With all of 2021's major video games having finally released, it's easy to admit that this was an unpredictable year in regard to video game storytelling. While previous years have been headlined by major, cinematic story-based titles, 2021 was a year about refining storytelling methods already introduced, and as a result video game narratives were more dependant than ever on strong characters to make an impression on players.
With that in mind, here are the best video game characters of 2021, keeping in mind that this list prioritizes characters introduced in video games released this year. While some characters are inspired by depictions in previous media or games, their representation in a title this year made them stand apart from past incarnations and breathed new life into them. Some characters on this list are also considered to be spoilers for the games that they originate from, so be prepared.
Crow - Death's Door
Crow is the lovable, silent bird protagonist of Death's Door. He's a different sort of character, perhaps the most unique on this entire list. Death's Door's Crow is comparable to The Legend of Zelda's Link in mannerisms and gameplay style, really giving the Crow his own charm. Players, as Crow, working for the bureaucratic Reaping Commission, led by the Lord of Doors. His mannerisms when dealing with other characters, as a result, bring the most out of them, and at the end of the day, he's a pretty cool, vibing little bird.
Colt - Deathloop
Deathloop is a game that has walked away with many accolades on the way out of 2021, and for good reason. One of those reasons is undoubtedly its main protagonist, Colt Vahn, played excellently by Jason E. Kelly. Colt is a unique vessel for the player throughout Deathloop, mainly because he is just as confused as to what is going on at Backreef Island as the player. He awakens on the island to find himself an amnesiac, trapped in an endless time loop that more often than not results in him being killed by a woman who claims to know him, Julianna Blake.
What keeps Colt's confusion regarding his surroundings and the people inhabiting it so engaging throughout Deathloop is the hilarious dialogue, which is once again performed wonderfully by Jason E. Kelly and helps even the slowest moments of what can sometimes be a repetitive game feel worthwhile.
Queen - Deltarune Chapter 2
In a series full of loveable, internet humor-injected characters, it's a wonder that by the time Queen, or Serial Number Q5U4EX7YY2E9N, rolled around, Deltarune creator Toby Fox was somehow able to tell a joke fans have heard a million times by now and make it sound even funnier. Queen is a character who is not breaking any new ground for characters introduced in the Undertale/Deltarune universe, a naive and often adorable antagonist who seems less interested in manipulating the cast of Deltarune than she does genuinely convincing them that she's right. It's just somehow surprising that the character is so instantly loveable, and that Fox is able to write such effortlessly endearing villain characters even six years removed from Undertale.
Queen is a rare villain that is impossible to hate or even disagree with, this is often because most of the justification for her actions is simply that she is uninformed. She is not an evil person, nor is she trying to enact evil; she just simply does not know what she is doing and, like other great characters from Undertale and Deltarune, the witty method in which the game conveys her ignorance through meta-humor and visual gags left a major impression on fans this year, making her one of the best characters of 2021.
Savathun - Destiny 2
With games that have been around as long as Destiny 2 has, it's hard to imagine that it is still possible for Bungie to outdo itself with story content even almost five years out from launch, but somehow that seems to be the case. Nobody embodies the growth of Destiny's story more than Savathun, who is very possibly the game's best villain yet. While she isn't slated to take center stage fully yet until Destiny 2: The Witch Queen in 2022, 2021 gave fans an early peek as to what to expect from Savathun and she is a force to be reckoned with.
Glimpses of Savathun seen in season 15 of Destiny 2 imply that she is a master of deception, one who has been pulling the strings in the Destiny universe from the shadows for years. This is also the most effort Bungie has put into making fans realize the scale of a villain, teasing her almost a year before she appears in the next big expansion. This newest Destiny villain undeniably has paved the way for some of the most exciting story content the series has seen yet.
Yuffie - Final Fantasy 7 Remake: InterMISSION
With the somewhat controversial matter in which Final Fantasy 7 Remake wrapped up, many fans were confused regarding where the series would go next in regards to introducing beloved characters not present in the first part's Midgar focused reboot/remake. With the sequel likely years away still, it makes total sense that Square Enix would choose to introduce the next major character, Yuffie Kisaragi, with a DLC episode detailing her unseen introduction to the events of the original Final Fantasy 7.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake: InterMISSION's Yuffie Kisaragi is, like many of the versions found in the Remake series so far, a wonderful reimagining of the optional party member that fans fell in love with almost 25 years ago. InterMISSION reintroduces the character in a more sympathetic manner than the original by trading her sneaky Materia stealing with a heartfelt story of her involvement in the political war between the Wutai government and Shinra. It also details her relationship with fellow Wutai ninja Sonon that will likely have major implications on the future of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series.
Drax - Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
One of the biggest concerns with Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy before its release was that the game's cast was going to have a tough time competing with the well-established Marvel Cinematic Universe depictions of the characters. As it turns out, Eidos Montreal's versions of the characters often manage to give the MCU a run for its money, and nowhere is this more present than in the video game's depiction of Drax.
Most of Drax's set up in the game is the same as in other media. His wife and daughter were killed by Thanos and he's still not great with the whole sarcasm thing, but as with most of the Guardians, the game takes a moment to shine a light on the trauma and grief the character deals with following the loss of his family and newfound hope within the Guardians. In one of the game's most memorable moments, Drax falls victim to the enemies and betrays the Guardians when he is offered the chance to reunite with his deceased family. The emotion depicted when he is forced to leave this illusion behind is truly heartbreaking and depicts the emotional power Eidos Montreal's vision of the Guardians of the Galaxy has over any other version out there.
Pilot - Halo
Approaching the launch of Halo Infinite, fans had very little to go off in regard to how the story would handle the fallout of Halo 5: Guardians' ending and the future of Master Chief and Cortana's relationship. One thing that was certain was that Echo-216, also known as The Pilot (and later named as Fernando Esparza), was going to be an interesting addition to Halo Infinite's relatively small cast. Accompanying Master Chief and The Weapon, Echo-216 is a scared, cowardly soldier that wants nothing more than to leave the crumbled Zeta Halo and return to his wife and daughter back on Earth.
As the game progresses, fans quickly learn that things aren't that simple for The Pilot, and there is a reason that despite all his fears, he stays with Master Chief and ultimately becomes a driving force in helping Chief with his mission. The Pilot, like many standard marines in the Halo series, could have been a simple throwaway character meant simply to move the story forward, but ultimately he ends up being the empathic weight that completes many of Halo Infinite's most powerful moments and brings out the humanity in the Chief. He is an exciting addition to the Halo universe and one that is hopefully developed upon further in time.
Dr. Hakim - It Takes Two
Ultimately, with It Takes Two, it seems that many fans feel one of two ways with the boisterous Book of Love, Dr. Hakim. Love him or hate him, Hakim is one of the standouts of It Takes Two. Taking the stage as the marriage counselor tasked with repairing Cody and May's relationship, Dr. Hakim is often ignorant of the pair's actual concerns with each other, but somehow ends up repairing their relationship bit by bit by forcing them into situations that highlight each of their shortcomings.
While his ethics are questionable at best and his characterization can be eccentric at times, Dr. Hakim is undeniably fun to watch and adds a level of humor to It Takes Two that stops the game from edging too far into the seriousness of its subject matter.
Kena - Kena: Bridge of Spirits
In a time where video games are action-packed and violence-heavy, it's refreshing to have games that embellish in mellow tones like Kena: Bridge of Spirits, and no character embodies the somber ambiance of the game more than its titular character, Kena. While Kena: Bridge of Spirits is not a game that often puts its narrative at the forefront, it's hard not to want it to thanks to its gorgeously animated cutscenes. Kena carries this herself, who is one of the most genuinely kind-natured and pleasant characters of the year.
Kena is a spirit guide who works with small creatures known as the Rot to rid the land of corruption that has consumed many forests and controls much of the wildlife, while also helping to guide wandering spirits to the afterlife. She is a character of few words but one that is very clearly empathetic to the spirits in which she is aiding and kind-hearted to a fault, making her one of the most effortlessly captivating characters of 2021 and one of the best parts of Kena: Bridge of Spirits.
Alex Chen - Life is Strange: True Colors
There was understandably a lot of skepticism going into Life is Strange: True Colors for series fans. The game was Before the Storm developer Deck Nine's first attempt at an original story, one that seemed to have a lot of parallels to the first game at a glance, leaving many fans to worry that the series may be retreading ground. Just a few minutes in the shoes of Life is Strange: True Colors' though, Alex Chen proved that not only is Deck Nine's new take on the series incredibly refreshing, but Alex might be the series' best protagonist yet.
Levying the power of empathy, Alex is one of the most vulnerable protagonists the series has ever seen, but that helps make her instantly relatable. Alex is able to take on the emotions of the people surrounding her which, coupled with her own troubled upbringing, leaves her an emotionally damaged individual. However, all of these flaws give Alex strength, as she is also able to easily connect with people, and features one of the purest moral compasses in a video game character this entire year.
Helmut Fullbear - Psychonauts 2
In a game as full as personality as Psychonauts 2, it can be hard to narrow down which of its wonderful cast to choose to represent it, but it is impossible to go wrong with Helmut Fullbear. Performed incredibly by Jack Black, Helmut Fullbear feels like a character that could only be executed as well as he is through a Psychonauts game. After being assumed dead for over 20 years, the remains of Helmut's consciousness is discovered by Raz as a "Mote of Light," a formless soul lacking in senses. What follows is one of the high points of Psychonauts 2, as the player must journey through Helmut's memories through the lens of a psychedelic 1960s rock-and-roll concert, slowly re-awakening his senses.
What helps make Helmut so entertaining to watch is his sheer love for the world and characters that surround him, there's an infectious excitement to his character that makes him a joy to behold and his relationship with Bob Zanatto is one of the most well-executed romance stories in a video game all year.
Rivet - Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
After a year straight of wondering what Insomniac's big plans were for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart's mysterious new Lombax, fans were finally delighted to discover Rivet, the alternate dimension version of Ratchet. In many ways, Rivet is everything fans love in the character of Ratchet. She is selfless, heroic, and quippy, but there's an extra layer to Rivet that makes her one of the best characters Insomniac has ever created. Rivet is essentially Ratchet if he never met characters like Clank or Talwyn, and she is a more lonely version of him who lives in a world where Nefarious is successful in controlling the galaxy.
While Ratchet shows hesitance in finding the rest of the Lombaxes, Rivet jumps at the chance to find the rest of her race. Until she meets Ratchet, Clank, and Kit, she doesn't really have anybody. Her story is one of overcoming loneliness and trauma in a game that very rarely has time to take focus away from explosions and sci-fi goofiness, and in this regard Rivet understandably left a major impression on fans this year.
Lady Dimitrescu - Resident Evil: Village
Countess Alcina Dimitrescu, or Lady Dimitrescu, is easily the stand-out in Resident Evil: Village's now-iconic cast of horrifying baddies and for good reason. She is easily the best-characterized villain the series has ever seen, thanks in large part to Maggie Robertson's excellent performance of the character. The eldest of Mother Miranda's children, she is the Lord of House Dimitrescu where she resides with her three daughters. All seems to be going well for her until Ethan Winters shows up looking for his kidnapped daughter.
On their journey through House Dimitrescu, the player must kill each of Dimitrescu's daughters which understandably sends her into a fit of rage. This of course culminates in Alcina becoming a horrifying mutated monster as the player fights her off, as is par for the course with Resident Evil villains. There's a layer of tragedy to Alcina that separates her from other Resident Evil villains however, as reading notes on the character throughout the game reveals that she was tricked by Mother Miranda and injected with a parasite that halted her aging, and that her daughters were the only company she ever had as she was alone in the castle for over 60 years.
Selene - Returnal
Starring in a game nobody expected to have one of the most compelling stories of the year, Returnal's Selene has had an uphill battle getting her due for being recognized as one of the most complex and best-written characters of 2021. Selene was raised by an astronaut mother who had very little time for her, often neglecting her child to prioritize her job. After a tragedy, Selene cut ties with her mother altogether and set her sights on becoming an astronaut herself, in the process reenacting the suffering her mother put her through on her own child in the process.
Returnal is all about repeating cycles, be it the game's endless cycle of punishing roguelike gameplay or Selene's own cycle of trauma that she has had to undergo and now she is putting her own child through. It's unclear whether the events of Returnal are real or just a reflection of Selene's psyche. Either way, Housemarque easily crafted one of the most complex stories of the year with Returnal and at the heart of it lies the strength of its protagonist.
Alphen - Tales of Arise
The Tales series is known for its incredible cast of heroes, be it the likes of Lloyd from Tales of Symphonia or Yuri from Tales of Vesperia, but nobody embodies the hero's journey better than Tales of Arise's Alphen. Alphen begins as an amnesiac vigilante who helps slaves under the moniker of "Iron Mask." After he meets Shionne, he sets off on a journey to abolish slavery in the land of Calaglia and beyond.
Alphen's backstory is filled with pain and turmoil, but instead of turning into yet another edgy brooding protagonist once these details are brought to light, Alphen stays the humble and stoic hero. This leads him to be one of the most exciting protagonists the Tales series has ever featured, performed excellently by Ray Chase.