A reader offers up his own personal list of the best male protagonists in gaming, from Super Mario to Resident Evil’s Leon S. Kennedy.
Video game characters are often discussed in terms of which is the best, most iconic, most memorable, and most favoured.
They range from characters who have appeared in only one title (Arthur Morgan) or legendary characters such as Samus Aran and Marcus Fenix, who have their own established franchises.
I’d like to take this time to list my own 10 favourite male gaming characters. I will list my favourite female characters in a future feature.
10. Mario
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Super Mario
The face of Nintendo itself. A plumber with a moustache and an unmatchable presence. Mario is without a shadow of a doubt the greatest and bravest plumber who ever lived and a bona fide legend of gaming.
9. Jin Sakai
Ghost Of Tsushima
One title to his name and what a beautiful story it was. Trained as a samurai and a journey to becoming the first shinobi. To visit his grave in Ghost Of Yōtei and claim his mask as Atsu was truly a heartwarming moment.
8. Nathan Drake
Uncharted
The character that I can relate to more than anyone on my list. I truly adore Nathan as a protagonist. Endless charisma and impeccable charm. A testament to the genius of Naughty Dog and a perfect series of performances by Nolan North. Nate is truly a special character.
7. Cloud Strife
Final Fantasy 7
It will be 30 years since his debut in 2027 and his presence still remains legendary. With a giant sword and spiky hair, Cloud remains a fantastic character and it’ll be a boon to see the third title in the remake trilogy and the continuation of Cloud’s journey
6. Ezio Auditore da Firenze
Assassin’s Creed 2
The man who remains untouched in Ubisoft’s long-running series. Charismatic, skilled and loyal to no end. Ezio will always remain the best of them all.
5. Leon S. Kennedy
Resident Evil
Where’s everyone going? Bingo? How could I not include my favourite Resident Evil character on my list? The master of one-liners and a guy who always puts others ahead of himself. Leon is the definition of a role model. Ada is a lucky woman indeed.
4. Master Chief
Halo
Prominently known as John 117. The single most badass soldier who ever lived and the face of the original generation of Xbox. Chief is the embodiment of a super warrior and it’ll be amazing to see his debut on PlayStation 5 this year.
3. Solid Snake
Metal Gear
Kept you waiting, huh? The greatest stealth protagonist of all time. The perfect weapon and a marvel at going prone. Snake is certainly an example to follow and is the reason why we have stealth focused characters such as Sam Fisher, Ezio, and Corvo Attano. He truly began it all.
2. Link
The Legend Of Zelda
A hero without fail. A perfect knight in shining armour. Link is yet another Nintendo legend and if it wasn’t for his continuing heroics, Zelda would have been long dead. He’s truly a perfect fighter and more than deserving to be on my list.
1. Kratos
God Of War
The epitome of character development and personal growth. A warrior. A father. A champion. Kratos’s journey is one of exceptional writing and a truly memorable story. From a vengeful killer without equal and a revenge tale spanning an entire journey to a hardened father, raising Atreus through a harsh and brutal Norse world.
To see where he began from and where we left him it’s, in my opinion, the best written character ever in gaming and my personal favourite male character. I could have given Arthur Morgan that honour, but I’ve yet to play through Red Dead Redemption 2 and for now I’ll say that Kratos is my all-time guy in gaming.
I cannot wait for the next evolution of his story and that will be the remake trilogy. I can’t wait to return to Greece and take vengeance once more on the pantheon.
By reader Shahzaib Sadiq
Kratos is a changed man (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
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Final Fantasy regularly borrows ideas from other franchises and genres (Square Enix)
Worried that many long running franchises are running out of new ideas, a reader suggests that pastiche is the best way to keep them interesting.
Is your favourite game series at risk of exhaustion and irrelevance? Are you worried about a dearth of new ideas? Do your favourite developers seem to struggle to figure out what’s next for their valuable properties? ‘’There’s got to be a better way!’’
I’m here to tell you that pastiches are the solution.
Pastiche (n) 1. a work of art that mixes styles, materials, etc. 2. a work of art that imitates the style of another artist or period. (Collins definition)
I’m not talking about licensed spin-offs into different genres but the application of well-established, genre-defining ideas to properties and genres not historically associated with them.
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Here are some of my favourite examples.
Castlevania but it’s a role-playing game Symphony Of The Night is closing in on 30 years of age but it’s still a top example of how to breathe new life into a series (and a scrolling action genre) that was potentially beginning to struggle in terms of relevance and ideas.
We’ve since seen the RPG-ification of pretty much all genres in one way or another, and there’s a reason for that. I’d consider Symphony Of The Night to be an early pioneer.
Prince of Persia but it’s a Metroidvania Sticking with a theme for a minute, Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown has probably been the best in the series over at least the past two decades. It demonstrates how even something that’s now as oversaturated as the 2D Metroidvania can still be fresh and compelling when applied to a series known for its fluid mechanics and satisfying challenges (or at least The Sands Of Time gave the Prince that reputation).
Shout out to Yoku’s Island Express as another pastiche in this genre. That, of course, representing the Metroidvania and the enduringly popular dung beetle simulator…
Pokémon but it’s Dragon Quest Builders Builders was already a mix of Minecraft and Dragon Quest so Pokopia is worth bringing up if only to show you can nest your pastiches within pastiches.
But here we also have the most recent successful rejuvenation of an increasingly exhausted series as a result of looking more outwards in terms of both developer and premise. One well-executed mix and match has resulted in the most highly praised Pokémon game ever.
Zelda but it’s a rhythm action game I won’t claim Cadence Of Hyrule: Crypt Of The NecroDancer was the pinnacle of Zelda but it was very worthwhile. Once again, this is the exact sort of approach Nintendo should be taking to keep its biggest and oldest properties fresh, and to attract development resources that’ll do them justice while we wait for the next killer app instalment.
Also worth mentioning is ‘Zelda but it’s a twin stick shooter’. I’ve yet to play Minishoot’ Adventures but there’s a reason it’s celebrated as more than just another Zelda or Geometry Wars clone.
Final Fantasy but it’s a Sekiro style parry fest For those who could never gel with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice compared to earlier From games, I’ll die (once) on the hill that says getting to grips with its combat is one of the most satisfying experiences available in all of third person action gaming.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s application of that to a turn-based role-playing game was a masterstroke, to the point where someone like myself – who would traditionally try and avoid too many random turn-based encounters – was actively looking for a fight whenever possible.
It sounds like such a basic thing: when the enemy slashes horizontally, jump and attack. When they come at you with their rhythmic pattern, don’t block or dodge, but take the risk of a parry and you’ll eventually be consistently rewarded with counters that represent high-damage cinematic loveliness.
Gears Of War but it’s a bullet hell roguelite Around these parts it’s probably accepted a bit more than elsewhere, that Returnal is one of the best games of the generation so far. I’m hopeful Saros will help players to draw out its merits more easily, so fewer are put off by certain design decisions.
Clearing a busy room by maximising the benefits of whatever set-up the game serves you felt balletic, psychedelic, empowering and – crucially – always engaging.
XCOM but it’s a deck builder Speaking of making the most of the hand you’re dealt, when we first learned about Marvel’s Midnight Suns, the deck builder route attracted a lot of complaining, and I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t want to see a more pure attempt at Marvel’s XCOM.
The apparent impact of Midnight Sun’s reception on key Firaxis talent is a modern industry tragedy but this is a great game in its own right, with the deck building encouraging some very satisfying moment-to-moment improvisation.
I hope these examples get the point across but here are a few suggestions for new genre mixes that I think could be quite powerful.
Mega Man but it’s a 3D Soulslike I don’t like the idea of everything copying Dark Souls but I feel the genre’s properties could bring a lot to some games. The bosses, the difficulty, the level structure and the non-linearity of Mega Man are already all there in Demon’s Souls.
Start off in some sort of lab-based hub that branches into different zones. But this time Easy mode involves completing those zones in a logical order based on the abilities you earned from earlier bosses (Wood Man after Heat Man, etc). But on top of the abilities you acquire there are Soulslike attributes to level up and customise Mega Man.
To me it sounds like the best way to bring the series into the modern day (and successfully into 3D for the first time).
Titanfall but it’s a battle royale This is what I sort of hoped Apex Legends would evolve into. To be honest I’m not sure it would really be better than the amazing Titanfall 2 – I’ve only dabbled in battle royale games so far – but it feels like a logical evolution in terms of scope.
Equal shout out to a Splatoon Battle Royale. I love that series, but it needs to branch out a bit now. Maybe the upcoming Splatoon Raiders will successfully borrow from elsewhere too.
Zelda but it’s a full-on survival game I feel like some of the best parts of Breath Of The Wild were down to the survival lite resource gathering, but I also think some of the backlash against it came from a refusal to recognise that was a fundamental aspect of the game, at least at the start.
Eventide Island, where you’re stranded with barely a twig to your name, is a real series highlight. To double down on what was good about that, I’m thinking Subnautica, whether Zelda goes back to the sea or it just takes spirit of that game but stays on land or in the sky.
Tears Of The Kingdom was criticised a bit for the arguably unfocused applications of its building system. Let’s see that game’s emergent interactivity mixed with Subnautica’s branching craft-based objective systems and settlement building.
I want to see Link (or Zelda) start with nothing and progress to running a fully customised resource rich estate with a permanent fleet of crafted vehicles and powerful weapons. But with the well-designed dungeons and compelling overworld that Subnautica lacked.
Super Mario but it’s Breath of the Wild Many will no doubt roll their eyes at the suggestion of another tightly designed series moving into the less focused realm of open world but I’m standing my ground.
I’m sure Sonic Frontiers gives a rough idea of what I’m thinking (maybe it’s one of the reasons GC were fans) but I haven’t played that yet. The basic principle for me is nonetheless that Zelda brought as much to the open world format as the series took from it, and I’d have to think the peerless level of invention associated with Mario would make it an equally great contributor to open world design.
I’d like to hear from others regarding existing examples and suggestions for great genre mix-ups. As I’ve tried to show, it’s long proven to be a way to keep things fresh and interesting but I never seem to see it discussed and acknowledged as much as I’d expect, either as a solution to creative stagnation or commercial struggles.
By reader Panda
Zelda happily takes ideas from all over (Nintendo)
The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
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Demon’s Souls was a great remake (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
The Friday letters page has some choice words to say about Sony’s handling of the PS5 generation, as one reader thinks Mario Kart Arcade is a bad game.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Wasted generation Just seen the news that Sony is shutting down Bluepoint Games and I’m appalled. That team put out nothing but top quality games and were specialists in remakes, which we’ve had more and more of recently, so you would’ve thought they’d be extra valuable to Sony right now.
Instead, we just see continued short-sighted, bone-headed decision making from Sony, who have been awful this whole generation. The PlayStation 5 has been a disaster and I’m not confident that Sony has any kind of plan to avoid permeant decline, all the while shutting down more and more developers. I definitely would be polishing up my CV if I worked at Bungie or Bend Studio.
The obsession with live service games, which clearly hasn’t ended at all, has been such a disaster. Not just in terms of failed games (remember, Concord cost $400 million!) but a whole wasted generation, where developers have had no time to make anything else, and are now being shut down before they have the chance anyway.
I detest Sony for how they’re handling all this, and I say that as someone that’s owned an original PlayStation console and everything else since. They shut down one of their best developers just so they could look good to their investors for five minutes and it’s obvious they’ll happily sacrifice more for the same reason. Cranston
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Pity the poor exec Thank goodness that Hermen Hulst, Head of Worldwide Studios at PlayStation from 2019-2024, is here to protect the company from ‘changing player behaviours’ and ‘rising development costs’ by shuttering one of their most renowned studios.
Absolutely nothing else he could’ve done since 2019, to give players the type of games they expect from PlayStation. Nope, we all wanted 12 live service games, from studios who specialise in single-player games, so it’s our fault for changing our minds…
PlayStation has been on the slide since they consolidated and moved their headquarters to the USA. They’ve lost almost all of the riskiness and playfulness that made them successful in the first place. Hope the Bluepoint employees bounce back quickly. Magnumstache
Never-ending Kratos I was really hoping that Santa Monica Studio would be working on a new IP or sci-fi game but it really doesn’t sound like that’s what’s going on. I loved the last two God Of War games but the story’s over and I have very little confidence that there’s a good plan for what happens next.
Cory Barlog said he didn’t make the Norse games a trilogy because he didn’t want to work on the same story for 15 years but here we are and it’s looking very much like he’s just going straight back to God Of War.
I know the next game is meant to be a spin-off but how different is it going to be really? Unless it’s a flight sim or something it’s just going to be more of the same and that’s a shame. Coolsbane
Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Experimental reasoning It does make me laugh that Todd Howard has now publicly admitted that people find Starfield boring, but I’m sure he doesn’t really understand why. How someone of his supposed experience could have put out such a dull, badly made game I don’t know. He’s just lucky the Fallout TV show was a hit, as otherwise I think he would’ve fond himself out the door.
No one would love The Elder Scrolls 6 to be great more than me, but Bethesda is too high on its own supply nowadays and I really have much less confidence in them than I used to. He tries to paint Starfield as some big, risky experiment but all they do was take all the best bits out of Skyrim and replace it with nothing.
I’m not really sure what he’s on about with Fallout 76 either. It’s just a bog standard MMO cobbled together with left over bits from Fallout 4. It’s those two games that made me start to think less of Bethesda, not because they were risky ventures but because they were lazy cash grabs. Shortround
Kart it off I always wondered why Nintendo bothered with the Mario Kart arcade games. They weren’t very good, because they let Bandai Namco make them, and it hardly seems like Mario Kart is a series they have to get people interested in or promote. It’s not exactly an unknown brand, is it?
Putting Pac-Man in was extra weird too, as even though he’s a cartoon character he still looks out of place. Anyway, I still gave it a go. But paying £1 to play one race of the worst Mario Kart ever isn’t something I’d want to do again. Biter
Bad business The gaming world can truly change on a dime. Bluepoint Games has been shut down by Sony. After giving us fans a brilliant remake of Demon’s Souls and Shadow Of The Colossus, Sony has closed down the studio. One of their most revered, to say the least. It’s out of nowhere and quite a baffling decision. From what I understand, the studio was to create a video game based on an original IP and not another remake. So why Sony have chosen to erase that prospective idea is beyond my understanding.
Then again, we hadn’t heard any news, updates or any information from them in a long time, so perhaps it was inevitable. I suppose the silence was a reckoning or rather an ill omen in the shadows. I really would have liked to see what Bluepoint were making or what was cooking behind the scenes. To see the creativity floating around, but it either happens with a new studio that is formed, or it remains a what if?
It worked for Sandfall Games. After they broke away from Ubisoft, we were presented with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and the rest is history. So maybe the developers still have a semblance of a future. What that will be is unclear at this moment, so who knows what is next?
On another note, it’s a week from tomorrow that Resident Evil Requiem releases. A funny anecdote is that I pre-ordered it for £47.99, on Amazon. I take another look and it’s suddenly £59.95. Talk about a lucky move. It looks absolutely fantastic and since Leon Kennedy is my favourite male gaming character, I hope it reviews well. Shahzaib Sadiq
Two for two I want to recommend Pure Pool Pro on PlayStation 5. It’s a really fun game with excellent physics. It looks great and has an enjoyable career mode and trophies.
It’s only the second game I’ve bought for the PlayStation 5 after Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots. Keep up the good work. EricBIG777 (PSN ID)
GC: Thank you.
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Actually final RE: Ochreblue. I find it hard to imagine, after the Final Fantasy 7 remakes have been completed, that another remake of a fan favourite would be made anytime soon, at least on the scale of Final Fantasy 7’s budget.
I think that so much money has backed these three massive games that it would seem nonsensical to risk another big venture so soon, due to what the actual returns were from a financial point of view. I can imagine that it would have needed a lot more sales to accommodate a reason to make, let’s say the sixth or ninth Final Fantasy games in the series, even if they definitely do deserve one.
Possibly a remastered version of Chrono Trigger would be interesting, with a fresh lick of paint and a new up-to-date remake of the original soundtrack would be a great winner for me and other fans. No need to go and rebuild everything like the FFVII Remake, but way simpler using artwork that is skilfully applied to the cute looking world whilst keeping the atmosphere peak.
But we definitely have to get into our minds that the Final Fantasy 7 remakes could be the ultimate Final Fantasies, encapsulating everything from the original and introducing so much more.
This asks the question of how powerful do the next generation of consoles really need to be and have graphical qualities reached their zenith yet? GTA 6 will probably be that zenith but it’ll be pretty obvious that GTA 6 will be earning a hefty profit when the sale figures start coming in.
But definitely it will be an exception compared to other big releases, who will be relatively successful but with way less titles being sold. Let’s see what happens over this year and the next. Alucard
Inbox also-rans Sony shut down Bluepoint Games? Make it make sense! Surely they should be remaking Bloodborne? Zombiekicker
One positive thing about all these console delays is that parents could be saved the £400 to £1,000 yearly scramble to get a new toy for their spoiled kids. Bobwallett
GC: Who is spending £1,000 on new consoles every year?
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The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.
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