One of the most notable changes in the gaming industry over the last few decades has been the improvements in storytelling. Scripts, animation, and voice acting are all significantly better than they used to be, thanks to the increased budget and better technology that developers have at their disposal today.
Despite the impact that voice-acted stories are having on the gaming industry right now, some of the most iconic gaming characters in history never say a word. Although this may make them sound dull, their developers did a tremendous job of breathing life into these characters with their expressive movements, over-the-top facial expressions, and powerful demeanor. These characters may not speak, but their charisma is clear to see.
5 Claude
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
It may surprise younger audiences to know that there was once a Grand Theft Auto game with a voiceless protagonist. Voiced cutscenes play a huge part in Rockstar games like Grand Theft Auto 4, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Red Dead Redemption 2, so Claude's silence in Grand Theft Auto 3 will be jarring to many people who revisit the classic open-world game.
Claude's silence adds to his character, as his silent dive into the criminal underworld of Liberty City is enthralling in many ways, as it's as if the trauma that he faces at the start of the story has left him with nothing but a determination for revenge.
Grand Theft Auto 3 was released in 2001 and was ahead of its time with its impressive open world. The game is credited today as being one of the pioneers of modern open-world gaming, a style of game that is dominating the tops of sales charts currently.
4 Kirby
The pink ball of charisma Kirby first appeared in Kirby's Dream Land on the Game Boy Color in 1992. The platformer has been an ever-present figure on Nintendo consoles since then, with notable releases including Kirby Super Star Ultra, Kirby's Return to Dream Land, and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. Kirby has never quite reached the popularity heights of Mario or Sonic but is still a recognizable name and face all around the world, largely thanks to the hero's natural charisma that is constantly on display.
Kirby's most recent platforming adventure, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, was released in March 2022 and received a warm reception from fans and critics, exemplified by its 85 critic score and 8.8 user score on Metacritic.
3 Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot first burst onto the gaming scene in 1996 on the PlayStation 1. Naughty Dog's platforming hero was created with the intention of competing with Nintendo's Mario and Sega's Sonic, though he has never quite been able to reach such heights. Still, Crash Bandicoot is a high recognizable character amongst gamers and is beloved for starring in some of the best linear platformers of all time, along with arguably the best kart racer of all time.
Crash Bandicoot's over-the-top facial expressions and body movements make him an easy choice for this list. The orange marsupial manages to entertain players even in failure with his hilarious death animations and when players have put the controller down entirely with his idle animations that were particularly great in Crash Bandicoot: Warped. The platforming hero recently made a grand return in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, where his charisma was at the heart of the game's memorable cutscenes.
Crash Bandicoot does speak once at the very end of Crash of the Titans, where he shouts "pancakes," but considering how different the gameplay and character designs were, it's not too much of a stretch to say the game isn't canon at this point.
2 Sparrow
Lionhead Studios' Fable 2 was released in October 2008 exclusively on the Xbox 360. The game was a big hit with critics, exemplified by its 89 Metascore. Along with its encapsulating world design, enjoyable gameplay, and wide variety of side-tasks for players to partake in, the game was critically-acclaimed for its morality system.
Fable 2 has a clearly defined morality system where players can be good as gold or evil as sin. The player's morality not only impacts missions but also how the world's civilians view and react to the player. Regardless of what path players choose, the protagonist, Sparrow, oozes charisma, much like the game itself.
Fans of the Fable series are in luck, as a new entry in the franchise is currently in the works.
1 Link
Link is one of the most recognizable video game characters in the world. This is largely due to him having appeared in some of the greatest gaming adventures of all time, from A Link to the Past to Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild.
Of all the many versions of Link, his most charismatic appearance is undoubtedly his one in The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. Link's facial expressions and movements often tell a whole story in the game, and he frequently seems to be frustrated, annoyed, or even sassy during the adventure. It's like he's fed up with it all after the first hour, which really adds to the game's humor. Link's charisma injects a ton of life into the game, making his Wind Waker form many people's favorite.