Gamers Have Spoken: The Most Iconic Video Game Character Ever Isn't Mario, Kratos, or Master Chief
Move over Mario, Master Chief, and Kratos—BAFTA’s 2024 Players’ Poll just crowned Lara Croft the greatest video game character of all time.
Lara Croft just pulled off another improbable climb: fans voted her the most legendary video game character in BAFTA's 2024 Players' Poll. Yes, above Mario. Above Master Chief. Above Kratos. The recent Tomb Raider games have been a bit uneven, but clearly, the character still lives rent-free in a lot of heads.
Why Lara still owns the moment
Tomb Raider isn't in its prime right now, but in the late 90s and 2000s, it was everywhere. At the center of all that was Lara: born into comfort, chose chaos. She ditched an easy aristocratic life to become an archaeologist, tomb raider, and treasure hunter chasing secrets the world forgot.
If you are tempted to say "so, like Indiana Jones," not exactly. Lara is a modern-day explorer and a skilled tracker who has walked away from stab wounds, gunfire, and explosions. She is a weapons expert with a toolbox of survival skills and a habit of finishing the fight. She was also one of the first major game characters to make the leap to big, splashy movies. There is a reason she was the face of action-adventure gaming at its peak.
The rest of the top 10
- #2 Mario (Super Mario)
- #3 Agent 47 (Hitman)
- #4 Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic)
- #5 Sackboy (LittleBigPlanet)
- #6 Pac-Man (Pac-Man)
- #7 Link (Legend of Zelda)
- #8 Master Chief (Halo)
- #9 Kratos (God of War)
- #10 Shadowheart (Baldur's Gate 3)
Some interesting calls
Mario, Sonic, Pac-Man — no surprise there. What did make me blink: Pikachu isn't camped near the top, and Link landing at #7 feels low given Zelda's footprint. Master Chief and Kratos outside the top five is a bit of a curveball too. And Sackboy at #5? Love the little knitted guy, but that is a bold placement.
Then there is Nathan Drake. He is the face of Uncharted and still ends up way down at #20. For a character who helped give PlayStation bragging rights for an entire console generation, that is a harsh drop — he deserves better than the low teens and beyond.
Steve from Minecraft also seems underappreciated on this list. Minecraft is the best-selling game of all time — even GTA V doesn't come close — and Steve has basically been the on-ramp for a whole generation of players. He is not saving the planet from aliens, but he absolutely defined an era.
Anyway, Lara took the crown, and the rest of the board is a mix of classics, killers, and one very determined cleric. Who is your pick for the most iconic video game character ever? Tell me below.