“Why Are You So Far Behind Me?”
Side characters can make or break a game. Some of the best games in the world are tainted by one poorly-made NPC, while lackluster games stand out for incredible character design. Regardless, NPCs help to flesh out the world around you, so we have to put up with them no matter what.
1. Midna, Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
She’s selfish, she’s arrogant, she’s bossy, and we love her all the same. Midna is widely considered to be one of the best, if not the best, side characters from the Legend of Zelda series. She has helpful skills like warping and charging attacks, and has a touching story to boot.
Dave Monk from Seattle, USA on Wikimedia
2. Elizabeth, BioShock Infinite
Elizabeth is a favorite among players of the Bioshock franchise. She’s smart, resourceful, and very helpful to your character. In terms of gameplay mechanics, she doesn’t take damage during combat, lag behind you as you travel, and doesn’t annoyingly push you forward when you’re exploring.
3. Cheeseburger, Far Cry 5
This diabetic grizzly bear is a recruitable character in Far Cry 5, and has a combination of tragic backstory and heavy-duty combat mechanics. He is one of the few loveable animal companions you can recruit in the game; each of which comes with their own perks.
Sergey Galyonkin from Raleigh, USA on Wikimedia
4. Kim, Disco Elysium
Kim Kitsuragi is your right-hand man. A lieutenant of the RCM, Kim is often seen as nice, suave, confident, and loyal to your playable character, Harry. Many gamers praise Kim for his good qualities, but even more so for being so dang human.
5. Miles Edgeworth, Ace Attorney
Miles starts as a prosecutor in this game series, and starts as a cold and type-A personality. While starting as quite the antagonist, he later becomes a hero and friendly rival to the game’s main character, Phoenix Wright.
6. Sans, Undertale
This blue-eyed skeleton is known for his laid-back personality, loyalty, and love of puns in the game Undertale. He does have an emotional side that is only seen at certain points throughout the game, and his desire to protect the residents of the Underground makes him a great friend or formidable foe.
Toby Fox and/or Temmie Chang on Wikimedia
7. Jackie Welles, Cyberpunk 2077
Jackie Welles is a loyal, family-oriented friend to your character, V. Only wanting to make a better life for himself and his family, Jackie is loved among players for his moral ambiguity and attachment to your character.
8. Varric, Dragon Age
Varric is a surface dwarf seen throughout the Dragon Age series. Disgraced by his father, Verric takes over the familial duties of supporting his family through his merchant business. He can be quite pessimistic, but players love him for his constant support and friendship.
9. Ghost, Call Of Duty
This special forces operator is easily recognizable across several Call of Duty games, usually sporting a skull-patterned balaclava, headset, and sunglasses. He’s received a bit of a following in the gaming community, as many love him for his cool boy personality and mystique.
Treyarch | Activision on Wikimedia
10. Solaire, Dark Souls
The bleak world of Dark Souls has at least one bright shining light, and that is Solaire. Known for his relentless optimism and friendly demeanor, players find themselves growing fond of this NPC. It doesn’t hurt that he’s also a beast in combat.
Daniel Benavides from Austin, TX on Wikimedia
1. Cortana, Halo
Cortana is an artificial intelligence construct that appears throughout the Halo series. She’s used to providing contextual information to the character, but is typically disliked for not giving straight answers and talking back to the player.
2. The Balloon Kid, Spider-Man 2
Balloon Kid is a side-mission character who asks Spider-Man to retrieve all of his lost balloons. The mission is said to be frustrating and tedious by players, and the kid has waaaaay too many balloons for what should be allowed.
3. Alyx, Half-Life 2
This video game is said to be a masterpiece… except for one character. Alyx Vance is a formidable hacker and fighter, but is also severely crushing on the game’s protagonist, Gordon Freeman. Players say that she often gets in their way and lacks any backstory that could make her seem a little less annoying.
Long Zheng from Melbourne, Australia on Wikimedia
4. Navi, Ocarina Of Time
This fairy companion is tasked with helping Link through his journey in Ocarina of Time. While helpful for the game’s targeting system and occasional advice, her repetitive interruptions of “Hey! Listen!” make her an incredibly hated character in an otherwise incredibly loved game.
PantheraLeo1359531 on Wikimedia
5. Otis, Dead Rising
Otis is a janitor at Willamette Parkview Mall and one of the few survivors who make it to the mall’s security room. Players dislike him for having a bit of an attitude and having to sit through some tedious phone calls, but he’s more of a character you love to hate than anything else.
6. Slippy Toad, Star Fox
This talking toad is an inventor and mechanic on the Star Fox team, and is seen getting up to some goofy antics that get him into some sort of trouble. Unfortunately, he has a really, really irritating voice that makes him hated by many players.
William Tung from USA on Wikimedia
7. Lubba, Super Mario Galaxy 2
Lubba is the leader of the Lumas in this popular Mario game. Featuring a child-like face and round purple body, it would be hard not to love her… if it wasn’t for her obnoxious laughter and unsettling vibe.
8. Sticky, Fallout 3
Annoying, self-centered, too chatty, and a terrible fighter, there are many reasons why one may dislike this Fallout NPC. If you decide to escort him from Little Lamplight to Big Town, however, you do get a hat for your troubles.
Derek Springer from Los Angeles, CA, USA on Wikimedia
9. Dog, Duck Hunt
This annoying dog straight up laughs at you when you fail to shoot a duck, so can you blame us for hating him? Even if he’s a furry friend, his smug chuckling makes players feel frustrated and discouraged.
Nintendo Rip by Poolperson87 on Wikimedia
10. Ashley Graham, Resident Evil 4
Ashley is the daughter of the President of the United States and has been criticized for being one of the most annoying companions in gaming history. Designed as your standard “damsel in distress,” Ashley comes across as annoying, helpless, and in constant need of protection.
