Characters, characters, characters…
They’re quite fun to role-play as.
They’re fun to relate to and self-insert as. We all look for different things in our favorite characters.
Today, I’ll be going over my favorite characters in anime and video games, as a means to correlate why I enjoy them so much.
Firstly, I’d like to make a note that I’ve pretty much always self-inserted into the main protagonist of various series I like.
I love characters that are chosen heroes, destined leaders, idealistic, moral compass heavy, have a strong sense of justice and determination to do the right thing, rise to their dreams and goals, inspire others, and kill God with the power of love and friendship!
I dream of going on an adventure with my friends, and Twitter has sorta given me an opportunity to role-play into that persona of going on a journey to clear a gaming backlog with friends. It’s like a journey within multiple journeys. Adventure-inception, over here.
If I feel like I can’t relate to the main character, or otherwise, if I simply love a side character more, I’ll definitely mention it. It’s rare, but it’s happened a few times.
I’ve always been compared to the “poster boy” or “the face” of a series. When competing in Tekken, I had issues choosing anyone other than the Mishima characters, because they were the face of Tekken, and I ended up maining Heihachi at first and Jin later. Same with Scorpion in Mortal Kombat, and Ryu in Street Fighter. These are characters I’m naturally drawn to, even if I have secondary back-up characters I like, such as Law/Bob, Liu Kang/Kung Lao, and Ken.
Wolverine has been my favorite superhero for years, and one could argue that he’s the face of the X-Men. Meanwhile, Spider-Man and Captain America are others who I adore, who sort of lead the Avengers, and Marvel as a whole as well.
But enough with my side banters, let’s get cracking on my favorite characters and archetypes.
My favorite, overall archetype, is the main JRPG protagonist with a sword. This trope is guaranteed to work 80% of the time, and has provided me with MANY characters.
If the character doesn’t main a sword, then I usually look for a character that uses a baseball bat, a pipe, a hammer, an axe, a club, a bo staff, or even their fists (gloves, claws, nunchucks).
I am big on the heroic swordsman trope, but also grew up on Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li, and can appreciate the martial artist or ninja characters as well. In fact, I’ve always loved. them.
My favorite movies are The Princess Bride, The Last Dragon, and The Forbidden Kingdom, after all.
So, without further ado, let me show off the characters that make me, me.
1.) Link
My favorite video game of all time is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I knew that I wanted Link to be the number one character to represent me as a whole. When it comes to video games, I wouldn’t be anywhere without this hero.
He’s sorta a mixed bag of everything, though.
He’s very hard to place in a specific archetype.
It’s hard to pinpoint if he’s a fighter, a champion, a rogue, a ranger, a knight, or a bard. This has definitely caused me some confusion on where exactly to place myself when it comes to my class archetype, but thanks to other characters on this list that pair well with Link, I would say the “hero swordsman” is where I found my footing.
I love you, Link… thanks for giving me my start!
2.) Naruto
Uzumaki Naruto from Naruto has been a reoccurring character in my life. I often get compared to Naruto for being a high-energy, friend-loving, adventurous type of guy.
I first got into Naruto in 5th grade, when I was 10 years old. I brought volume 1 of the manga to school and got into trouble because one of the pages depicted Naruto in his “sexy jutsu” form.
Naruto stuck with me for around 15 years of my life, and the final chapter (700) came out when I was in 5th period English class in 12th grade.
I thank the series for making me passionate for idealistic heroes, friendships, and for being there through my entire school life.
Naruto reminds me of my mother, who loves it too. She introduced it to me, and got me into manga. She always provided me with the manga, the tv anime series, anime clothing, and those magazines where I’d be able to memorize all the jutsu hand signs.
I will always have a spot in my heart for Naruto and it’s really all because of my mom.
3.) Rock Lee
I mentioned before how I love Bruce Lee.
Where would martial arts be without him?
With popular Japanese media comes Bruce Lee nods and clones. One of those, is Rock Lee.
I told my mom in 6th grade that Rock Lee was my favorite character, and she bought me an action figure that had his bandages coming loose. It was so cool. I wish I still had that.
Still, 6th grade is probably around that same time when Rock Lee showed the anime world that he was the best character in Naruto period.
I love that Rock Lee can show everyone he’s still a brilliant ninja despite not being able to use magical techniques and is only locked to physical attacks.
I love Rock Lee. I love Naruto. I have both of their exclusive Funko Pops.
4.) Trunks
Aside from Naruto, there’s another anime/manga series that I had the pleasure of watching growing up. That was Dragon Ball Z.
I’m extremely thankful for this series and everything its done for me.
While my favorite character in Dragon Ball history is Gogeta, I’m happy to say that my character for DBZ is actually Trunks.
Trunks is loveable, caring, strong, badass, and he even travels through time and uses a sword — much like a couple other guys on my list.
Some runner-ups for my DBZ characters are Goku, Kid Goku, Gotenks, and Gohan. But nobody can touch Future Trunks during the Cell/Android arc when he came through and busted mecha-Frieza up with that sword.
Trunks is absolutely beast.
5.) The Luminary
The heroes from the Dragon Quest series all come in different designs, but they all use a sword, and are important to the story in some way.
In 2020, I played Dragon Quest XI and was inspired to go on a full-on JRPG journey, adding this and that to my backlog just to try.
I fell in love immediately with Dragon Quest, and want to play all of them some day.
Dragon Quest XI means just about as much to me as Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess do.
When I was thinking about what type of characters I like and wish I was, the Luminary easily comes to my mind.
I was @VohrisTheLuminary on Twitter for some time, after all.
I am the hero; and it all started with Zelda and Dragon Quest!
6.) Ichiban Kasuga
Pretty much right after I decided I liked hero/protagonist characters and started making “Vohris” align with the path of good, I found the Yakuza series.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Kiryu and I don’t know what I’d do without him, but if we’re talking about Yakuza as a series, then there’s no better character for me than Ichiban.
Ichiban makes Like a Dragon for me. He is pure joy, pure fun. He’s the type of character I see myself as, who I want to be.
You best bet that when I get around to finishing Like a Dragon, I’m slapping the Hero Class on him and heading on out!
Thank you for being everything I’ve ever wanted in a character…
7.) Sora
You know, I never got to finish Kingdom Hearts.
I plan to eventually start over and go through the series.
However, I did manage to get through to the last level before I lost my save file, and one thing above all stuck with me…
One single phrase…
My friends are my power.
I think that’s when I really knew that, out of all these characters in Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Final Mix, Sora was my favorite one.
8.) Crono
I played Chrono Trigger last year.
Once I got into JRPG, that was one of the immediate games shoved in my face.
Play this, play this, play this.
I’m very behind on games in general, so I’m here thinking that everyone has already played this beloved classic. Everyone has already played Chrono Trigger but me.
Turns out, that’s not actually true. But, I’m glad I went and paid respects to the father of RPGs, the one who pits my love of Dragon Quest and Dragon Ball Z together into one of the greatest and most adventurous classic games of all time.
It’s earned its praise.
Early on, I definitely had issues deciding on whether Crono or Frog fit me the most.
On one hand, Frog was a magic knight who was strong, brave, noble, and had a magnificent backstory. In a way, Frog is like the main character of Chrono Trigger, and he has such a great sense of justice.
But in the end, I settled with Crono himself. The life of the party, the main character fighting while surrounded by his friends, turning a once-known enemy into an ally…
Yeah, Crono fits my vibe so well.
Play Chrono Trigger!
9.) Tidus
Final Fantasy X. What a game.
At first, I really didn’t jive with it. I played it just for the story, and it really crushed me. First time I really ever cried to a video game.
It’s fucking sad, man.
I played it last year for the first time, and I’m glad nobody told me what was coming.
Originally, I wanted to play the game for Auron.
Auron is amazing. He’s such a bad ass character. Really he is.
But he’s so unlike me… and here’s Tidus, just being this happy, oblivious, care free swordsman…
I hated Tidus at first, but now I’m almost tempted to replay the game just for him alone.
Final Fantasy X is crazy beautiful. I will definitely replay it some day and main Tidus all the way.
10.) Noctis
Final Fantasy XV is a game I didn’t play. I own the Windows Edition on Steam, and I think the buttons are unresponsive or something.
However, I played it long enough to get my ass torn between two characters… Noctis and Prompto.
As much as I wish I was as hot and bad ass as Gladio is, he’s just not my fit. Love him. Glad to have him. But Noctis just reminds me of me so much, and Prompto is like me if I’m trying to be a bro to someone else.
I’m not always the “main character”, and sometimes I gotta be the side homie in someone else’s life and that’s okay…
That’s when I bust out and sing the victory fanfare with my best buds.
But overall, I love Noctis. He’s a cool character to play as.
11.) Randi
Randi is the main character of Secret of Mana.
I still need to finish it, but I really think he fits my vibe well.
I think the game’s really cool, and I like how there’s only three party members.
But of those three, I definitely only see myself as one.
Love the dude!
12.) Nier (Brother)
Another game I haven’t been able to finish yet is NieR Replicant.
I beat NieR Automata in 2020 and absolutely loved it, but A2 was actually my favorite character in that game. I loved 2B and 9S as well, though, and would probably say that 9S is my character in that.
However, I did play some of NieR Replicant long enough to learn that brother Nier is my favorite.
One-handed swords and action are sooo my thing, and the fact that Nier is an older brother is great for me.
He fits my vibe, if you will.
13.) Metal Bat
Speaking of older brothers.
You would think Saitama is my favorite character in One Punch Man, and he was for the first few chapters, and is my second favorite, but when the series debuted this lovable hard-hitting bad ass brother character, Metal Bat, I immediately fell in love.
I love that he uses an unbreakable metal bat, dresses like a delinquent, loves his younger sister, and is just amazing.
What an amazing character. He easily fits me like a glove.
I love Meta Bat!
Best character in One Punch Man. Period.
14.) Leon S. Kennedy
Leon is my overall character for Resident Evil.
While I love Ethan, Jill, Rebecca, and Chris, I am a massive fan of Leon.
Leon is sassy, cool, and a beast.
I think he’s a great hero, without having to be too over the top.
Ethan is a good runner up for me, too.
15.) Mario
It should be no real surprise that Mario is my favorite Mario character.
Sorry Luigi fans, while I do love him too, Mario takes the cake for me.
He’s the older brother, the main protagonist, and face of the Super Mario series, and Nintendo as a whole. And he even loves the color red — which is my favorite color!
Mario uses his fists and jumps to attack, but also gains access to a hammer as well.
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, I only level up Mario’s attack, and Luigi’s defense, as to make a SWORD and SHIELD like vibe.
It’s a cool thing I’ve done to represent me!
In Mario Kart, I like to race as Mario, Metal Mario, and Link.
Before I retired, Mario was my main in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate due to his ease-of-use and tournament viability.
16.) Sword Kirby
SWORD KIRBY!!!
17.) Meta Knight
My main in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as well as my first main in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U before his nerf, I fell in love with Meta Knight’s power and design.
I didn’t know that he was originally a villain turned good by the help of Kirby, but I love how cool he is.
His up airs to up b finishers made me take a liking to people like Abadango in Smash 4 before Mewtwo came out.
https://youtu.be/Qa2f2IL7Us8
Meta Knight will always have a special place in my heart.
Sword Kirby all the way, though!
18.) Jin Sakai
Relative newcomer Jin Sakai stole my heart in 2020 with Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima.
I absolutely adored the game and actually want to replay it soon and get the platinum at some point.
I love that he did what he had to do in order to save his home, even if it meant abandoning his traditions.
Fucking love Jin man.
19.) Isaac
I plan to play Golden Sun soon. I just love his design and think he suits me better than the others do, like say, Garret, for example.
20.) Marth
Marth is my main in Melee, after many years of debating on him, Falco, Fox, or Sheik.
I decided that if I were ever to touch that game again, I’d just use Marth.
Marth is the most fun character in Melee and PM period. He’s stylish, graceful, elegant and has the best combo to combo-finishers in any Smash.
https://youtu.be/OR1pNBmT7NM
Outside of Smash, and more into Fire Emblem, I like his “Lord” class, and his design and sword (he even uses a shield in some official art!)
Overall, Marth fits me better than Ike.
20.) Lucina
Lucina is like Marth but probably better in Ultimate. She was a secondary I used, and I could never get her “Ken Combo” timing down.
I plan to play Fire Emblem Awakening just so I can relate more to the character.
But thanks to Smash, I absolutely love using her.
21.) Gran
Granblue Fantasy Versus might be the most beautiful and fun traditional 2D fighter I’ve played.
It’s easy to pick up and play, has great art, and even has a story attached to it.
The main character of Granblue is, of course, Gran.
He’s like a really good mix of Marth and Link.
His smile is big and attractive, his armor is medium, and he even has a spin attack move!
When I learned that he had a spin attack move, I didn’t even bother using anyone else in the game. In fact, I don’t know any other characters… I’m serious.
I’m looking forward to the official Granblue JRPG coming soon!
22.) Alucard
I watched the Castlevania series on Netflix and absolutely loved it.
At first I thought Trevor was more my style, I really did.
Then, I played Castlevania: Syphony of the Night…
Boy was I wrong.
This game made me fall in love with Alucard’s aesthetic immediately.
As soon as I paused the game and learned he came equipped with a sword and shield, it was love at first sight.
Castlevania games are gorgeous, and Alucard is dope as fuck.
I just wish Konami didn’t suck so badly…
23.) Rean Schwarzer
Rean is the main character from Trails of Cold Steel.
I’ve put nearly 30 hours into the game, and while I love Jusis and Machias, I’ll have to take the obvious pick.
While it’s surely a game full of horny teenagers in a military academy, I can for sure say that the best one is definitely Rean.
24.) Samonosuke
One of the games that pulled me back into gaming in late 2019 was Onimusha Warlords. I played it on PS4 and loved it.
I sat through the whole thing without a guide and enjoyed every waking minute of it.
I think Samonosuke is a dope ass protagonist and I love the ending of the game so much.
Final boss was a bitch, though.
25.) Stocke
Have you played Radiant Historia?
Well, I haven’t.
But you can be damn sure the reason I’m even interested is Stocke.
Look how perfect he looks.
Look at him
26.) Serenoa Wolffort
Someone should dare say to me, “Jeremy, ya can’t just get into a video game series because you think you’re automatically the main character.” But to that I say, “Don’t care + wasn’t listening + ratio.”
Aside from the key art, gorgeous HD 2D textures, and Tactics-esque gameplay, the main reason I was interested in Triangle Strategy was, of course, Serenoa.
Now, he could end up being an asshole bitch by the end of the game, who’s to say…
But the protagonists alone get me excited and interested in these games.
27.) Clive Rosfield
Same reason.
Seeing a trend are we?
Plus he’s hot.
28.) Ryo Hazuki
Man, I fucking love Shenmue.
I played it for 22 hours straight, for the very first time, in 2021.
Had an absolute blast with it.
Ryo is my character, I don’t give a shit what anyone says.
So what if he’s not a swordsman. Dude saves cats, helps old women, and punches bad guys.
Let’s get Shenmue 4!
29.) Dart
I haven’t played The Legend of Dragoon yet.
I definitely need to.
Originally, I thought Dart used a greatsword, something that doesn’t quite necessarily fit my style (unless it’s Cloud Strife), but recently I learned that it is, indeed, a one-handed blade.
Now I’m twice as excited to play.
30.) Kenichi
Alright, alright. Last one.
I could keep you guys here all night with 300 or so main protagonist/swordsman and martial artists.
But I just wanna plug Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple real quick.
This anime had me HOOKED one summer and I binged the shit out of it.
Kenichi is definitely a character I absolutely love. It’s like a pipe dream to go from awkward, bullied casual, to getting trained by several elite martial arts masters and scoring the hot babe.
What a godlike anime.
Well, these are the MAJORITY of characters I see myself as and relate to.
I’m sure you could probably spot me in a crowd of anime characters now if you tried!
That was just what I wanted, was for someone to read this and get a better understanding of who I am and what I’m coming from.
I hope to see more gorgeous swordsmen, martial artists, and shinobi characters get added to Japanese games in the future!
Love you all! Thanks so much for reading.
Let me know what characters you bond with!
