Top 20 Videogame Performances Of All Time

There was a time roughly two decades ago when videogame acting was considered a “lesser” acting medium. Audiences played the games and enjoyed the silly voices, but you hardly ever experienced a performance worth appreciating or awarding.

But near the end of the 2000’s, when performance capture was taking off and videogame writing began improving / taking itself more seriously across the board, we started to see some truly incredible acting performance. Nowadays I think everyone – gamers or non-gamers alike – can appreciate the effort that goes into constructing some of these characters.

I’ve picked the twenty best videogame performance of all time based on my personal preferences. If there’s an iconic performance missing from this list, that’s either because it barely missed out on my top twenty or it’s a game I simply haven’t played yet. Let’s get to it!

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Every “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” Boss Ranked

Every “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” Game Award Ranked By How Deserved They Were

Every “Game of the Year” Nominee Ranked

Persona 5 Royal – Every Palace Ranked

20 – Goro Akechi (Persona 5 Royal)

VA: Robbie Daymond

All of the Persona games have some fun and memorable voice acting, but I wouldn’t necessarily call any of it award-worthy … apart from Robbie Daymond’s performance as Goro Akechi for “Persona 5 Royal”.

He plays both the innocent, young detective and the deranged sociopath so well, and his final moments on Shido’s ship are some of the most gut-wrenching dialogue exchanges in a JRPG.

19 – GLaDOS (Portal Series)

VA: Ellen McLain

In games with silent protagonists, you have to hope that the villain can do all the heavy-lifting. GLaDOS in the “Portal” series may be a maniacal robot but her sassy personality is what makes her iconic.

She undermines the player in lots of playful and inventive ways, and I loved the various sides of her we saw in “Portal 2”. Also shout-out to Stephen Merchant for his hilarious Wheatley in the same game.

18 – Peter Parker (Marvel’s Spider-Man)

VA: Yuri Lowenthal

When you voice a superhero, you run the risk of making it cliché and corny. I have no idea how Yuri Lowenthal struck that perfect balance of humour and sincerity.

This is one of my favourite Peter Parkers in media, purely for how mature he is and also how gut-wrenching some of his tough decisions could be. Lowenthal was already an industry legend before “Marvel’s Spider-Man” so I’m glad he’s now finally getting the recognition he deserves.

17 – Leon Kennedy (Resident Evil Series)

VAs: Nick Apostolides / Paul Mercier

I wasn’t sure which Leon to include for this list – the newer, more grounded version from the remakes or the camp version from 2005’s “Resident Evil 4”. But then I remembered this is my list and I make my own rules, so I included both of them.

In terms of Paul Mercier’s OG Leon, I love how unserious and badass he is. In terms of Nick Apostolides’s Remake Leon, I love how we’ve watched an inexperienced boy evolve into a gruff zombie-killing machine. Both actors inject so much charm into every line.

Also, shout-out to Grace’s actress Angela Sant’Albano in “Resident Evil: Requiem”. It must’ve been intense to play such a breathy, terrified character for the whole game but she pulled it off and made it convincing.

16 – Lara Croft (Tomb Raider Series)

VA: Camilla Luddington

Lara Croft goes through so much in the recent “Tomb Raider” reboot trilogy. I can only imagine how grueling the voice / motion capture was because of that.

I like how this Lara isn’t the invincible badass we know her as – Camilla Luddington makes the character vulnerable yet fearsome.

15 – Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt)

VA: Doug Cockle

I almost skipped Geralt of Rivia from my list, because I assumed I was being biased towards my favourite game … but no. Doug Cockle’s acting in “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” really is that good.

Geralt is gruff, humourless and often unemotional on the surface, but the more time you spend with him the more nuanced the performance becomes. This is a man who has suffered incredible pain and yet still finds it in his heart to love his found family.

14 – Bayek of Siwa (Assassin’s Creed Origins)

VA: Abubakar Salim

Revenge is a classic trope in the “Assassin’s Creed” franchise, but no protagonist’s vengeance has been as vitriolic as Bayek’s in “Origins”.

Abubakar Salim plays the bereaved father with such anger it’s frightening. This is a man dead-set on his violent path, and that disturbed pain is conveyed so vividly.

13 – Hades [& Other Voices] (Hades)

VA: Logan Cunningham

To give a bit of context for just how prolific Logan Cunningham is in the “Hades” cast, he voices Achilles, Poseidon, Charon, Asterius and Homer (the narrator) … and in the sequel he voices most of those characters again plus Polyphemus, Typhon and the antagonist Chronos.

But my favourite performance of his is the titular character, and the antagonist of the first game. Hades is as belligerent and demanding as you’d expect from the God of the Underworld but he’s never hateful. He clearly cares for his son, even if he never shows it – and Cunningham’s gravitas is truly electric.

12 – The Joker (Arkham Series)

VA: Mark Hamill

Mark Hamill was on the cusp of being typecast as Luke Skywalker for the rest of his life, so he decided to do something drastic – like voicing the Crown Prince of Crime.

His turn as The Joker in the Arkham Series (as well as the animated series before that) is the stuff of legend. He delivers the perfect level of glee, cynicism and derangement, so much so that every Joker voice since feels like a Hamill impression.

And I of course have to give an honourable mention to Kevin Conroy’s steely Batman. He and Hamill gave two of the greatest superhero / supervillain performances we’ll ever hear.

11 – Abby Anderson (The Last of Us: Part Two)

VA: Laura Bailey

The amount of hate Laura Bailey received for her role as Abby in “The Last of Us: Part Two” was sickening. I’m of the opinion that Abby did nothing wrong (relative to her situation) – I have other complaints about that game’s story, but the start of Abby’s arc isn’t one of them.

Like the other main performances in “The Last of Us” (we’ll get to those two, don’t you worry!) Bailey brings an angry strength despite the desperate and hostile environment. It’s no shock that she won the Game Award for Best Performance.

10 – Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle)

VA: Troy Baker

One performance which got swept under the rug last year (mostly due to “Expedition 33” sweeping the awards) was Troy Baker’s impossibly-perfect turn as Indiana Jones.

At first you think it’s the best Harrison Ford impression ever, but then you realise Baker is bringing a different side to the character than even Ford managed. He’s just as cocky and charming as the original, but Baker’s incarnation seems to respect the people around him a touch more.

As a side note, Troy Baker is the only actor to have two performances on my list. In other news, water is wet.

9 – Vaas Montenegro (Far Cry 3)

VA: Michael Mando

Michael Mando is perhaps better known nowadays for his roles as Nacho in “Better Call Saul” and Scorpion in the upcoming “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”, but he was already unsettling gamers way back in “Far Cry 3”.

He plays the ruthless and insane Vaas Montenegro with terrifying realness – so much so that every game in the series afterwards has tried to recapture the villainous magic, to dwindling success.

8 – Trevor Phillips (GTA V)

VA: Steven Ogg

Where Michael Mando has surpassed his typecasting as Vaas, Steven Ogg can’t seem to get past his. Everywhere he goes he gets recognised as Trevor Phillips and I imagine he now hates the character with all his guts.

Unfortunately, he played the role a little too well. The main story in “GTA V” wouldn’t have been half as interesting without Trevor’s unhinged and darkly comedic antics.

7 – Nathan Drake (Uncharted Series)

VA: Nolan North

If they ever open a videogame character hall of fame, or something to that effect, Nathan Drake has to be there on day one. He’s one of gaming’s most recognizable action heroes.

Most of his charm has to do with his voice actor Nolan North – a legend in the videogame industry. He brings a humanity and wit to what could have been a stereotypical adventure protagonist.

6 – Verso (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)

VA: Ben Starr

I thought the writing in “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” was absolutely stunning. The characters were all believable and their decisions were all incredibly impactful – but you still need an accomplished actor to deliver the words on the page.

The best part of Verso is how layered his character is, and Ben Starr pulls off his conflictions with tragic aplomb. This is a man who tells white lies in order to save his friends and himself … and he’s haunted by it.

Also, shout-out to the performance capture artist Maxence Cazorla for bringing Verso (and many other male characters in the game) to life.

5 – Maelle (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)

VA: Jennifer English

“Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” boasts two of my favourite characters and performances in gaming, but if forced to pick a winner between the two I’d begrudgingly go for Jennifer English’s portrayal of Maelle.

She won the Game Award because of big and emotional moments, like the graveyard scene, but what impressed me most on replay was how the character matured over time. Over the course of the game, in the face of all these insurmountable tragedies, Maelle grows from a timid teenage girl to a confident warrior – and that’s all thanks to English’s acting.

And again, a big round of applause to Charlotte Hoeppfner who did the motion capture. The female characters in the game wouldn’t have felt as alive without her.

4 – Kratos (God Of War Series)

VA: Christopher Judge

How do you take a pre-established badass like Kratos and update him to be a modern, complex character without losing what made him cool to begin with? The answer is simple – cast a real-life badass like Christopher Judge in the role.

Judge is Mr. Gravitas. Every booming syllable he utters is loaded with an enraged history, and yet he imbues a softness within Kratos towards his family and allies. Kratos will never be an emotional character, but to see him on the cusp of an expression is somehow more endearing than a full-blown outburst.

And, of course, we need to give credit to Terrence C. Carson for being the original Kratos voice. He laid the groundwork for what was to come.

3 – Ellie Williams (The Last of Us)

VA: Ashley Johnson

Where Joel Miller brought the grit to “The Last of Us”, it was Ashley Johnson’s performance as Ellie Williams that brought the heart.

What makes Ellie different to other young girls in survival fiction is that she doesn’t need to grow into a fighter – she was already cutthroat to begin with. Johnson shows us that Ellie is scared and conflicted, no doubt about it, but she always puts on a brave face in spite of that.

Her relationship with Troy Baker’s Joel is the best partnership in gaming. Speaking of which …

2 – Joel Miller (The Last of Us)

VA: Troy Baker

I contemplated (for longer than I’d care to admit) whether to put Ellie or Joel higher than the other, but in the end I couldn’t look past Troy Baker’s magnetic performance as the grizzled, life-struck survivor.

The range demanded of Baker had rarely been seen in games up until 2013, and yet he shouldered the burden of the intense guilt and frustration within Joel’s soul. There are dozens of scenes where Baker shines, like the intense ending or the brutal interrogation of David – he’s incredible in every second of screen-time.

Troy Baker might just be the GOAT of videogame acting – and I don’t think that’s a controversial opinion.

1 – Arthur Morgan (Red Dead Redemption 2)

VA: Roger Clark

Who is the “best character” in gaming? It’s a question with no clear answer, but one role everyone seems to love is Arthur Morgan in “Read Dead Redemption 2” – and all of that character’s plaudits is split equally between the amazing writing and the career-defining performance by Roger Clark.

Depending on how you play the game, Arthur turns from a gung-ho, murderous cowboy into an honourable man. His tuberculosis diagnosis – and the pain he becomes wrought with – is enough to make grown men cry.

The exciting thing is that, in my opinion, this is a performance which can be beaten. As the medium of gaming continues to evolve, as it attracts more acting and writing talent, and as facial / motion capture becomes more precise, I predict that one day we’ll see a performance which rivals the greatest roles Hollywood has ever filmed. The ceiling is forever being raised, and we have every performer on this list to thank for that.

Aaaand that’s my list! If you liked this post and want to support me, please consider giving me a one-time donation. Even a few pence (or whatever currency you use) is fantastic! I’ve never monetized this blog before, but it would be great if I could do this comfortably and not have to worry about the yearly website domain costs. Thank you so much!