The 10 greatest male video game heroes of all-time – Reader’s Feature

A reader offers up his own personal list of the best male protagonists in gaming, from Super Mario to Resident Evil’s Leon S. Kennedy.

Video game characters are often discussed in terms of which is the best, most iconic, most memorable, and most favoured.

They range from characters who have appeared in only one title (Arthur Morgan) or legendary characters such as Samus Aran and Marcus Fenix, who have their own established franchises.

I’d like to take this time to list my own 10 favourite male gaming characters. I will list my favourite female characters in a future feature.

10. Mario

Super Mario

The face of Nintendo itself. A plumber with a moustache and an unmatchable presence. Mario is without a shadow of a doubt the greatest and bravest plumber who ever lived and a bona fide legend of gaming.

9. Jin Sakai

Ghost Of Tsushima

One title to his name and what a beautiful story it was. Trained as a samurai and a journey to becoming the first shinobi. To visit his grave in Ghost Of Yōtei and claim his mask as Atsu was truly a heartwarming moment.

8. Nathan Drake

Uncharted

The character that I can relate to more than anyone on my list. I truly adore Nathan as a protagonist. Endless charisma and impeccable charm. A testament to the genius of Naughty Dog and a perfect series of performances by Nolan North. Nate is truly a special character.

7. Cloud Strife

Final Fantasy 7

It will be 30 years since his debut in 2027 and his presence still remains legendary. With a giant sword and spiky hair, Cloud remains a fantastic character and it’ll be a boon to see the third title in the remake trilogy and the continuation of Cloud’s journey

6. Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Assassin’s Creed 2

The man who remains untouched in Ubisoft’s long-running series. Charismatic, skilled and loyal to no end. Ezio will always remain the best of them all.

5. Leon S. Kennedy

Resident Evil

Where’s everyone going? Bingo? How could I not include my favourite Resident Evil character on my list? The master of one-liners and a guy who always puts others ahead of himself. Leon is the definition of a role model. Ada is a lucky woman indeed.

4. Master Chief

Halo

Prominently known as John 117. The single most badass soldier who ever lived and the face of the original generation of Xbox. Chief is the embodiment of a super warrior and it’ll be amazing to see his debut on PlayStation 5 this year.

3. Solid Snake

Metal Gear

Kept you waiting, huh? The greatest stealth protagonist of all time. The perfect weapon and a marvel at going prone. Snake is certainly an example to follow and is the reason why we have stealth focused characters such as Sam Fisher, Ezio, and Corvo Attano. He truly began it all.

2. Link

The Legend Of Zelda

A hero without fail. A perfect knight in shining armour. Link is yet another Nintendo legend and if it wasn’t for his continuing heroics, Zelda would have been long dead. He’s truly a perfect fighter and more than deserving to be on my list.

1. Kratos

God Of War

The epitome of character development and personal growth. A warrior. A father. A champion. Kratos’s journey is one of exceptional writing and a truly memorable story. From a vengeful killer without equal and a revenge tale spanning an entire journey to a hardened father, raising Atreus through a harsh and brutal Norse world.

To see where he began from and where we left him it’s, in my opinion, the best written character ever in gaming and my personal favourite male character. I could have given Arthur Morgan that honour, but I’ve yet to play through Red Dead Redemption 2 and for now I’ll say that Kratos is my all-time guy in gaming.

I cannot wait for the next evolution of his story and that will be the remake trilogy. I can’t wait to return to Greece and take vengeance once more on the pantheon.

By reader Shahzaib Sadiq

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot.

Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.

MORE: What I want from Resident Evil 10 after playing Requiem – Reader’s Feature

MORE: How Pokopia finally made me a Pokémon fan on Switch 2 – Reader’s Feature

MORE: The 5 retro video games that have aged the best – Reader’s Feature