StriderShinryu said:
Other than Hiryu, I have to say Ryu from Street Fighter. His relatively simple story just resonates so completely with the entire genre of games he stars in that he just feels pretty much perfect.
I think a lot of SF's character designs are mini masterpieces, and Ryu's an obvious example. Gouki (I hate calling him Akuma) also counts, in terms of the simplicity of his design and how that and his moveset ties in to his character's brutal nature.
My picks (impossible to choose one)?
Zoey from L4D - again, another nod to simple and effective characterisation within a game, where you learn about who she is through context- environmental reactions and how she interacts with the rest of the team. There's more depth and range to L4D's cast than most games that are apparently more focused on narrative.
Red Dead Redemption's
John Marston - gaming's in desperate need of more characters like that. Brilliantly written and performed, he was an immensely sympathetic window into Red Dead's harsh, dualistic world of nature vs nurture. Didn't always agree with his choices, or even like them or him, but I cared deeply about him from start to finish.
The Boss from Saints Row IV, especially Laura Bailey's version. That game treats the Boss in a similar way Firefly treated Mal Reynolds; generally a subject of mockery (from companions and villains alike) - but when push comes to shove, they can throw down harder than anyone else.
Elizabeth from BioShock Infinite - in a way she's inseparable from Booker, and vice versa. There are some incongruous moments of lockpicking pride after deeply traumatic scenes, but otherwise she remains one of the most memorably believable and relatable characters I've seen in gaming. From the script, to the voice work, Elizabeth and Booker made the game enjoyable just to
experience, moment to moment (even if the gameplay kinda completely sucked).
Special mention goes to
Starkiller from The Force Unleashed, a character who initially seems to be - and looks like - a bit of a blank slate, he ends up a superbly sympathetic and likable antihero (whose character arc works brilliantly).
Oh, and y'know what? I've not played the game for absolutely years and I could only stomach one full playthrough, but
Kaim from Lost Odyssey is actually impressively layered (especially for a JRPG protagonist with daft hair/armour). The amnesiac hero isn't exactly new for JRPG's, but LO deals with it with admirable seriousness and depth (er, 90% of the time). The dream stories were a fantastic idea.
