It’s the extroverted characters that tend to get the most attention. They can’t catch people’s eyes and ears if they’re not as loud as their looks.Sonic the Hedgehogled the way in heroes being full of attitude.Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft was as upfront as her proportions. WhileUncharted’sNathan Drake andForspoken’sFrey brought the snark.
Related:Video Game Bosses That Talk a Good Game But Are Easily Defeated
But not every character got in the player’s face.Capcom, the company behindStreet Fighter,Mega Man,Resident Evil, and more, have created someiconic introverted charactersthat caught on because of their more subdued nature. Instead of bragging and tagging, they let their actions do the talking.
6Hsien-ko
With how wild and crazy theDarkstalkersfighting games get, it’s hard to imagine them offering amore subtle roster. Its flagship character Morrigan is a busty succubus, while the other is a bouncy catgirl called Felicia who’s got rather lively ambitions for someone who’s supposedly shy. ButVampire Hunter, the second game, changed that by introducing the Chinese hopping vampire Hsien-ko.
She’s one of the titular hunters defending China from the more malevolent monsters. While she has off-putting movements and an odd fighting style, she’s a rather gentle soul. She’s quite reserved, with her nerves occasionally getting the best of her and making her rather clumsy. Nonetheless, she always pushes forward because her protective nature and sense of justice won’t let her tolerate any demons harming humanity.
5Strider Hiryu
That said, being an introvert doesn’t mean they have to be shy, nervous, or clumsy. It can also mean they’re overly serious, closed off, and hard to read.Project X Zone 2showcases this when the playerputs Strider HiryualongsideShinobi’sHotsuma andSoulCalibur 5’sNatsu. The more experienced ninjas speak in economical single-word phrases that get to the point, while Natsu rattles off a page’s worth of babble.
Nowadays, Hiryu is better known for his appearances in the Marvel crossover games. However, he was originally the star of his own, self-titledNinja Gaiden-esque adventure in arcades and on the Sega Genesis. Hiryu is the typical serious ninja who, beyond a few cries, makes less noise than his Cypher blade. Which is fine enough, as his fast, fun gameplay has been more than enough to make him a welcome addition to any roster.
4Zero
Neither ofMega Man X’s leads are exactly the life of the party. The games have a heavier atmosphere than the classic series it spun off from, with stories of betrayal, sacrifice, and other less cheery topics cropping up. Both get introspective about their natures, purpose, and conflict, sometimes to annoying degrees (X’s refrain of “Why must Reploids fight?” got tired quite quickly.).
Related:Mega Man X5: Every Possible Ending (& How to Trigger Them)
X’s buddy Zero gets the nod here, as he’s the more serious and moodier of the two. Echoes of his past as Dr. Wily’s last creation plague his mind, alongside possibly causing the Robot Apocalypse that led to the end of the Classic series' friendly world. Anyone he opens up to usually suffers as a result, directly or indirectly. So, there’s little levity left in Zero. His missions to eliminate Maverick reploids are all he has left.
3Vergil
Dante fromDevil May Cryis one ofCapcom’squintessential extroverts, so it’s only fitting his rival is one of their best introverts. Vergil doesn’t surf on monsters or show off for fun’s sake. He’s all about dealing with his foes in the cleanest, most effective way possible. Vergil has goals to achieve, and he isn’t going to spend that bantering with bosses. He’s more into keeping a cool head than being cool, which is reflected in his moves.
As a playable character, he requires a more calculated level of play to master moves like his Summon Swords. Then, as a foe, he’s relentless, shrugging off Dante’s attacks as effectively as his taunts (“Now I’m motivated!"). His quiet naturehides a steely determinationthat Dante couldn’t stop alone. No amount of bragging or showing off could stop Vergil from attaining more power, even if it came at a high price.
2Miles Edgeworth
Things could’ve been so different for Edgeworth in theAce Attorneyseries. If his father hadn’t been killed, he wouldn’t have been adopted by the notorious prosecutor Manfred von Karma, and he wouldn’t have followed in his footsteps. Instead, he walked that path and became a prosecuting prodigy at the cost of his social skills. Edgeworth’s reputation for coldly cutting down defense attorneys made him more comfortable shutting people down than befriending them.
He had lackeys like Detective Gumshoe carrying out small duties for him, though he’d otherwise handle work and life alone. Behind the Perfect Prosecutor image is a warm person with a fondness for tea and tokusatsu shows. There’s still blood in his veins and a soul in his heart. Though it takes old friendslike Phoenix Wrighta lot of work, understanding, and patience to bring it out in him.
1Ryu
As popular as the other characters are on this list, Ryu is perhaps the most iconic of the lot. While his debut inStreet Fighteris all but forgotten, his return inStreet Fighter 2reinvigorated the arcades and made the fighting game genre what it is today. Even then, the series has seen flashier characters come and go, including fellow shotos like his extroverted comrade Ken.
His quiet personality and preference for the simpler things in life make him appear rather dry. Yet few fans would prefer him to change. His calm, collected manner is a comforting constant, where his Hadōkens, Shoryukens, and more do enough expression for him. The key to understanding Ryu in both gameplay and lore comes in fighting him. As he always says, the answer liesin the heart of battle.
