Characters of the Decade

I was eager to open the latest issue of Game Informer magazine when I saw that it featured articles on the most definitive characters and storytellers of the last decade. Of course, as an English teacher, I love telling my students about memorable characters in literature and push them to research more about them even if we don’t read about them in class. Characters in video games, I believe, have as much value and impact our world view as much as literary characters like Holden Caulfield, Atticus Finch, and Jay Gatsby.

A character such as Kratos, from the God of War series, defines strength, power and revenge but is ultimately a product of the exceptional, mythological story found within the series itself. Andrew Ryan, the ominous voice in Bioshock, is also featured for his vision and power in Rapture and his death at the hands of the protagonist. Master Chief, from the Halo series, is highlighted for his leadership and reliability on the battlefield. All in all, the thirty characters that grace the pages have in some way or another shaped how characters are developed in video games and prove that great video games, just like literature, have memorable characters.

It would be a fun activity to ask my students what makes a character memorable. Is it his influence on other characters? Is it his influence on the reader? His impact on the plot? Well at the very least I’m sure they could tell me their own favorite characters in both games and literature!

In the end, the article is excellent and worthy of more than one read. I can’t help but remember Jason, from the NES Friday the 13th, tearing through the woods with a machete trailed by frightening synthesizer music. He is definitely a memorable character in my book!