They say first impressions are important, but last impressions are arguably just as essential. After all, they might be the final aspect that audiences remember. How a story ends can therefore alter how people see it.
In the same way, a character's final words can drastically affect how one sees the said character. Whether this utterance comes at the end of a life or the narrative overall, it effectively bookends a person's journey. Many video game heroes have taken full advantage of this. After putting players through countless challenges, these protagonists can't resist getting the last word in. These last lines are so powerful that they make the entire adventure worthwhile.
10 Sly Cooper – Sly Cooper And The Thievius Raccoonus
This shouldn't be surprising. Suaveness and charisma are essential to the titular thief. Once Sly Cooper reclaims his family's legacy and learns how to steal with style, he does what anyone would after acquiring a new toy: try it out.
The game ends with that sense of excitement. He gracefully leaps across rooftops and into his next heist. As the commotion ensues, Sly leaves fans by slickly proclaiming, "This is gonna be fun." Few moments so perfectly sum up the mischievous charm of this series.
9 Jak – Jak X: Combat Racing
The Jak & Daxter series evolves in both tone and gameplay. Nowhere is that more prevalent than with its hero, Jak. He goes from a mischievous mute to a gun-toting mercenary with a taste for mayhem. As such, he's right at home in the fourth entry, aptly titled Combat Racing.
In this high-speed adventure, he slams and shoots his way through every driver on the track, reducing them and their rides to scrap. This same fate eventually befalls the villainous crime boss, Mizo. As the crook lies trapped in his burning car, he remarks that Jak has a habit of leaving people to die. Jak simply replies, "You get used to it," and walks away. Cue the explosion, and you have one of the darkest stars of the platforming genre. More mascots should be this gloriously bloodthirsty.
8 Doomguy – Doom Eternal
The defining element of the Doom Slayer's character is silence. He doesn't speak, instead, he lets his guns do the talking. That holds true for all five mainline Doom entries, but Doom Eternal breaks this tradition.
The game goes back to the roots of "Doomguy" and affects him more deeply than the other titles. He finally catches up to the mysterious Dark Lord, who reveals himself as the puppet master of the universe and the hellish misery that's befallen it. When the baddie asks the Slayer if he has anything to say to his creator, the monosyllabic muscle-head growls, "No." This maintains Doomguy's masculine mystique while conveying the immense satisfaction he must feel at finally getting revenge. Ordinarily, he slays demons because he has to; this kill is because he wants to.
7 Kratos – God Of War 2
The God of War has issued a lot of threats, but few have hyped-up players like this. After being betrayed and killed by Zeus, Kratos spends the whole game clawing his way back. Athena tries to dissuade him, saying that pursuing Zeus would mean waging war on all of Olympus. However, the Spartan only becomes more determined.
Kratos decides he's had enough of the gods and their treachery. Thus, he leads an army of Titans against the pious deities. As they climb to battle, the white warrior declares, "Zeus, your son has returned. I bring the destruction of Olympus." Considering the bodies he's already left in his wake, fans know this is no idle threat. Instead, it's a clear signal that the shackles are off. Kratos is ready for no-holds-barred annihilation. Among other things, this is a terrific way to pump people up for the finale, promising more blood, battle, and chaos than ever before.
6 The Bard – The Bard's Tale
Some games give players a choice of how to conclude their adventure, but the "bad" endings are usually downers. The Bard's Tale scoffs at that like so many other tropes. This fantasy farce ends with the eponymous bard faced with a similar choice: whether or not to free the demon Caleigh.
Doing so will fulfill his heart's desires, but it will also destroy the world. If players pick the demon, the bard remarks, "Every woman I was ever involved with ended up being the woman from Hell. Now I have the real thing. Could be fun." It's hard to hate someone who can see the good in such a dire situation, even someone as blatantly selfish as this.
5 Dante – Devil May Cry 5
Devil May Cry 5 is largely a return to form for the Devil May Cry series. It forgoes the divisive reboot and continues from the original continuity. What better way to end it than with a bit of fan service?
Enter the Jackpot. Dante and Virgil's tag team attack is famous among DMC fans, and they pull this move for the fifth entry's finale.
Virgil begs Dante not to say the line, but the cocksure monster slayer can't resist. "Jackpot!" he yells, and the game concludes on a cheesy freeze-frame. Yeah, it's self-indulgent. It's also intentional and fitting for this title, an adventure meant to reignite the fun of the old era.
4 Red Harlow – Red Dead Revolver
Red Harlow epitomizes the classic spaghetti western gunslinger. It's not surprising, then, that he makes his way as a bounty hunter in the Red Dead world. When the tyrannical governor of Brimstone hosts a dueling tournament, Red competes for the chance to earn some big money. In reality, though, he's after the governor himself in revenge for killing his parents.
Once the dust settles on this pursuit, Harlow turns down the prize of gold. "It was never about the money," he mutters as he strides off into the sunset. It's characteristically vague yet gets the point across, harkening back to the cowboy flicks of old. Moreover, it brilliantly illustrates his sense of fulfillment. This was personal.
3 Riku – Kingdom Hearts: Chain Of Memories
Despite being one of the more contentious entries in the Kingdom Hearts series, Chain of Memories provides one of the most compelling character arcs. Ashamed of his malicious actions in the first game, deuteragonist Riku desperately tries to find his friends while grappling with the lingering darkness in his heart. This leads to a poignant maturity on his part.
Riku eventually learns he doesn't need to banish the darkness. Instead, he can accept it, knowing he has enough strength of character (and devoted friends) to control it. He voices this contentment at the end. When the mysterious DiZ asks whether he'll take the light or dark path, Riku calmly replies, "The road to dawn." This shows newfound confidence balanced with humility. Such a redemptive dimension leads Riku to become the series' most engaging character.
2 Crypto – Destroy All Humans!
Crypto the snarky alien lives up to the game's title. The human race is no match for him and his vast arsenal of weaponry and misdirective tech. It's only a matter of time before he wipes out the U.S. president in a giant robot fight (don't ask) and sets his sights on the rest of the world.
The first step is posing as the president and assuring people that the cartoonish chaos from earlier was the work of communists. This would sound ridiculous, but the people here are stupid enough to believe it. After bamboozling his prey, Crypto jokes that it's "like shooting monkeys in a barrel." Considering the lowly life forms they've conquered thus far, players can't help but have the same cockiness going forward to the sequel. They'd almost feel bad picking on such a dimwitted species if it wasn't so much fun.
1 Max – Max Payne 3
The Max Payne series emulates the high-octane action flicks that audiences know and love. Among the cliches of those action flicks is the untouchable villain. He or she is connected with the right people on both sides of the law, making jail time almost impossible.
Such is the case with politician and money launderer Victor Branco in the third game. Max eventually foils his plans and has him dead to rights, but the bad guy boasts that he'll walk away from any serious charges. Max agrees, "You'll walk...with a limp," before breaking Branco's leg. It's a glorious middle finger to both the arrogant antagonist and the annoying trope.