The Top 100 Video Game Characters of All Time

[The Mask of Norro]

PACMAN (Pacman Series)

Pacman: Wokka wokka wokka wokka wokka wokka.

I can't really say much about the character of Pacman. True, over the course of Pacman's illustrious history, his creators eventually began to give him something of a personality; however, he never really went beyond the standard floating yellow mouth that ate the power pellets and, every now and then, a ghost or two as well. For what it's worth, however, his entry on this list does indeed hold some merit: much as Frogger, Jops, and other "faceless" characters before him, Pacman didn't have so much of a developed character, but rather a character importance. For those of you who've managed to sit through the game for longer then a couple of rounds before getting bored of it, you'd know that every life in Pacman counts, and seeing that little guy get stuck between two ghosts is one of the most disheartening feelings in the world at that moment.

The game is incredibly addictive in and of itself... but really, it wasn't quite as impactive as Mrs. Pac-Man, which helped revolutionize the franchise in its time and really brought the series back to life again. What's more, in reality, I believe Mrs. Pac-Man had more of a fleshed out character, over time, then her husband, who seemed to remain something of a "hungry hungry hippo" of a character. Funny story behind that is, Mrs. Pac-Man was spawned of a hack of the original game, which was then bought and marketed by Midway, much to the displeasure of Namco, Pac-Man's original creators.

Nevertheless, you have to admit: the symbol of Pac-Man may as well be something of a religious icon for the world of gaming. There is, perhaps, hardly anyone who has ever even *heard* of video gaming without knowing what that symbol stands for. The fandom that surrounds the franchise and, by proxy, the character himself, is amazingly strong.

[The Mask of Norro]

SONIC (Sonic the Hedgehog Series)

Doctor Eggman: Ahaha! If it isn't Sonic!

Sonic the Hedgehog: Look! It's a giant talking egg!

Miles "Tails" Prower: It's Doctor Eggman!!

Doctor Eggman: Silence! I am Doctor Ivo Robotnik, the greatest scientific genius in the universe!

Sonic the Hedgehog: Whatever you say Eggman.

Perfect way to start off our top five, honestly. Sonic the Hedgehog was, for the longest time, the only game character to ever be able to stand up to the might of Mario during the wars between SEGA and Nintendo. SEGA's company mascot, Sonic helped bring a different 'spin' to gaming with his unique style of fast-paced gameplay, and the original games still entertain fans across the world. We all know how SEGA eventually turned out, and we all know that Sonic games as of late have been going downhill... but since the beginning, the character of Sonic has been an easily recognizable symbol of both video gaming and the SEGA of years long passed that, at one time, was able to make even Nintendo squirm under pressure.

Sonic's look hasn't changed much over the years (in fact, there are really only two 'styles' to Sonic: short and chubby, as was the original, or tall and slim, as is the current), and his character has been a symbol for the most courageous and headstrong of heroes the video game world has ever seen. No matter how bad the situation, no matter how long the odds, Sonic's determination and belief that he will pull through keep him driving forward. Consistently, it's been shown that seemingly no one can break that ironclad willpower.

Fittingly, Sonic's meant to represent the wind itself. Free-spirited and happy to be alive, Sonic is the pure embodiment of an adventurer. It's doubtful that the character of Sonic will ever 'settle down', even in his old age, because his heart is one that lives for adventure alone, and the sheer enjoyment of life to its fullest. A dare-devil, and a lover of vacations, Sonic's position as a hero comes only due to his thirst for action, and his will to protect the ones he cares for.

Yet he has one flaw to his character that often puts himself in dangerous situations all-too often, as well as his friends. Sonic is incredibly impatient: which makes sense, if your life revolved around going at top speeds, you wouldn't want to just sit around for long. What's more, he rarely if ever acts serious, which tends to get on the nerves of his friends fairly often; adversely, it also serves as inspiration for them during hard times. What's more, it also pisses the unholy hell out of his enemies: trying to strike fear into a person who's mocking you to death really isn't very encouraging.

Sonic represents rebellion just as much as he does wind, too. Sonic hates oppression, even more than water (Sonic can't swim-- he has a fear of water; though, despite that, his courage has helped him even through that), and will fight it as much as he can if it means he can live freely once again.

Sonic the Hedgehog: fastest creature alive, a free-spirited rebel, and an adventurer who's loyal and determined until the very end. He was SEGA's answer to Nintendo's Mario, and for a good few years, he did a damn good job holding his own against the video game powerhouse. Undoubtedly one of the most deserving, of all the characters who made it, to make the Top 5.

[The Mask of Norro]

LINK (Legend of Zelda Series)

Colin: I think... I finally understand what my dad meant... when he told me he wanted me to be strong like you, Link. He didn't mean strength as in lifting stuff. He meant strength as in courage.

The man of few words-- sometimes, none even at all-- Link places fourth in the Top 100 Characters in what may be a controversial placing for the hero of time to his fans. Link is, arguably, one of the only mascots Nintendo has who can almost stand up to Mario in terms of household recognition and popularity, likely only beaten by Pikachu who, ironically, didn't even place in the list (although Red did). The Legend of Zelda series was revolutionary, helping to define a genre in and of itself, and stood out as one of the most creative, entertaining and challenging games of the original Nintendo. It helped inspire countless numbers of games based off not just its gameplay, but its innovative story and original character design.

Perhaps one of the most striking things about the Legend of Zelda series is how it can seemingly get better with each game's sequel. The majority of Zelda fans can agree that each game seems to surpass the previous one in quality, though obviously opinions differ on the matter. Though the times have changed, and the style of gaming has changed with them, the Legend of Zelda Series has remained a constant for Nintendo, continuing to capture the same feel as the original yet forever advancing and bettering it to fit the new age gaming has entered into, while simultaneously evolving the series itself.

Ah, but we're not here to talk about the series, we're here to talk about the character, aren't we? And Link, well, he is one hell of a character, or rather, characters. Most of the time, Link is a Hylian boy from the land of Hyrule, usually portrayed as a character in his preteens to late teenage years. Pretty much with every single game, Link is also a mute, almost never speaking to the characters he encounters or, if he does, you almost never see nor read the dialogue. Almost. In Wind Waker, Link actually says "Come on!" as a phrase, but other then that, he's usually only voiced with grunts, battle cries and the like. The only exception to this was a few Philips CD-i games done for the series where he'd speak like everyone else, but... well, let's not get into those. There's already enough Youtube videos on that whole subject to explain their horrors and justify why Nintendo refuses to include them in the Zelda storyline.

Anyway, moving on. Link, much like Princess Zelda, is a reincarnation of the same person in a past life. In fact, of the Triforce, the only constant is Ganondorf, who is always the same person. This is referenced to in some of the games, such as when, in Windwaker, Link hears of a legend of an ancient "Hero of Time" who looks completely identical to him. Considered the rightful bearer of the Master Sword, as well as the eventual finder of the Triforce of Courage, Link is almost always clad in his green tunic, undershirt, floppy green hat, skirt and, on most occasions, tights.

One interesting trait for Link is that he, unlike most traditional main characters, is actually left-handed. This rarely changes, and it is considered canon that he is left-handed, which makes playing as Link a bit rough for newcomers to the series who aren't left-handed themselves. Another interesting thing is that despite the obvious size difference between Link and Ganondorf, Link is able to overpower Ganondorf in blade-to-blade combat. He is rarely, if ever, shown being fearful of anything, and is actually quite bold and headstrong with his actions, refusing to back down to any challenge presented to him.

Considered to be a poster boy for the "anyone can be a hero if they really put their heart to it" ideal, Link typically starts off as a young boy with little chances given to him (sometimes he's an orphan, sometimes he's a poor boy, and also, generally at the start of the game, his parents are dead), and by the end of the tale has become the legendary Hero of Time. He is, by and large, considered the bravest of all of Nintendo's characters, perhaps only equaled by Mario himself.

Link: The Hero of Time, and #4 on EWB's Top 100 Characters of All Time.

[Baddar]

Seeing as this is pinned, was a three, two and one ever decided?

[Benji]

Seeing as this is pinned, was a three, two and one ever decided?

Yeah Norris, hurry up, we're overdue another round of voting aren't we?

Edited September 9, 2008 by Benji

[Plubby]

I direct your attention to his mafia...stop being so impatient, it'll be posted in a few months. :P

[Ruki]

This started months before his mafia.

...I think.

[The Mask of Norro]

1-3 will be posted soon enough, I've had a lot of other things going on that kept me from remembering to do this, actually

I'll go ahead and get off my ass on the third place one tonight.

[Benji]

1-3 will be posted soon enough, I've had a lot of other things going on that kept me from remembering to do this, actually

I'll go ahead and get off my ass on the third place one tonight.

...

I said nothing.

Also, give me them, I'll post them and then start a new one like I wanted to

[Plubby]

Leave him be, as i've said on numerous occasions - people measure time in different ways.

[The Mask of Norro]

1-3 will be posted soon enough, I've had a lot of other things going on that kept me from remembering to do this, actually

I'll go ahead and get off my ass on the third place one tonight.

...

I said nothing.

Also, give me them, I'll post them and then start a new one like I wanted to

Mate I'm sorry but these past few days have been incredibly stressful to me and I've been just trying to blow off steam as best as I can to ease that stress. I'd rather not have to rant on about why I didn't do it that night but yeah.

It's my fault the results have been delayed for, well, months on end. I'll start up a new one with you when this one's finished and again, I'll give the effort to get something done either tonight or tomorrow. I'm going to try my best, but yeah, things come up.

[Benji]

1-3 will be posted soon enough, I've had a lot of other things going on that kept me from remembering to do this, actually

I'll go ahead and get off my ass on the third place one tonight.

...

I said nothing.

Also, give me them, I'll post them and then start a new one like I wanted to

Mate I'm sorry but these past few days have been incredibly stressful to me and I've been just trying to blow off steam as best as I can to ease that stress. I'd rather not have to rant on about why I didn't do it that night but yeah.

It's my fault the results have been delayed for, well, months on end. I'll start up a new one with you when this one's finished and again, I'll give the effort to get something done either tonight or tomorrow. I'm going to try my best, but yeah, things come up.

We still love ya', I just think you should've just passed on the results on to someone to finish, give yourself less to do ({)