Fans of Doom love the series both for its super brutal combat and no-nonsense approach to action titles. Moreover, Doom lets players take on the role of Doomguy, a silent protagonist that enables gamers to take over and become the game’s hero. In fact, thanks to Doom, gamers today can further appreciate the existence of silent protagonists. After all, silent protagonists serve as stand-ins for players to feel like they themselves beat the bad guy and saved the day.
However, Doomguy becomes just one of many stellar silent protagonists throughout gaming history. Moreover, other silent protagonists rival Doomguy in the kind of immersion he gives to Doom players. As such, which other silent protagonists let players feel extra awesome while they save the world from various world-ending threats?
10 Doomguy (Doom)
Fans of FPS titles would fondly remember Doomguy or Doom Slayer from the Doom franchise. After all, the game series takes Doomguy (and the players) through a wild adventure to Hell and back. Doomguy, originally an engineer in the Marines, found himself transported into Martian moon’s Phobos and Deimos, as well as Hell; and stood in the way of armies demons set to conquer Earth.
Doomguy made an indelible mark in gaming not just as a silent protagonist. Rather, fans remember Doomguy for indulging any demon hater’s dreams of bashing demon skulls, melting demon flesh, and pulverizing demon spawn like a perpetual badass. Doom turned out to be just as gory as FPS players expected, and Doomguy made players feel right at home as a demon slayer.
9 Corvo Attano (Dishonored)
Stealth fans appreciate the Dishonored series for its unique approach to FPS action. After all, this stealth game lets players take on the role of an assassin (two in the sequel) as they undertake missions with various weapons and abilities. Moreover, the game even allows players to finish the entire story without killing anyone!
In the first game, Corvo Attano finds himself framed for the assassination of Empress Kaldwin, the person he himself was assigned to protect. Thanks to his skills as a bodyguard and a contract with the Outsider, Corvo embarks on a quest to regain his honor. Moreover, his role as a silent protagonist in the first game helped players feel more immersed and badass. Interestingly, Corvo gets fully-voiced in Dishonored 2… unless players pick him as their character.
8 Isaac Clarke (Dead Space)
Horror fans who played Dead Space for the first time would remember the franchise’s impressive approach to sci-fi horror. After all, the game put players in the role of Isaac Clarke, a humble ship systems engineer, to unravel the truth of a mysterious missing ship that now turned out to house a host of undead creatures.
Moreover, since players hardly see Isaac’s face in the game, Dead Space does an excellent job forcing players to “fit” in his shoes. In turn, players become more immersed in Isaac’s fight against the Necromorphs. Unfortunately, Isaac will get a voice in subsequent Dead Space games. However, the level of immersion Dead Space gave with a silent Isaac will remain in the hearts of franchise fans.
7 Chell (Portal)
Fans of Valve games would fondly remember Portal as one of those games with the craziest physics – which also served as one of the most unique gameplay mechanics in gaming history. After all, gamers can play the game entirely by opening two holes anywhere in the room! Moreover, fans know Valve fully intended Portal to be a mysterious experience with Chell, its silent protagonist. In fact, the only details the game reveal is that Chell was present during the villainous AI GLaDOS’s activation and Chell’s parents may be Aperture scientists.
Thanks to these mysterious elements, players can easily associate “position” themselves as the protagonist of the game. Moreover, Chell’s rather “shell” of a character serves as the perfect way for players to grab that Portal Gun and enjoy the game’s many puzzles with no worry about driving the main plot.
6 Jack (BioShock)
Fans of the BioShock series would remember the unique aesthetic and philosophical themes of the adventure game franchise. Albeit a silent protagonist, the game provides enough details about Jack Wynand for players to have a soft spot for his character. In the first game, Jack finds himself lost in the underwater city of Rapture after his plane crashed near a lighthouse. Throughout his adventure, Jack will unravel the mystery of the underwater city and its residents.
Interestingly, the game does an excellent job immersing the players into Jack’s role in the narrative. The game’s events will slowly reveal what truly happened to Jack’s family, which all culminates in a climactic encounter that remains memorable to most players.
5 Claude (Grand Theft Auto)
Fans of Grand Theft Auto III love the game for its free-form wacky nature, despite the title’s limited graphical prowess. Moreover, some fans adore Claude for his silent demeanor, enabling them to fully assume Claude’s personality throughout the game. After all, most GTA games had fully-voiced protagonists that took part in a compelling (albeit sometimes crazy) narrative.
In the case of GTA III, players assume the role of Claude as a mute criminal in his quest for revenge in Liberty City. Despite the lack of dialogue, the people Claude encounters perfectly immerse players within Liberty City’s criminal underworld.
4 Crash Bandicoot (Crash Bandicoot)
Players might find it hard to believe that Crash Bandicoot is a silent protagonist. After all, everything else in Crash Bandicoot is everything but silent. Fans of the franchise would remember Crash to be an Eastern Barred Bandicoot (an orange rat?) out to do various hijinks and shenanigans with his friends. However, Crash’s lack of speech makes sense in the story, as Doctor Neo Cortex evolved Crash from being a usual bandicoot into this hyper-energetic protagonist.
Crash also reflects the series’ rather chaotic but fun nature. Unlike other platformer protagonists, fans would remember Crash as goofy, wacky, and even spontaneous. However, he does show a laid back and caring personality – always up for the challenge whenever something crazy happens in his turf.
3 Crono (Chrono Trigger)
Crono of Chrono Trigger serves as one of the most popular silent protagonists in gaming, and for good reason. Firstly, Akira Toriyama’s design made Crono’s spiky red hair a part of his signature appearance. Moreover, Crono’s portrayal of the conventional hero allows players to easily fit in the game’s world. Thankfully, a “blank” Crono served as the perfect medium for players to get immersed in the game’s unique time-travel plot.
Interestingly, some side characters also make fun of Crono’s “quiet” demeanor. In fact, fans would fondly remember Crono for having just one dialogue in Chrono Trigger, that being: “What are you doing?! I thought you said something about a nice little slide show?”
2 Link (Legend Of Zelda)
The Hero Link assumes many incarnations throughout The Legend of Zelda franchise, all of which portray him as a hero of the Kingdom of Hyrule. Fans remember Link for his signature elven ears, blonde hair, and the unimposing yet stoic look on his face. In most of his appearances, Link wields the Master Sword and the Hylian Shield.
Interestingly, Links’ rather “simple” appearance served as a means for players to insert themselves within the role of a hero, something Zelda manages to do throughout their games. Moreover, Zelda fans wouldn’t have to worry “choosing” the “best” Link to portray them. After all, the franchise’s multiple timelines guarantee a Link and a story that fits everyone.
1 Gordon Freeman (Half-Life)
Unfortunately, there won’t be any Half-Life 3 (yet?). However, anyone who’s played the Half-Life games would fondly remember theoretical physicist Gordon Freeman and his trusty crowbar. After all, it’s Gordon that stood in the way between Earth and full-blown alien colonization after the Black Mesa Incident ripped a portal for aliens to come through.
Moreover, despite Freeman’s rather extensive backstory, fans can easily “become” the main character as Freeman stays silent throughout the entirety of the series. As such, fans bear witness to the various oddities of Half-Life without being forced to make dialogue choices. In turn, Half-Life‘s narrative becomes a wonderfully-immersive experience.
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