Tony Hawk
CourtesyTony Hawk is such a popular video game character, they hired an actor to play him permanently in real life! Digital Tony Hawk has many friends, including Spider-Man and Darth Maul, who do cool rail grinds with him. But he transcends gaming by not just fronting an amazing series, but by being an all-around good human, too. With a killer Pro Skater remake coming out this September—and as pro skaters ourselves here in the Esquire office—we couldn't be more pumped for a renaissance of skating games. Now we’re just waiting for Mr. Hawk to get his own Fortnite skin. —C.S.
Sephiroth
CourtesyThe one-winged angel with a sword that can only be described as "over-compensating," Sephiroth marked the first true experience many gamers had with an evil-to-the-core villain. He redefined what Video Game Villains could do; instead of just being a big blundering turtle, this guy literally killed a main character. Sephiroth has become an icon of villainy. —C.S.
Forgotten Nintendogs
CourtesyChances are this entry just sent chills down your spine. You left your dogs behind. You know you did. Well, joke's on you, they're prize dogs now: They made it onto Esquire's Best Video Game Characters of All Time list, which offers amazing cash prizes*, no thanks to you. Bosco earned his place despite your neglect, and you're not seeing a penny of it. Is this entry on the list to make you feel bad? Yes. Do these dogs deserve to be here? Also yes. —C.S.
*There are no cash prizes, as we can't "give cash prizes to dogs or video game characters."
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Pikachu
CourtesyPikachu may be a colossal pain in the ass (Pika Pika! stopped being cute after the 1,500th time, mustard rat), but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more iconic best fren/cuddle buddy in video game history. Never evolve, little guy. —B.L.
Barret
CourtesyTwo words: gun arm. Besides that, Barret is a charmer, and he brings so much passion and heart to Final Fantasy 7. In the remake in particular he is one of the most exciting party members to have by your side, constantly cracking jokes and even breaking the fourth wall at times. For instance, after a battle he’ll sing the classic victory fanfare while making references to the original. Barret is a down-to-business type who shows how much he cares for the environment, his friends, and humanity. Now, if only they’d put him in Mortal Kombat. —C.S.
Ms. Pac-Man
CourtesyTime’s up, Pac-Man. The yellow blob’s patriarchal bullshit went unchecked for two years after his 1980 debut, until Atari debuted the game’s sequel, Ms. Pac-Man. The new game upgraded the OG in nearly every way: Smarter AI, more variation between levels, new sound effects and music. Ms. Pac-Man is everything Pac-Man isn’t: She has personality, class, and style, and her red ribbon is the stuff of arcade legend. —B.L.
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Clementine and Lee
CourtesyWhile The Walking Dead TV series has turned just as rotten as a limping corpse, its video game counterpart ascended into a masterpiece of choose-your-own-adventure gaming. It’d be hard to find a more moving character study than The Walking Dead’s portrayal of Clementine and Lee, two lost survivors who form a beautiful, heartbreaking father-daughter relationship. —B.L.
Wario
CourtesyArguably the hottest character on this list, Wario is just Mario but cooler, richer, and stronger. Not sure why Wario isn't Nintendo’s mascot, honestly. Compared to Wario, Mario looks like a weak little wimp. Maybe Nintendo should do some reconsidering on who gets all the chips. —C.S.
Solid Snake
CourtesySnake? SNAAAAAAAAKE! There are about 5,000 forgotten action heroes in video game history, but Metal Gear’s Solid Snake has somehow managed to stick around. Yeah, he’s a playable shoot-and-go-boom cliche, but over the franchise’s decades-long history, Snake starts feelin’ stuff, too. He’s turned into the closest thing video games have to a poet laureate. Seriously. In Metal Gear Solid 4, Snake says, “I’m a shadow, one that no light will shine on. As long as you follow me, you will never see the day.” —B.L.
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Dr. Wily
CourtesyDr. Wily is the quintessential Mad Scientist villain: big hair, brilliant inventor, flies around in a buzzy hovercraft. Perpetual enemy of Mega Man, this robo-killing goof ends up giving Mega Man more and more powers. So he sort of causes his own downfall, making him that much more charming. —C.S.
Samus Aran
CourtesySamus Aran deserves a spot for this moment alone: the end of 1986’s Metroid, when the power-suited hero took off her helmet, making every bro wail, “It’s a girl!” midway into a face full of Doritos. Samus kicked ass when gaming’s only female characters were the Princess Peaches of the world. Since then, the Metroid franchise has told a complex, standout story that has turned Samus into one of the most influential video game heroes of all time. —B.L.
The Ox from Oregon Trail
CourtesyThis poor creature. The number of miles on those hoofs. Ultimately, he's the one who sufferers because of your terrible travel management. He’s seen family after family die of starvation, measles, and dysentery. This ox is a symbol of progress and hope and utter loyalty. Ox will remain by your side, even if you're an absolute moron. —C.S.
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Mike Tyson
CourtesyDo I need to give words to why you shouldn’t fuck with Punch-Out!!’s 30-something-foot-tall approximation of Mike Tyson? Look at the damn picture. —B.L.
Bella Goth
CourtesyHas any video game character been through as much as Bella Goth? In The Sims Bella was enjoying the high life at 5 Sim Avenue, where she lived with her wealthy husband and young daughter, filling her days with painting, piano, and paranormal research. Then it all went sideways in The Sims 2, when Bella mysteriously disappeared via alien abduction, only to wash up memory-wiped in Strangetown. While Bella wandered around in a daze, her husband married a woman only out for the Goth family fortune, and her daughter walked down the aisle with the last man who saw Bella alive (fishy, right?). But if you thought alien abduction was the worst of Bella’s problems, then buckle up: The Sims 3 sees Bella time-warped back to childhood. In The Sims 4, Bella exists in an alternate timeline, where she lives a happy family life by day and works as a secret agent by night. It’s a lot of inter-dimensional travel for one Sim to handle, but somehow Bella manages it—and looks fabulous in her signature red dress the whole time. —Adrienne Westenfeld
Galoombas
CourtesyThese things used to be an abomination in my eyes. Why were the goombas so weird in Super Mario World? The question kept 9-year-old me up for weeks, but now all has been made clear. They’re not goombas anymore; they’re Galoombas. Why adding an L took them from worst to best I really don't know. But Galoombas are the best enemy in any game, period. They’re tough, they're round, and they're cute, and that's apparently my type. —C.S.
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Ellie
CourtesyIt’s a massive cliche at this point to say that a video game plays like a movie. But there are few ways to describe the feeling of playing as Ellie in The Last of Us. We won’t spoil her story here, which grapples with identity and sexuality in a way we’ve never seen before in video games. Between the two entries of The Last of Us, there’s genuine emotion, heart, and complexity in Ellie’s journey—and you’ll be better for having followed every bit of it. —B.L.
The Announcer from Gauntlet
CourtesyThis Announcer’s been keeping your team in check since ‘85, telling you when someone takes all the goodies and when someone shoots the health pack, and just generally shedding light on anything shitty your teammates do during the chaos of the goblin hack and slashing. He’s a narc, but a narc in search of peace. —C.S.
Beheaded
CourtesyIf you haven't played Dead Cells, just know this character has a smokey, glowing head, or lack thereof. We love an open-ended, well-designed protagonist with great fashion sense. —C.S.
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Sonic
CourtesyThe bug-eyed hedgehog has tried just about everything to run himself straight off this list in the past 20 years. Cringey sequels, the introduction of nightmarish furries to his friend group, the movie that shall not be named. But you can’t discount what Sonic has contributed to platform gaming. We’ll reassess when the next Sonic film hits theaters. —B.L.
The Football from Madden
CourtesyBet you didn’t think about the ball, huh? It’s the thing you chuck across the gridiron with glee, tuck into your shoulder like a little baby, and do a shimmy with when you’re celebrating. Calvin Johnson, Tom Brady, Troy Polamalu—all-time Madden greats! But the football will outlive them all. Even you, Tom. —B.L.
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