After long debates and much playing the top ten video game characters of all time have been decided by the gaming team at The Toonari Post. Some of them made the list because of their classic appeal or maybe because they are just incredibly awesome characters. Either way, this list features the best of the best and is also the beginning to a series of articles in which the best of the best fight each other to the death.

In these upcoming articles, pairings of the best heroes and the best villains will fight and the winner will be determined by polls on The Toonari Post facebook page. If you are interested in voting and cannot find the poll on Facebook simply comment at the end of this article as to which character you believe will win. Also check out the follow up articles to this one “Top Ten Video Game Heroes of All Time Part 2,” “Top Ten Video Game Villains of All Time Part 1,” and “Top Ten Video Game Villains of All Time Part 2.”

Mario (Mario series)

The mustachioed Italian plumber who protects the Mushroom Kingdom and is always trying to save the Princess from the Koopa King, of course, has to make it onto this list. While there is not too much to say about Mario’s personal beliefs since he is a silent hero and fairly simplistic, he has still had a huge impact in video games. Mario is the first video game hero that most children play as since Mario has appeared in over two hundred, family-friendly games.

However, you shouldn’t sell Mario short (even if he is). Certainly in the majority of his games he is just rescuing a princess, but in other games he’s been known to save the Mushroom Kingdom and even the Galaxy. In every case he is definitely on par with hero status.

Mario has had many different incarnations, but in almost all of them his attacks include jumping on his opponent, shooting fireballs, hitting enemies with his raccoon tail, and becoming invincible for short periods of time. However, without the special drops of fire flowers, feathers, and stars that Mario might find in a random block, Mario is fairly powerless in comparison to some of our other heroes.

Link (Legend of Zelda series)

The Hyrulian Hero of Time who protects both the Kingdom of Hyrule and the world, Link is another hero many children played in their childhoods. Though each game features a different Link than the one before (whether he is a descendant of Link or from a parallel universe), he still is essentially the same character. Normally Link uses his sword, bow and arrow, boomerang, and bombs. Although Link is another silent hero he is often very expressive – especially in his newer releases – and players can still get a feel for his character.

Link is not above helping others and often participates in side quests to help people that are unrelated to his main quest. He is a courageous and kind-hearted character who always does his part to help anyone in trouble. He’s the Legendary Hero and the Hero chosen by the Gods he’s Link the Hero of Time.

Samus Aran (Metroid series)

Samus Aran is one of the few female characters to make it onto this list and the bounty hunter who has taken on both Space Pirates and the energy-draining parasites, Metroids. Samus was a Galactic Federation soldier who defected and became a bounty hunter. She is the chosen one to wear the armor of the Chozo, an ancient, bird-like race of super powerful individuals. The suit she wears is a one of a kind; she also receives upgrades for the armor in the ancient temples of the Chozo.

In the majority of the Metroid series Samus is portrayed as a silent no-nonsense warrior who spends most of her time in her heavily armored bulky suit that can shoot missiles and beams. Being one of the first and most famous female video game characters is reason enough to be on this list. Overall Samus is a hero that men and women alike can enjoy playing. Samus has many different attacks and moves such as her abilities to roll up into a ball, plant bombs, and use her blaster for an arm; a seriously powerful and well-‘armed’ character.

Master Chief (Halo series)

Master Chief is chosen by an AI program, Cortana, as the luckiest of all Spartans. He is a faceless warrior fighting against the Covenant and uses guns and grenades to win his battles – that is, when he can’t just steal an enemy tank or other hardware. Despite, being a relatively new video game and literary character, Master Chief has become very recognizable as a video game icon.

He is portrayed as a loyal soldier always following orders given to him without question and even remaining quiet when others show obvious signs of distrust towards him. According to Steve Downes, the man who voices Master Chief, the character’s personality and speech pattern were supposed to be modeled after Clint Eastwood.

Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid series)

Solid Snake is the code name for a spy who tries to prevent the end of the world from destruction. In the game there are terrorists who are trying to destroy the world and build giant mechanoids called Metal Gears which Solid Snake attempts to stop. Solid Snake must battle not only the giant Metal Gears but also the terrorists who are trying to stop him. Although Solid Snake fights in the game he is also known for his use of stealth and cunning. His weapons of choice include guns as well as pornography which he puts down to distract enemies.

Now that you have a taste of the top ten heroes go vote in the polls on our Facebook page or comment at the bottom of this article. The hero pairings are: Samus v Link (don’t tell Zelda), Solid Snake v Agent 47 (there will be a lot of sneaking), Master Chief v Kratos, Mario v Megaman, Alucard v Dante. Some of these heroes will be featured in the follow-up article “Top Ten Heroes of All Time Part 2.”

Jordan Fisher contributed significantly to the writing and research of this article.

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About the author

Alexa Robinson
I am a student at Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter, FL studying Philosophy and History. I am also a foil fencer and am interested in politics, cinema, music, books, and environmental issues. Reporting from St. Petersburg, Florida.

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