As a younger sibling, my first experience with gaming wasn’t with a controller in hand; it was sitting in silence, doing nothing in front of the TV. Still, watching someone play has always been mesmerizing to me; reacting together to whatever’s happening in the story, I think that’s what gaming’s all about.
You, then, can imagine my excitement when going through my own catalogue of playthroughs to find out that the Gaming Companion is a thing in every genre. This fact redefined what a video game character could be.
Not only is the game alive through the protagonist we control, but the world becomes an extension of our actions and others' reactions, especially those of the characters closest to the hero. Once becoming the primary focus of a story, here are the most iconic companions in gaming history:
Off-Podium Honorable Mention: Cortana
It was impossible to talk about Companions without mentioning Cortana. A blend of guidance and narrative, which made the role of narrator through a mute character all the more enjoyable for the player. Becoming the mouthpiece to one of the most emblematic franchises of all time is a tall order that a 12-inch hologram surpassed with honors.
3rd Place, Bronze: GLaDOS
The original evil AI. Ryan Reynolds' sarcasm before it was even a thing. GLaDOS redefined what a companion sounded like and what their true motives were to accompany you. From utterly destroying the player through tone-deaf, perfectly timed jabs, most of which were beautiful lay-ups by the dev team that Ellen McLain, the original voice actress, made sure to dunk every time.
Going further and deeper into absurdism, the Portal credits roll to a now indie-rock classic, Still Alive, taking only a few notes to be recognized, a testament to the masterful work done by Ellen and company. How often do you have a companion that belittles you, betrays you, serenades you, yet you still want to hang out with? Ex-girlfriend much.
Beyond her jokes, GLaDOS remains unforgettable because of how deeply she’s involved in the game’s storyline. Her character proves that a companion doesn’t need to be friendly to be iconic; they need to make the ride worthwhile.
2nd Place, Silver: Tails
While I will always find the enemy-to-friends trope fascinating in media, there is something ever so endearing and charming about a good old buddy-buddy relationship, especially in gaming. If Nintendo brought brothers, SEGA brought friends, and after that, it was no contest with Sonic & Tails.
Our little fur fox is one of the most supportive characters in video games, ever. Written to contrast the protagonist’s erratic nature, Tails is calm, intelligent, and methodical, serving as a mirror for the audience to see how crazy, complex, or impressive whatever Sonic does is. Tails makes you feel dumb in a good way. Does that make any sense? Tails would understand.
Add a red echidna to the mix, and you've got the perfect trio dynamic with, in my opinion, Tails acting as the glue of the group. The neutral between the two opposites, former enemies, Tails is genuinely my favorite Sonic hero.
1st Place, Gold: Navi
Navi is single-handedly the most iconic companion of all time. First of all, let’s dissect that. Iconic? Check. The internet made sure we remembered her since its 1998 debut, all the way to the late 2000s rage comic memes.
Then, “of all time”? Navi travels with the hero of time! She was, is, and will be in all of time! One of the most recognizable sound-bite collections inherently owning the words “Hey!” and “Listen” for the rest of gaming.
Besides, we are talking about “Iconic”, not “Best Companions”, because there is still not a single person who has ever played Ocarina of Time talking about "loving" Navi. It’s just not a thing. Unforgettable and timeless, probably for all the wrong reasons.
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