20 greatest video game characters ranked, from Lara Croft to Sonic the Hedgehog

The top 20 most iconic video game characters of all time

James McMahon
Monday 09 March 2020 05:31 EDT
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(Nintendo/Naughty Dog/Sony/Capcom)

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It’s a hard ask whittling the entire history of video games down to its 20 greatest characters. These are, after all, avatars for some of our greatest adventures. The bodies we’ve inhabited during some of our most daring moments. The entities that have kept us company in the small hours when our mantra is “just one more game, just one more go”. It’s an emotional task, with bonds between player and avatar forged after hour upon hour of gameplay. And it’s been a bloody, torrid task too. Behind this list is a wasteland of bits, bites and sprites, whereupon a bonfire size pile of unselected characters ache and moan at not being included. We’re sorry Dizzy, we just didn’t have space for you and your Fantastic Adventures. To which we say; so be it! To paraphrase Christopher Lambert in the classic 1986 fantasy epic flick Highlander, “There can only be 20!”

Clive through to see the 20 greatest video game characters, ever…

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