The 10 Funniest Video Game Protagonists

One big problem with modern AAA games is the lack of funny protagonists. Moody, brooding, and serious main characters in search of revenge or success are fine, but characters who are funny are simply better. Marvel’s Cinematic Universe succeeded because it cracked the code by having protagonists that could entertain viewers and not just be there to move the plot along.

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Still, in general, big AAA video games seem to be moving away from that simple formula for big bucks. To push back against that, let’s have a look at some of the funniest video game main characters who are not just there for comic relief.

10 Crash Bandicoot

Legend Of The Marsupial Arts

ESRB

E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief

• Crash is effortlessly funny.
• He’s also a ’90s style icon.

Kids must know that style should never take precedence over substance—unless they’re trying to come up with a hilarious video game character. One of the main reasons why Crash Bandicoot is so hilarious is simply that he’s a marsupial who’s deliberately chosen to wear jeans and tennis shoes.

Crash is silent, so he shouldn’t have much of a personality, but he does. His main, and possibly only, personality trait, beyond being good-hearted, is that he’s not very smart. Many of the plots from the original series rely upon Crash’s inability to realize that the villain is, well, evil, and that’s just comedy gold. On top of that, the Crash Bandicoot series is filled with dozens of hilarious death animations, which add a delightful touch of dark comedy to the whole thing.

9 Earthworm Jim

The Funniest Design In Video Game Character History

ESRB

E For Everyone: Cartoon Violence, Crude Humor

• Jim has the funniest concept for a character.
• His animations are equally hilarious.

Earthworm Jim’s design alone should be enough to cause a fit of laughter, but it gets even better when players realize how he works. Jim is simply a (possibly) smarter-than-average worm who wears a super buff human suit.

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Jim has a laser pistol, but his main weapon is himself, meaning he uses his bionic arm to pull himself out of the suit and whip his enemies to death with it, somehow always surviving the process. The world of side-scrollers is in dire need of character designs—especially main characters—as ridiculous as this one.

8 Manny Calavera

To Die For

• He’s death, in the “flesh.”
• He’s also just as lost as everyone else.

In the world of the living, Manny Calavera is known as Muerte, Death, or the Grim Reaper. To a human being, Manny Calavera is probably the scariest entity in existence. In his world, however, Manny is a travel agent.

He’s less about killing people and more about dealing with the mundane bureaucracies of the afterlife, one of the many agents responsible for guiding the souls of the dead to their final destination. Grim Fandango is a hilariously well-written subversion of expectations, and Manny is likely the best protagonist in LucasArts’ long list of fantastic leads.

7 The Doom Slayer

Unexpectedly Hilarious

DOOM

8/10

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

• He hates exposition as much as he hates demons.

When thinking about the funniest characters in games, Doom’s Doom Slayer likely won’t feature in many lists, but he totally should be in the conversation. It’s important to note that the Doom Slayer was originally a very serious character, although he was known as the Doom Marine or “Doomguy” back then. However, when it came time to reinvent him in 2016, things took a turn for the better.

Doom (2016)’s Doom Slayer is both an overly brutal character and someone with utter disdain for learning anything about the plot of the game he inhabits, regardless of whether that’ll hinder his or the player’s progress. 2016’s version of the Doom Slayer is both a hilarious character and possibly even a fun caricature of players too eager to get into the action. It’s a bit of a bummer that both Doom Eternal and Doom: The Dark Ages went back to the more serious version of the character.

6 Guybrush Threepwood

The Original Funny Pirate

Return to Monkey Island

Released

September 19, 2022

ESRB

E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language

• Guybrush is as quick-witted as they come.
• He’s also able to hold his breath for ridiculous lengths of time.

Guybrush Threepwood is the protagonist of the Monkey Island series, a legendarily funny series of point-and-click adventure games made by LucasArts, and he still manages to be the highlight of it all.

Guybrush is not just everything a funny video game protagonist should be; he’s even everything a funny movie protagonist should be, as many elements from the Monkey Island series went on to inspire the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies, as well as Johnny Depp’s very own Captain Jack Sparrow. While not all games in the Monkey Island series are equally good, Guybrush’s great writing is a constant joy throughout the entire series.

5 Kiryu Kazuma

Seriously Funny

Yakuza 0

Released

January 24, 2017

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol

• He’s the comedic protagonist who never laughs.
• Audiences won’t be able to contain their laughter because of it.

The protagonist of most games in the Yakuza (now Like a Dragon) series remains one of the funniest video game heroes of all time, which is hilarious considering he’s actually a very serious person who takes himself very seriously at all times.

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Kiryu Kazuma seems to be inspired by the works of Peter Segal and David Zucker of Naked Gun fame. They exploded into the comedy scene by creating main characters who remain adamantly serious and deadbeat regardless of how weird the universe around them gets—and the Yakuza universe sure does get weird. The weirder it gets, the funnier it is to see Kiryu still reacting as if he’s dealing with completely normal and acceptable scenarios. His deadpan nature comes across as either endearing or intimidating, depending on the situation.

4 Nathan Drake

Dude Raider Has Comedy Chops

ESRB

T For Teen due to Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco, Violence

• Drake is more than meets the eye.
• When great writing and great acting come together to make comedy gold.

Upon its release, the Uncharted series caught a lot of flak for being “Tomb Raider but with a guy.” Obvious influences notwithstanding, it’s undeniable that Uncharted is a fine series, and that the main reason for everyone’s concern is completely unfounded.

Nathan Drake is not a Lara Croft clone; he’s an easy-going, quick-witted guy who’s likely to capture the hearts of players at first blush. On top of his stellar writing, the top-notch delivery by actor Nolan North makes Nathan Drake one of the most endearing wisecrackers in the history of gaming.

3 Trevor Phillips

Criminally Funny

Grand Theft Auto 5

9/10

Released

September 17, 2013

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol

• The funniest character in the history of GTA.
• Though he should probably seek therapy.

Honestly, any member of the protagonist trifecta in GTA 5 could be featured on this list, but there could be only one, and Trevor easily takes the cake. Trevor is not the kind of guy anyone would want to have as a friend, much less as an enemy, but he’s the one everyone loves to read about in the paper.

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Trevor is seriously twisted, but his loyalty to his partners, albeit toxic, makes him endearing enough to tolerate. Trevor’s case for the throne of peak GTA comedy is further bolstered by how the Trevor-centric missions always tend to be the wildest in the game.

2 Harry Dubois (Disco Elysium)

The Worst Best Detective

Disco Elysium

9/10

Released

October 15, 2019

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence

• Harry is a mess, but can be a great detective as well, depending on the player’s choices.
• He’s hilarious regardless of the player’s choices.

Disco Elysium’s Harry Dubois is a mess. He’s the classic character who begins the game with amnesia, so it’s entirely possible not to learn all that much about him in a first playthrough. However, regardless of the route the player chooses to take, it’s impossible not to laugh at this man’s misery.

Whereas some of the comedy is attributable to bad luck, it’s undeniable that Harry has brought a lot of crap upon himself for hilariously dumb reasons—and it’s likely that he’ll keep on doing so. Harry may be a good-hearted guy and supposedly an excellent detective on a good day, but it’s just too bad he doesn’t have many of those.

1 Eddie Riggs (Brutal Legend)

Hardcore Laughter

• One of Jack Black’s most underrated roles.
• Also by far his most badass.

Who said a funny character can’t also be an absolute badass? Over the last few years, many Jack Black fans have begun to complain about the actor’s inability to portray anyone other than himself. Black is currently doing great at the box office by playing himself—sorry, by playing Minecraft Steve, yeah—in A Minecraft Movie, so Hollywood isn’t about to ask anything else of him for a while. Still, it’s a shame, because he could do so much better. Although people who only watch movies might not know it, a perfect example is Eddie Riggs, Black’s serious and seriously buff roadie-turned-world-savior from Brutal Legend.

Riggs still possesses Black’s comedic chops, which were greatly enhanced by Tim Schafer and the writing team’s work, and he’s also a bona fide action hero. Here’s hoping Black’s fans will get to see him trying something this awesome again in a movie sometime soon.

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