Sometimes, it’s best to leave things unsaid, and in the case of these video game characters, truer words have never been spoken. There is a rather popular character type that exists in the video game medium, that being silent protagonists. Video game characters that lack a voice can be brimming with personality based on the actions of the character, or the player in control.
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There could be many reasons why a video game character that does not speak should remain silent. Some may fear the official voice that could be introduced, whereas others prefer intimate storytelling that evokes its own emotion without the use of an actor.
9Samus Aran - Metroid
Samus Aran is often regarded as one of the most popular video game characters. Many remember the first reveal inMetroid, whereSamus was revealed to be a womanunder that bulky armor. Thanks to Samus, there was a clear road paved for female protagonists, and by lacking a voice of her own, Samus gave one to millions.
The ever-popularMetroidseries has heard a few lines from Samus, whether that’s in rageful war cries, grunts, or dialogue in a fictional language. However, whatMetroiddoes so well, is to contain Samus’ voice and keep her as one of the most famed silent protagonists in gaming.
8Chell - Portal
No one has time to talk in thePortalseries, as GLaDOS is not interested in conversing with insignificant organic lifeforms and would rather put them through bizarre testsinvolving portal guns, turrets, and sometimes acid.Portalfeatures Chell as the playable protagonist, a character who does not speak.
What makes Chell’s silence such a great concept forPortalis that it allows her to be anyone. Chell may have her character model, but in essence, she is the embodiment of the player. The player’s mind pushes them through the many puzzles of the game, and a voice isn’t needed for that.
7The Tarnished - Elden Ring
An aspect of gaming that FromSoftware does so well is kicking the player’s butt with everything and everyone out to kill them.Elden Ringdoesn’t stray from that path, and like the other FromSoftware titles, it features a player-created protagonist. Players have made many great creations inElden Ring. From Shrek toDoc Brown. The uniqueness comes from how, visually, the Tarnished can be anyone, and the lack of voice is perfect for it.
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Players don’t have their immersion in this complex world broken by having someone speak for them. Dialogue options are scarce and mainly restricted to yes and no. By having the Tarnished as a silent protagonist, each player has a unique experience through The Lands Between.
6Jack - BioShock
Jack is one of the many instances in gaming where the player never truly meets the person they are playing as. Jack is a silent protagonist, and his character model for the majority of the game is seen through his hands. Despite his lack of conversation, Jack is a rather important character in theBioShockgames.
Yet, as a silent protagonist, Jack adds further thrills toBioShock. Who he is, and his purpose does not feel important at the introduction to the game. As a survivor of a plane crash and a new addition to the underwater city of Rapture, Jack wants only to survive the man-madehorrors below the sea.
5Gordon Freeman - Half-Life
For a theoretical physicist, Gordon Freeman certainly prefers the use of crowbars to his words. The character doesn’t utter a line in the games he is in. Not even a grunt. Gordon Freeman is the protagonist ofHalf-Life, and hisconflict with inter-dimensional aliensis one that not many can say they have experienced. However, they have experienced them through the glasses of Gordon Freeman.
Freeman is another example of an effective silent protagonist. Players don’t need the character to quip and come up with fun one-liners to understand the horrors of the Black Mesa incident.Half-Lifeis great at its map design, and Gordon Freeman navigates them like a pro.
4Dragonborn - Skyrim
One of the many things that Bethesda got right about theirElder Scrollsseries is the fact that the protagonist was silent. It allowed players to give their characters a visual identity, as well as a voice that they saw fit. The boundless dialogue options were as text, meaning players could read them and hear them in the voice of their choosing.
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When it came to 2011’sSkyrim, players were once again given the freedom to explore the world with their character. The use of silence means that theDragonborn has any identitythat the player sees fit.Skyrimhas seen life on three generations of consoles, and the unique protagonist of every player may be one reason why.
3The Player - Pokemon
The vastness of thePokemonworld expands with every generation. Yet, there is one cosmic understanding amongst all of these games, which is that the player never speaks. The player has had many names over the years in thePokemongames. Starting with Red and ending with the name that the player chooses.
The player inPokemongames just listens to people rather than engage in conversation. By never speaking, thePokemonprotagonist remains the person holding the controller that is playing the game. After all, players havegot to catch them all, rather than speak.
2Doom Guy - DOOM
The universal constant of theDOOMfranchise is that there must be a plethora of ripping and tearing rather than dialogue, and it can beplayed on basically anything. Doom Guy has spoken before, but only in broken and rageful sentences.Doom: Eternalsaw the Doom Slayer engage in a few words, but never enough to make audiences question his character or his love for his rabbit Daisy.
As a silent protagonist, players can enjoy rageful encounters against demons inDoom: Eternal, as they do nothing more than rip and tear. By not speaking, Doom Guy expresses his amazing personality as someone that even the deadliest of Hell’s army fears. He doesn’t speak or flinch; he only kills, which makes him perfect.
1Link - The Legend Of Zelda
Other than grunts and yells, Link remains true to silence.The Legend of Zeldahas seen a lot of acclaim over the years, and with each title, Link says nothing. It benefits the franchise to have Link silent, as players can project themselves onto him, fill his shoes, and swing his sword. Most notably, this works inThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, in which Link is actively involved in cutscenes butstill never speaks.
ThroughoutBreath of the Wild, fans ofThe Legend of Zeldawill be joyous to know that the green cap-wearing adventurer and protector of Zelda doesn’t utter a word. It makes him stoic and full of burden, but at the same time, it shows that the player is Link.
