The IWG Games Team
Last week we asked you to narrow down just one of your favourite characters from gaming, and whilst it's certainly not easy to settle on just one character out of a whole managerie, you attempted it anyway! We singled some of the most interesting. Only ten made the cut!
Did yours?
Last week we asked you to narrow down just one of your favourite characters from gaming, and whilst it's certainly not easy to settle on just one character out of a whole managerie, you attempted it anyway! We singled some of the most interesting. Only ten made the cut!
Did yours?
Arthas Menethil
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
'Albeit Arthas is a recurring character in Warcraft, with a very major role in "World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King." You play as the Human Alliance under the control of a heroic paladin Arthas. He is one of many controllable heroes within Warcraft 3, but each campaign mission with him makes you face greater foes and greater temptations. Playing as this character as he makes his sacrifices, you see him hurtle towards damnation and he becomes that which he set out to fight originally. Then in the Undead Scourge campaign, you play the Death Knight Arthas as he desecrates the kingdom he was once proud to belong to. This journey with this character makes you hate him, love him, question him. It's not standard to get such storytelling and such character involvement in an RTS, but I certainly did whilst playing this hero turned villain.' - Adam James Playle
Warcraft III was released in 2003 by Blizzard Entertainment and was met with critical acclaim.
Warcraft III was released in 2003 by Blizzard Entertainment and was met with critical acclaim.
Auron
Final Fantasy X
'He’s a great example of the rōnin archetype. The large scar, metal grey collar and arm-sling make him look grizzly and mysterious. Every line of dialogue he delivers sheds new insight into the world’s lore, also his conversations with many of the secondary characters suggests a history good enough to cover its own game. His dissonance with 'Yevon', the villainous religion, is what sparks the plot.' - Daniel Mapp
Auron debuted in Final Fantasy X as one of the protagonist's central companions, and introduces you to the fantasy world of Spira where much of the game's action takes place. Auron went on to feature in Final Fantasy X-2 through video logs, as well as Kingdom Hearts.
Auron debuted in Final Fantasy X as one of the protagonist's central companions, and introduces you to the fantasy world of Spira where much of the game's action takes place. Auron went on to feature in Final Fantasy X-2 through video logs, as well as Kingdom Hearts.
Guybrush Threepwood
Monkey Island series
'I love his deadpan humour, the breaking of the fourth wall which added so much to the games' narrative and engaged me so much. I spent days playing the Monkey Island games, driven on by his story, his unwilling heroics and charm. If you haven't played the Monkey Island games, then you might just find the answer to why modern games have become so disengaged from gamers - you know - fun.' - Mike O'Connor
Threepwood debuted in 1990's The Secret of Monkey Island as a young, lively protagonist who seeks to become a pirate and solves puzzles across a range of different islands in order to fulfill this ambition. His last appearance was in 2009's Tales of Monkey Island, which was released both on PC and the Nintendo Wii, and then later ported on other platforms.
Threepwood debuted in 1990's The Secret of Monkey Island as a young, lively protagonist who seeks to become a pirate and solves puzzles across a range of different islands in order to fulfill this ambition. His last appearance was in 2009's Tales of Monkey Island, which was released both on PC and the Nintendo Wii, and then later ported on other platforms.
Heihachi Mishima
Tekken series
'He's a bad-ass evil son of a bitch. How evil is he? Well, he threw his five year old son down a ravine for starters. He also survived being thrown off a cliff by the very same son (Kazuya), then returned two years later and threw him into a volcano to kill him once and for all. He also has a penchant for snapping people's necks and is the cornerstone of the Tekken franchise, inventing the King of the Iron Fist Tournament upon which the series hinges.' - Daniel Lamb
Tekken found fame at first in arcades in 1994, the success of which saw it later ported to the Sony PlayStation in 1995. The series was once exclusive to Sony consoles but has since become a multi-platform title, with the latest release Tekken Arena available on Android devices and iOS systems as of 2013.
Tekken found fame at first in arcades in 1994, the success of which saw it later ported to the Sony PlayStation in 1995. The series was once exclusive to Sony consoles but has since become a multi-platform title, with the latest release Tekken Arena available on Android devices and iOS systems as of 2013.
Ivy Valentine
SoulCalibur series
'She has one of the most bad ass weapons in gaming and a proper no-shits-given attitude. And not to mention her purple costume which basically shows her breasts (even though I'm gay I still wouldn't say no to Ivy Valentine!) and little else. Her attacks also range from close combat with her sword to ranged combat with her whip, and I think that's all you can ask for in a standard fighting game character. Also, her father is completely bad-ass as well (Cervantes, in case you didn't know!) with dual swords which just looks so cool. and also Ivy's birthday is 2 days after mine!' - Tommy Taker
Ivy featured in our first article on Overly Sexualised Gaming, and is a cult favourite throughout the gaming world due to both her revealing costumes and her unique gameplay style.
Ivy featured in our first article on Overly Sexualised Gaming, and is a cult favourite throughout the gaming world due to both her revealing costumes and her unique gameplay style.
Pikachu
Pokémon series
'For me this was my first hand-held game and, as a fan of the anime, I am unashamed to admit I was a bit of a Pika-fangirl. So to see him in the game, following you around everywhere as you made your journey was great for me, and it was something we saw appear later in other Pokémon games. Letting your favourite 'mons walk with you to give a personal touch to your journey to be the very best like no one ever was. Pikachu would start off moody with you but you could change that by levelling him up, not letting him die in battles and giving him health potions when he didn't need it to the point where he would exclaim "Pikachu!" loudly in his 8-bit way, and have about eight hearts floating above his head. Personally, this was the game that let me live my fantasy of being a Pokémon trainer with my own loyal 'chu. It just ain't Pokémon for me without that little electric mouse.' - Demelza Beckly
Pikachu is often seen as the most popular of all of the Pokémon to date due to his role in the anime series. His cult status has led to the release of Pikachu-themed games such as Hey You, Pikachu! for the Nintendo 64, as well as PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure. He has also appeared as a playable fighter in all of the released Super Smash Bros games.
Pikachu is often seen as the most popular of all of the Pokémon to date due to his role in the anime series. His cult status has led to the release of Pikachu-themed games such as Hey You, Pikachu! for the Nintendo 64, as well as PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure. He has also appeared as a playable fighter in all of the released Super Smash Bros games.
Sheena
Tales of Symphonia series
'She's a young, female assassin who doesn't take crap from anyone. She's morally sound and works through her issues, to a great cost. She's a rock for all the characters around her, despite her own needs. She will always stand up to those in the wrong and will defend those weaker than herself no matter what. Though at times, she seems focused entirely on her mission, she is open minded and flexible to alternatives. She's good at hiding her emotions but is still a female and occasionally, the audience are reminded that she is just like any other girl her age. She's a bad-ass and looks great in purple!' - Gemma Williams
Tales of Symphonia was released on the Nintendo GameCube in 2003, developed and published by Namco. The game was followed up by a direct sequel, entitled Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, which was released in 2008 for the Nintendo Wii.
Tales of Symphonia was released on the Nintendo GameCube in 2003, developed and published by Namco. The game was followed up by a direct sequel, entitled Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, which was released in 2008 for the Nintendo Wii.
Sephiroth
Final Fantasy VII
'He has the perfect combination of crazy and evil. No world domination or ideals. Sephiroth only wanted to destroy the world. To avenge his mother and reunite the life stream. This guy needed no minions and was far more powerful than anything that was thrown at him. Plus the added bonus of being the main characters old commanding officer. This was perfection.' - Mikka Harrison
Sephiroth made his debut in Final Fantasy VII as the leading antagonist, and was further popularised by his appearances in the Final Fantasy feature Advent Children and the PSP exclusive Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, as well as playing a notable role as a villain in the Kingdom Hearts series.
Sephiroth made his debut in Final Fantasy VII as the leading antagonist, and was further popularised by his appearances in the Final Fantasy feature Advent Children and the PSP exclusive Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, as well as playing a notable role as a villain in the Kingdom Hearts series.
Tiny Tina
Borderlands 2
'She was introduced to you in the main game as a kooky, 13 year old bad-ass slightly unhinged by the death of her parents, looked after by Roland which kind of goes with the games weird and wonderful environment and characters. But as you play, you notice that throughout the game a quite dark, intense back story emerges. But what really tugs at your heartstrings is when 2K decided to give her, her own DLC and the cool little bad-ass gets split open and you’re shown that Tiny Tina is really a very disturbed little girl refusing to accept that Roland has gone and the little world she creates to take herself away from it all.' - Claire Saunders
Borderlands 2 was developed by Gearbox Software and was published by 2K Games in 2012, the financial success of which led many to believe a third main installment was secured. However, the developers have since decided instead to focus on the upcoming 'interquel' entitled Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel whilst they deliberate just how to make Borderlands 3 which, according to them, would have to be 'massive.'
Borderlands 2 was developed by Gearbox Software and was published by 2K Games in 2012, the financial success of which led many to believe a third main installment was secured. However, the developers have since decided instead to focus on the upcoming 'interquel' entitled Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel whilst they deliberate just how to make Borderlands 3 which, according to them, would have to be 'massive.'
Zidane
Final Fantasy IX
'His personality differs from most other FF protagonists in that he seeks friendship anywhere he can find it and strives to protect these friends at every turn. Aside from the obvious questions of where his origins lie and why he has a tail, Zidane worries considerably less than his FF predecessors (Cloud and Squall, miserable bastards that they are) and as a result is upbeat and compassionate. Did I mention he has a frickin' tail? Zidane's character doesn't evolve much throughout the game, rather those around him evolve in response to him. This is what drew me in and kept me playing. Overall I enjoyed my time travelling with Mr. Tribal (and his tail) and that makes him my favourite game character ever.' - James Salt
Final Fantasy IX was released in 2000 and was the final game in the series for the Sony PlayStation. The game was notable for the different art style and themes it adopted when compared to the gritty, militarised designs of both Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII. It also did not sell as well as either, but still went on to achieve Metacritic's highest rating for any Final Fantasy game to date.
Final Fantasy IX was released in 2000 and was the final game in the series for the Sony PlayStation. The game was notable for the different art style and themes it adopted when compared to the gritty, militarised designs of both Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII. It also did not sell as well as either, but still went on to achieve Metacritic's highest rating for any Final Fantasy game to date.
Next month. Same time. Same place.
We were overwhelmed by the response to this article and would like to thank everyone who took the time out to submit. Whilst we can't include everyone's submissions, don't be disheartened. Just save it for next month! You never know what the subject might be!
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If you enjoyed this article, why not come join us on our official Facebook page or through our Twitter account?
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