Bit-Crushes: The Videogame Characters Who Have More Than Our Attention

It’s the month of love, and Cupid has let fly grazing arrows at some of GameGrin’s staff members. While the winged bastard is on the run from the law for assault with a deadly weapon, we, dosed with a dash of admirer’s touch, will wait for the effects to wear off by talking about the videogame characters we quite fancy.

Alana — Ryu (Ninja Gaiden series)

I have been gaming since I was young, and thinking back on which characters I find the most attractive, I noticed I have a type. Not just in a physical way, though: there is a lot more to it than just the way someone looks. Their personality, ideals, and the skills that they possess also factor into this equation. For me, the character that meets all these criteria is Ryu Hayabusa from the Ninja Gaiden series.

Ryu first came into my life when I played the first Ninja Gaiden game on the NES. Besides being a ninja who is incredibly stealthy, physically strong, and must be in great shape if he can pull off all those ninja moves, family is incredibly important to him. When he receives a letter from his father informing him of a duel against an unknown warrior, there are instructions on what to do if he is defeated in the fight. So, Ryu travels to America to avenge his father's death and carry out his final wish. 

Ryu has clearly dedicated a lot of time to training all the skills required to be a ninja. The results are seen when he is wearing his sleeveless shirt, which shows off his huge muscular arms, and we all know that he must have some amazing abs hidden under there. He is brave and doesn’t flinch — no matter what type of enemy he encounters ranging from rabid dogs, angry birds diving at him, even demons who dare to stand in his way. Ryu obviously isn’t squeamish, as the later games in the series are full of blood and gore all over the screen. Nothing will get in the way of saving Irene, the CIA agent that he met in the first game. 

Ryu is a great guy who will do anything to keep you safe. He is quiet and mysterious, and along with being incredibly fit and flexible, it is not hard to be attracted to this powerful ninja. Ryu can save me anytime.

Allie — Leliana (Dragon Age: Origins)

Red hair, a sweet voice, and an expertise in subterfuge — it’s no wonder why Leliana is my Warden’s go-to romance in Dragon Age: Origins. Her personality and character design balance delicate beauty and deadly sharpness, as her love of nugs, shoes, and flowers contrasts the blunt cut of her short bob and the troubled nature of her past. 

While Origins’ dull chainmail doesn’t do Leliana justice, her spymaster garb in Dragon Age: Inquisition is perfect. Her hood frames her cheekbones and her often serious gaze, and you can still see her cute, quintessential hairstyle. I always thought it was fitting that her hood is a bluish-purple as well, letting the red stand out. 

Fashion aside, I also love Leliana’s adorable yet awkward attempts at flirting with the Warden in Origins. One of the first compliments she gives is a comment on your hair paired with a story of an Orlesian noble who wore live birds in an attempt to outshine everyone else’s hairstyles, but to quote Leliana, “terrified little birdies often have loose bowels.” Of course, her rambling and stories add to her charm. 

To this day, Leliana is still my favourite love interest in Origins. She’s attractive, supportive, gentle, an excellent storyteller, and quite complicated. She’s also extremely loyal, which we see later in Inquisition when she comments on receiving letters from the Hero of Ferelden, and still holds onto their love after years have passed. 

Bexapher — Vincent Valentine (Final Fantasy VII) & Clive Rosfield (Final Fantasy XVI)

If you asked me who I thought was the prettiest character, it would be tied between two Final Fantasy characters. The first one (and coincidentally named) is Vincent Valentine from Final Fantasy VII — who, I might add,  is arguably the prettiest. However, it was difficult for me not to also choose Clive Rosfield from Final Fantasy XVI. In the end, Vincent won out. After all, he’s beautiful, has long hair, crimson eyes, owns a glorious cape, and he can turn into horrific monsters. However, he’s also a brooding loner who can’t stop longing for his lost love. Will I ever win against Lucrecia? No. Do I think he deserves better? Yes. Plus, he’s got the added benefit of being voiced by two of my favourite voice actors: Steve Blum and Matt Mercer (I’m so sorry, Ben Starr). 

Chloe — Anna (Metro Last Light and Metro Exodus)

She's a badass soldier and sniper who constantly makes fun of the main character, calling him "Rabbit", but does have a soft side if you get to know her. Her design fits her personality and role in the story — a rugged war veteran who's trying to survive in the hostile world of Metro, but she can still be soft sometimes. Her short hair and blue eyes are really pretty, and the way she dresses contributes even more to her badass-ery — almost always being in military gear. How could one not find such a woman attractive?

Erinisfustrated — Nero Claudius/Saber (Fate/Extra)

Designed by Arco Wada and representing both 2011's PSP classic Fate/Extra and this year's remake, Fate/Extra Record, Nero here is the empress of Rome and also one of the protagonist's potential Servants in the Moon Cell Holy Grail War. More importantly, she holds the unique distinction of being the character whose design got me to pick up her game off the shelf at my local GameStop, only for her characterisation to then get me to buy into her entire franchise. 

Like, to start with, this lady is so gosh darn pretty and super cool to boot! Her gorgeous red dress and sword paint a passionate and captivating first impression, followed expertly by all that shimmering gold trim and her bangs-and-braided-bun combo of a hairstyle. To cap all that off, she also has a bubbly, confident personality that draws me in every time I replay Extra. 

You might also notice that she's not wearing pants! Add to that the fact that her dress is very clearly see-through around the front to help show off that fact, and you can tell both that Arco Wada very much wanted to show off her legs as well as that Nero is an extremely bold character. The latter gets further highlighted throughout the story as you get to know Nero. 

I came to Fate/Extra without a lot of that confidence myself, and meeting Nero in-game was, frankly, life-changing. She was just so matter-of-fact about showing off her legs and endlessly gallant in everything she did; I couldn't help but admire her! She is a powerfully pretty character in mind, body, and soul, and I don't know if I'd be nearly as optimistic and confident as I've grown to become if not for her.

Spooky_One — Rosalina (Super Mario franchise)

Hello! I'm Violet Plata, and I'm one of the writers here at GameGrin; you might recognise me by the obscene number of news pieces and interviews I've written. The character I'm choosing is Rosalina from Mario! I know she's a bit of an odd pick — what with the cartoony style — but I genuinely find her personality very attractive (and she's gorgeous). The way she cares for the Lumas is very beautiful, and she's one of the prettiest princesses in games!

Unders — Kinzie Kensington/Safeword (Saints Row franchise and Agents of Mayhem)

If I had to nail down the videogame characters I’ve found attractive, my first choice would be Heather Mason from Silent Hill 3. From around the time when I was introduced to the franchise and picked up the Silent Hill HD Collection on Xbox 360, I was young enough to confidently say that she was my type when posed the question. However, since I’ve grown older and she has stayed 17; instead I’m choosing Kinzie Kensington (preferably, Safeword).

Kinzie Kensington first appeared in Saints Row the Third as the agoraphobic tech head who helps the Boss take down Matt Miller and the Deckers. The quirky computer whiz-turned-badass piques my interest due to her tenacity. Kinzie is not the type of person to mess with but does have a sweet side that I admire.

Furthermore, the Agents of Mayhem character Safeword is the best version of Kensington. She's a witty, smart, and resourceful hero, and she uses gloves that shoot digital arcs as weapons. She’s a secret agent like Kim Possible; who could ask for more?