Guerilla’s second installment in the Horizon franchise continues the tradition of creating NPCs that add to the game's overall story and make for fascinating characters themselves. Horizon: Forbidden West features a wide range of characters to get to know and love while traversing the immersive and beautiful. Like Horizon: Zero Dawn, Aloy meets dozens of people on her journey. But, while the first game offers fleeting meetings and conversations, Aloy remains steadfast in her efforts to maintain her lone-wolf status.
Horizon: Forbidden West, on the other hand, almost immediately sets up a fact that Aloy is eventually forced to accept: she has inadvertently created a family for herself throughout her year or so of fighting for her world. And that gaggle of friends refuses to let her do it all alone, which makes for a gang of diverse characters to take on the Forbidden West.
10 Morlund
The grandson of an Oseram delver, Morlund befriends Aloy while searching for so-called 'Embers' in the sands of what was once Las Vegas. An ambitious man, Morlund hopes to continue his grandfather's legacy. He asks Aloy to venture deep into the sand to retrieve a group of Embers in a flooded region of the area.
While an incredibly smart and talented inventor, he's also prone to getting both himself and Aloy into some old-fashioned trouble. That includes the quest Lofty Ambitions, available after Aloy helps him find the Embers which ends in a crashed 'floating orb' and a run-in with some angry machines. Despite his knack for hilarious catastrophes, Morlund's energy and optimism are enough to put a smile on even the most critical player.
9 Yarra
Commander of the Desert Tenakth, Yarra's pride brings about unrest among her people. She is one of only two characters in Horizon: Forbidden West whose fate is decided directly by Aloy. While she believes she has her people's interests at heart, Yarra's refusal of transparency has created a rift. A deeply flawed leader, if given the chance to continue her reign as Commander, Yarra shows a fierce love for her tribe.
She eventually makes for a strong ally in the fight against Regalla and her rebels. Like many NPCs present in Horizon: Forbidden West, Yarra offers a complicated look at how human Guerilla's characters tend to be.
8 Tilda van der Meer
A surprise blast from the past, Tilda van der Meer offers a rare glimpse into the world that Elisabet Sobeck herself once knew. A former data broker, she's one of a number of Far Zenith who managed to escape the Earth before its destruction, and then prolonged their lives for millennia.
An integral part of the defeat of the group, Tilda gives Aloy a chance to get to know Sobeck through the eyes of someone who had loved her. Tilda is an interesting take on how love for someone even after they are gone can impact a person. She also offers insight into how deeply misunderstood Elisabet was, even when she was alive and well.
7 Alva
One thing that Horizon: Forbidden West delivers well is the incorporation of multifaceted NPCs from all the different tribes. Alva, a Diviner from the Quen tribe, offers a look at how humans outside the United States have adapted after the devastation of the Earth.
An incredibly curious person, Alva is immediately interested in the knowledge that Aloy holds. She brings an endearing love of learning to an otherwise bleak situation. Alva is also one of many queer characters in the main story, showing that Guerilla has stepped up up its incorporation of LGBTQ+ stories in a way that flows with the main plot.
6 Sylens
An important part (although a reluctant one) of Aloy's support team throughout both Horizon: Zero Dawn and Horizon: Forbidden West, Sylens is an old-world tech mastermind. He is one of few companion NPCs who almost fully understands the plight that faces Aloy and her group. He brings a passion for learning all that can be known about technology and its role in the world before its destruction. Unlike some of his allies, he revels in new information and clues — despite what it may mean for the future.
Of course, the dynamic character of Sylens would not have hit the hearts of players without the voice talents of the late Lance Reddick, who passed away in March 2023.
5 Kotallo
A decorated Marshall from the Tenakth, Kotallo is the only survivor of the attack of Regalla's forces at the embassy at Barren Light. A stubborn man, he is firm in his belief that the Tenakth must be united in the fight against Regalla. Kotallo is critically injured during the attack on the embassy, losing his arm to a machine while trying to protect his allies. Because of this, he is shunned by the Tenakth, who value physical strength above all else.
He eventually helps Aloy convince the leader of the Sky Clan of the Tenakth to send warriors to the Balwark, a fighting competition that would help Chief Hakarro replace the Marshalls he had lost. In the process, Kotallo finds himself more comfortable in the company of Aloy and her friends, who offer him a place in their fight.
4 Erend
Returning from Horizon: Zero Dawn, Erend is an Oseram Vanguard with a knack for charging headfirst into battle. A skilled warrior, he is also a strong shoulder for Aloy and the rest of the team to rely on.
Erend is one of three returning NPCs that make up Aloy's team, and can be seen as a glue between some of the more abrasive companions. The comedic relief for many situations, Erend holds deep-seated grief after the loss of his sister, Ersa. He is one of the first people to refuse to let Aloy go alone, calling attention to her tendency to leave the people she loves without giving them a say.
3 Zo
The first new companion introduced to players, Zo is an Utaru Gravesinger, tasked with the last rites of the dead. Burdened by the horrors of the war with the Carja that saw her village slaughtered, Zo turned to support the people of Plainsong in their last moments. Passionate about the well-being of the Utaru, Zo goes against the orders of the leaders of her tribe to attempt to heal their god. In her efforts, Zo maintains a level of compassion for everyone involved.
Once brought on as part of the main team, Zo quickly proves herself as a knowledgeable botanist. She continues to work towards the success and health of the Utaru, even though she expresses that she will never go back to them.
2 Beta
The Far Zenith's surprise advantage, Beta is a teenager forced into the role of a weapon. Raised only for the purpose of opening and accessing Elisabet Sobeck's technology, Beta is far too familiar with their abilities. When rescued by Aloy and her team, she joins them in their efforts to use her as a tool to defeat her former captors.
Beta's integration into the main group is not without its difficulties. A clone of Elisabet herself, Beta seems to lack the drive that Aloy sees as a core part of who they are. Despite the open hostility from Aloy, Beta works to help to the best of her ability. Eventually, she provides several tools that would lead to the downfall of the Far Zeniths, becoming a catalyst to Aloy taking on their enemies head-on. Over the course of the game, she and Aloy learn to understand each other, and come to love each other as sisters.
1 Varl
The son of the Nora War-Chief and a decorated Brave, Varl is a returning character from Horizon: Zero Dawn that took some players by surprise. While an important character in the first game, players are given the chance to learn more about Varl as Aloy's closest friend and one of the first to follow her into the West.
He is a constant presence in the journey to defeat the Far Zeniths and refuses to waver in his belief that victory is attainable. Varl is more willing than some of the other members of Aloy's found family to work and learn with other tribes. In the attempt to secure HEPHESTAUS, Varl is the first and only casualty from the main group.