"When we look back on the standout games of 2025 in the years to come, in many cases it's as likely to be for the characters who populated them as it is for the greatness of their mechanics or level design. Whether it's the heroes we inhabited, the villains we faced, or the random side characters we met just for a fleeting moment, there were some memorable newcomers in the best games of 2025."
"Hollow Knight: Silksong has a lot of weird little guys in its cast, and Garmond and Zaza are two of the most memorable. This regal-as-fuck little guy and his flying steed become Hornet's allies when she saves them from captivity, and Garmond's battle cry as he charges in to face one of 's tough bosses is enough to get anyone ready to fight god. - Kenneth Shepard"
"Every year when compiling the best characters in games, you've gotta have some absolute gremlin-level freaks on the list. Tenna, the TV host with a TV head, is one of 2025's standouts on that front. is full of colorful and memorable characters, but few pop off the screen like Tenna, whose 1950s variety show host schtick is perfectly punctuated by the game's use of Word-Art-style text flourishes and a 3D model that lets him get more animated than most other characters in the cast."
A number of 2025 games featured characters whose personalities, designs, and moments rivaled their games' mechanical achievements. Hollow Knight: Silksong includes Garmond and Zaza, a regal rider-and-steed duo who become Hornet's allies and rally players with a dramatic battle cry. Toby Fox's RPG offers Tenna, a TV-headed variety-show host with Word-Art-style flourishes and expressive 3D animation whose showmanship conceals a fear of being forgotten and culminates in an extended, chaotic boss encounter. The year's best character picks blend grotesque charm, showmanship, and emotional beats across both newcomers and familiar faces.
Read at Kotaku
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