Entertainment
The 10 Best Video Game Duos of All Time, Ranked
There is an inherent appeal to pairs and duos that make characters that much more memorable and effective throughout media, as the interactions and dynamics with a second character can do so much in terms of writing and core dynamics. This facet is seen in all different forms of media, but video games especially have a vast and overwhelming number of iconic duos during each era and point in video game history. From beloved mascot icons of the early years to intricately layered characters of the modern day, the number of iconic duos in the world of video games is countless.
Each of these duos have grown to be massively iconic and influential within gaming as a whole, whether they be the faces of a certain genre or era of video games or some even breaking through the barrier to be immediately recognizable by many non-gamers. These duos continuously stand out as some of the most celebrated and acclaimed of the genre, pushing the medium forward with their inspiring greatness throughout their franchises.
10
Ratchet and Clank
The PlayStation brand has seen many prominent duos over the years, yet few have lasted for as long and have been as continuously iconic as the sci-fi duo of Ratchet and Clank. The feline alien creature and his small sentient robot companion have been at the helm of the PlayStation brand ever since their debut in the PS2 era, continuously having new releases as recent as the PS5 with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, one of the best games on PS5.
What is so distinctly compelling about this duo is that they have evolved greatly throughout the franchise, delving into deeper and more intricate storylines while still keeping the same cartoony charm that made them so enthralling in the first place. They have effective banter and a genuine friendship that grows throughout the series, complementing each other’s best traits and still being one of PlayStation’s defining mascots nearly 25 years later.
9
Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong
Donkey Kong originally started out as one of the most iconic video game villains of all time, with his titular arcade game cementing him in all-time status before the main Mario series would replace him with Bowser as the main villain. However, Donkey Kong would change and become a protagonist all his own in Donkey Kong Country, accompanied by his nephew Diddy Kong. From that point on, they became an iconic duo and one of the best examples of a hero-sidekick dynamic in gaming.
While both characters have their own standalone experiences separate from one another, they have an infectious dynamic when they are working together as heroes, either in the main series Donkey Kong games or even in other series like in the story mode for Super Smash Bros. Brawl. While not the most iconic of Nintendo’s various duos, they’ve stood the test of time to be a fan-favorite duo to many gamers.
8
Master Chief and Cortana
An emotional confidant that helps support the protagonist in their endeavors without actively being on the front lines can make all of the difference in the story of an action game, with few video game duos understanding this exceptional dynamic quite like Master Chief and Cortana from Halo. This duo of intergalactic super soldier and high-powered artificial intelligence has been by each other’s side for each step of the Halo franchise, creating a powerful bond that serves as the emotional core for the entire series.
It helps that Cortana herself and her methods of giving helpful, important information to Master Chief directly reflect in gameplay, allowing the player to form a bond and connection with Cortana, just as Master Chief is doing during the course of the games. Even as the Halo franchise largely diminished in quality, the strengths of this duo are the absolute backbone that never stops this franchise from being anything other than an icon of FPS gaming.
7
Nathan Drake and Sully
A powerful bond of a man and his surrogate father who have bonded over traveling the world and discovering vast treasures with one another, Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan are the heart and exceptional friendship that make Uncharted one of the very best PlayStation franchises. With each entry in the franchise, the player gets the full scope and understanding of their relationship, one built upon a mutual love of treasure hunting and becoming genuine friends through thick and thin.
Especially as the series grew more cinematic and emotionally compelling with each subsequent entry, the dynamic and chemistry felt between these characters became that much more palpable and impactful to the player. This is all on top of the memorable snarky banter that they have with one another throughout the series, acting just like long-time friends who have seen it all together. The vocal performances by Nolan North and Richard McGonagle also go a long way in terms of amplifying the charm and dynamic of these characters.
6
Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima
There’s nothing quite like a fierce rivalry built upon respect between two characters that feel so vastly different from one another, a dynamic that perfectly describes the duo of Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima from the Yakuza series. While both prominent figures in the underground world of the Japanese mafia, Kiryu’s mentality is much more Stoic and honorable, while Majima is instead unpredictable and eccentric in nature. This makes their rivalry that much more entertaining to experience as a play, both in terms of storytelling and in gameplay with various exciting boss fights against Majima.
However, being the two most prominent characters in the franchise, their relationship and rivalry grow greatly throughout the franchise, to the point where now they both have a deep respect for one another even despite their vast differences. In a franchise filled to the brim with both emotional central storytelling and wildly chaotic side-content, this duo almost acts like a perfect representation of the greatest strengths of Yakuza as a whole.
5
Scorpion and Sub-Zero
Fighting games are home to countless memorable and iconic duos, as prominent archetypes battling against each other is always going to lead to rivalries and iconic pairings to face off. Few fighting game duos come close to the iconic growth and depth of Scorpion and Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat, who have had just about every different dynamic possible over the years, from mortal enemies to the best of friends. With a deep-rooted history of betrayal in their pasts, it simply isn’t a Mortal Kombat game without these two colorful ninjas going for each other’s throats at one point.
Even though they are not even the primary protagonists of the franchise, Scorpion and Sub-Zero continue to be the icons of the entire franchise, with their rivalry being at the heart of the carnage and bloodshed of the entire franchise. As the franchise evolved past simple blood and guts and added intricate story modes, the characters themselves became that much more compelling as their rivalry and bond evolved beyond simply being the original two ninja characters.
4
Joel and Ellie
No video game duo more aptly symbolizes the evolution and growth of storytelling in video games quite like Joel Miller and Ellie Williams in The Last of Us, a duo of lost souls who manage to bring the humanity out in one another during the painful despair of the post-apocalypse. It’s this beautiful story of fulfilling roles lost in their lives, with Joel getting to be a father again after losing his daughter at the beginning of the outbreak, while Ellie gets to have a real, impactful parental figure in her life for the first time.
The cinematic video game reaches its greatest emotional highs thanks to the dynamic and growth of this iconic duo, as they grow from being annoyed with each other at the beginning to being a real co-dependent pair by its end, fighting for each other’s lives, even if it means destroying everything. They might just be the greatest duo that modern gaming has provided, being the forefront of cinematic storytelling in video games.
3
Sonic and Tails
One of gaming’s most timeless friendships and some of the most iconic video game characters of all time, Sonic the Hedgehog and his best friend Tails are a duo whose iconic status arguably goes well beyond the video game industry as a whole. They’re a duo that is synonymous with the very culture of gaming in the ’90s, at the forefront of some of the greatest platformers of a generation and the unmistakable mascots of SEGA at their height as a gaming company.
It may seem silly to give such high praise to a talking blue hedgehog and his flying yellow fox friend, but this cartoon absurdism is at the heart of exactly what made gaming so fun and creative for gamers of the era. Through countless memorable games, they have stayed the best of friends, rarely leaving each other’s sides and fighting for what they believe is right. Gaming simply wouldn’t be the same without the influence of this iconic duo.
2
Ryu and Ken
One of the simplest ways for a fighting video game to pad out and add more playable characters in its roster is to have a “clone character” that mirrors a lot of elements of an already existing fighter, but with slight changes to make them their own character. The very notion and existence of clone characters as an archetype can be traced back to the popularity of Ryu and Ken, the kung-fu masters who act as the face of the Street Fighter franchise.
Their friendly rivalry and love of sparring with one another have made them the perfect pair for fighting games as a whole, made all the more important that their classic fighting game archetype, the shoto, came into popularity thanks to them. Nearly every other fighting game rivalry has some influence that traces back to the dynamic of Ryu and Ken, whose friendship and dynamic has grown across the series as one of gaming’s greatest duos.
1
Mario and Luigi
When the very concept of the greatest duos in video games is brought up, it’s impossible to perceive any other duo that would take the top spot that isn’t Mario and Luigi, the legendary brothers that have still been the face of video games as a medium since their debut in the early ’80s. The aptly titled Super Mario Bros. are exactly what one would want out of a video game duo, having similarities yet distinct differences from one another in terms of gameplay and personality, as well as complementing each other’s greatest attributes.
While many of the early titles simply had them separately playable, with Luigi being the face of player 2 in gaming, their energy as a pair is at its best in various spinoff games, such as the Mario & Luigi series and the various Mario Sports games. Mario’s charming, always ready attitude complements Luigi’s scaredy-cat personality perfectly, as this duo continues to find new ways to delight with each entry in this gargantuan franchise. No other video game duo comes close to the levels of timelessness and stature that these brothers have been upholding for decades.
Super Mario Bros. 3
- Released
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October 23, 1988
- ESRB
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E For Everyone
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo R&D4
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
- Multiplayer
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Local Multiplayer
- Franchise
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Super Mario
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