With this list, we’re diving into ten unforgettable video game side characters who, by sheer force of personality and untapped potential, deserve to headline their very own spinoff titles. Rather than keeping you waiting, let’s scroll through gaming’s vast character roster and highlight ten standout figures who deserve to press ‘Start’ on a journey of their own.
10. Carlos Oliveira (Resident Evil)
Starting us off on this list is Carlos Oliveira from Resident Evil 3, RE Operation Raccoon City, and of course the light gun title The Umbrella Chronicles. Carlos is the shaggy-haired Umbrella soldier who aided Jill Valentine in escaping the hands of Nemesis in RE3. I think his beloved status as a fan favorite makes a strong case for him getting his own game, leaving room for a scenario centered around what happened to him after the events of RE3 would be a strong follow-up in my opinion. Many fans have been desperate for closure in regard to the charismatic combat specialist, and it wouldn’t hurt to throw him in the next Revelations game. Oh, and maybe bring Billy from RE Zero back too please. I want to see how our favorite long haired bad boys are doing.
9. Augustus Cole (Gears of War)
“IT’S THE COLE TRAIN BABY, WOOOOOOOH!” This beast of a man who used to play thrash ball before becoming a soldier for the COG army would make a cracking main character in a Gears of War game. Though players have had ample time to play as this fast-talking truck of a man, a game centered around a standalone story about THE Cole train would be a Hell of a ride! Imagine experiencing an aged Augustus Cole, same armor and lancer, but now with a greying beard and gravelly voice from all of that yelling. His infectious attitude and positive outlook, coupled with his hardcore combat skills and teamwork strategies, would allow for a great action-packed adventure that I think many fans of the series would love!
8. Daredevil (Marvel)
Daredevil is the ultimate blind badass of comics, film, television, and video games, who can deal devastating damage while literally blindfolded. Though I admit that we have had plenty of games in the past where we could play as Daredevil like Contest of Champions and Lego Marvel Superheroes among dozens more, we haven’t had a MODERN Daredevil adventure that simply follows the vigilante lawyer on a gritty journey through the criminal underworld. Think Sifu-style gameplay but with the dramatic tone and graphic content of the Netflix/Disney Plus series. I’m certain that it would make for an incredible game where you dominate deadly foes with debilitating acrobatics and martial arts! Plus, they could throw The Punisher in for good measure… Maybe as a co-op companion?
7. Spike (Dying Light)
Dying Light was a hit when it came to our screens with the now-famous Kyle Crane and will surely cement itself further into the annals of action-horror history with the upcoming Dying Light: The Beast featuring the triumphant return of the first game’s protagonist once again. However, I want to speak about Spike, the man who provides Crane many assignments in the first title, and who later shows Aiden the ropes in the second game. Spike has the potential to become a main character based almost exclusively off his longevity and survival from the first to the second game. He’s an incredible icon of the series and a beacon of hope that the nightmare is survivable. Pair that with his parkour abilities, close quarters combat prowess, and his wise and somewhat stoic demeanor, and you’ve got a perfect main character for a Dying Light title… especially his older and more grizzled role in Dying Light 2.
6. Captain Price (Call of Duty)
Captain John Price features in a multitude of Call of Duty titles. From the OG Modern Warfare titles to the modern reboots, Price remains one of the most impressive team leads and scout snipers in the business. With his glorious moustache, tremendous tactical capabilities, and signature stogie smoking, Captain Price gives off some ultimate main character energy with his sharp knowledge of the battlefield and extensive skills. He should certainly be a front-runner to star in a spinoff Call of Duty title; however, he remains as a side character to aid the protagonist in their entangling engagements with anyone they encounter. I think millions of fans would flock to a campaign that follows Price’s younger years in the military akin to the All Ghillied Up mission in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
5. Johnny Silverhand (Cyberpunk 2077)
Keanu Re… I mean Mr. Silverhand would certainly be main character material after we saw him live inside V’s mind in Cyberpunk 2077, featuring a very brief first-person gameplay stint as the guitar playing, whiskey chugging, gunslinger himself. It would be spellbinding to play as the pistol-wielding, robotic armed rockstar in his own title, featuring his charismatic wit and sharp weapon skills to boot. Following his earlier life rather than the programmed “ghost” version of him would provide players a more focused narrative, while also giving more insight into what led to his current state. Plus, it would give us another opportunity to listen to the wonderfully talented Keanu Reeves sling out snappy one-liners and swear at punks who cross him. That’s my idea of a good time, let me tell ya!
4. Victor Sullivan (Uncharted)
Sully, the great charmer of the Uncharted series and another cigar-loving mustached video game man’s man who has all the charm and wit to match. Victor would make for a fine protagonist in his own Uncharted spinoff title, especially exploring his younger life before linking up with the Drake boys. We got a glimpse of the master thief at a younger age in Uncharted 3 when he and Nathan Drake first met, but a full-blown game that centers around Sully’s first exciting adventures from his career and the eventual meeting of him and Nate would make for a great story in the already beloved Uncharted franchise! Much better than the awkward spin that the movie took anyway.
3. Joe Barbaro (Mafia)
“Hey Vito!” Yes, I know, a very bold choice, as we only see Joe feature as a side character in one game, Mafia 2. However, I believe a main character role would suit him just as fine as his expensive Italian coats do. Joe’s first outing as a playable character was in the DLC Joe’s Adventures and saw the overweight goofball gangster doing what he does best, cracking wise and killin’ guys! I think a complete spinoff would be a heck of a great time, especially featuring some of Joe’s assuredly ridiculous robberies, kicking down doors and accidentally falling on his face, and haplessly trying to bribe undercover cops and getting thrown in the can would be a brilliant combo to make Joe Barbaro the star he deserves to be.
2. Ciri (The Witcher)
Though the upcoming Witcher 4 features Ciri as the game’s protagonist, I’m still including her because I want a true spinoff that shows more of what she was doing in the events leading up to The Witcher 3 and/or where the story has taken her now. Ciri has shown incredible combat and negotiation prowess in The Witcher titles, while ever evolving into a powerful Witcher alongside Geralt. She shows courage and the good sense to duck, roll and weave around her foes, especially as shown in the newest Witcher 4 trailer! All of that coupled with her powerful abilities, seductive charm, and hardnosed attitude, Ciri would make a strong contender for her own spinoff from The Witcher!
1. Azrael (Batman Arkham)
If we ever got a Batman Arkham-style game which starred Azrael, I would literally jump with joy. The reason why our friend above gets ahead of Ciri in this list is because of how cool it would be to see Azrael slay criminals in his own title. He’s like Batman, but with a freakin’ sword! Adorned in Templar-esque armor and with an all-consuming desire for righteous justice, Azrael only served as a featured character in the Arkham series and its associated side content. While only playable in the challenge mode, Azrael would make an extraordinary protagonist based on his ability to exact swift vengeance on his foes without those pesky “no killing” rules that old Bats has. Azrael brings death to the table over Batman’s empathy towards the people he wails on, which would make for a gore-tastic game in the hands of the same Arkham developers who gave us such a great series. An even grittier and more mature look at the seed underbelly of Gotham is perhaps exactly what the franchise needs now.
Honorable Mention. Sergeant Major Avery Junior Johnson (Halo)
Would you have ever guessed that another cigar-smoking mustachioed funny man would have made the list? Well, if you thought two wasn’t enough, then consider your prayers answered. Sgt. Johson is one of the most hilarious, confident and badass side characters ever devised in gaming history. With a background in boots-on-the-ground warfare against the alien Covenant invasion, Johnson has a rich history of conflict and snappy one liners that has yet to be properly explored in a video game title. Giving players the opportunity to step into the UNSC armor of the man who “would have been your daddy” if a dog hadn’t beaten him over the fence, experiencing his battles during the fall of Reach, the Covenant attack on Harvest, as well as his engagements during the rest of the Insurrection and Human-Covenant war, would be the perfect opportunity for the franchise to tell a more focused spinoff story about one of the series’ most beloved characters. If he didn’t already have so much involvement in many of the other titles in the Halo series, he would have been much higher on this list.
