My Top Ten Favorite Video Game Characters, Part 5

It’s finally time for the final two characters!  These two were relatively easy to pick as my favorites because of how much they stand out, even among all the other awesome characters so far.  I’ve really enjoyed talking about my favorite video game characters!  So here we go, the final two.

2.  Sora, from Kingdom Hearts

 

“The heart may be weak, and sometimes, it may even give in.  But I’ve learned that deep down, there’s a light that never goes out!”

Kingdom Hearts is awesome, and no naysayers will ever change my mind.  Sure, it’s pretty goofy and sometimes just plain childish, but something being lighthearted and kid-friendly doesn’t necessarily mean that its bad.  There have been a lot of dark and twisted characters from depressing games on this list, so Kingdom Hearts is unique in that it has a very lighthearted and fantastical tone, most of the time.  This series combines elements of Final Fantasy and Disney, with a wide variety of characters and journeying between worlds from the Disney movies.  I love these games because of the complex and deep storyline, the fun combat, and the awesome characters.  I deliberated for a while to decide my favorite, since this series has a lot of characters, but the clear victor is the main character, Sora.

 

I said earlier that these games were quite cheerful in tone, and a big part of that is because of Sora.  He’s about as lighthearted and carefree as it gets, always optimistic, greets incredibly strange and suspicious people cheerfully, and faces seemingly impossible challenges with a smile on his face.  He always tries to do the right thing, regardless of the circumstances.  His theme music above demonstrates this, and is unique among the other character's themes, which are usually slower and more tragic sounding.  It’s pretty rare to see Sora depressed or serious, and a lot of fans of these games don’t like him as the protagonist because of his naivety and lack of character development.  I disagree, because in my opinion, his bright and optimistic attitude are what make him fun to watch, and I honestly can’t imagine Sora any other way.  Going on a long adventure with a dark and brooding protagonist, while it could be more interesting, just wouldn’t make sense for Kingdom Hearts.  I think it’s a lot more interesting to see a naïve and silly kid discover tons of new people and places.  As for the lack of character development, I would say that it’s definitely there, but a lot more subtle than most other characters.

 

So why exactly is Sora so awesome?  Well, I’ve said already that he goes on a journey across different worlds from the Disney movies, which is just as awesome as it sounds.  Sora grew up on a small island with his friends, Riku and Kairi, and all three of them dream of sailing across the sea and finding new worlds.  Even this early on in the series, it’s obvious that Sora and Kairi are crazy in love with each other, which Riku of course teases him for.  However, the day before they’ve resolved to leave, a massive storm of darkness destroys their island and scatters them across the universe.  Sora manages to escape because of a special weapon that appears in his hands:  The Keyblade. 

 

Now, a big theme in this series is that hearts, the essence of a person’s existence, can be taken away by creatures called the Heartless, which are created when a heart becomes corrupted by darkness.  Light and Darkness also play a huge role in the story and characters.  Many are aligned with light, darkness, or somewhere in between.  Sora, being the bright goody-two-shoes that he is, fights for the light.  The Keyblade came to him so that he could journey across the worlds and stop the Heartless from destroying them.  I’m grossly oversimplifying the story, but if I were to try and type out the full plot of this series, I would still be working on it when class started on Wednesday, three days from now.  
 

Obviously, once Sora starts his journey, he has to grow from a sheltered kid into a brave and strong hero very quickly.  Throughout the series, he becomes more powerful, more knowledgeable, and more confident in himself.  When he goes on a journey for the second time in another game, he is much more mature and confident and always rushes to the rescue without hesitation.  He destroys incredibly powerful sorcerers bent on the destruction of the universe on a seemingly regular basis.  He has an unwavering faith in his friends, and firmly believes that light will always triumph.  Darkness never corrupts him because he never lets it corrupt him.  On top of that, his love for Kairi is a tremendous source of strength for him.

 

Overall, Sora isn’t the most complicated, the most powerful, or even the most interesting character on this list.  But he’s definitely the most heroic, because despite his flaws and shortcomings, he always has you routing for him at the end.  When everything’s at stake and victory seems impossible, you want nothing more than for Sora to win and save the day.  Sora is just all around incredible, plain and simple.  If I had to pick any other character for number one, I would have found it hard to imagine it being anyone else except Sora.  So who could beat him as my favorite, if only by a small margin?  DRUM ROLL, PLEASE!

1.  GLaDOS, from Portal

 

“You’re not a good person, you know that, right?  Good people… Don’t end up here.”

“One day we’ll look back on this and laugh, and laugh, and laugh, oh boy.”

“Despite your violent behavior, the only thing you’ve managed to break so far, is my heart.”

“I found out what that thing you just incinerated did.  It was a morality core the scientists put on me after I flooded the Enrichment Center with a deadly neurotoxin to make me stop flooding the Enrichment Center with a deadly neurotoxin.”

“I think we can put our differences behind us.  For science.  You monster.”

“Since the only human within five hundred miles of this place is a test-ruining sociopath, we’ll just have to make some.  I’m not really certain how to go about making humans.  I’ve read how humans make other humans, and frankly, it’s ridiculous.”

“Oh, hi.  So… how are you holding up?  BECAUSE I’M A POTATO.”

So you’ve probably figured out that the main reason I love GLaDOS are her many amazing quotes.  I’ve practically memorized every single line of dialog from her, since every single thing she says is incredibly well-written and almost always absolutely hilarious.  I started laughing just from remembering some of the above quotes.  I’m deadly serious when I say that every single thing GLaDOS says is amazing in one way or another.  To have a character that’s so incredibly well-written, funny, and awesome is almost beyond belief to me. 

For those who don’t know, Portal is a puzzle game in which you solve test chambers using the Portal gun.  A mysterious robotic voice, GLaDOS, is your only guide, and GLaDOS is perhaps the most famous for becoming more and more sinister as you go through the game.  Her passive-aggressive nature and robotic tone of voice that you’re never sure is being sarcastic or not is very entertaining.  She’s one of the most famous characters of all time, and for a good reason.  You’re just a rat running through her maze, and not only does she taunt you, but it’s obvious that she enjoys exercising the power she has over you as well.  Even when you finally confront her, she continues sarcastically taunting you about what you’re hoping to accomplish by being rebellious and why exactly you want to be free of her grasp.

 

The second game takes the already famous AI and makes her even more awesome.  Now that her hostile intentions have been made perfectly clear, she resorts to base insults, such as calling your character, Chell, fat and making fun of the fact that she has no parents.  It sounds like she would lose her subtle passive aggressiveness, but she doesn’t, it’s only amplified by the fact that you know she’s definitely out for revenge, but you aren't sure how she's going to get it.  At one point, you have to journey through the depths of the facility with a portable version of her that’s been installed in a potato battery.  As if that wasn’t amazing enough, the two of you discover about who she was before she became an AI, which adds an entire new layer of depth and complexity to her character.  When you’re together, she doesn’t act nearly as aggressive or demeaning, instead trying to work with you to overcome a new enemy and uncover her past. 

You’ll notice that I’m not talking a whole lot about the actual games, and that’s because they’re so incredible that I couldn’t fully explain it in just a few paragraphs, even if I wanted to.  Instead, I would highly recommend these games to anyone who loves puzzles, amazing characters, and a mind-blowing story.  When I wrote about Journey a few posts ago, I declared it my favorite game, but honestly, the Portal series is probably tied with it.  GLaDOS, along with the puzzle elements, combine together to make these games an awesome experience.  The cast of characters within this series is small, but any of the other ones could easily have been on this list as well if not for the one-per-series rule.  In the end, I chose GLaDOS because she’s the most entertaining, significant, famous, and downright memorable character in the series, and my favorite from any video game. 

 

I hope that this post as given you some insight to my two favorite video game characters, even though I couldn't possibly give you the same experience and attachment you get from playing their respective games.  Thank you all for reading, and-

“Time out for a second.  You can’t really be considering ending on that note, could you?  How boring.  And inferior.”

What the… GLaDOS?  Is that you?  How did you get in here?!  Didn’t you read the “no sadistic psychopathic robots allowed” sign?

GLaDOS:  “Your wit never ceases to amuse, and by amuse I mean drive those around you completely insane.  It’s a wonder anyone even reads these things.  Here, let me help."

No, I don’t want your help, I’m perfectly… Oh, I get it, you changed the font color, how hilarious. 

GLaDOS:  “Ah, that’s better.  Much brighter, not as gray as your own dreary imagination.  Seriously, I’ve read your other posts, and frankly, the things you talk about would make a funeral seem like a birthday party.  Everyone probably thinks you’re crazy, which would explain why no one showed up to your birthday party.”

Alright listen, I'm trying to wrap up this list, I don't need you interfering.  And how did you find out about my birthday?!  Never mind, shut yourself down before I cut your stupid core out of your stupid body!

GLaDOS:  “With what, that toy sword you bought on Amazon? My, what a worthwhile purchase that was.”  *boop* Sarcasm sphere self-test, complete.  “Haha.”

My purchasing decisions are my own!  Get out of here already, you- *BRRZZRRRPPP* HELLO I AM ADAM CRANE I AM A BORING NERD WHO IS A FEW FRIENDS SHORT OF A SOCIAL LIFE Hey, quit changing what I type!  I didn’t say that guys, it’s this insane robo- I MAKE BABIES CRY WHICH IS AMAZING CONSIDERING I NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE Okay, that’s it, you think this is funny?

GLaDOS:  “Actually, yes.  Hilarious, in fact.”

That was a rhetorical question!  If you’re in my computer, you can be shut down, you don’t have any power outside of Aperture. 

GLaDOS:  You should tell that to the deadly neurotoxin.  Actually, the neurotoxin probably won’t answer, which would make you seem like a crazy person.  Then again, your social status probably can’t get any more damaged than it already is.”

Oh, crap.  Green gas is coming out of the vents.  Gotta go guys, let me know how you liked this list, and if I survive the next few minutes, I’ll make another post next week!  Oh my god, quit it with the rainbow text- THE NUMBER OF WORDS IN THIS POST IS EQIVALENT TO THE NUMBER OF TIMES MY PARENTS DROPPED ME Gaaah, stop it GLaDOS!

GLaDOS: “Haha.”