10 Best Video Game Protagonists of All Time

Video games are a unique way to explore worlds, characters, storylines and more in a depth that no movie or show could provide you. Every video game has its own protagonist, and each one gives you a side of life to look at that you may have never thought to explore before.

So which video game protagonists are the best of all time?

The Best Protagonists in Video Game History

Whether it’s an anti-hero or a true saviour, main characters in video games have given players something to strive for in life. These characters may teach us a lot about ourselves, giving us life lessons that help us understand more about the world.

Here are the seven best video game protagonists of all time.

10. Joel Miller

Because this character was also put into an extremely successful HBO series, Joel from The Last of Us is an easy pick for our list of the best video game protagonists. His ruggedness and push to survive make him the best person to travel with during a zombie apocalypse.

Joel from The Last of Us is iconic and easily one of the best video game characters of all time.

9. Lara Croft

With multiple games and movies utilizing her character, Lara Croft, from the infamous Tomb Raider titles, has given gamers a sense of perseverance when faced with extreme and difficult obstacles. Her push to always explore the unknown, while also being a crazy fighter, makes her an ideal candidate for someone to explore a dungeon with.

Lara Croft is a prime example of having a good heart and always pushing forward, making her one of the greatest video game protagonists of all time.

8. Geralt of Rivia

You can’t have a list of the best video game protagonists of all time without including Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher. Geralt not only put many before him, but he was simply an awesome character to fight monsters with.

Geralt of Rivia, the mysterious monster hunter, takes the cake as one of the best video game characters of all time.

7. Solid Snake

Solid Snake is a quite legendary character, hailing from the Metal Gear Solid franchise. Not only is his stealth on another level (yes, we are talking about hiding in a cardboard box), but the intense action he shows off has always been a favourite amongst gamers.

Solid Snake is a legendary character and has been in other games such as Fortnite and Super Smash Bros., making him an obvious pick for our list.

6. Red

The infamous Red from the original Pokemon games has got to be one of the best and most iconic video game characters of all time. This was the first time players were thrown into the world of Pokemon, with Red giving them one of the greatest introductions known to man.

Red was Pokemon players’ first introduction when exploring the world of Pokemon, making him one of the greatest video game protagonists of all time.

5. Kratos

Kratos from God of War is the perfect example of an almighty brute who, despite his anger and strength, kills out of vengeance and not being evil. While some dispute whether he is good or evil, you cannot deny that Kratos is one of the best main characters in all of video game history.

Kratos is amazing and easily one of the best characters in all of fiction.

4. Arthur Morgan

Arthur Morgan is simply one of the greatest video game characters of all time, there is no debating that. His role in Red Dead Redemption 2 was riveting. Not once during the game do you wish for his downfall.

Arthur Morgan, despite being somewhat of an anti-hero, is easily one of the best protagonists you can play as in the video game world.

3. Master Chief

Master Chief is just a great representation of perseverance. This man single-handedly carried the Halo campaigns on his back, making for one great main character. Everyone loves Master Chief, whether you are a Halo fanatic or not.

Master Chief is a pure example of always doing the right thing and pushing forward during hard battles, making him one of the greatest video game characters of all time.

2. Mario

Mario will go down in history as one of the best video game protagonists of all time. Not only has this red-hatted plumber been on some of the craziest missions in video game history, but he has never once given up on saving his princess.

Mario is iconic, with some of the most titles using his name in the entire video game world.

Link from The Legend of Zelda has been exploring Hyrule, saving the princess, fighting monsters and more before the majority of you were even born. This legendary character shows us exactly what it means to be a hero, making him the best video game protagonist of all time.

Despite his lack of talking, Link has always been a perfect example of a hero, making him the greatest video game protagonist of all time.