Video game characters have come a long way from their humble beginnings as simple sprites with no discernible personality or backstory. Fast forward to today, and now the most popular and engaging video game characters are complex identities with unique personalities, motivations, and quirks that draw players in and keep them invested in the game's narrative. Through a combination of many creative and technical elements, game developers have created characters that players can empathize with and root for at every step of the way.
Sometimes, players find it easier to sympathize with characters if they suffer from a debilitating condition. One such ailment is insomnia, which can be pretty hard to get over. Characters with this sleep disorder have difficulty falling asleep, sleeping for a while, or getting enough quality shut-eye time. Ultimately, severe insomnia can affect a character's ability to function, which can be pretty sad to witness firsthand...especially in the immersive medium of video games.
8 Marius – Diablo 2
Diablo 2 is a great video game that needs no introduction, with this title improving upon the first game in nearly every way and becoming a legendary title in its own right. The fact that this game is attributed by many to be the title that popularized the Diablo series is proof enough of how legendary it really is.
Marius is the narrator of this game, who is a pretty fascinating character in his own right. He's plagued by dreams of horrifying demons, and straight-up refuses to sleep in a bid to avoid these nightmarish creatures from appearing in the first place.
7 Wickerbottom – Don't Starve
There are many playable characters players can unlock in Don't Starve to make their playthrough more engaging. One such character is Wickerbottom, a unique person who appears in both this title and Don't Starve Together.
She's an intelligent librarian who can identify various creatures and plants in the world of this game, making some aspects of survival pretty easy. However, she has a huge weakness — she's an insomniac, preventing players from replenishing her Sanity by sleeping. This can kill many runs in no time flat, so players should be prepared.
6 Madison Paige – Heavy Rain
Madison Paige is one of the main characters players control in Heavy Rain. She experiences many moments of paranoia that are shown early on in the game, causing her to seek out odd ways of getting a good night's sleep.
One odd way she accomplishes this is by taking a room in a motel since she constantly feels unsafe in her own house. The change of environment apparently helps her to sleep well, and this also allowed her to meet Ethan as well.
5 Paya – The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
There are many characters that Link will encounter during his adventures in Breath of the Wild. One of these characters is Paya, Impa's granddaughter, who seemingly has a crush on Link and gets flustered every single time he talks to her.
Paya is a hard-working girl who takes care of her grandmother, does her own work, and barely gets any time to herself. Players have noticed that she barely sleeps in the game, opting to take a nap for a few hours just when the sun is coming up.
4 Tekla – Wolfenstein: The New Order
Wolfenstein: The New Order is a game that surprised everyone with how emotional and gripping its narrative was. Players genuinely loved the many characters introduced in this game, with Tekla being a pretty interesting side character in her own right.
After failing to sleep one night, B.J. wakes up to see that Tekla was also awake the entire time. She states that she doesn't really like to sleep before dropping a bombshell of a question that makes both B. J. and the player wonder about how sleep really works.
3 Danny – Crush
Crush is a unique puzzle game that many people haven't really played, which is a shame. The main gameplay loop of this title is manipulating the game's levels in both 2D and 3D to help the protagonist Danny reach his objective.
The main character himself is a fascinating protagonist who suffers from night terrors and refuses to sleep. This leads to him meeting a doctor who explores his psyche and uncovers key moments of his past to try and figure out the root cause of his insomnia.
2 Kaidan Alenko – Mass Effect 3
Kaidan Alenko is a notable party member in the Mass Effect series who is quite engaging in his own right, even if some people find him to be one of the more boring companions in the games. His troubles with the problematic L2 biotic implants give him many migraines.
It doesn't help that the events of the games coupled with the looming threat of the Reapers cause him to have problems sleeping. It's understandable why Kaiden develops minor insomnia, given that the fate of the universe itself is up in the air and no one knows if the Reapers can be stopped or not.
1 Tireless Mechanic – Sunless Sea
Sunless Sea is a great gothic RPG where players explore a desolate world with Lovecraftian elements scattered throughout the mix. The game's strong writing is one of its biggest strengths, with players having to recruit suitable crew members to ensure that their seafaring adventures go by as smoothly as possible.
One of the chief engineers that players can recruit in the game is the Tireless Mechanic. He's scared of sleeping because of the dream-snakes and goes so far as to capture one just so he can have an elusive good night's sleep without worrying about himself over and over again.