Video games are one of the best mediums out there because it allows developers to be more creative with their characters and worlds. Movies and TV have come a long way since the silent era but there is still only so much CG can do to immerse fans. Games are different in that their evolution of capabilities has skyrocketed.

RELATED: Video Game Characters Who Got Way Too Cruel Endings

For example, it’s easier to create wild costumes for characters in a game that look more natural than they would in live-action media. Still, fans want to try and recreate these styles with cosplay. They want to dress up as their favorite characters from games, anime, and so on. Of the thousands of characters throughout gaming history, there are some who practically ooze suaveness.

8 Vincent Valentine

Vincent Valentine from Final Fantasy 7

Vincent Valentine might be one of the coolest characters in the entire Final Fantasy series. He was a side character in Final Fantasy 7 and did not say much. Still, that didn’t stop him from becoming a fan favorite due to his gothic attire.

He’s a vampire mashed up with a cyborg and a werewolf of several different varieties. Of all the main cast in that game, he’s the only one that got a spinoff title via Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy 7. Zack got one as well but he technically wasn’t a main character.

7 Zero

Zero from Mega Man X

Zero made his debut in Mega Man X which was like a soft reboot of the series. This version of Mega Man, X, was cooler as well and his upgrades weren’t limited to boss weapons. He could get armor pieces and even upgrade his health.

As cool as X was though, he didn’t hold a candle to Zero. The entrance he makes in the game is still a hype moment thanks to Zero’s killer theme song. Eventually, he would become a playable character in the sequels; much to the delight of fans.

6 Revolver Ocelot

Revolver Ocelot from Metal Gear Solid 3

Revolver Ocelot is the ultimate bad guy in the Metal Gear Solid franchise. He’s one of the few characters that appear in most of the games. He’s a confident gunslinger of the modern age even after getting his hand chopped off.

RELATED: Video Game Characters Who Have Died Multiple Times

Perhaps the coolest version of him is when he is still a rookie in Snake Eater. He is a bit of a goofball in there as well but it’s hard not to love a character that meows like a cat and still manages to kick butt.

5 Kazuma Kiryu

Kazuma Kiryu from Yakuza

Kazuma Kiryu began his life as a thug in the Yakuza series. Even though he worked for a crime family that didn’t stop him from being a gentleman to the ladies and a man of honor. If Kazuma arrives on the scene of a fight, it’s a safe bet he’s going to walk away as the victor.

His stoic nature also makes it fun to put him in odd situations such as making him the father of a chicken mascot. This iconic series would be nothing without this cool cucumber of a brawler.

4 Dante

Dante from Devil May Cry 5

Dante, specifically the original version from Devil May Cry, is one of the best characters that Capcom ever created. He’s a wise-cracking detective demon hunter that knows his way around blades, guns, and words.

Sometimes, the latter of those things gets him in trouble, but again, this demon hunter knows how to fight. It’s hard to pick an era of Dante that is the best between his teen years and his silver fox years. Dante and the Devil May Cry series as a whole helped to redefine the action game genre.

3 Master Chief

Master Chief from Halo 3

Master Chief is a man of little words just like Vincent Valentine. As quiet as he is, however, everyone in the Halo universe respects him. It’s easy to see why as he is the closest thing that humans have ever had to a demi-god.

RELATED: Characters In Video Game Franchises That Went Through Subtle Changes

He’s a towering giant and has incredibly thick armor. He’s the definition of a super soldier who cannot die no matter how grave the situations he finds himself in are. Master Chief is right up there with Mario as far as recognizable video game characters go for the general public.

2 Sojiro Sakura

Sojiro Sakura from Persona 5

Persona 5 is one of the slickest RPGs on the market and this is true years after its debut. The music, combat, and menus all ooze with personality. The cast is a likable one as well, but the coolest character in the game isn’t playable.

Sojiro Sakura served as the player’s foster father. He’s cold at first but eventually warms up to the main character by offering him more opportunities from making coffee to cooking. He might be one of the coolest dads in all of gaming history thanks to his style and kind words of wisdom.

1 Johnny Silverhand

Johnny Silverhand from Cyberpunk 2077

Johnny Silverhand might only be cool because he is played by Keanu Reeves. That is a man that personifies cool in Hollywood and is generally a great guy even after many years in the spotlight. That’s part of the appeal of this character but there is much more to it.

Master Chief has Cortana and the cyber samurai of Cyberpunk 2077 has the ghost of Johnny Silverhand haunting their body via technology. Players even get to play as him briefly in a flashback. It’s safe to say that fans of this game would love to embody Johnny again in either a DLC expansion or a prequel game.

MORE: Best Video Game Characters of 2021