Video game NPCs tend to serve a variety of different purposes; some act as close allies with a protagonist, others serve more malicious roles, and the majority tend to act as background characters in order to make an environment feel more alive. Though they are often pushed to the side in favor of a main character, some are extremely memorable and are often worthy of a little more attention.
NPCs rarely outshine the main protagonist of a game, but there are some exceptions. These NPCs prove to be more than just background characters through their actions, motivations, and origins, and yet they are often sidelined in favor of more fleshed-out characters. Even if their stories seemed to end with the climax of the game they appeared in, it would still be nice to see their story expanded in a spin-off.
7 Wu Zi Mu (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas)
Wu Zi Mu, also referred to as Woozie, may have played a minor role in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but he proved to be one of the most memorable characters in the entire game. He is the leader of the Mountain Cloud Boys Triads and commands great respect as a result. Not only that, but he is also blind yet still manages to perform some truly miraculous feats.
If given a spin-off, perhaps players could be given some more information regarding how he came to have such power and also what he got up to after the Caligula heist. Seeing as he is also an excellent driver, this game could focus heavily on how he manages to bluff his way into winning street races.
6 Poppy Sweeting (Hogwarts Legacy)
Poppy Sweeting is arguably one of the most wholesome additions to Hogwarts Legacy. Introduced during the protagonist's first Care of Magical Creatures class, she quickly proved to be a loyal friend to humans and animals alike.
If Poppy were to receive her own spin-off game, it could focus on her life after her time as a Hogwarts student and how her love for animals led her down a path of animal preservation. Given that she comes from a family of animal poachers, the story could also force her to confront her parents and achieve some form of closure. This story would likely be similar to Newt Scamader's in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them but with a stronger emphasis on what it means to preserve the life of an animal.
5 Lilly (Telltale's The Walking Dead)
Lilly makes her debut in "Season One" of Telltale's The Walking Dead and proves to be an admirable leader. She eventually joins Lee and his group but is forced to leave after she kills a fellow survivor. During "The Final Season," Clementine meets Lilly for the first time in seven years, but the relationship they once had is now completely gone.
In the seven years after Lilly's departure from Lee's group, she managed to join Delta, a group that kidnaps other survivors in order to increase its numbers. If given a spin-off, the story of how Lilly came to be a member of such a group could be told, and it would likely be a pretty dark one.
4 Jote (Final Fantasy 16)
Though Joshua Rosfield speaks highly of Jote whenever given the chance, players rarely get to see how much of an asset she actually is. Aside from the brief mention of her being incredibly gifted with a blade, the only thing Final Fantasy 16 tends to focus on is how much she cares for Joshua.
Seeing that very little of Joshua's journey after the fall of Phoenix Gate was showcased, a Jote spin-off would be a great way to fill in the gaps of the story. Not only that, but it could also reveal exactly how much of a skilled fighter Jote is and perhaps how she came to be such a competent warrior.
3 Tommy Miller (The Last Of Us)
Tommy Miller, Joel Miller's brother, is one of the most important characters in The Last of Us; if not for him, Joel and Ellie would never have been able to find the Fireflies. In The Last of Us: Part 2, he plays an even more crucial role, but sadly, most of his story takes place off-screen.
If Tommy Miller were to receive a spin-off, it could focus heavily on his time with the Fireflies, while going into detail about his decision to leave. Given The Last of Us: Part 2's tendency to flash forward and backward in time, it could also follow his time pursuing Abby in Seattle, which would certainly make for a pretty dark story.
2 Merrin (Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order)
Cal Kestis first meets Merrin during his visit to Dathomir, but they don't really see eye-to-eye until later, as Merrin believes the Jedi Order is responsible for the downfall of her people.
Merrin lived through the events of Order 66 and got to see what befell the galaxy through a unique perspective; she was present on the day that General Grievous descended on Dathomir and slaughtered the Nightsisters under the orders of Count Dooku. A spin-off game in which Merrin takes center stage could document her life both before and after the events of Order 66 and could also showcase a little more of what being a Nightsister entails.
1 Sadie Adler (Red Dead Redemption 2)
Sadie Adler, first introduced at the beginning of Red Dead Redemption 2, never intended to become an outlaw but ended up becoming one of the most capable ones out there. This was largely due to her own determination, but it certainly helped to have a friend like Arthur Morgan at her side.
Seven years pass between the climax of Arthur's story and the real beginning of John's, and, in that time, Sadie managed to make a pretty impressive name for herself as a bounty hunter. A Sadie Adler spin-off could document her time as a bounty hunter and showcase exactly who she had to catch in order to acquire such an intimidating reputation.