When side characters are better written than the heroes.
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00:00So when you're talking about complex video game characters, all of the love tends to go
00:04towards the protagonist. However, a good story rarely only includes one character.
00:08And just like Robin 2, you're Batman, NPCs, short for non-player characters,
00:12rarely get the love that they deserve. So let's take a look at them today,
00:16as I'm Jules, this is WhatCulture.com, and these are the 10 most complex NPCs in video games.
00:2210. The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim Cicero
00:25Found alongside his broken-down cart just north of Whiterun, Cicero is dressed as a jester,
00:31transporting the remains of his mother. Upon first meeting, all seems relatively normal,
00:36if maybe a little eccentric, as Cicero asks you to speak to a nearby farmer to help get his cart back
00:41up and running so that he can bury his mother in a new crypt. If the player chooses to steer clear of
00:47the Dark Brotherhood, this will be the extent of your interacting with old Cicero here, and it will
00:51be a little more than just a weird encounter. However, if you join the Dark Brotherhood or choose
00:55to take them down, you will gain access to the Sanctuary and, with that, Cicero's journals.
01:01Chronicled Within is the story of another Sanctuary and the death of its head listener.
01:04It becomes apparent upon reading that Cicero has well and truly gone mad following his final kill,
01:09from whom the assassin adopted various personality traits from, as well as his appearance.
01:14The eccentric killer appointed himself the Keeper of the Night Mother and decided to transport her
01:19to Skyrim, which explains the encounter with him near Whiterun. It's deliciously mad in all the
01:24right ways. 9. Persona 5 – Sujiro Sakura
01:28Initially cold and somewhat authoritarian, this ladies' man eventually becomes one of the most
01:33intriguing characters in all of Persona 5. Following the arrival of your player character
01:37in Tokyo after a mysterious event gets you in trouble back in your hometown, Sakura takes you in
01:42to live in the loft above his coffee shop. At first, the smooth-talking character comes across as
01:47somewhat of a bit of a jerk, as he keeps treating you with caution due to your previous troubles.
01:52However, as the story unfolds and he begins to place more and more trust in you, his paternal
01:56qualities emerge, and he becomes a genuine guardian to the merry band of phantom thieves
02:01that hang out in his coffee shop. He also has some demons of his own, as he blames himself for the
02:06death of his one true love and mother to his adoptive daughter. He seeks your help in persuading his
02:10daughter to leave the house, during which you learn more about him, as well as the truth behind his love's
02:15death. This leads to some genuine character development that results in him becoming one of the most
02:20complex and memorable characters in all of Persona 5. And trust me, that's an already stacked roster.
02:258. Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater – The Boss
02:29Initially set up as the main antagonist to Naked Snake, the boss turns out to be so much more complex
02:34than the defector that she's first painted out to be. Snake's former mentor and mother figure turned her
02:39back on the US to instead serve the Soviet Union alongside her band of merry misfits,
02:44the Cobra Unit, and human lightning rod, Colonel Volgen. Following the final battle, where she's
02:49defeated by Snake, it's revealed that her mission was actually to infiltrate the Soviet Union in order
02:54to obtain the Philosopher's legacy from the Colonel. It was a surprise that most didn't see coming at the
02:59time, and painted the boss as a character willing to sacrifice herself to avoid conflict between the
03:03United States and the Soviet Union. With a number of complex characters in the Metal Gear series,
03:08it's tough to stand out from the crowd. However, the boss is a complex character without requiring
03:13any over-the-top gimmicks to make her interesting. She was a strong female leader that was willing to
03:18be labelled a defector to her country in order to save it from war. And if that's not true patriotism,
03:24then I don't know what is.
03:257. Bioshock Infinite – Elizabeth
03:28Imprisoned in the floating city of Columbia, Elizabeth looks to be the classic damsel in distress
03:33before you then realise that she in fact possesses a great deal of power.
03:37The so-called Lamb of Columbia has the ability to create holes in space and time and even travel
03:42through them, which ultimately resulted in her presence in the floating city of Columbia.
03:47Once rescued from her prison on Monument Island, Elizabeth will accompany you on your adventures
03:51throughout Columbia, often gazing in childlike wonder at parts of the world that she's been
03:55excluded from all of these years. The way that she comments on the game's world often provides
04:00another layer of context that's usually in stark contrast to that of protagonist Booker
04:04DeWitt. In the Burial at Sea DLC for Bioshock Infinite, her abilities and story are explored
04:09further, giving an even deeper insight into her character and her relationship with Booker.
04:14Elizabeth is also pretty handy in a battle as well, as she'll use her powers to tear holes
04:18in reality, often giving the player some additional options in combat. She'll even throw you ammo,
04:23health, and salts, which are used to power your vigor abilities if she senses that you're running low.
04:276. Red Dead Redemption 2 – Dutch Vanderlind
04:31Starting out as a Robin Hood-esque outlaw with morals, Dutch begins to descend into a remorseless,
04:37narcissistic criminal throughout the course of Rockstar's Wild West epic. Corrupted by fellow
04:41antagonist Micah Bell, Dutch's descent into full-blown bad guy takes place right in front
04:46of the player and lead protagonist Arthur Morgan's eyes. A one-time mentor to Arthur, as well as first-game
04:52protagonist John Marston, the outlaw head honcho begins to unravel as his plans to leave the life
04:56behind him, are dashed at every turn. As plans go wrong and his merry band of outlaws begins to
05:02lose faith, Dutch continues to turn to more drastic and nefarious means to regain control of the group.
05:07As Dutch's actions grow more erratic throughout the story, it culminates perfectly when some of the
05:12group find themselves stranded on an island and we see his dark side reach new levels when he kills
05:16an old lady in cold blood. It's at this point that the player, as well as Arthur, realises that there's
05:21no going back now for Dutch and he must be stopped. Here, Rockstar truly delivered in
05:26showing the downfall of the once-beloved Dutch.
05:295. Fallout 4 – Nick Valentine
05:31A film noir detective in a post-apocalyptic Boston, Nick Valentine should pique your interest
05:37even before it's revealed that he's in actual fact a unique prototype synthetic human created
05:41by the Institute that managed to escape. Following his escape from the Institute, the
05:45robotic synth took up the persona of Nick Valentine and set himself up as a private detective operating out
05:51of Diamond City. Perhaps the most human character in the entire game despite being a synth,
05:56Nick often imparts insightful comments on the player's situations and actions,
06:00even displaying emotional responses to moments throughout the course of your adventures.
06:04Nick often feels less like a companion just following you around and much more like a partner
06:08that will help in your investigations to find your lost son. It's great then that Fallout 4's
06:13Far Harbour DLC features everyone's favourite trench coat and trilby hat wearing robot detective
06:17in good measure, as you assist Nick in one of his missing person cases. With a much darker tone
06:23than the main campaign, Nick's input and poetic responses to conversations really shine through
06:27and his character is a highlight in what is a standout expansion to the main game.
06:324. The Last of Us – Ellie
06:34On the surface, Ellie is just a kid growing up in a very messed up world. However, the character goes
06:39much deeper than that as she represents hope for humankind against the cordyceps virus and,
06:44at least according to the Fireflies, and will serve an important role in the survival of the
06:48entire species. Naughty Dog masterfully crafted a character that managed to chip away at the
06:52bleakness and hopelessness of The Last of Us' setting and story. Witnessing Ellie gaze in childlike
06:58wonder at a family of giraffes or get excited about finding another issue of her favourite comic book
07:02contrasts perfectly with the grave story that this game tells. Over the course of this narrative,
07:08Ellie not only gives protagonist Joel hope and moments of happiness, but she also gives that to
07:12the player. Besides being a complex character within the narrative, Ellie is also a handy
07:16companion in combat. She will look to grab enemies where possible, giving Joel a free hit as well as
07:21give the player ammo when needed. Naughty Dog explained that they wanted to create a companion
07:26that wasn't a burden and would not be blamed by players if something went wrong, and you know what?
07:30They surely succeeded with that.
07:323. Mass Effect 2 – Thane
07:34Thane is very much the quintessential anti-hero, a deadly spiritualistic assassin with a conscience that is
07:41living on borrowed time due to a terminal disease. One of the standout characters from a series that
07:45has produced so many of them, the Drell hitman has an incredible aptitude for violence and killing,
07:50yet is incredibly self-aware, often bemoaning his past actions and even going so far as to display
07:56genuine remorse. He agrees to join Commander Shepard's gang of misfits on their suicide mission
08:01against the Collectors in the hopes that he will find redemption for his past final mission.
08:05Throughout the time that Thane is part of the Normandese crew, he will slowly open up to the
08:09player before seeking his help in reconciling with his son, who is now also on a dark path
08:14of his own despite his father's attempts to steer him away. Beneath the surface, Thane is a highly
08:19complex character, showing surprising levels of emotion that belie the assassin tropes that are
08:24often displayed in video games. He is a refreshing take on the gun-for-hire character that we've seen
08:29so often in the medium, and therefore is a standout character in Mass Effect.
08:332. The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Gaunter O'Dimm
08:37The world of The Witcher contains a plethora of complex characters that would all be worthy of
08:42an entry on this list. However, none are quite as complex and memorable as the antagonist from
08:47the Hearts of Stone expansion, Gaunter O'Dimm. The so-called Master Mirror is first encountered
08:53right at the beginning of the game in White Orchard. Something seems off right from the start,
08:57although you'll need to wait to find out what that is, as this is the last that you'll see of him
09:01until the Hearts of Stone DLC. Described as evil incarnate, O'Dimm is an ominous being who will
09:07grant individuals wishes in exchange for their soul, much like the devil is known to do in folklore,
09:11leading fan theorists to speculate that O'Dimm is indeed the devil. His motivations are unclear,
09:17only adding to his mystique, although you can be sure that these motivations are rather sinister.
09:22If that's not creepy enough for you, then it's been noticed that in various cutscenes throughout
09:25the expansion's story, O'Dimm can be spotted in disguise as other characters in the background,
09:30which is rather spooky indeed.
09:321. Disco Elysium – Kim Kitsuragi
09:35Thrust in as protagonist Harry Dubois' partner as they attempt to solve a mysterious murder,
09:41Lieutenant Kim emerges as one of the best sidekicks in all of gaming by the time all is said and done
09:46on Disco Elysium's stellar story. In a game world where every character is impeccably written and
09:51has more layers than an onion, it speaks volumes that your calm and professional sidekick is the
09:56standout of the bunch. Lieutenant Kim starts the game cold and stoic, but as your investigation
10:01goes on, he opens up and displays some moments of genuine emotion and compassion. His steadfast
10:06professionalism and judgmental nature are also more than just character traits, as it becomes
10:11more of a gameplay feature as you find yourself basing your decisions on whether or not it will
10:15disappoint your rather lovable partner. Kim is an incredibly rich character that is more than just
10:21a virtual voice of reason. He loves speed metal, although we'll never admit it, and abhors pinball
10:26despite being a former pinball champion. Hats off to the developers here for crafting one of the
10:31most human characters in all of gaming.
10:33And there we go my friends, those are the 10 most complex NPCs in video games. Let me know what you
10:38thought about it down in the comments section below, as well as any other options or choices
10:42that you think I may have missed from this list, as I'd love to cover more in a future video.
10:46But if you want to chat to me further in the meantime, you can do so over on Twitter
10:49at RetroJayWithA0, or you can swing by LiveAndLet'sDice, where I do all of my streaming
10:53outside of work, and it'd be great to see you over there my friends. But before I go,
10:57I just want to say one thing. Hope you're treating yourself with love and respect my friend,
11:01because you deserve all of the best things in life, like love, happiness and success. And
11:05do not let anything or anyone else tell you otherwise, alright? We're all rather complex
11:09human beings, and all of us deserve to be kind to ourselves, alright? So big love to you
11:13my friend, now go out there and smash your life goals today. I believe in you.
11:17As always, I've been Jules, you have been awesome, never forget that, and I'll speak to you soon. Bye.