must quickly learn to gain the trust and respect of the townsfolk if he's to survive in the city he's now entered into, as they are not so trusting of the imposing samurai character. Of course, on that same token, Mifune can also decide to just piss all over the righteous path that samurai follow and instead join a local gang of crooks. Anything to gain some income for food, right? Nonetheless, you must choose a path to walk down as a samurai: the path of good or evil, as many games give you the decision for. From there, you live out the life of this samurai and, in the end, it's you who decides just what he becomes. Because Mifune is practically an extension of the player in that his personality could fit any possible decision the player can make in the game, he really is whoever you want him to be (within, of course, reasonable limitations).

Edited July 23, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · June 27, 2007

STAN (Monkey Island Series)

Capping off this update dominated by computer-game characters, Stan of Monkey Island fame makes his way on the list to sell us his story. And coffins. And insurance. And maybe some useful items for our travels. And whatever else he can get his hands on. He is one of the only "non-major" characters to appear in every Monkey Island game made and, with that notion, may also be CONSIDERED a major character on his own. With his wildly waving arms and a seemingly terrible memory when it comes to his past meetings with Guybrush Threepwood, Stan constantly maintains a business-level relationship with the player. He is a man of a thousand sales pitches, and nothing seems to be able to stop him from finding a way to sell someone something, even if it takes him a long time to finish: for example, one time Stan was trapped in a coffin for an entire year before Guybrush freed him and, upon his freedom, Stan began selling life insurance to people, having somehow found a way to make business cards for the job ahead of time. He is the ultimate representation of a sleazy used-car(read:boat) salesmen, and not even the Ghost Pirate LeChuck can keep him down.

HARRY (Pitfall Series)

Harry, the player's character in "Pitfall: The Lost Expedition", is a fearless treasure hunter who would battle scorpions, spiders, piranhas, massive insects... anything that stood between him and his treasure, really. Harry is skilled in combat-- perfect, considering the creatures he's up against are much larger than they should be-- and coupling these abilities with his arsenal of weapons (including, even, TNT), Harry is more then capable of navigating his way through the jungles he was stranded in from a plane crash. A competant adventurer, Harry's found his treasure here in 65th place.

LEON KENNEDY (Resident Evil Series)

Leon Kennedy (... Ken-ne-dy) started his legacy in the Resident Evil series as a rookie police officer who winds up experiencing the outbreak of the T-Virus first-hand (circa Resident Evil 2) and, by Resident Evil 4, had become a secret agent for the US Government. Kennedy is no stranger to the finer art of absolutely demolishing zombies in his path, and when it comes to the larger monsters spawned of the T-Virus, he continues to specialize in taking them down. In Resident Evil 4, Leon Kennedy actually becomes the protagonist of the game, leading the player along through even more horrors the franchise has been known for, all while doing his best to keep the President's daughter, Ashley Graham, safe. In the end, he does just that, cementing his status as another one of the true warriors of the Resident Evil series.

BOMBERMAN (Bomberman Series)

The bomb-wielding, maze-conquering goofy hero of the Bomberman series, Bomberman was an icon of early Nintendo gaming and beyond. He has faced off against numerous adversaries from his own planet in order to save it, and has even taken on Wario in their own "Vs." game on the Gameboy. Fearless and always ready for a fight, Bomberman evolved over time from being a guy fighting his way out of a maze to a guy with a spaceship, fighting intergalactic battles in order to keep his home planet safe. Yet despite all these evolutions, those bombs never failed to help him out. More then a worthy entrant to this list, I'm amazed he didn't rank higher actually. Oh, and as an aside? The X-Box 360 re-make of the game can suck on my balls. That was not Bomberman. That was shit packed inside of a plastic case and given the name Bomberman, but it sure as fucking hell was not Bomberman.

TONY MONTANA (Scarface: The World Is Yours)

You ever see the movie, Scarface? You ever play the game, GTA: Vice City, which was based off that movie Scarface? Well, you're in for a treat here: this was a game, based off a movie, which played like another game that was dedicated to that movie. Taking control of Tony Montana in a fictional setting where he survived the gunfight in the end of the movie, the game leads you through environments identical to Vice City because, well, Vice City was a tribute to the movie in the first place. This is another one of those instances where I'm going to agree with Kaney in that next time, I need to exercise quality control: Tony Montana was, by and large, one of the greatest movie characters of all time. But to rank him up as one of the greatest video game characters of all time? Yeah... I don't know about that one.

Edited July 23, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · July 10, 2007

IORI YAGAMI (King of Fighters Series)

One of the central recurring characters of the King of Fighters franchise, Iori Yagami was the rival of Kyo Kusanagi, and was one hell of a bad-ass sonofabitch. His outfit was instantly recognizable, and his fighting skills were a force to be reckoned with. A descendant of the Yagami clan, Iori is bound to a blood pact made with the demon Orochi by his ancestors. Because of his strength through the demon, Iori is many times more powerful than he would normally have been without the pact. Yet despite this, he grows stronger over time and eventually grows strong enough to assist in the defeating of Orochi, giving up his own life so that Kyo would be able to strike a massive blow against the beast, allowing Chizuru to once again seal the demon away. Somehow, despite all this, Iori survives the ordeal and eventully continues on with his journey. Most recently, a fighter by the name of Ash Crimson actually stole Iori's power, leaving Iori to be forced to wander, in search of Ash, so that he might regain his powers again.

NESS (Earthbound Series)

You know how hard it is to keep kids quiet? Yeah. Bet you'd just love to have a kid like Ness, the young, silent protagonist of EarthBound. Gifted with a powerful psychic ability (which, in the Super Smash Brothers series, actually adapts off of his old allies), Ness rarely ever speaks, and often when we're ever exposed to him talking, it's in his thoughts. With his arsenal of baseball bats and toys, Ness sets off on an adventure to save the planet Onnett-- an adventure that the alien Buzz Buzz chose him for. Ness will often grow homesick and even drop out of battles momentarily if only to think of home and his favorite food. While that can get annoying at times, it is pretty cute, not to mention that depending on how you played, Ness was fucking powerful to use. So when he wasn't being annoying, he was kicking ass, and really? That's a fair exchange right there. Personally, I'd say that it was his entry into the Smash Bros. series that fueled his popularity further from his original roots in EarthBound, and might also be credited to him making it on this list. Regardless of that, Ness was a great character, and certainly worthy of making this list.

SARAH KERRIGAN (Starcraft)

And so the masses of Starcraft fans cry out and rejoice for Sarah making this list, and then immediately scream blasphemy that she placed 59th. I was surprised, too, folks. Sarah Kerrigan is the ruler of that bastard force we know as the "Zerg", and in a survey held by GameSpot, is the 2nd best villain in a video game-- and with good reason: Sarah Kerrigan's past makes you pity her, because she was never given a chance at a normal life. However, her actions in the present make you want to gouge her eyes out, and yet still maintain a respect for her ability. In the beginning of our exposure to Kerrigan, she can really make you question if she really is the bad girl in all of this. Aaaaand then she gets infested, and fucking destroys everything in her path. Then she regains control, and continues to destroy everything in her path. She makes allies, betrays them, and in the final mission is even hit with a massive surprise attack that would have destroyed any other person, yet still prevails against it. Sarah Kerrigan is a hell of a tough character-- and God knows she'd have to be to rule over the Zerg-- but beyond her combat skill lies a powerful psychic ability. She not only has the power to control minds, she can also create psionic storms. I'd say she definitely needed to be on this list, and if anything, I'd have placed her further in.

REVOLVER OCELOT (Metal Gear Solid Series)

There's a joke about Soviet Russia in here somewhere, I'm sure of it. The ex-Soviet agent, Revolver Ocelot, hails from the Metal Gear Series and, ironically, has an American Gunslinger theme about him. Though one of the many antagonists in the series, Ocelot's motives are uncertain to everyone throughout, making him something of an enigma: however, it's easy to tell that he's not exactly on the "good" side of things, considering his preference for torturing hostages, not to mention his sadistic interrogation methods. In Metal Gear Solid, Ocelot is the first member of FOXHOUND to face of against Snake, and actually survives the encounter-- only to go on and lose his right hand to the Cyborg Ninja. From this point, not everything continues to be in Ocelot's favor... after Liquid Snake's death, Ocelot replaced his lost arm with Liquid's in an arm transplant. Then, strangely, later in the series Liquid's personality begins to possess Ocelot-- usually in reaction to the presence of someone (such as Solid Snake). in fact, during the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4, Ocelot has changed his name to Liquid Ocelot and is mostly under the control of Liquid. So what we have here, is a downright sadistic badass, who in turn gets possessed by a jealous yet insanely clever badass, combining their traits together and forming, you guessed it, an even bigger badass. Revolver Ocelot was an excellent antagonist for the player in MGS, and by all means, he deserves to be on this list.

CRASH BANDICOOT (Crash Bandicoot Series)

He was one of the Sony Playstation's original mascot characters, a mutated marsupial out on a mission to stop his creator from world domination, be a good environmentalist and clean up the pollution left behind by him, and also save his girlfriend. In terms of character, Bandicoot is... well, quite literally, average. Don't take tha the wrong way: it's actually what makes the character. His creator, Dr. Cortex, had intended for him to be some sort of a genius super soldier. Instead, he was an average muscled, average minded anthropomorphic marsupial with a unique sense of justice. However, despite all of this, well, averageness... his personality is quite foolish. Some people even have thought of him as a bit dimwitted, despite the fact that he's, well, a fucking anthropomorphic animal. Couple this with his limited arsenal of only being able to jump and spin in the original game, and alot of people didn't really prefer the character all too much. Yet for those of us who did, we understand him well: it's these below-average traits that actually make the character great, and considering his success, I'd say that we're not alone in that thinking.

Edited July 23, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · July 16, 2007

FIGHTER (Final Fantasy I)

In the original Final Fantasy game for the NES, you were able to pick nameless heroes who were identified simply by their character class. "Fighter" was the starting class for the typical warrior character, and the character enjoyed the benefit of excelling at heavy weaponry, armor, and later on upon changing into "Knight", even low-level white magic. For all that, however, he was a nameless character. Chances are, what has really boosted his popularity, as well as his fellow characters of the game's, is the popular webcomic 8-Bit Theater. Much like Cats of Zero Wing gained his fame through the internet phenomena, "All Your Base", Fighter has grown into something of a favorite character among fans for his loveable, dopey nature in the webcomic. Of course, even if we ignore that, Fighter was an important character in that original game. He was a favorite among players to balance out their team as a heavy-hitter, and his ability to cast low-level white magic down the line was an excellent help for struggling players later in the game. That being said: internet popularity or just a plain useful character with little to no backstory, Fighter was an important character in an important game to the RPG world back then, and believe it or not, he (or any of his allies) do deserve some mention on this list.

DUKE NUKEM (Duke Nukem Series)

He came to kick some ass and chew some gum. Sadly, he was all out of gum (should have tried Stride, for long lasting flavor!). Who was this man? This man was Duke Nukem, your motherfucking American hero. Confident, aggressive, politically incorrect: Duke Nukem's personality never really took off until he hit "Duke Nukem 3D", in which the womanizer we've all came to enjoy was born. Before that, Duke was nothing more then a disgruntled TV viewer seeking revenge on the man who continued to interrupt his soap operas. That's right, folks: Duke Nukem watched soap operas. You want to be a bad ass who saves the world and has sex with all the women? Watch soap operas and chew bubble gum. Throughout the series, you will also come to find that apparently, Duke Nukem spent many nights up late watching Army of Darkness, particularly to study the character Ash's lines. Why? Just play the game: the man quotes him left and right. Above all else, what we have here is one of the manliest characters to ever enter the video game realm: Duke Nukem, an alien killing, womanizing-yet-irresistible-to-women, jet-pack flying, sunglasses-wearing badass with a gun and the firepower to back it up. What Top 100 doesn't include him somewhere?

SUB-ZERO (Mortal Kombat)

Sub-Zero is an entity-- not a sole man alone-- who has spawned such an incredible fanbase in the Mortal Kombat world that he had his own game included within the franchise. Sub-Zero has been seen as an older man, a younger man, and a wraith called Noob Saibot (who was, actually, the first Sub-Zero). Famous for exactly what his name implies, Sub-Zero is a master at manipulating ice. In the games, you were able to freeze your opponents, make them slip and slide around, and generally piss off any opponent you faced with his out-right raping attack ability. Just like almost all other characters ever made who can manipulate ice, Sub-Zero is all-too often depicted as being cold, calculated, stern and serious; however, as time passed, the younger Sub-Zero (who was the elder one's brother) began to grow more humane, and drifted further away from being a carbon copy of his brother. The young Sub-Zero eventually becomes one of the greatest warriors that the Earthrealm has ever seen, eventually becoming the Grandmaster of his old clan, the Lin Kuei. Always enigmatic, Sub-Zero is one of the more mysterious characters of the Mortal Kombat franchise-- perhaps that is what draws the fans to him. Or, perhaps, it's just the fact that he really is one of the most badass characters in the whole damn franchise.

RIKU (Kingdom Hearts Series)

It was only a matter of time before a Kingdom Hearts character made it, really, and with good reason: of all the recent games by Square, it's been among the most talked about (aside from the usual suspects of, well, any new Final Fantasy game). Riku is one of the darker characters in the game, too, to be a primary hero, so it's pretty much a non-surprise to see him here. Riku was a best friend of Sora and Kairi, yet the effects that the darkness had on him eventually caused problems between them, despite their close bond. Seen as more of an anti-hero to Sora's straight-laced hero type, Riku does often act with good intentions... he just usually does it in a very harsh manner. At one point, during Kingdom Hearts II, Riku even acknowledges his own weaknesses and in order to bypass them, becomes one with his own "nobody" form. When explaining why, Riku states that in order to fight the darkness, he had to embrace it first: yet despite even that, Riku maintains his connection with his friends and continues to help them with his newfound strength-- so much so that, by the end of the game, Riku almost winds up sacrificing himself to protect Sora in battle after finally returning to his original form. Riku survives and, after the fight is over, finds that the bond between him and Sora has only grown stronger. A character of conflicting values, yet with steeled determination, Riku faces the darkness time and time again and, in the end, is able to overcome it all. If Kingdom Hearts is going to make this list, then Riku definitely won't be left out.

JON IRENICUS (Baldur's Gate Series)

Initially appearing to be something of a sadist, Jon Irenicus started off as somewhat of a simple villain until it was revealed what his true motives were: by torturing the player's character, Irenicus had hoped to unlock powers which lied dormant within him, strengthening the character in the long run. Irenicus is a character of conflicting sides: his evil side can be clearly seen through the tortured animals littering his lair, whereas the human in him can be seen in his obsession with a woman from his past, and the emotions he had for her. So strong were these emotions that they inevitably drove her away, taking Jon down a path of darkness out of anger and revenge. This, coupled with his strong desire (and thus his actions in attempting to attain) the power of the gods beyond his own elven capabilities, inevitably made him entirely evil: everything elven about him even being stripped of him from the gods themselves. Remember, before, when I said he hoped to unlock the player's character's dormant power? In the end, his primary motivation is truly self-centered: by confiscating souls, Irenicus can gain a great deal of power, and thus is what happens to the player's character as well as his sister. Irenicus is one of the few villains willing to risk everything they have, seemingly without care of consequence, in order to enact their plans. Dealing a great deal of damage to his world, Jon is truly one of the most dangerous enemies to the player in the game, yet in the end is forced to suffer a fate worse than death upon falling against them. It's no surprise to see him make it, either: of all the characters in the Baldur's Gate series, Jon is among the most popular.

Edited July 23, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · July 16, 2007

TOP 50 CANDIDATES

These are all the characters left who might make it to the end!

Spoiler: Click here to view

Check back again tomorrow as we begin the postings for the Top 50! From now on, the posting format will change, going from 5 characters per post to 10! We will change the format again once we reach the Top 10, so keep that in mind! The next update will be 50 to 41, then so on until we reach the Top 10.

Edited July 23, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · July 17, 2007

CATS (Zero Wing)

Sometimes, a great character can be born from adaptations outside the game itself, which become widely accepted by the community that follows it. Some prime examples are characters such as Soda Popinski and Fighter of Final Fantasy, both of whom we've already seen make the list. However, perhaps the single most well-known character, who essentially lacked character in the game itself yet was given one by the fans in the community, is Cats of Zero Wing fame. Very few people have actually experienced the game itself (and if you haven't, you aren't really missing anything); however, over half of the entire internet has in some way, shape or form heard of the internet phenomenon called "All Your Base". Perhaps one of the most widely recognized parodies of a poor translation for a game, "All Your Base" brought international recognition to the terrible translation job and, in the process, made Cats himself somewhat of an internet icon. In a list dealing with the Top 100 video game characters of all time, we have to consider multiple things, such as the character themselves, their importance to the game or, perhaps, the industry itself, as well as their memorability among the fans. Without "All Your Base", Cats would have never been considered for a spot in the Top 100. However, it is because of it, that Cats becomes a prime example of how the internet can turn any no-name character into something of a legend, just by making a techno remix of one of the character's lines. Cats has achieved the coveted "halfway mark" of the Top 100.

RINCEWIND THE WIZZARD (Discworld Series)

Probably one of the most unlucky heroes to ever grace the video game world, Rincewind the Wizzard of Discworld fame is, despite his great skill in magic, constantly running away from danger. Of course, when that danger is Death itself, or perhaps a massive beast that fucking eats your soul... yeah, you'd be running away too. In fact, one of the only reasons why Rincewind has even survived as long as he has is because of his skill as a long-distance sprinter. Yet despite all of his short-comings (and yes, he has alot of them), it seems that fate has chosen him to be the savior of Discworld, constantly saving him out of the sheer necessity of his existence, so that he might eventually save the world. Because of the importance placed upon him in the original novels, Rincewind winds up as the primary character in the game adaptations. It is often hinted that despite his laughable luck, Rincewind is actually one of the most intelligent characters in Discworld, and has the most common sense. Even when others around him can't see the inherent stupidity of a situation surrounding them, Rincewind can not only pick up on it, but he then chooses to voice it through sarcastic jokes and puns. A failure of a wizard, but not at all a failure of a character.

AXEL (Kingdom Hearts Series)

One of the strongest members of Organization XIII in the Kingdom Hearts series, Axel can create walls of fire, and wields a massive adaptation of an Indian weapon (the chakram). Steadfast and determined to get whatever he desires, Axel never hesitates in his actions and will take out absolutely anyone who stands in the way of his plans. Example being: Axel pretends to ally with two members of Organization XIII-- Marluxia and Larxene-- in a plot to overtake the organization. In the process, he gains their trust by assassinating a "traitor" which Marluxia wished to be rid of. Then, when the two use a young (thought-to-be) witch called Namine in their plan, Axel sets her free to derail Marluxia's plan by having her tell Sora, the main character, the truth about the manipulation of his memory. Sticking with his plan, Axel eventually comes to kill Marluxia, and when he tries to use Namine as a shield, Axel shows his true resolve to go through anyone in his path. It takes the entry of Sora into the fray to save Namine's life before Axel would go through her, and even after losing to Sora in battle, Axel re-appears later in the series, still strong as ever, and still fighting forward; the only difference? Axel was slowly beginning to grow less self-absorbed, showing a strong bond with Sora's nobody, Roxis, and even sacrificing himself in the end to protect Sora from the seemingly unending waves of Nobodies.

M. BISON (Street Fighter Series)

He is arguably the coldest, most calculated, and purely psychotic characters in all of Street Fighter. Master of a fighting style that used a type of energy he referred to as "Psycho Power", and almost always featured as a final boss in many of the story modes in the series, M. Bison was a man of unimaginable power and intelligence. So much so, that not only did his own power eventually exceed the limitations of his body, but he'd also successfully predicted the event, and attempted to find a more reliable "host" for his power. He eventually captured and took control over the mighty Ryu, only to eventually lose control thanks to the efforts of Sagat. Yet even when losing in battle to the incredibly powerful warriors, he still survived, using the Psycho Drive to restore his energy as he rested. Not only just an amazing fighter, M. Bison was also a dictator in search of world domination, not to mention a man with a bit of a god complex. He does, at one point, even seem to take on Hitler-esque qualities in seeing himself as something of either a messiah, or an anti-Christ, and directly quotes from the bible in reference to himself. Despite his seemingly unending amounts of strength and power, Bison is eventually defeated by Akuma, and his soul is sent to hell to be destroyed. Ever since this defeat, Bison has never been heard from again. That being said: when Street Fighter makes a Top 100 characters list, you know Bison's going to be in there somewhere.

DANTE (Devil May Cry Series)

A mercenary. A demon-slayer. A fucking badass with a sleek, cool style about him. Dante, of Devil May Cry, is one of the most well-received characters from CAPCOM, rivaling even Street Fighter characters and becoming one of CAPCOM's character mascots. He is a half-demon with incredible super-human powers, making him all a more capable mercenary in battle. Not only this, but it seems that Dante is a bit of a perfectionist on the battlefield: unlike other characters, who sometimes may have to search the field for ammunition to reload, Dante apparently is able to come to every fight with an unlimited amount of ammo. Not only that, but Dante specializes in facing multiple enemies at once, rather than just one-on-one. Completely sure of his own abilities, Dante even goes as far as mocking boss characters before facing against them, knowing full well that he will triumph against them. Due to his success in combat, Dante even starts up his own demon-slaying business. There are seemingly no limits to what Dante can do, so long as he continues to push forward (even after the occasional defeat), and he proves this time and time again. There was simply no way in hell this guy wasn't going to make the list.

KUJA (Final Fantasy IX)

The primary antagonist of Final Fantasy IX, Kuja is a genome obsessed with power. He (yes, he; if you were oggling that picture, thinking it was a chick? You were sadly mistaken) is utterly ruthless and frighteningly ambitious. Not only that, but like all good evil villains, Kuja is well-versed in the arts, and enjoys the most a play by Lord Avon, called "I Want To Be Your Canary". The people at Square didn't stop there, either: again, like a good villain, Kuja delights in the act of monologuing as well-- even when alone. If ever there was a character who could be called "self-obsessed" out of the Final Fantasy series, it'd certainly be this guy.

DIDDY KONG (Donkey Kong Country Series)

Long confused as being Donkey Kong Jr. for God knows what reason, Diddy Kong entered the Donkey Kong scene during Donkey Kong Country, serving as DK's sidekick and working together with him in their adventures throughout the Kongo Jungle. Despite what many people seem to think, Diddy Kong is not actually related to Donkey Kong-- Donkey Kong is a gorilla, but Diddy Kong is a chimp, so if anything, they're only related in the fact that they are primates-- however, they're close enough to consider each other family, going so far that Diddy is actually known as Donkey Kong's "wannabe nephew". Eventually, Diddy warranted enough fame to even spawn his own game: Diddy Kong Racing, which innovated the kart racing genre of video games. However, while he is well-known, Diddy Kong is on the lower-tier of recurring Nintendo characters who are constantly featured in front-running games. Not unlike Luigi of Mario Bros. fame, Diddy Kong has been cast under the shadow of the character he started off as a sidekick to; however, unlike Luigi, Diddy has seemingly yet to have been able to pull free from it. Yet when you talk about Nintendo, Donkey Kong's gonna come up in there somewhere, and when you talk about Donkey Kong, you can't help but mention Diddy. Should he be in here? Definitely. He might not be on-level with DK, but he's got his own fair share of fandom, and they're just as dedicated.

BIGGS & WEDGE (SquareEnix Games)

When I decided to group Biggs & Wedge together after the nominations had closed, I figured it would be for the best in the end: you really can't have one of these guys without the other. Throughout the Final Fantasy series, the name "Biggs & Wedge" would almost always pop up somewhere, and it would be for two characters, related to each other either by blood, occupation, or friendship, who worked together during the story. These two started off as homages to the Star Wars characters Biggs Darklighter and Wedge Antilles, and eventually grew into two of the most popular non-central characters in all of the Final Fantasy series. However, Biggs & Wedge aren't actually solely limited to the Final Fantasy series alone. While they did debut in the game series, and are featured the most throughout it, they have almost made cameo appearances in popular games such as Crono Trigger and Kingdom Hearts. Never the same character, Biggs & Wedge have been nothing more then names, to constant comic relief, to serious side-characters, to shop-keepers and beyond. Chances are we've yet to see the last of them from Square, and why should we? Their names now seem to be synonymous with the Final Fantasy franchise among more dedicated fans. Top 100 material? I'd say so.

VINCENT VALENTINE (Final Fantasy VII Series)

Who would have thought that an optional character from Final Fantasy VII would become so popular that he would warrant major appearances in all media based off the game thereafter, as well as receive his own spin-off game from the series? Vincent Valentine is probably one of the most popular non-central characters that Square has ever created. Because he was optional, he wasn't featured in cut-scenes during Final Fantasy VII, and yet was generally a constant member in the player's party due to his 'cool' appearance, excellent skill and strength, and all-around badass ability to transform into demons. Vincent was also a former member of the Turks, who wound up suffering a terrible past and was eventually experimented on by Hojo, left for dead after the experiments had concluded. During his time in the Turks, Vincent had feelings for a scientist name Lucrecia, who eventually becomes the mother of Sephiroth and is experimented on by the father, Hojo. Lucrecia actually saves Vincent's life, and is the sole reason why he is fused with Chaos in the first place. Vincent punishes himself for his 'sin' by locking himself away in Shinra Manor's basement, and Hojo finishes the job by hiding away the key. By the time of the events of dirge of Cerberus, Vincent has grown so strong that at the end of the game he is able to completely control the entity Chaos within him, whereas before the beast was often able to overtake Vincent instead. Also, due to Hojo's experimenting, Vincent shall forever appear to be 26 years old, despite the fact that by the time of Dirge of Cerberus, he is actually 60. He is also one of, if not the only character, who can rival the popularity of both Cloud Strife and Sephiroth from the same game. It is because of this that he undoubtedly deserves a spot in the Top 100 and, with that in mind, also a spot in the Top 50.

SCORPION (Mortal Kombat Series)

Probably the single most popular character in all of the Mortal Kombat series, Scorpion's original character design was almost identical to that of Sub-Zero's; however, their abilities were completely opposite. Scorpion's spear attack, in which he launched a wire with a barb at the end to grapple his opponents and yank them towards him, spawned perhaps the two most well-known quotes in all of video game history: "COME HERE!" and "GET OVER HERE!". His outfit is actually his way of mocking Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei, and his powers contrast those of Sub-Zero, in that Scorpion specializes in flame. Scorpion has become such a popular character, that he has made cameo appearances in a vast number of games, shows and movies unrelated to Mortal Kombat. Despite his demonic appearance, Scorpion is actually an honorable warrior, even casting aside his own hatred for Sub-Zero when presented with an opportunity to kill him, instead choosing to face him properly in combat during the Mortal Kombat tournament. Sub-Zero had once killed Scorpion and, true to his word, Scorpion avenged his death at the end of the tournament. Scorpion's honor truly shows the most when he finds the younger Sub-Zero, who was the younger brother to the Sub-Zero who had killed Scorpion, and upon realizing this, Scorpion vows not to harm this Sub-Zero, actually choosing to become his protector should he need it. So, in Scorpion we find not only a complex and unique character with a deep and intriguing past, but a character so recognizable and fearsome that fans who have never even played the game still know who he is. This is a character who spawned a catchphrase which would eventually be considered one of the many catchphrases synonymous with the industry itself. Top 100? Top 50?! Fuck, I was expecting him to be Top 10.

Edited July 23, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · July 21, 2007

RENO (Final Fantasy VII)

Reno is probably the most popular character in the group called the Turks out of Final Fantasy VII, seconded only by his ever-quiet partner Rude. He is often jokingly considered a character in a level which many gamers can connect with, being that he is arrogant, cynical and lazy. Despite this, however, Reno is a fighter of remarkable skill, who takes pride in his work and, to top that off, is also a competent helicopter pilot. It doesn't help, however, that he is a bit clumsy, and also a bit of a gossiper. He, too, is a man of honor: even though the Turks are ordered to hunt AVALANCHE and, specifically, Cloud Strife down, Reno isn't above working together with them when a common goal is needed to be met. Not only that, but when orders are directly passed down to Reno about finding and capturing Cloud, when Cloud himself is right in front of him, Reno claims that it's none of their concern since they are off duty. This is because of the fact that Reno, Rude and Elena had just finished working together with Cloud and AVALANCHE, and Reno didn't feel like facing them so shortly after. In Advent Children, Reno's true character seems to shine the best, wherein he's portrayed as a skilled fighter (albeit he's facing overly skilled fighters and thus doesn't look nearly as impressive), and along with Rude, the two make a perfect comic relief duo. Rude maintains his personality throughout, and quickly becomes a fan-favorite. Though his popularity is no-where near the level of characters like Vincent, Cloud and Sephiroth in the long run, he has developed an incredibly strong cult following, and is one of the most popular antagonist characters from Final Fantasy VII. Definitely worthy of making the list.

TOAD (Super Mario Bros. Series)

We're sorry Mario, but your Princess is in another castle! Yeah, thanks Toad. Real fucking nice of you to crush my hopes by hopping up and down and screaming that at me. Way to go. He was Princess Peach's lackey, or some sort of weird looking side-kick, but nevertheless he was a small humanoid mushroom in questionably massive numbers. That is to say: no, there is not simply one "Toad", it appears that all members of his species that are of the male gender are referred to as such. It must be confusing in conversation, you'd think anyway. Nevertheless, these little characters served as the guards for Princess Peach (apparently they were terrible guards, what with her weekly kidnappings), and eventually some of the spore-spawned versions of the character began to grow a bit more useful. In Super Mario Bros. 2-- the American release-- you can actually play as Toad, who acts as a quicker-moving type-of character for the player, plucking vegetables out of the ground faster then any other character. As a side-character, Toad has also been featured as an instructor for the player, teaching Mario key aspects on how to operate in the adventure he was about to undertake. Essentially, without Toad, Nintendo's mascot would be fucking clueless, and for that, he deserves mention.

THE MARINE (Doom Series)

Ah, Doom. You were truly one of the first games of your kind to make people go on 24-hour binges simply playing you over, and over, again. And who can blame them, given the content of the game and the purely awesome character whom you control? "The Marine", your nameless playable character, was one of Earth's single best soldiers available. However, after he assaulted a senior officer when they ordered him to kill unarmed civilians, he was deported to mars to work for a military-industrial group performing experiments with teleportation between Mars' moons. Due to his skills in combat, the Marine was likely forced into a security job for the facility, and as such was stuck in the building for most of his time there. Yet when things on the moon Phobos go terribly wrong, and a swarm of demons escape the teleportation devices, "The Marine" is one of the first to leap into action. He, along with his team, make it to Phobos in order to take on the thread. Yet shortly after, all radio contact is ceased, and only one man is left standing. Seems the threat was more severe then imagined: yet not severe enough to stop this badass son of a bitch from pulling through. In the end, the Marine tears through the entire complex, the legions of hell itself, and eventually makes it back home. One of the most influential games of our time, and one of the single coolest "faceless, nameless" characters of our time, "The Marine" is without a doubt Top 50 material, and I'm simply amazed he didn't make it farther.

MASTER CHIEF (Halo Series)

Yet as amazed as I was by that, I wasn't prepared for this. Master Chief, the primary character for the godly popular Halo series, has barely made the Top 40. I honestly was expecting to see him much further, but hey, those are the breaks. Nevertheless, Master Chief is probably one of the most epic characters of our time: he is a faceless mystery of a character, whose determination to continue fighting seems to overpower the constant forces that stand against him in battle. His abilities in combat, obviously enhanced severely by the biological and cybernatic enhancements he'd received through becoming a Spartan Super Soldier, are second to none on the planet. On the battlefield, his appearance alone can intimidate members of the Covenant: standing at 7 feet tall in his battle armor, and sprinting in bursts of up to 60 kilometers an hour, Master Chief is as clear an example of a superhuman as you can get. Outside the games themselves, Master Chief has been described without his armor as being a tall, ghostly pale man with short, military-style hair, freckles, and a blank-- yet sorrowful-- expression. Freckles. Damn man, if only he was a redhead, we'd have a superpowered ginger kid fighting for our planet. Either way, Master Chief is definitely a character who has to be mentioned on this list, so it's at least good to see him make the Top 50, if he wasn't going to make the Top 20 or so.

GORDON FREEMAN (Half-Life Series)

Half-Life fans are probably creaming their pants at the notion that Gordon Freeman just beat Master Chief, but there you have it folks. Gordon Freeman, the crowbar-wielding physicist character of Half-Life, has made his way into the list at #36. When hostile aliens and other enemies launch an attack against Gordon and his colleagues, Gordon takes up defending himself and them and eventually becomes one of the leaders against the alien uprising against them. At the start of Half-Life, Gordon is 27 years old and a member of the Black Mesa Research Facility. Freeman is practically like any regular person (much of his work at Mesa doesn't even require his Ph. D, actually, as it's just pressing buttons and flipping switches), and he would have fun with his colleagues, including competing with one of them to see who could retrieve r. Kleiner's keys whenever he locked them in his office-- something that happened often. Gordon, through this, was actually able to develop a skill in using ventillation shafts to infiltrate buildings, which comes in handy for him later. For a scientist, Gordon is also highly atheletic, has an incredible skill with weapons and explosives, and wears glasses (God forbid he lose them in combat, eh?). He is what you could call an "unlikely hero", which in my opinion makes him all the more impressive.

CRONO (Chrono Trigger)

Christ, nothing but big-name characters in this update is seems... next up is Crono, the main character of Chrono Trigger. I was actually expecting him to place further too, based by all of your voting patterns, but I was surprised a few times, and this was one of them. Crono starts off the game living with his mother, but after a single trip to the fair he got in one little fight and his mom got scared and said he's movin' with his auntie and uncle in Bel'Air. In all seriousness, however, he actually met this tomboy who so happened to be the princess of the land, and upon meeting her begins his quest to save the world. Crono is selfless and determined: even willing to sacrifice himself for the safety of his friends, which he actually does at one point, only to be revived. One thing to note about Crono is that he is a "silent-protagonist" type-of character. He has few lines and prefers to respond to things by gestures, leaving the rest of the talking up to his friends and allies. Like a good majority of Square's main characters, Crono is exceptional with the use of a sword-- particularly, the katana. In the end, he actually marries the tomboy princess Marle. I also heard he learns how to performs a kamehameha, but that's probably just bull.

MEGAMAN (Megaman Series)

Probably one of my favorite games as a child, and one of my favorite characters in all of the old NES, Megaman was a robot originally designed by Dr. Light, not to combat the threat posed by Dr. Wily (who was actually Light's colleague), but to be a janitorial robot. When Wily stole Light's robots, however, Megaman was turned from a janitor into a one-robot army, going out to face Wily's forces and take on Wily himself in the end. Through the course of his travels, Megaman showed the ability to steal and memorize a fragment of his opponent's abilities, allowing him to perform certain key moves that they were able to. As the series progresses, Megaman's character grows with him, until we eventually came to megaman X-- a wholely new and different character from the one that preceded him. Unlike the Megaman before him, who was more or less focused on the singular objective of taking Wily and his hordes down, this one seems more focused on protecting peace, and troubled by the fact that to do so he must fight to obtain it. His battles alongside his partner Zero, against the Mavericks and their powerful Reploid leader Sigma, are well documented and decidingly epic in proportion compared to the original Megaman's. Admittedly, I'm disappointed not to see Megaman scratch the Top 10's surface... but hey, as I've already said, those are the breaks.

KEN MASTERS (Street Fighter Series)

Dear God you people didn't make this section easy for me to type up, there are just so many big-names in this one that it's nuts. Ken Masters is often considered the "secondary choice" to the common choice in Street Fighter of Ryu-- however, despite this, he has a massive cult following among fans and sometimes even bests Ryu himself in popularity. His path in life differs greatly from Ryu's, as while Ryu's heart leads him to travel the world, Ken's was still stuck back in the United States. Born of a rich hotel tycoon, Ken was actually sent by his father to Japan, where he would be trained by a friend of his father's in order to teach Ken discipline. The bond between Ken and Ryu is an incredibly strong one, however: it is what allows Ken to eventually reach a type-of self-enlightenment about the error of the way he'd gone about his training, and would eventually make him stronger because of that. It's often alluded to that Ryu is the stronger of the two, but that through Ken's constant training, there are times where Ken may actually surpass Ryu for a short time.

LIU KANG (Mortal Kombat Series)

You're killing me tonight, guys, I swear it. Alright: Liu Kang is by and large one of the most popular characters in the Mortal Kombat series, barring Sub-Zero and Scorpion. The reason for this is that he's your typical "default fighter", much as Ryu and others have been as well. A Chinese Shaolin fighting monk who is constantly on a search to better his abilities, Liu Kang gradually progresses into the central hero of the Mortal Kombat storyline, winning the first Mortal Kombat tournament and following any quest Raiden had for him to follow. However, despite this, Liu Kang was certainly not a "protected" character: in the prelude to "Deadly Alliance", Shang Tsung brutally murders Liu Kang and consumes his soul, leaving him later on as nothing more then a zombie for "Deception". It's unfortunate for Liu Kang that he's to die this way, really, considering that he was originally sent by the Temple of Light of the White Lotus Society to defeat Shang Tsung, and bring the tournament back to its Shaolin owners. However, not even death and a zombified corpse could stop Liu Kang's spirit: upon Raiden's killing Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, and the releasing of the souls consumed by Tsung, Liu Kang's own goes on to assist the fight in the Outworld against Onaga. In Armageddon, Liu Kang's story finally reaches its ultimate climax: by defeating Blaze, Kang's body and soul are able to reunite, and the resulting effect from all of his experience gained fighting causes Liu Kang to gain the power of a god. After that, Liu Kang confronted a corrupted Raiden, reluctantly defeted him in combat, and then with the consent of the Elder Gods he replaced Raiden as Protector of Earthrealm. A fitting end for such a badass character, and a nice place for him to come in at, too.

SAM & MAX (Sam & Max Series)

Comic book characters turned epic video game characters, Sam & Max are a duo that simply cannot be seperated into two individual characters, because in the eyes of the public, you simply can't have one without the other-- and why would you want to? These "freelance police" officers form an incredible duo together: and who can be surprised? You got a 6-foot tall anthropomorphic dog in detective's garb standing alongside a hyperactive, hyperkinetic rabbit. They drive a 1960 DeSoto Adventurer that has certainly seen better days, yet seemingly cannot be destroyed, despite their harsh use of it. Their typical crime fighting techniques involve pulling out their oversized guns to intimidate criminals-- Sam a gigantic revolver and Max a Luger. If you were, however, to pick the two apart from each other, you could describe them as follows: Sam is the more laid-back of the two, in that while he's still quite enthusiastic, he's the one generally trying to figure out the logical solutions to their problems in a very calm, precise manner. He's also exceptionally hard to make angry, yet when he is, things get violent enough for Max to have learned to try and calm him down immediately. Max, on the other hand, has an overt fascination with violence and aggressiveness (ironic, considering he has to stop Sam from getting out of control during his rare fits of rage from time to time). He hates long stories, anecdotes and sentences (this guy'd kill me, Christ) and is often stopping Sam in mid-sentence out of sheer annoyance. Yet, despite their differences (as they also have multiple similarities), the two make an incredibly good duo, and have left a lasting impression in the gaming industry.

Edited July 23, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · July 24, 2007

THE KING OF ALL COSMOS (Katamari Series)

Ah yes, the King of All Cosmos: divine and supreme monarch over the whole of the cosmos in the Katamari series of video games. Picture Galactus from Marvel Comics (and not that intersteller cloud shit they did in the movie), and you'll about get the size of the King-- he's fucking huge. Either having grown up on or near the Earth, the King is oddly fascinated with the seemingly boundless limits of human creativity. Despite this, he seemingly cannot help but accidentally cause trouble for the inhabitants of the world: while he seeks to fulfill the desires of the people of the planet, he has done such things as accidentally destroying all the stars in the cosmos during a drunken night of fun, accidentally causing a tsunami which wipes out all of the animal inhabited islands in the sea, and so on. He typically has his son, and his son's cousins, do his dirty work for him: upon destroying all the stars, he actually sends them off to roll up any and all objects on Earth to turn them into stars. Outside of the games he is featured in, he has been considered quite a few times as a candidate for Best Character, though he has yet to win it (being defeated by Kratos of God of War in 2005, losing to Tidus of Final Fantasy X in a Character Battle, etc.). His way of speaking enthralls fans, in that he deliberately places adjectives in awkward places, making his speeches very strange, and yet very memorable-- especially considering his voice sounds like a scractching record. The King is also a former boxer-- though his fame in that comes from only placing 2nd, thus angering his father (though later in his life they reconciled their differences). Another good, clear choice for the Top 50.

THE NAMELESS ONE (Planescape: Torment)

In Planescape: Torment, he was probably one of the most feared and respected beings in his entire universe. He was, by and large, the closest thing to being an immortal out of any other living being. His age is unknown, but is almost positively several thousand years in the least, due to the fact that he's gone through multiple reincarnations as well. The Nameless One can scarcely even be considered a single being, really: with every reincarnation after death, his personality changes. What's more, his true power lies in the fact that he is re-learning powers he's had in the past, rather than learning new ones, as the ones he knows are already immensely powerful anyway. One of the Nameless One's most amazing feats, during one incarnation, was when he'd gotten into a logical debate with a man and managed to prove that the man did not exist, causing the man to disappear from existence. When The Nameless One is taken up by the player upon starting Planescape: Torment, it seems that he has developed the ability now to die and be reincarnated without a memory loss: everything, from the beginning of the game until the end, is remembered by the Nameless One after every reincarnation. On his body, The Nameless One wears a symbol that literally means "torment", signifying the life he lives. Anyone who chooses to be his companion will in some way also be afflicted with torment, in some way, shape or form. A mysterious, complex character who's always been something of a wildcard, The Nameless One is a character of cult fandom, and has powered his way into the Top 30 with ease.

YOSHI (Super Mario Bros. Series)

Ah, Yoshi: Mario's long-time companion, a dinosaur with a saddle who's been by Mario's side since he was a little child. He's been there for the plumber as a best friend and as an ally in battle, and what's more: there's literally hundreds of thousands of his kind, and they all share the same name. However, since the beginning, this single green Yoshi has stuck by Mario's side. It really is something: without Yoshi, Mario might never have grown into the hero he'd become. Without Yoshi, Mario would never have been able to defeat certain obstacles in his way throughout the series. Hell, without Yoshi, Mario really would have never been as successful as he'd became, and could well have failed in a great number of tasks assigned to him. Behind all great heroes there are people supporting them, and some could say that aside from Luigi, Yoshi was Mario's greatest support of all. What's more, Yoshi is more then just a mountable dinosaur: he has a multitude of abilities, and has excellent combat skills as well. From his powerful jumps and kicks, to his elastic tongue to swallow enemies whole, to his odd ability to lay eggs in an instant and use them as weapons, Yoshi has proven time and time again to be one of the most valuable characters in the Mario universe and, for that, he deserves a spot in the Top 30.

WARIO (Wario Series)

A pure polar opposite to everything Mario stands for, and yet truly not all that evil, Wario has served as Mario's arch-rival for many years now. He's large, greedy, and pretty damn disgusting to boot. In his original appearance, Wario appeared to have either some knowledge in mind-control technology, or was a strange kind-of magician, in thaat he was able to cast a spell over the denizens of Mario Land, brainwashing them into following him so that he could eventually take control over Mario's castle. Mario was able to defeat him in the end, however, and so Wario fled the scene, preparing his next stand against the Mushroom Kingdom's hero. Wario, by all rights, is immensely stronger than Mario: it's only by the hero's determination that he is able to defeat Wario constantly. Wario uses multiple hats to give himself various powers, much as Mario's power-ups do for him. What's more, Wario has been portrayed on multiple occasions as being invincible and, in two games, even immortal. Nothing seems to be able to stop Wario, either: if he's caught on fire, he will use that fire to his advantage against enemies. If he's flattened to the ground, Wario will use his new height to creep through small areas. Nintendo Power has actually stated once that it's due to Wario's sheer bulk that he's able to withstand all the punishment. Wario has been met with such large-standing success, both as a hero and a villain, that he has had multiple spin-off games (Wario Land, Wario World, Wario Ware and more) either starring him or featuring him in some fashion. With credentials like these, and a popularity as strong as his among fans, how can he not make the list?

SAMUS ARAN (Metroid Series)

Wait... Samus is a chick? WHAT A TWIST~! I still remember being a little kid and playing the old Metroid games, finding out that Samus was actually a blonde chick in a suit of armor and actually finding it pretty cool that a girl character was able to fight so well. I'm pretty sure no-one expected her to turn out and be a female back then, actually, and I also know there's a few people who wish she wasn't, strangely. Nevertheless, Samus Aran is quite possibly one of the most renowned female video game characters in the entire industry, possibly second only to Lara Croft. With her mass assortment of weapons, her futuristic armor provided by an old alien race (who'd actually reached a point where they could literally advance no further), expert combat experience and more, Samus is one of, if not the greatest, bounty hunter in all her universe. An orphan who'd managed to survive a raid from space pirates at a young age, she was then rescued by the Chozo alien race, who would infuse her with their blood and expose her to their technology. Samus is a member of the Galactic Federation, and her trademark Gunship is usually her primary source to both save the player's game, and escape a planet. She will eventually be able to call on it for backup, and it also appears to have it's own cloaking device, allowing only Samus herself to see it, and not her enemies. I'm actually quite surprised Samus didn't place in the Top 10, but it's nice to see her make the Top 30. Definitely worthy of making the list.

MAGUS (Chrono Trigger)

In 12000 B.C., a young prince called Janus encountered an alien creature named Lavos was sent to the Middle Ages, leaving his family behind. The young prince would become known as Magus, a broody, potent and gloomy warrior who fought skillfully with a scythe. Plagued with concern over the fate of his sister from his time, Magus seems to fight through it all in the Chrono Trigger universe and continue forward. He is a master magic-caster, too, in that he uses a combination of literally all magic types in his battles alongside his scythe. Magus, in Chrono Trigger, was a dark wizard raging war against the Kingdom of Guardia, and was an optional character who, much like Vincent Valentine of Final Fantasy VII, reached an iconic status among fans that rivaled even that of the main character's. Magus' character has also been popular enough to warrant his appearance in other games (though not by his name), and an attempt at incorporating his story into Chrono Cross was actually met with failure due to the fact that it was too complex to bring in. Thus, a character spun-off from Magus' own was created as a nod to the character, and he is mentioned briefly in later parts of the game. Considering the popularity of Chrono Trigger, not to mention the characters who've already made the list from it, it'd seem incredibly odd not to see this fan-favorite character from the series make an appearance. I just honestly wasn't expecting him to place so well, but more power to him (and those who voted for him).

VIVI ORNITIER (Final Fantasy IX)

Don't let his appearances deceive you: while he may look like any other Black Mage from Final Fantasy's history, there is a great story behind the character called Vivi Ornitier. One thing to note about the character, for example, is that he is incredibly talented for a Black Mage, intelligent, and mature. What's note-worthy about this is actually the fact that he's only 9 years old. This becomes even more phenomenal, in the fact that in Final Fantasy IX, Black Mages are churned out as foot soldiers for the Queen's army, and generally have a lifespan of only one year. The fact that Vivi has lived for 9 is impressive in and of itself, but it's referenced to that this could be because of Vivi actually being the prototype for all other Black Mages who followed him. Another thing to note is that in the time after the death of Kuja in the game, Vivi has a group of children. This may well hint to the fact that the Black Mage lifespan may begin to grow thanks to Vivi in this particular Final Fantasy universe. For a game that didn't do quite as well as the other Final Fantasies before and after it, Vivi's status among fans is actually quite impressive, and it's no surprise at all that he was able to make it to the Top 100. What is a surprise, admittedly, is that he made it all the way to here! Nevertheless, I can't say the character doesn't deserve it.

PYRAMID HEAD (Silent Hill Series)

Oh, Christ, I don't know if TEOL's going to cream his pants that Pyramid Head made it in, or beat the ever-loving shit out of all of you for not voting for him more so he'd go farther into the list. Nevertheless, here is a character that's came about recently and has become so iconic across the gaming community that he could well be considered one of the most well-known antagonists in gaming today. Though certainly not as popular as many others, the sheer fact that he's been able to gain so much popularity in so little time is exceptionally note-worthy. Pyramid Head was one of the most dangerous monsters to run into in the Silent Hill series of games. He's featured prominently in Silent Hill 2, he is one of the few characters who aren't feminine in appearance, resembling something of a pale man in a butcher's smock, carrying one massive fucking knife. The pyramid on his head seems to serve as some sort-of torture device, being incredibly painful to wear. Pyramid Head is actually heard groaning and grunting in pain beneath the helmet on multiple occasions during encounters with the creature. However, despite the pain it causes, the pyramid actually protects the creature from all forms of attack-- though the attacks still slow it down. A hole in the side of the helmet allows Pyramid Head to, while strangling the player, attack it with a black, tongue-like appendage which it stabs with. One of the most note-worthy thing about the character is that he is non-discriminatory in who he brutally and violently kills, both human and monster alike: he is actually seen in parts of the game raping various monsters. Indeed, one of the most frightening monsters in Silent Hill, Pyramid Head is more then worthy of making an appearance.

PIRATE LECHUCK (Monkey Island Series)

Pirate LeChuck is the single-most feared pirate in all the seas in the Monkey Island series, and has appeared in a multitude of forms outside his normal human one, all of which evil. These include his ghost-pirate form, zombie-ghost-pirate form, undead-zombie-demon-ghost-pirate form and stone giant form. Yeah, he enjoys being dead. Nevertheless, even with all his changes in appearance, LeChuck typically has the same attitude (and same undying affection for Elaine), and displays the normal phrases, appearances and habits of a stereotypical pirate captain, complete with a long, thick beard and a large captain's hat with a feather. LeChuck has a strong interest in voodoo magic, which is ironic, considering almost all of the time he's defeated it's due to voodoo being used against him. It's thanks to LeChuck's passing through the "Big Whoop", which was literally a portal to hell itself, that he has the immense number of powers and abilities that he is, including increased strength and even a form of immortality. What's more, LeChuck also has the ability to turn people into the undead, and typically after doing so he forces them into servitude on his ship. These actions alone have caused vast numbers of pirates to be too afraid to sail the seas any longer. LeChuck is brutal merciless, and cunning: in order to hide the knowledge of the Big Whoop from the world, he literally found every person he knew held knowledge of it, and killed them off systematically, or ruined their lives. LeChuck is also one of the few major villains in a series who has actually succeeded on a large-scale in defeating the protagonist, in that he successfully trapped Guybrush Threepwood in his Carnival during Monkey Island 2.

KIRBY (Kirby Series)

This pink puffball used to be a major favorite of mine as a kid: I couldn't get enough of Kirby's Dream Land on the old Gameboy, and was constantly playing it when my family took long trips to visit relatives and I had nothing else to do on the drive up. What's note-worthy about Kirby is that he is one of Nintendo's most well-known characters, and has starred in over 20 games in his history with the company. His appeal to fans both young and old alike is undeniable, and with each game in the series, both his character and his enemies' own become more and more advanced and intriguing. Kirby is a denizen of the planet Pop Star, and in his first adventure battles against the self-declared king of Dream Land, King Dedede, and his army of minions. Kirby would continue on from here to face many other foes across both Dream Land and Planet Pop Star, all encounters met with success. Kirby's most well-known ability is to swallow opponents and gain their ability; however, this ability was not made available to Kirby until after Kirby's Dream Land. One of the most appealing aspects of Kirby's series of games is that they are geared, not towards children, but towards beginners in the gaming world. This means that practically anyone who picks up the game will be marginally successful at it, barring the person being a complete and total failure at gaming. Much like Yoshi, Kirby is not the only member of his species-- however, the species itself has never been given an 'official' name. Easy-going, cheerful and innocent, Kirby has won the hearts of countless gaming fans, and it's no surprise that he'd place so far into the Top 100.

Edited July 24, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · August 1, 2007

DONKEY KONG (Donkey Kong Series)

From throwing barrels around and generally being a King Kong ripoff in a massively popular oldschool game, Donkey Kong has grown into something of a mascot character for Nintendo, developing his own story that has seperated him from the barrel throwing past. True enough, the Donkey Kong we see today is not actually the original, but rather a member of the diverse "Kong Family". Cranky Kong was originally supposed to be the original DK, but that plan was dropped. Can't blame them, really... you'd have to wonder where all that massive muscle definition would have went to in his old, skinny age. Either way, the Donkey Kong of today has a much different style from the original, in that he's got a surfer-like attitude (or has on multiple occassions shown something of one), has a stereotypical love for bananas, utilizes barrels now as transportation devices moreso then weapons, and enjoys a good jam every here and there. With his friend Diddy Kong, the two have faced off against Kaptain K. Rule on multiple occasions and, on each one, have defeated him in the end. One interesting thing about DK is that he's been able to play both an antagonistic and protagonistic role in multiple games, and has shown varying degrees of intelligence (ranging from average to downright retarded). This variation makes it so that the player really doesn't know what "version" of DK they'll encounter in each game. DK is probably one of Nintendo's most well known and well recognized characters, and has stayed as a primary character in the company for quite some time now. Without a doubt, he's deserving of his spot.

RYU (Street Fighter Series)

Seeing Ryu make the Top 20 makes me a happy panda. I was expecting him to maybe skirt along the edges of the Top 10, actually, so hell, whatever works. Ryu was, by and large, one of the best "default" characters ever created in the gaming industry, and is widely considered the basis for all starting characters in any game to work off of. A character is "Ryu-like" when they are a determined, silent, hero-like character who displays tremendous power and ability, yet utilizes a very basic moveset. Essentially, a cut-and-dry hero; which was what Ryu was in the original Street Fighter. However, the story behind Ryu portrayed something a little more then his appearance gave away. He is a walking, shining stereotype of a wandering warrior: constantly travelling, never staying in one place, becoming one with the world around him and devoting his life to spiritual perfection through the art of the fist. Ryu is incredibly humble, fights with a strong passion (and thus amazing power), and what's more? Other then Scorpion's set of quotes, Ryu has one of the most well-known quotes in the gaming industry: "HADOKEN!". The move alone has even inspired pop culture obsessions over the original combo sequence used to execute the move. As far as Ryu's past, all that is really known was that he was an orphaned child with no memory of his parents, and was adopted by a man called Gouken. Growing up, however, his life would begin him on the path he would follow for the rest of his life. Gouken taught him, and eventually his best friend's son Ken Masters, the martial art known as Nin-Ansatsuken. Throughout both Ryu and Ken's lives they would follow Gouken's teachings, and when Ryu turned 23, he set off to travel the world and test his skills. One thing that is constantly testing Ryu throughout his life-- something Ryu only gave into once-- is his Satsui no Hadou. This power existing in Ryu brings out all the evil intent in him, and turns him into a walking mass of death and destruction, increasing his already great powers massively, making him stronger, swifter, and much, much more dangerous then ever before. Ryu has stayed true to his path, however, and only let this power loose once during the final moments of a battle with Sagat in the first world tournament. Ryu is truly a unique character, if only that his "defaultness" today was actually the very design that inspired that default style for future fighting games to come.

AGENT 47 (Hitman Series)

When you need someone to get 'that' kind-of job done, there's no better man to call. Agent 47, named after the barcode tattoed on the back of his head (47 being the last two numbers of the code), is an assassin by trade. A constant tactic employed by Agent 47 is working under various aliases, all of which have something to do with death in some obscure manner (Tobias 'Reaper', Dr. 'Cropes' which was an anagram of corpse, etc.). The reason he is so effective at what he does is because he is actually an enhanced clone, that-- while not superhuman-- is capable of utilizing the extreme limitations of the human body. Not only is Agent 47 the most skilled agent in all of his Agency, but he is very efficient with his job. Because he works in dealing death, he typically tries to reserve his killings to only his target, opting to immobalize and render a person unconcious rather then killing them. However, he will not hesitate to kill anyone who stands between him and his objective, or who may jeapordize his anonymity. However, Agent 47 has had several bouts with morality in his time, and every new game has found a way to put that morality behind him once again. In Hitman 2, Agent 47 confesses his sins in a Catholic Church to Father Vittorio, and even performs the sign of the cross before performing his first hit after coming out from retirement. However, true to form, by the end of Hitman 2 Agent 47 has put his adherence to religion behind him, placing the crucifix that the father gave him on the gate of the church as he leaves. This was due to Agent 47's work spilling over into the Sicilian church, forcing him into severring connections with the church all together. However, before this, Agent 47 showed such devotion that he even donated a large percentage of his earnings to the Catholic Church. There's also a softer side to Agent 47, which showed through as a child when he befriended a rabbit and, upon its death, even held a small funeral service for it. What's more, in Hitman: Blood Money, Agent 47 picks up a small canary during his travels. Perhaps one of the most popular recent characters to enter the video game industry, Agent 47 has developed a massive fandom (large enough to prompt a planned motion picture adaptation of the game), and it's of no surprise that he made it to the top 20 at all.

TOMMY VERCETTI (GTA: Vice City)

Born to a family in the printing industry, in which some of the fondest moments in his childhood memories are centered around, the protagonist character of the massively popular game GTA: Vice City, Tommy Vercetti, was stylized off the character of Tony Montana of Scarface fame. Before the stories of Vice City, Tommy Vercetti was a criminal under employment of the Forelli family, becomming a member of the Liberty City Mafia. He was captured prior to the events of Vice City, but the story of his capture really shows the strength of Vercetti and just how dangerous he is: sent to assasinate one man, Vercetti does so and is surrounded by many others after the fact. Upon being surrounded, Vercetti then successfully fought his way out of the situation, surviving the ordeal but being placed in prison for 15 years, wracking up a total of 11 kills, giving him the nickname "The Harwood Butcher". During Vice City, Tommy once again goes under the employment of the Forelli family in the beginning, eventually dismantling the Diaz family from the inside out (though partway through his plan was foiled by his partner, who he had to break his cover for to save his life). After taking over the Diaz family mansion, Tommy launches his own business from there, leading his own criminal empire by becomming Vice City's newest drug lord, gaining control over multiple businesses throughout the city in the process. Over time, Tommy Vercetti is able to become one of Vice City's richest, most powerful and most influential men. Vercetti eventually breaks off connections with the Forelli family, but when the family's Don Sonny comes to collect on his money, Tommy leaves him his cut in counterfeit bills. Lance Vance, Tommy's partner, then betrays Tommy due to business dealings gone bad between the two, and Sonny reveals that he'd orchestrated the attack against Tommy all those years earlier. When these revelations are made, a massive gunfight erupts in the mansion between Vercetti and the Forelli family, during which Tommy massacres almost every single member of the Forelli family, Sonny Forelli himself, as well as Lance Vance for betraying him. The events from there on show ercetti's organization growing to become the most dominant in all of Vice City, turning Tommy into the richest, most powerful man of the city, and eventually causing them to cut all ties to the Liberty City Mafia. Tommy holds control of the city at least until 1992, having gained it between 1986 and 1987. It's really hard to believe he didn't make the Top 10, actually, as Tommy is considered one of, if not the best, of all of Grand Theft Auto's characters.

ASH/RED (Pokemon Series)

YOU SICK FUCKING FUCKERS VOTED ASH OVER TOMMY VERCETTI?! FUCK YOU, EWB. FUCK YOU IN THE FAOIRJDSHNBIDKF. AAARRRGGGG. Okay. Fine. Whatever. So, Ash (Or RED or BLUE, though we'll go with RED for the sake of the same outfit as the widely known image of the character), was the main character that you selected in the smash hit Nintendo series, Pokemon. The sad fact about Ash is that he would eventualy be overshined in popularity by a cute yellow rodent, but whatever. If you truly want this character to have any merit in a video game character competition, I would forever suggest to stick with the 'Red' version of Ash, rather than Ash himself. Why? Well, let's take a look at the differences: unlike Ash, who failed to even make it through the Kanto league tournament, Red went on to face the Elite Four and beat them, then go on to beat his rival. Unlike Ash, who took months upon months just to get the six gym badges, Red could take (depending on the player and relying on logistics of human transportation capabilites) up to only a day, maybe a couple of days most, to not only get those badges, but make it to the Elite Four. Red also captures, keeps, takes care of, and nearly completes his entire Pokedex by the end of the game (again depending on how the character plays), is able to capture Mewtwo-- even MEW-- and can capture a Pokemon not even on the index (Missingno, lolz). Ash releases his Pokemon even when they don't want to fucking go, and also chooses not to try and capture Pokemon unless they 'want' to be captured, thus showing a lack of compassion towards their attachment to him as well as a show of sincerity towards their wanting to be with him. Thus, while Red is vastly superior to Ash both in tactics and in overall success, I have to admit one thing: Ash is fucking evil. He only chooses Pokemon who grow an attachment towards him and choose him instead of the other way around, and then when he's through with them, he throws them away like broken toys against their will. You know? With that in mind, shit, it actually makes me like the character more. Kinda gives him flavor. Either way, the character of Ash... is questionable making it to the list. That's why I'm going with Red/Blue, as they would fall under the same principle as Jops and other 'faceless' main characters.

KEFKA (Final Fantasy VI)

A misanthropic character who, similar in appearance to a clown, is incredibly intelligent (though utterly insane) and profficient in using other people for his own gain. A madman in every sense of the word, Kefka is obsessed with power, and has little consideration for the lives of others; he does, however, have a profound fear of dying or risking death, and shows this often by fleeing almost all in-game fights involving him. Kefka volunteered for an experimental Magitek infusion, which gave him the ability to wield magic at the cost of his own sanity. Impatiently seeking what he desires, Kefka has forced powerful people into a type-of puppetry, controlling their minds to have them launch attacks on other cities and nations. In a siege battle, he even poisoned an enemy's drinking water, causing mass amounts of casualties. He has betrayed and killed his partners, he has (with the help of Gestahl) revived a Floating Continent, and upon which, he did perhaps his most influential act of all. Upon reaching the Triad's statues-- the source of all magic in the world-- Kefka uses the power of the statues to yet again betray an ally, offing Gestahl out of frustration, before moving the statues themselves from their delicate balance, an act which had unleashed so much raw energy that it could reshape the face of the planet. Kefka then gains godlike powers, forces humanity to worship him (not doing so being punishable by death), and upon explaining his motivation to the main characters (that all life was meaningless) and hearing their defense (personal stories of meaning in their own lives), Kefka even exclaims that they were "chapter from a self-help book". In all reality, Kefka helped define the personality-driven villain in video games: he schemed, double-crossed, and overcame obstacles to win his power, all with an irreverent and commical personality. While Sephiroth may well be one of the most popular of all Final Fantasy villains, the sheer influence that was made by Kefka can't be denied: he helped change the face of videogame villains, and has truly earned his spot on the Top 100.

BOWSER KOOPA (Super Mario Series)

Forgive me folks, but I'm going to half-ass my way through the rest of the results here, for the sheer fact that as I mentioned in the main thread, I'm sitting at a Shell trying to finish this up because my school's internet decided to fuck off in the middle of my work. So anyway, I think we all know that Bowser Koopa deserves this spot on this list. He's probably one of the most well-known evil villains in all of video gaming. Mario's constant nemesis, he's exercised every number of cliche acts a villain would use, from kidnapping a princess (multiple times), to developing ridiculous technologies to fight the hero, to turning into (more of) a beast to gain supernatural powers, to kidnapping the hero and forcing his sidekick to help save him, and so on from there. Bowser Koopa is the purest definition of a villain that you could possibly ge, and it's amazing how effective that's really been in the series. Not only that, but Koopa is such a character that despite all of this, it actually does make sense that he would still be willing to race against his enemies, play sports with them, and all the like, if only for his own enjoyment and a chance to defeat his enemies in a setting he stands a better chance in. There's no arguing it: Bowser is Top 100, Top 50, and even Top 20 material without question.

HK-47 (Knights of the Old Series)

HK-47 was a fucking badass assassin droid who was literally programmed to kill. He was literally created by Darth Revan to be a quintessential assasin, and while he is completely loyal and even friendly to those he identifies as master, he has little to no regard for any form of life whatsoever, driven only by an unquenchable thirst for blood. When speaking of organic lifeforms, HK-47 specifically uses the term "meatbag" as an indentification, which was spawned as a common phrase for the droid when Darth Revan heard HK call his apprentice, Darth Malak, a meatbag. Darth Revan found it so amusing he ordered HK to refer to all organics as such, and ever since, he has. Although HK-47 was programmed only to kill, it seems that he's also been programmed to feel certain emotions, because the act of killing and bloodshed alone actually delights him. He's gained massive popularity as a character for his sheer delight of violence and his cheerful character, even when being so downright evil. He's reached a perfect spot for his type of character: while maybe not a Top 10 type of character, HK-47 is deserving of a spot nearby, and by God, he got it.

LARA CROFT (Tomb Raider Series)

Dear God, she didn't make the Top 10? That's a fucking shocker. Lara Croft helped define the era of 90s gaming, and how far we had come since the days of older gaming. She inspired an obsession among gamers with her polygons, was the originator of female heroins with massive gazongas, dual-wielded weapons, was a general adventurer, and her games appealed to a massive, massive market. Not only that, but looking into her character, she was the perfect "good girl gone bad" kind-of character, raised in a high-class family yet being systematically exposed to interests of hers that would lead her down the path of a thrill-seeking loner-type character. Again, it's downright amazing that she hadn't made the Top 10... because Lara Croft is a Top 10 character if there ever was one. Not the best of all time, but in no way, shape or form should she be disregarded. Thankfully, she's at least made it pretty damn close to that spot, so at least there's that!

MAX PAYNE (Max Payne Series)

Loved Max Payne. Loved his character. Can't believe he made it this far, though... but hell, I can't complain. Max Payne was a Sin City-esque character, having suffered a dramatic loss in the first game when his wife and child were both brutally murdered by drug junkies high off a new designer drug. Max Payne goes from a general good cop into something much darker and sinister, joining the DEA as an underground agent and eventually going through a large number of members of the Mafia, killing off some of their major members in the process. In the end, he takes out an incredibly massive number of people: his body count wracks up to around or over 600 people. That's just the first game, too. In Max Payne 2, he teams up with a woman he thought he watched die, having been cleared of all charges against him and yet again working for the NYPD. By the end of the game, if you're a fucking badass player who chose the hardest difficulty, Max Payne survives the whole thing and the woman, Mona, who looked sure to be dead, will survive the end of the game. Thus, Payne redeems his life, gets the girl, and looks to have finally found solace after all those years of pain. If you can't handle the hardest mode, though, the ending isn't TOO much worse... he still finds solace, it's just that Mona dies in your arms instead of surviving. Still though, the whole fight scene leading to that moment was pretty fucking killer. Max Payne's deserving of a Top 50 spot by far, and I'm amazed he grazed the edge of the Top 10. Happily amazed, of course.

Edited August 1, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · August 4, 2007

SEPHIROTH (Final Fantasy VII)

Estuans interius
ira vehementi
Estuans interius
ira vehementi
Sephiroth
Sephiroth

Sors immanis
Et inanis
Sors immanis
Et inanis

Estuans interius
ira vehementi
Estuans interius
ira vehementi
Sephiroth
Sephiroth

Veni, veni, venias,
Ne me mori facias
Veni, veni, venias,
Ne me mori facias

Veni, veni, venias,
Ne me mori facias
Veni, veni, venias,
Ne me mori facias

Veni, veni, venias, (Gloriosa)
Ne me mori facias (Generosa)
Veni, veni, venias, (Gloriosa)
Ne me mori facias (Generosa)

Veni, veni, venias,
Ne me mori facias
Veni, veni, venias,
Ne me mori facias

Sephiroth
Sephiroth

He is perhaps one of the most critically acclaimed villains in all of video game history, and especially all of Final Fantasy history. No other villain from any Final Fantasy game has ever quite reached the sheer popularity that this man has, and it's doubtful now that any ever will. While it can be argued that there have been many better villains, the problem with these villains was that not only did they not appeal to such a wide base of the fans of their time, but their appearance didn't fit the mold that a large number of fans had set for their "ideal" villain.

Enter: Sephiroth. You can call him overrated, but he was the image that video game fans wanted for a villain in their time.

Tall, long hair, absolutely ruthless. He had a slight feminine look to him, yet at the same time was definitely not crossing any boundaries like Kefka had before him, or Kuja after. When Sephiroth appeared, he was dressed for war in his long leather coats. The guy had a humongous sword, he caused the deaths of countless innocents-- including your characters' families-- and was a virtually unstoppable force.

Yet one thing people generally fail to take into account, was that Sephiroth never truly began making appearances until after Cloud revived him, which was a good distance into the game already. The rest of the time? Sephiroth himself had taken over Jenova's body with his will alone, seeking out "clones" of himself-- people who had had the Jenova cells infused into them.

Sephiroth was an incredible fighter, and an incredibly dangerous person, long before the events of Final Fantasy. The paramilitary group SOLDIER saw him as their most famous and widely-recognized members. However, after one mission which then unexpectedly revealed his dark past to him, Sephiroth became an emotional wreck and literally went insane, destroying the entire town and attempting to "free" Jenova from a mako reactor. The resulting events after sparked the beginning of the relationship between Cloud and Sephiroth.

Zack, a 1st class SOLDIER who was considered second only to Sephiroth in skill, attempted to battle Sephiroth in order to stop him from destroying the town. The resulting battle saw Zack's easy defeat, but while Sephiroth was distracted, Cloud, a citizen of the town Sephiroth was destroying, took Zack's sword and stabbed Sephiroth from behind. Sephiroth tried to escape with Jenova's head, though greatly weakened, and Cloud pursued to finish him off. After that, Sephiroth fell into the lifestream and was eventually encased in Mako in the Northern Cave, where he would remain until Cloud freed him under his control many, many years later.

Sephiroth's ultimate plan was simple: using the power of the Black Materia, he would call down Meteor upon the world to destroy it and, in the resulting explosion of the planet's energy, Sephiroth would then absorb it all and become a god. When the group finally faces him, Sephiroth puts up one hell of a fight, first as a monster of massive proportions known as "Bizzaro Sephiroth", then as his "true" form known as "Safer Sephiroth", which depicted him as a large angel-like being, having one white wing sprouting from his back and multiple wings sprouting off beneath his waist, essentially turning him into a tanned being with no lower body.

Even when defeated after all of this, Sephiroth then attacks Cloud's mind itself within the lifestream, attempting to overtake him. However, Cloud had grown much strong mentally then ever before, and now having rediscovered himself and his inner strength, was able to cast Sephiroth back into the lifestream.

Sephiroth's plans had nearly came true, they had nearly been complete. It took a superhuman effort by a group of incredibly skilled warriors to be able to stand a chance against him, much less defeat him in the end. Yet death itself couldn't even stop Sephiroth, as hinted to in the canonical expansions off the original game.

He is still considered the best villain in all of Final Fantasy by a majority of the fans of the series worldwide. He is STILL considered the best villain in his era of video gaming by a massive amount of gamers looking back to those times. Whether or not you like him, you cannot deny the incredibly solid fanbase that the character has gained over the course of the years since we were first introduced to him. This was a character of Top 10 proportions, there's no denying that, and it's good to see him make it in.

The Mask of Norro · August 5, 2007

CARL "CJ" JOHNSON (GTA: San Andreas)

Carl Johnson: It seems impossible to keep a secret around here! I would have thought the size of the room would keep the numbers down.

Man #1: Hey, speak up, we can't hear you back here!

Carl Johnson: I appreciate your input, but please, fuck off.

So you got Grand Theft Auto. You have the silent-type protagonist who gets the job done in GTA: III. You get the Scarface-esque megalomaniac badass in GTA: Vice City. Now what? Now... we go back to the streets again, but make it a bit more modern. Carl "CJ" Johnson was all GTA needed in a character and more to continue the legacy after the amazing GTA: Vice City.

The man was tough, sarcastic, never took shit from anyone and, what's more, he was fiercely loyal to the people he cared about. That made it incredibly dangerous to take the general tactic of getting to him through his family, because the man would probably find a way to get them back AND rip out your nuts in the same day. Nah, to face Carl, sometimes you had to take him head on.

Carl "CJ" Johnson is, completely contrasting the other characters of the GTA series, an honest and honorable man. He's nothing more then a product of his environment, trying to find means to make his life all the better, whereas characters like Vercetti were more or less just looking for power. Carl puts his friends over his business, another opposite to many of the other characters in the series. In fact, where many other characters shine, Carl seems to shine opposite. Carl never kills indiscriminately (well, in the story parts anyway... I'm sure everyone who played the game enjoyed beating the piss out of everyone they came across)-- in fact, he tries not to ever kill in cold blood, but rather assassinate those who betray him, or those who are adding to the general corruption of San Andreas.

Seems a bit strange, though... there are some missions CJ takes that forces him to attack and kill innocent people sometimes. He often feels guilty for it later, though, keeping him in a completely different, more human league from the rest of the primary characters of Grand Theft Auto. It's very, very awkward to be controlling an altruistic character in GTA, of all games, but it really does seem to work. Here's a character that people can relate to, rather then just look at and see some epic, larger-then-life person. Carl never tried to be anything more then who he was, and because of who he was, that worked just fine.

Here's a character who's stepped up to the challenge of topping Tommy Vercetti in terms of popularity among GTA fans. Here's a character who had to lead the next game of the series to success, and make sure that it kept up an already great legacy. He's definitely done a damn good job so far, and while his popularity pitted against Tommy's is questionable, it seems EWB's made it's decision.

Carl "CJ" Johnson really did break the mold for Grand Theft Auto characters, and opened the door to the possibility of many more "real" characters to follow. He is well deserving of making the list.

Edited August 5, 2007 by The Mask of Norro

The Mask of Norro · August 29, 2007

SOLID SNAKE (Metal Gear Solid Series)

Solid Snake: If you ask me, there's no happiness to be found in death... no peace either. I'm leaving here alive.

Solid Snake is quite possibly one of the most iconic figures in modern day war games: an elite soldier who works alone in battle, yet with the distant help of his allies, Snake bravely ventures into any mission he must with incredible success. More often then not, Snake even ventures into situations unarmed, relying on acquiring weapons along the way in order to defend himself. His trademark "cardboard box" disguise is just a small part to his stealthy style when confronting enemies, and you won't find it uncommon for Snake to take down a majority of his victims without them ever even knowing he was there.

Solid Snake looks remarkably similar (read: almost exactly like) his father, Snake (AKA "Big Boss"). Snake's skill was so incredible that he became a legend among the militaries and governments of the world. Snake was created-- as in, cloned-- and possessed a level of intelligence that far surpassed even his siblings in the project that created him. From birth, Snake was both raised and trained by the group known as FOX-HOUND, which was being led by his father at the time (whom Snake did not actually know was his father).

During Operation Intrude N313, everything falls apart for Snake and sets the "gears" in motion, so to speak, for the rest of his life. This mission was an infiltration of Outer Heaven, and Snake was tasked with finding out what happened to his good friend, the last operative that was sent in and mysteriously vanished, Gray Fox. During the mission, Snake came across the weapons platform Metal Gear, and eventually was able to rescue Gray Fox, discovering that Big Boss was running Outer Heaven at the time. This revelation crushed Snake, but he fought on and actually faced off with Big Boss himself, still unaware that the man was actually his father.

Snake's trials were numerous, during the Shadow Moses incident many, many years down the line, Solid Snake would have to confront and defeat the new members of his old FOX-HOUND unit and, in the process, would not only discover his origins, but kill his brother, Liquid Snake. He would also fight yet another Metal Gear unit, and help Gray Fox finally find peace.

Otacon was the person who would eventually bring Snake out of retirement, yet Snake would work under his own command when he did, rather then those of another. After returning from retirement, Snake was thrust back into the thick of things, finding a new powerful enemy in Revolver Ocelot who, upon their first encounter, was apparently under the beginnings of a possession by Liquid Snake. The resulting aftermath created "Liquid Ocelot", as Liquid Snake's personality fully took over and he hijacked the Metal Gear RAY, sinking the tanker in the process (and Snake as well).

Snake once again endured the trials, which intensified as Snake was considered a terrorist now (as well as Ocelot). Snake, due to this, used the destruction of the tanker to spread the (mis)news that he had died onboard. However, Snake would once again come out of hiding when hearing of yet another version of Metal Gear being under development on the floating platform of the Big Rig. This would be called the "Big Rig Incident", during which Snake would operate under an alias and team up with a FOX-HOUND recruit named Raiden.

Solid Snake was last seen during a four-way battle atop the Arsenal Gear, which involved Lady Fortune, Liquid Ocelot (controlling Metal Gear RAY in the process), Solidus and Raiden. When Fortune was defeated, Raiden managed to disrupt Ocelot's attack, causing Ocelot to plunge the Metal Gear into the Atlantic Ocean with Solid Snake in pursuit. After these incidents, he was never heard from again. Yet with the next Metal Gear game showing Snake in the future, appearing much older due to his degenerating cells caused by the cloning, it is obviously apparent that once again, the elite soldier spawned out of a project had once again cheated death, and would be off on another mission once again.

There is no doubting Solid Snake's skill, and no questioning the strength of his character. What's more, Solid Snake has made a landmark achievement in this competition: while coming in 8th place is an achievement in and of itself, perhaps even more impressive is that despite his placement in the Top 100, he still received the most nomination points out of every single character who was nominated for the list in the first place.

The Mask of Norro · August 30, 2007

LUIGI MARIO (Super Mario Series)

Luigi: I wanna be a great plumber like my brother Mario.

Eternally left under the shadow of his famous brother, Luigi has often been described as being "green with envy" towards the success of Mario; however, this brotherly rivalry has never seemed to actually stop their kind and close relationship with each other. In fact, there have even been instances where Luigi has gone out of his way to save his brother, who was somehow duped into capture. In the original Mario games, Luigi doubled as backup for Mario when more then one person played the game at once.

As a character, Luigi isn't quite the same as Mario, and has been interpreted many different ways over the span of many different games. Perhaps one of the most common forms to Luigi's character, however, has been that he is actually a more skilled fighter then his older brother, yet lacks the determination and will-power that his brother has, and thus can't quite shine as bright as Mario. Luigi is younger, yet can jump higher then Mario-- who's original identity was solely based on his jumping ability in the first place-- is faster then Mario (depending on which game you play), and has in many situations even been seen to call on a much stronger, nearly uncontrollable power that not even Mario can reach at times. However, Luigi's natural timidness and shyness often holds him back from controlling these abilities, making him generally inferior to his brother more then often.

These tendencies of his shine through his skills, as well: in Super Mario Bros. 2, while Luigi displayed his superior jumping ability to Mario's, he landed with less traction and had less accuracy in his jumps. Luigi's unsureness in regards to his own ability is, in fact, one of his natural downfalls as a character, and it's because of this that he does harbor some envy towards his older brother. Luigi doesn't believe that he can stack up to Mario, especially considering Mario's popularity, yet Mario's depiction in regards to Luigi's ability, more often then not, has been nothing short of encouraging. Mario believes in his younger brother in most accounts of the two, thinking that Luigi is already by his side, rather than in his shadow.

Luigi's envy has often been brought into the limelight even moreso due to the in-game public's reactions to the younger plumber, which is more then often a confusion between him and his brother. In fact, many of the enemies in the Mario universe actually forget Luigi's name and simply address him by the color of his outfit, or the fact that he's Mario's brother. This constant humiliation is also something that has fueled Luigi's feelings in the area, while Mario often remains blissfully unaware of the situation.

As stated before, Luigi's abilities are often more powerful than Mario's, yet harder for him to control. Not only that, but recently, the two brothers began to divide further in the type of power used: Luigi still utilizes the green fireball, yet also harbors a powerful electrical ability, which is often referred to via his nickname, "The Green Thunder". Mario, however, sticks solely to his fire-based abilities.

All in all, it was inevitable that the younger green plumber would find his way onto this list, and I'm VERY surprised (and happy, mind you) that he made it as far as he did. In my opinion, Luigi really is one of the more under-appreciated characters of the Mario franchise, and with the way Nintendo's been gearing the character, it may soon be his time to truly shine alongside his brother. Of course, time will tell with that.

The Top 100 Video Game Characters of All Time

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