Feature: Top 5 Video Game Characters I've Actually Cared About

Video game characters are kind of a mixed bag for most audiences.  Some of them are lovable, while others are obnoxiously annoying.  Still others are merely blank slates for the player to project onto.  However, in terms of personality, few characters out there have actually made me feel emotionally attached to them.  These select few compel me to sympathize with them during their hardships, and join in during their celebrations.  Sure, Mario's a well-designed mascot and all, but can you really grasp what he's feeling whenever he finds out that Princess Peach has decided to relocate yet again?

Takes it like a champ...

The characters in the list below are the ones that I truly connected with.  Ones that I cared about protecting.  In the end, these are the characters that I will always remember for their actions, not just their style.

***SPOILER WARNING IN EFFECT FOR ALL GAMES MENTIONED!***



#5: Clover (9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors)
When you're first introduced to Clover, you get an impression of her being a spunky teenager with seemingly unlimited amounts energy and optimism.  She is literally portrayed as the "energetic little sister" of the cast.  I'll be honest, when I was first introduced to her, I ignored her for the most part.

...Awkwardly enough, this is one of the only
official pictures I can find of her...

However, as things progressed, I quickly discovered that the girl wasn't as unflinchingly optimistic as I had thought.  When her brother went missing in the middle of the game, she wasn't just depressed about it.  She was flat-out dead inside.  A pitiful shell of emptiness and sorrow.  Seeing this sudden shift in personality was striking.  However, at the same time, it was grimly realistic.  Clover's character proved the point that even the most happy-go-lucky people can be broken.

As I learned more about her character, I truly felt sorry for the things she had to go through.  Her life was beyond traumatizing, and yet she managed to carry on with her head up for as long as she could.  However, this admirable feat of the human mind wasn't the only thing that made me care about her.  The truth is, she also kinda scared me...

Yup, you seem like you're okay in the head!

Beneath the frail little girl's delicate exterior was a twisted, scheming brain.  After her brother disappeared, you could tell that her mind was racing as you talked to her.  She began to suspect people in her group of murder and you could slowly start to follow her train of logic as it spiraled out of control.  In reality, Clover was a good-hearted person with nothing but the best intentions.  That's why, as I slowly witnessed her melt into insanity, I felt like I had to do something to calm her down.

I've never felt compelled to interact with a character in this way before.  It was satisfying to be able to console Clover, and bring her back to reality.  If you succeeded, her rambunctious attitude would slowly start to return, which was a welcome change.  However, if you failed, the consequences were tragic, especially considering the context of the entire situation...

Bottom line: Clover was an excellently crafted character that compelled me to care about whether she lived or died.


#4: Thane (Mass Effect 2)
From the moment I met Thane, I liked him immediately.  His bad-ass assassinations, coupled with his strictly held code of conduct, made him a character that I wanted to know more about.  He could be cold and calculating, while at the same time philosophical and insightful.  On top of that, he was totally chill about his whole "slowly dying" thing.  The guy had less than a year left on his life, but he continued to carry out his business as usual.  Now that's hardcore. 

The point is, I already found Thane to be interesting before I even did anything with him.

And who couldn't love a face like that, anyway?

Then I did Thane's loyalty mission, and discovered the hard way that it was possible to fail it.  Cripes, did I feel low after that...

Despite being totally fine with dying off in a few months, Thane had one single wish that he wanted to fulfill: keep his son out of the assassination business.  That's it.  Just one little thing.  I ask this man to help me save all of humanity, and in return he wants me to keep his kid from going to the "dark side."  Easy enough, right?  Well, like I said, I failed, and Thane was emotionally crushed as a result.  At that point, what can you possibly say to a broken father who's lost touch with his child?

"So uh, sorry about your son killing people and stuff now..."

After the mission ended, I knew that it was all my fault.  I messed up.  I blew it.  However, Thane never even so much as blamed me for anything.  In fact, he beat himself up for not being able to prevent his son from following in his footsteps.  If ever there was a time I wanted to undo an action in a game like this, it would have been right here.  The guilt that I felt about the whole situation was overwhelming.  I wasn't used to taking responsibility for my actions in a game.  So, when Thane got depressed over the loss of his son, it hit me like a ton of bricks.


#3: Wander (Shadow of the Colossus)
This character could not have made a worse first impression on me.  A silent protagonist with a legendary sword that goes on a quest to save the love of his life.  Gosh, this sounds awfully familiar...

Just add a green tunic and a goofy looking hat.

So yeah, Wander came off as kind of cliched when I was first introduced to him.  It didn't make me hate the character, though.  It just made me kind of indifferent to him.  I'll be honest, this feeling towards him lasted for pretty much the whole game.  Riding on my horse and killing colossi was just something I had to do to progress in the game.  I never once thought about Wander's drive and unflinching determination to save his loved one by overcoming dangerous obstacles.  To me, the whole storyline was just a "save the princess" kind of scenario, so I didn't think much of it, or the character.  Heck, I liked the guy's horse more than I liked the actual person. 

Pictured Above: Twice as much personality as Wander.

However, that all changed in the end sequence.

In the final tragic scenes of the game, Wander is broken down and tormented.  He's possessed by an evil demon that was manipulating him throughout the course of the game.  He gets stabbed and shot full of arrows, and yet he still manages to cling onto hope.  He looks earnestly at his loved one, who is sitting lifeless on the altar, and he waits for her to be resurrected.  After everything he's done, all he wants is to see her open her eyes again.

Fight those tears, man.  It's just a game, after all...

This moment hit me hard, and it came seemingly out of nowhere.  All this time I thought that Wander was just a knock-off Link who saved the girl while simultaneously saving the world.  However, that's just not the case.  Wander wasn't trying to save the world.  He was just trying to bring back a person he'd lost.  Why?  Because he loved her.  That's it.  That was his motivation, his drive, his whole reason for venturing on this dangerous quest. 

And he failed.

As Wander struggled to reunite with his love, he was slowly pulled into a vortex, which marked complete and total emotional separation from the girl.  Having control over the character as he struggled to reach the altar while being pulled away was emotionally engaging.  I really felt bad for him, knowing that he was so close to victory, and yet not close enough. 

In the eleventh hour, Wander made me care about him, and I couldn't be more pleased about it.

 


#2: Yuna (Final Fantasy X)
At the beginning of the game, Yuna is made out to be a stereotypical white mage character.  A pacifist with an obsession for peace and purity.  Sure, her character might have those qualities to some extent, but her defining qualities get way, way more complicated as the game progresses.

Plus, she could totally kick your ass if she wanted to.

As I played, I grew fond of her beliefs that she lived her life by.  "Smile, especially when things look bad."  It seemed like a cliche one-liner at first, but Yuna constantly brought this up, and it remained to be a theme throughout much of the game.  The way she lived her life by this rule was touching, and I admired her will to continue on in the face of almost certain defeat.  After a few hours of the game passed by, it became increasingly apparent that there was more to Yuna than she was letting on.

...And you would enjoy the 30-some hours it would take
to completely figure her out.

Above all else, Yuna cared about the livelihoods of others over herself.  She was always withholding dangerous secrets, in order to protect her friends.  She was willing to marry a man she didn't love in order to help a world full of people.  She was even intent on sacrificing herself for the rest of mankind.  Once you came to understand her motivations, and the way she made decisions, you could start to pick out certain tells in her behavior that led you to her true intentions.

The way her eyes sometimes fixed on the ground as she talked.  The way she often stuttered, or spoke slowly when addressing the rest of the group.  Even the way she occasionally boldly announced things in a slightly commanding manner.  All of these actions pointed to the fact that something else was going on in the girl's head.  The fact that I was able to pick up on these cues actually surprised me.  It required me to fully understand and comprehend the character's behavior and personality, which was something that I was never expected to do before.



#1: Rucks (Bastion)
Truth be told, there isn't a single thing about this character that I don't like.  His rugged deep voice is endearing and pleasant to listen to.  His occasional jokes are genuinely entertaining.  His looks give off a vibe of a knowing, old wise man with some kick still left in him.  All in all, everything about Rucks is interesting in some way or another.

I could talk to this man for hours
 about absolutely nothing.

Even with all of these defining qualities, there was still a lot that I liked about this character.  As the narrator, he was the player's sole source of information.  At the same time, he still played a major role in the story as it progressed.  Being one of the only voices in the game, I grew more and more fond of him whenever he decided to say something.  Thankfully, the old man just never stopped talking.

If this guy wants to tell a story, let him tell it!

The way that Rucks infused his own personal beliefs and issues into his narration only served to make his character more interesting.  Sure, he was a trusted source of information, but he still kept certain things a secret.  As the player, I found myself wanting to know these certain things.  I wanted to know everything about the character.  Why was he with The Kid?  What were his goals?  Who was he before the Calamity?  I've never expected so much from a character.  Then again, I've never encountered a character that engaged me so quickly.

Rucks is a man you want to have a conversation with at your dinner table.  He's a man whose voice you want to hear in your head as you read a book.  Furthermore, he was the inspiration for this entire list.  Quite simply, Rucks introduced to me the concept of caring about characters.  In that regard, he undoubtedly deserves the #1 spot on this list.

"I'll see you in the next life..."