9 Cuphead (Cuphead)
Cuphead is the protagonist and namesake of the indie hit. With inspiration drawn from the rubber hose animation style popularized by Disney’s earliest cartoons, Cuphead and his brother Mugman do not need an elaborate storyline to make themselves enjoyable. Their style of animation, immersive environments, and memorable antics make Cuphead one of the best Xbox characters of the decade.
Surprisingly, Microsoft was willing to port Cuphead outside the Xbox ecosystem onto the Nintendo Switch. Perhaps the goal is to create hype for a truly exclusive - and more ambitious - Cuphead 2.
8 Senua (Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice)
Xbox’s acquisition of Ninja Theory may be one of their best moves ever. Hellblade: Senua’s sacrifice surprised a lot of players. A big part of that was the performance of Melina Juergens and her portrayal of Senua in-game. Hellblade II simply can’t come soon enough.
Senua clearly struggles with past abuse and does her very best to accept and overcome that. Her demons stem from childhood trauma resulting in a series of psychotic hallucinations. Her psychosis is terrifyingly represented both visually and auditory, but her reaction to said hallucinations and how she copes is what makes her exceptional and capable.
7 Geralt (The Witcher Series)
Witcher 3 may have been released on multiple platforms, including PlayStation, but Geralt has always found himself closely linked to not only Xbox but Microsoft. The first installment, based on the popular book series, was released only on PC and Mac, with the second game coming to Xbox 360 as a console exclusive.
Geralt is such a compelling character stemming all the way back to his roots in written literature, but most importantly, he’s compelling enough to amass his own Netflix adaptation. At the end of the day, Geralt is a sort of renegade who is constantly overcome with self-doubt and questions the overall morality of himself and his actions.
6 Razputin Aquato (Psychonauts Series)
With Psychonauts returning to screens across multiple platforms, one character shines bright once more. Razputin Aquato captures the hearts and minds - mostly minds - of old and new players alike. Raz’s story revolves around family, living up to what’s expected, following your heart, and even loss.
With Xbox’s recent acquisition of Double Fine and this year’s installment of Psychonauts 2, one of Xbox’s newest pillars finds itself front and center. Not only that but Psychonauts 2 garnered a lot of attention, becoming nominated for several awards at the Game Awards, including the big one, Game of the Year. It’s safe to conclude that Raz is, at the very least, a compelling main protagonist.
5 Jack Cooper, BT7274 (Titanfall 2)
Yes, this may be two characters, and yes, Titanfall isn’t an Xbox exclusive franchise. However, the first game debuted as one and is closely associated with Xbox. The two of them as characters are portrayed on screen as a tandem, especially in their best moments.
Titanfall 2 reinvented the franchise after the first installment, and both Jack and BT play a massive part in that. The moment-to-moment gameplay may be impeccable, but the relationship between man and machine coupled with the themes of dire straights and sacrifice should not be overlooked.
4 Ori (Ori And The Blind Forest)
Ori, a spirit guardian, is the adopted child of Naru and the hero of the eponymous platformer. While Ori is a relatively simple character, Ori is able to convey deep emotion in the game despite the limited dialogue. Ori experiences joy, loss, and sacrifice within just the first few minutes of the game, and many players admit to shedding tears during the opening sequence.
Ori is proof that games do not need dozens of hours of storylines to create an engaging character and a memorable story. Ori’s story affects the hearts of even the most stonehearted gamers.
3 The Weapon (Halo Infinite)
What’s the biggest surprise Halo Infinite delivered? That it finally came out? That it’s great? No, none of those. That honor belongs to The Weapon. Not only is The Weapon asked a tall task in virtually becoming fan favorite Cortana’s replacement, but adds a sense of comical levity relatively new to the series.
The Weapon successfully replicates all the best attributes of Cortana, but not only that. Master Chief’s legacy will always be atop the Xbox brand, but in Infinite, The Weapon steals the show.
2 Kait Diaz (Gears Of War 4 And 5)
Gears of War 4 and 5 follow the next generation decades after the first few games in the series. Kait is one of the better characters to be introduced in the newer saga. Instead of feeling like a token female character, Kait simply shines as one of the overall stars of the series.
Part of what makes Diaz a strong character is her imperfectness. While writers often tend to create heroes with few struggles and can tackle any situation easily, Kait conveys emotions including anxiety, guilt, rebellion, and anger alongside her strength.
1 Master Chief (Halo Series)
With 343 Industries’ latest release finally hitting both physical and digital shelves, Master Chief is thrust back into the limelight, and what a limelight it is. Halo Infinite is fantastic, earning favorable scores across the board, but most importantly, John, AKA Spartan 117, returns, taking full advantage of the continuation of his narrative.
Master Chief has always been a subtle character of few words, but you can feel the hype every time he chooses to speak. John’s character, especially in Infinite, is primarily told in body language and mannerism, but it could not be any more effective. He’s beyond tired, but the mission, no, his mission demands he continue.
NEXT: Xbox Characters & Who Their Pokemon Partner Would Be
