My Top 20 Heroes of 2025
2025 Gaming Retrospective
This will be my countdown of my twenty favorite heroes or protagonists of the year. Warning! There will be MAJOR SPOILERS in this list. Again, MAJOR SPOILERS.
Also, note that this will be based on the games I’ve played. I’m sure there are great characters in the games I didn’t get a chance to play, but I can only go by what I’ve seen.
This was a tough list to put together, and many characters missed the cut, but that in no way means I did not like them. This includes Lune from Expedition 33, Rainy from Death Stranding 2, Kai from Avowed, Lacey and Catfish from South of Midnight. It was just such a packed year with great characters on the light side of things.
20 - The Doom Slayer
Doom: The Dark Ages
“Rip and tear… until it is done”
The Doom Slayer of the modern Doom trilogy has that 1980s action flick machismo that’s not toxic, just focusing on a silent, badass archetype. This game takes place after the events of Doom 64 and before Doom (2016), with the Slayer finding himself under the control of the Kreed Maykr. As the events of the story go forward, he slowly breaks the power of the Maykr and makes new allies along the way. Usually in past games, the Slayer tends to be alone, and he is here, but we see him interact a little more with side characters that are important to the Doom series lore. The Slayer proves to be too much for the forces of Hell (again). While the Slayer isn’t going to be the deepest character out there, he is one of the more badass characters in the history of video games and I hope we get him to rip and tear again sooner than later.
19 - Samus and the Federation Troopers
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
“This is what we trained for. Keep it together”
While Metroid is my favorite franchise, I won’t sit here and tell you it has the most fascinating characters in gaming. Samus, much like the Doom Slayer, is a silent archetype, with the twist that Samus is a woman, unlike the 1980s machismo shoot-first character. Nintendo has tried to add some personality to her, but every time they do, the fanbase seems to revolt, since it breaks their minds from what they’re used to. Even if it's never perfect, I do like that Nintendo is trying to do something different with its powerful female character. In Metroid Prime 4, Samus is joined by a group of Federation Troopers. These include Myles Mackenzie, Tokabi, Sergeant Duke, and Samus fangirl Private Armstrong. To say they proved polarizing would be an understatement. Still, I found them endearing, and Retro Studios' attempt to add moments of levity and personality to the game. Samus doesn’t speak during those encounters (which does annoy me), but she does do enough body language where you can see that she cares about them more than her silent demeanor would tell you. In the end, the troopers sacrifice themselves to get Samus to finish her mission, although it wouldn’t surprise me if they appear in a potential sequel.
18 - Dollman
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach'
“No one should suffer such loss”
What I love about Hideo Kojima is that he does the wackiest characters and stories, and yet they still deliver because there is so much real message and personality to them. Dollman is a former spirit medium who sacrificed his chance to move on to the afterlife to prevent his daughter’s ka from being trapped inside a doll. When Dollman moves, he uses stop motion animation that I really liked. All of this sounds a bit ridiculous, but Dollman is a genuinely good side character as Sam explores Australia. He provides tips and dialogue that help round out the experience, given how quiet Sam can be at times. Ultimately, it’s revealed that Dollman’s real mission was to provide emotional support to Sam after Lou's death. He’s probably one of the best, possibly the best, video game psychiatrists.
17 - Die-Hardman
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
“They don’t call me Die-Hardman for nothing”
After the events of Death Stranding, Die-Hardman (real name John McClane) loses the Presidency of the United Cities of America and disappears. He assumes Charlie's identity and secretly guides Sam’s journey in Australia to connect the chiral network. When the President’s goals are revealed, Die-Harman reveals his identity and admits he ensured the President would be disconnected from APAS and the network. He does this after one of the more famous scenes in the game, dancing to BB’s theme in a TikTok-like dance. I think Kojima did this as a message about the human soul vs. AI, where only a human can pull off a goofy dance sequence like that, while the President (or AI, in a sense) seemed confused by it. Die-Harman goes on to help for the rest of the game, completing a character arc that began back in the first game. From a disgraced figure at the end of the first Death Stranding to a hero by the sequel, Die-Harman has a satisfying arc to his story.
16 - Oyuki
Ghost of Yotei
“Are you here to fight or listen?”
Oyuki was taken in by Saito when she was young and trained in the art of shinobi. She becomes the Kitsune and becomes a loyal follower of Saito. However, during the Night of the Burning Tree massacre, Oyuki splits from Saito and temporarily frees Atsu in hopes that she can live. This action leads to Saito mentally torturing her and threatening to expose her as a woman (which would lead to sexual assault from the others). She has enough and finally leaves the Yotei Six. When Atsu comes around looking for the Kitsune, Oyuki eventually reveals who she is and helps Atsu take down the new Kitsune. Originally, Atsu was planning to kill her. Still, after getting to know her, she makes one of the first moves in her character arc of obsession with revenge, and decides to let her go, even having her join as an ally in the game. The writing with Oyuki is well done, as I wanted to kill her once I found out who she was. However, as you get to learn more, there’s a trauma there, similar to a child being brought up to believe evil things or do evil things. Ultimately, her tale is one of redemption and forgiveness, one of the many messages to Ghost of Yotei.
15 - Gustave
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
“For those who come after”
Gustave is our hero in the first Act of Expedition 33, one who opens with the consequences the world lives in, for you to see from the get go. What I found the most interesting about Gustave is how, despite being surrounded by so much sadness and depression, he remains optimistic. That’s not to say that he doesn’t have his moments, and there’s a brief moment early on where he contemplates ending it all, but underneath all that is an optimist who believes everything will be alright. Unfortunately for him, he dies at the end of the first Act, right there with Aerith’s death from Final Fantasy VII, as one of the more shocking deaths in video game history. While we didn’t get enough time with him, though, he was on his way to being one of my favorite characters in gaming. I myself am a bit of an optimist; I’m a realist, but I also believe in that FDR belief that in the end everything’s going to be fine. I liked that a lot about Gustave. He didn’t choose to mope and complain; he found purpose to go on an expedition to see what he could do, even if he himself couldn’t see it. If this game’s slogan, “Tomorrow comes,” is ingrained in anyone, it’s in Gustave.
14 - Tomorrow
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
“Is this what my tomorrow will be?”
Tomorrow is revealed at the end of Death Stranding 2 to be a time-rushed Lou, who was initially believed to be dead. However, the crew of the DHV Magellan and Sam don’t know this and see her as a woman who came from a world of the dead. Tomorrow’s nickname fits when you realize she’s Lou; she’s a symbol of what tomorrow can be for the human race, compared to the Extinction Entity that a nihilist like Higgs sees he as. Tomorrow is insanely powerful, and I would say we have no idea just how powerful she is, outside of a few glimpses. She’s also performed beautifully by Elle Fanning, who took on the project and said she was surprised by how much storytelling can be in a video game. Her name pretty much says it all, she’s hope for the future and I can always vibe with that message.
13 - Sciel
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
“Death is a friend who will welcome me home”
Sciel has a sad backstory, one that sees her fall in love and marry, only for her husband to pass away in an accident when out in the water. Grief striken, she attempts to commit suicide and plunges into the ocean, only to be saved by Esquie, although she doesn’t realize it. Unknowingly, she was pregnant at the time and lost her baby during the attempt. Sciel eventually becomes a teacher at the same school where her husband taught and joins the 33rd Expedition. What I like about Sciel is that she holds a lot of sadness, but she takes it head on after healing from her mental anguish, and she seems at peace with the idea of death as she embraces the brutality the world Expedition 33 has. I found myself most interested in conversations with her during camp moments, there was someone there that was easy to talk to about so many things, and Verso has a chance to romance her. Sciel is a perfect balance of sadness and embrace of life, despite her embrace of death as well.
12 - The Z-Team
Dispatch
“You gonna eat those twinks?”
Yeah, I’m cheating here because the list was limited, and I loved the entire character ensemble in Dispatch. The Z-Team is a group of former villains who join a program in hopes of becoming good, which, of course, proves difficult. The team has its cast of characters from goofy to dangerous. There are plenty of solid character arcs in the group; from Flambae putting his hate for Mechaman aside, Waterboy going from stumbling goof to hero, Golem becoming more understood, and I can go on. Blonde Blazer (I’m counting her as part of the team here) reveals her to be someone who is fighting with her identity, considering her powers come from an amulet and she’s really a shorter brunette. Real name of Mandy, she’s a solid love interest who convinces Robert to take the dispatch job. Of course, the leading member to keep an eye on is Invisigal, or Courtney, and she is the heart of the story, even if you don’t romance her. She’s a villain who doesn’t believe she can become good, and if you make the right choices, her character arc ends perfectly as she takes a bullet for Robert and goes off to an ambulance as a hero.
11 - Hornet
Hollow Knight: Silksong
“I've found those who claim themselves a god can rarely match the title. And experience tells me even gods can fall."
Following the events of Hollow Knight, Hornet takes the stage as the protagonist of this journey. Taken by Grandmother Silk and the Citadel for he silk abilities, she’s eventually broken free and goes on a journey to climb the Citadel. Unlike the pilgrims, though, she doesn’t do this as a spiritual journey but rather to uncover the truth about what’s going on in Pharloom and why she was taken. Hornet is a bit of a mean-spirited bug at times; she’s blunt and can come off as an asshole, but she also shows moments of caring and tries to understand where the others are coming from. She’s logical and doesn’t easily get wrapped up in what others tell her. However, what I do like about Hornet is that, despite being a mean and blunt character, she transforms into someone who is almost motivated and inspires the pilgrims and others she meets in Pharloom. Compare her conversation with Sherma in their first encounter to the last; she sees the transformation in him and seems to appreciate it. By the end, she goes from a mean-spirited bug to one that refuses to give up on Lace and wants Lace to have a chance at life. It’s a subtle transformation, but it’s there, and that's because ultimately Hornet is just about doing what’s right.
10 - Donkey Kong and Pauline
Donkey Kong Bananza
“DK!”
Donkey Kong has come a long way from his 1981 debut in the Arcade classic, but he’s also been overshadowed by Mario. The Donkey Kong games seemed to have peaked with the Donkey Kong Country trilogy, and while we did get a few solid sequels, it had been a while since we saw the big Ape have a true big-time adventure. With Donkey Kong Bananza, we finally got that big-time adventure we’ve been waiting for, and it gives us possibly the best version of the character. With a slightly new look and more innocence, DK is back, and this time he has Pauline as an ally. Ironically, the same Pauline who was taken by Kong (or at least a Kong if you want to go down the lore rabbit hole) in the 1981 classic. This time, she’s a teenager with ambitions to sing but also has stage fright. DK and Pauline go on a journey through the planet's core, during which Pauline slowly gains confidence in her abilities. By the end, both of our heroes come out stronger and more confident, almost feeling like this is just the start of an incredible partnership.
9 - Sam Porter Bridges
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
“👍”
Sam Porter Bridges is pretty much me in a lot of ways. You can tell after the events of Death Stranding, he was happy to be left alone with his new kid and would be happy with little human contact. Maybe that’s why I like him so much. However, Sam is drawn to a new journey to connect with Mexico, and he gets his baby taken away from him, initially thinking that Lou has died. The journey through Australia is sort of a journey where Sam has to come to the reality that Lou is gone, not in BT form or anything like that, but just gone. Despite this, Sam pushes through to connect Australia. If Higgs is the pessimism in the world that leads to violence, Sam is the optimism that leads to human connection. Ultimately, Sam does get Lou back after realizing that Tomorrow is Lou. I’m not going to lie to you, I practically teared up like a baby when I first got to the ending, and since rewatching it on YouTube and reaction streams, I still get teary-eyed. Sam is the father who is trying to leave a better world for his children and the people of tomorrow, and that’s a character I’m always going to get behind as a father myself.
8 - Hazel Flood
South of Midnight
“If I was the one missing, she wouldn’t stop looking”
Hazel is that classic fish-out-of-water hero who seems to work. After losing her mother during a hurricane, Hazel sets out to find her. During this journey, she learns she’s a Weaver, someone who can see strands or spirits and mend traumatically torn parts of the soul. She runs into all kinds of Southern folklore creatures, who have their own tales of traumatic pasts that she can fix. She even finds herself seeing the good in Hugging Molly after initially thinking she was responsible for her mother’s disappearance. Hazel makes connections with several people along the way, unknowingly acting almost as a spiritual guide. By the end, she rescues her mom and confronts the family trauma that dates back to her grandmother losing her daughter. These are all great qualities in a hero, but what makes Hazel memorable for me is her reactions. She acts just like a real person would in situations, everything from trying to “nope” out of situations to questioning why she’s even doing this. She’s sort of like Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, who balances that hero character with someone still young who probably shouldn’t be doing this. That reluctant hero that saves the day.
7 - Verso / Maelle
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
“Family is not my favorite topic”
Similar to the villains list, I think you can place either Maelle or Verso on a hero’s list, depending on your view of the story. In fact, both Verso and Maelle deserve to be on the hero’s list. First, we have Verso, who has a history of lying and using people to achieve his ultimate goal. Can you really be mad at what he’s trying to do? Verso knows he’s a fake version of a dead person, who has been painted for a mother to hide from her grief. Eventually, Verso sees the truth and wants to free the real Verso’s soul, symbolized by a kid stuck painting. Verso knows he’s going to hurt people and destroy a whole world, but his goal in his mind is to free a family from their grief. There are some similarities here for me, as a history nerd, to past historical figures like Lyndon Johnson, who was a known big-time ass hole as President, but used that personality to pass through reforms once thought to be impossible, like Civil Rights and Medicare. His actions may be messed up, but the motivations are understandable. Verso is an emotionally torn piece of art that depicts the family’s pain and inability to move on; if he has to make them move on, he will, with any means necessary.
Maelle is the hero people most associate with Expedition 33, and there are several reasons for that. The first is Jennifer English’s incredible performance as the teenager. The second is the reveal that Maelle is actually Alicia, the reincarnation of the youngest daughter of the Dessendre Family. As Malle, she grows to fall in love with the world her deceased brother (the real Verso) created and its people. There’s a story here, with her character arc, that fights perceived fate and destiny as she tries to keep the painting alive despite her father’s wishes and the painting’s Verso’s plans. Maelle is a combination of innocence and bravery, and towards the end, you can see her truly come into her own, knowing she fights to keep the world going, even if it means fighting her family or forcing the painting’s Verso to do what she wants.
6 - Chase
Dispatch
“Keep Up”
Jeffrey Wright is becoming one of my favorite actors to pop up in movies, doing a good job with characters in James Bond films, The Batman, and Highest 2 Lowest. What I didn’t expect was for one of his best performances to come from a video game. Wight plays Chase, a former superhero who is super fast like The Flash, but it comes with rapid aging because he’s breaking space and time when he runs. As a result, he retires but joins the SDF network to dispatch heroes. When Robert joins, the son of his recently murdered friend, he tries to help Robert get Mechman back up. Chase is legitimately the funniest character I have ever seen in a video game. Every time he talks, I think I’m in a roasting session. However, what makes Chase not just an awesome character but an awesome hero is a significant moment near the end of the game. Chase does not get along with Invisigal at all. Still, when Invisigal is about to die after Shroud ambushes her during her attempt to get the Astral Pulse, Robert turns to see his old mentor turn to him and say his catchphrase, “keep up“, before seeming to sacrifice his life to save Invisigal by running one last time. It’s a surprising, emotional, and gut-punching moment in a comedic game and really brought Chase’s character arc full circle. It all comes down to a conversation Chase had with Robert before he did that, a question about why superheroes do what they do, because it’s just what’s right.
5 - Fragile
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
“I’ll be your umbrella”
Fragile is the heart of Death Stranding 2. She is the one who puts together the DHV Magellan team, convinces Sam to help them, and saves Lou by slowly sacrificing herself. Fragile is the one connecting all the strands, no pun intended, that make Death Stranding 2's story work. She almost acts as a healing force to the team she puts together, specifically her reaching out to help Rainy. While there was definitely something there in the first game, it's apparent more than ever in here how much she cares for Sam and finally shows it when they embrace for a long kiss before she finally passes away. She was, in a way, the mother of the group, pushing them along not for selfish reasons but to help them take their circumstances and use them to build human connection. As she says, she will be your umbrella.
4 - Jubei
Ghost of Yotei
“Our father would want us to fight for the living! Not sacrifice them for revenge.”
Atsu’s brother, who was thought to have died during the massacre, Jubei, had survived and went on to become a Samurai, much to Atsu’s chagrin, considering their rules and institution. You know where I’m going here… as an institutionalist, I loved Jubei and his loyalty to the Samurai code. Moreover, Jubei is the first to question Atsu’s obsession with revenge and how it clashes with their father's teachings. He is also revealed to have a daughter, Kiku. While many tend to back down when dealing with Atsu’s stubbornness, Jubei doesn’t and is quick to criticize her. Despite their different worldviews, however, he’s still quick to help and isn’t going to cry over the Yotei Six’s deaths, although he prefers justice over killing. Jubei becomes increasingly essential to the story as it goes on, as he begins to show Atsu a life that could be. During the final battle with Saito, he’s killed, and his final words echo everything he’s about and wants Atsu to do: fight for the living.
3 - Sherma
Hollow Knight: Silksong
“Tis now my charge to care for those who stay here, including yourself”
Sherma quickly became a bit of a meme the moment Silksong's release, but his character arc is actually one of the better ones in gaming this year. Sherma is a blind follower of faith and believes that inaction can be made into action with prayer and his little song (you know the one). From the start, his blind faith and optimism get eye rolls and questions from Hornet, and yet the little guy goes on. However, as we get to the Citadel, encounters with him get more depressing. He has a crisis of faith and begins to question his worldview. He loses that optimism that he’s known for and becomes fearful. But it all comes full circle at the start of Act 3. Saved by pilgrims, Hornet wakes to Sherma, now taking on the role of the caretaker of the Citadel. The original caretaker was constantly angry and questioned their role, but Sherma embraces it.
After a crisis of faith, he has confidence back, and it’s almost as if he came out the other side more faithful, but less blind. Sherma no longer believes that doing nothing is fine, as he begins to tout what the pilgrims have done and tells Hornet they will pray for him, not because praying would be enough, but for confidence and power. It's ultimately up to Hornet, which leads Hornet to grow more confident in the pilgrims. If the Conductors are the symbols of the evils or religion and toxic faith, Sherma is something more. He’s the voice of the pilgrims and a sign of the spirituality and faith that helps in times of need. He may seem like a small part of the game, and people remember the song, but Sherma is so much more than that. He is the one who affects the world much more than they think.
2 - Robert Robertson III
Dispatch
“The family tradition, if there is one… is dying in that suit”
Robert is part of a family tradition of the superhero Mechaman, a suit that mimics Iron Man in some ways. When he’s investigating the death of his father at the hands of Shroud, his suit is blown up, and he seemingly retires. However, Blonde Blazer saves him when he gets into a fight and offers him a spot on the Z-Team, helping him with the Z-Team, and in return, they fund the rebuilding of Mechaman. Robert is the exact superhero archetype I love, the one that doesn’t have superpowers and isn’t okay with killing (well, if you make that choice in the game as I did). His coaching of the Z-Team lifts Robert, and it’s a perfect parallel to what his father did. His dad made a hero into a villain, and by the end of the game, Robert turns villains into heroes. Robert isn’t afraid to verbally spar with the best of them; he’s respectful to women, and he has an arc of finding purpose after losing the Mechaman suit. What more do you want out of a hero? By the end of the game, Robert gets his suit back and takes down Shroud, as well as creates a new hero. Just an incredible story all around.
1 - Atsu
Ghost of Yotei
“I found something new to live for”
Atsu is left for dead during the Yotei Six’s Night of the Burning Tree massacre, stabbed through her shoulder and into the tree. After freeing herself, she leaves for a far-off part of Japan to train and become an assassin, or the Onryo as legend tells. After we take care of The Snake at the start of the game, Atsu goes on a revenge mission to kill the rest of the Yotei Six. Along her adventure, she learns her brother is still alive, that she has a niece, and that she allies with multiple people who have their own issues with each member of the Yotei Six. She’s a killer, living on the idea of killing her enemies, and then she thinks that’s it for her life, but underneath it, there is that little girl who was raised by her father to offer help and aid to people. There are even multiple bounty missions where she helps and learns to understand the plight of many of the bounties.
The main issue for Atsu is her thirst for revenge, which consistently consumes her. As you play, you succumb to her killing rage, but you also see her transform slowly into something more. She lets two Yotei Six members go, Oyuki and The Spider. She begins to listen to her brother’s call to live for the living. She begins to care for and love her niece. By the end of the journey, Atsu is forced to kill Saito to save Kiku. The blood-soaked cloth she has carried with the Yotei Six names is burned as she embraces one who now sees a life beyond revenge, one where she helps raise her niece. Atsu’s story may be “predicabtle” considering Sony’s obsession with revenge stories, but her arc from obsession to letting go is my favorite character arc of the entire year. Atsu fought pain and wanted to use violence to heal her, but it was life with her family and friends that could truly heal her past—the Onryo to the Aunt.
I loved playing as Hazel and Hornet in 2025. I thought they were great characters and I felt pretty badass playing as them. :D