The 20 BEST Silent Video Game Characters

20 Best Silent Video Game Characters

Welcome to Mojoplays, and guess what? ……………… I think I’ve made my point. These are the 20 Best Silent Video Game Characters. Silent protagonists are nothing new, but some handle it better than others, because it’s a damn tight rope. Let’s see who was able to make that walk.

Jak

“Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy” (2001)

While Jak eventually gained the ability to speak in later games, he was one of the few silent protagonists from the PlayStation platformer era. Unlike Ratchet with his many quips, and Spyro, who talked more than most would like, Jak remained silent throughout his first adventure. This was fine mostly in part to his trusty sidekick offering more dialogue than we could possibly ever need .. or want. In some ways, it made Jak more relatable to the player, as he was just as much a passive observer of the story. He was a blank canvas, not a brooding gothic edgelord, which is what he later became.

Wander

“Shadow of The Colossus” (2005)

Let’s get this out of the way now while we’re here, when we say silent, we’re also including characters who make the occasional noise, and although we’re stretching it a little bit with this entry, as Wander does say his horses name with the simple click of a button, he remains silent throughout the rest of his journey. Wander draws us into this world in a tone similar to later Souls-like games by guiding us through this world without so much as an expositionary monologue. Just tell us SOMETHING about yourself Wander, I want to get to know you!

Amaterasu

“Okami” (2006)

The protagonist of the beloved Okami, Amaterasu, is Japan's sun goddess in the form of a wolf. At the start of the game, she has lost many of her powers, including her ability to speak, which sucks for her, but also gets her a nice 18th spot on this list .. So, swings and roundabouts I guess? Amaterasu quickly won fans over with her striking appearance and her charming, playful personality. Despite her dog-like appearance and behavior, she remains a powerful goddess and warrior, wielding impressive magic to defeat WAAAY bigger than her.

Miles Upshur

“Outlast” (2013)

It's easy to overlook just how significant 2013's Outlast was, and I’ll NEVER stop talking about how it revolutionized the horror genre. With its disturbing visuals and relentless jump scares, Outlast made a lasting impact on the gaming world. And our Outlast protagonist Miles Upshur endures the entire horrifying ordeal without saying a single word. His silence allows the player to be in full control of their feelings towards what they’re seeing, without any influence from the player dialogue.

Isaac Clarke

“Dead Space” (2008)

It’s super odd to think that at no point in the original 2008 Deadspace did Isaac Clarke feel the need to scream. That’s fine, I’ll take care of it for him. Although the 2023 remake gave Isaac a voice, the original can’t be denied its effort to immerse the player with the silent protagonist suck-in, an effort that proved incredibly effective. Now Isaac Clarke and I can finally share in regret, his regret for ever boarding the Ishimura, and my regret for saying the words “protagonist suck-in”.

Jack

“Bioshock” (2007)

Fans of the BioShock series will recall the distinctive aesthetic of the original game, but will often forget that they made their way through the whole journey without the protagonist saying a word. Despite being a silent protagonist, Jack Wynand is a character players develop a soft spot for, thanks to the details provided about him. Jack finds himself stranded in the underwater city of Rapture after his plane crashes near a lighthouse. As he navigates through Rapture, he uncovers the mysteries of the city and its inhabitants. Jack is the driving force behind one of gaming’s greatest plot twists, making him hard to forget for many.

Kirby

“Kirby” Series (1992-)

Here comes another on our list who isn’t technically silent, but Kirby’s lines are relegated to occasional noises, speaking as much as a Pikachu. Despite his cute and comical appearance, Kirby is arguably one of Nintendo's most powerful characters, consuming enemies like a giant pink Jeffery Dahmer. He regularly faces off against evil gods capable of erasing galaxies and always emerges victorious. He truly is my hero, and not just because we look strikingly similar.

Joker

“Persona 5” (2016)

This one is REEEALLY straddling the line of ‘what is a silent protagonist?”, but I’m not willing to take heat from the comments for not including the much loved Persona 5, soooo here we gooo. Although Joker communicates through battle quotes and occasional dialogue choices, for the most part, other characters do the talking, with some even serving as his internal monologue. Though designed as a blank slate, Joker is far from dull. As a phantom thief, he exudes style and charisma. Remind you of anyone? I truly am the real life Joker. Not this Joker though, the one that has no friends and goes crazy and shoots Robert De Niro.

The Vault Hunters

“Borderlands 2” (2012)

Borderlands 2 is undoubtedly one of the best first-person shooters of the 2010s. With its heart-pounding gunplay, endless loot system, fantastic writing, and unforgettable villain, Gearbox's magnum opus excels in almost every aspect, also that’s like the four hundredth time I’ve used the term magnum opus in a Mojo video. While your chosen Vault Hunter may occasionally shout something during combat, they all remain basically silent for the length of the narrative, and the story is so superbly written that you barely even notice your character isn’t chatting.

The New Kid

“South Park: The Stick of Truth” (2014)

Before The Stick of Truth, no one knew how much they needed a sprawling fantasy RPG set in the world of South Park. Now, we hope this series NEVER stops producing fantastic gems. The iconic characters are at their best when interacting with each other, which is where The New Kid comes in. By making the protagonist silent, the writers were able to pack the game with classic South Park dialogue while introducing a new dynamic and giving the player more agency than if they were controlling Cartman or Kenny. You’re free to set the already established characters up for zingers, while developing your characters skills, instead of a whole new personality that might not fit the tone of their world.

Corvo Attano

“Dishonored” (2012)

Although Corvo Attano's silence is never convincingly explained, making it difficult to connect with him, the game does benefit (like most on this list) from allowing the player to silently observe the world that Dishonored is building. When the gameplay is engaging, the graphics are impressive, and the writing is strong, it's easier to overlook that we don’t really have a convincing reason for Corvo’s silence.

Mario

“Super Mario” Series (1985-)

'It's-a me,' 'Let's-a go,' and 'mamma mia,' alright, so technically Mario DOES say some things, but on the whole, he's not exactly known for engaging in intelligible conversation. Despite not being a great conversationalist (easily my favorite word of all time), Mario is arguably the most famous video game character of all time. His iconic appearance and entertaining gameplay have made the portly plumber a global superstar. Without ever uttering a full sentence in canon games, Mario has established himself as one of the big names in gaming.

Doomguy

“Doom” Series (1993-)

I REFUSE to call Doomguy ‘Doom Slayer’, as he has been renamed in later games, because Doomguy will always be Doomguy, no matter what these freaking new Doom fans say. Doomguy has earned a reputation as one of gaming's coolest characters. He regularly wages a brutal war against the legions of hell, striking such fear into demons that they dread his very presence. And, he doesn’t even say “yo” .. Well, technically he has some dialogue in Doom Eternal, but THAT’S this Doom Slayer fella, not my sweet little Doomguy.

Crono

“Chrono Trigger” (1995)

Crono from Chrono Trigger is one of the most beloved silent protagonists in gaming, and for good reason. I hate to make the same point over, and over, and over again, but Crono's role as the blank canvas protagonist allows players to easily immerse themselves in the game's world. His blank persona serves as the ideal vehicle for players to engage with the game's dope narrative. Interestingly, his quiet demeanor is worked into the narrative, with some characters commenting on his lack of dialogue.

Pokemon Trainer

“Pokemon” Series (1998- )

The Pokémon Trainer from the Pokémon franchise is perhaps the quintessential blank slate character, I for one took the role play VERY seriously when I was a wee 10 year old boy. While the character can respond to yes-or-no questions, they remain otherwise completely silent, much like their own Pokemon, except your character doesn’t constantly just say “Mathew”. This blank canvas nature is what makes the Pokémon Trainer so appealing. Their silence allows players to project themselves into the role and fully immerse in the universe, a universe that most of us actually wish we could be immersed in for real. God dammit I want a Charmander in real life.

Claude Speed

“Grand Theft Auto III” (2001)

Claude Speed is such a substantially silent character, I’ve played Grand Theft Auto III more times than there are days in a year, and I’m only just now learning his last name is Speed .. What a tool. While the game's highly flexible sandbox gameplay is the main attraction, looking back, it's hard not to think that a good amount of the flexibility of the GTA formula was enhanced by using a character with a non-defined personality.

Chell

“Portal” Series (2007-11)

There’s no Valve game more fondly remembered for its innovative physics, and gameplay mechanics, than Portal. Valve intentionally designed Portal to be a mysterious experience, centered around Chell, its silent protagonist. She’s so silent, that her name literally never even comes up in the game, which reveals very little about her, aside from her presence during the villainous AI GLaDOS's activation and hints that her parents may have been Aperture scientists. These enigmatic elements allow players to easily step into Chell's role. Her shell of a character makes it easy for players to focus on the game … See what I did there?

Crash Bandicoot

“Crash Bandicoot” Series (1996-)

Another entry on our with a character who isn’t technically top to bottom silent, but rarely does a silent character make ZERO noise, Crash communicates primarily through pantomime and exaggerated facial expressions, making him one of the most personality filled silent protagonist of all time. He is a a hilariously entertaining character, appealing to everyone who is lucky enough to step into his converses. His is the quintessential silent character, he ISN’T a blank canvas in which the player can overwrite with their own personality, which is refreshing. Despite his comedic focus, he's still a determined hero who consistently outsmarts mutants, monsters, and mad scientists.

Gordon Freeman

“Half-Life” Series (1998-2020)

Half-Life and its 2004 sequel are often hailed as two of the greatest PC games ever made, celebrated for their immersive gameplay, world-building, and level design. Unfortunately, there's no sign of Half-Life 3. It was Gordon Freeman and his trusty crowbar that stood between Earth and full-scale alien colonization. Despite Freeman's rich backstory, he doesn’t say a damn word. This allows players to experience the strange and captivating world of Half-Life without the need to make dialogue choices, making the narrative a fully immersive experience.

Link

“The Legend of Zelda” Series (1987-)

The Hero Link takes on many incarnations throughout The Legend of Zelda franchise, consistently portrayed as the champion of the Kingdom of Hyrule. And in almost all of these portrayals, Link rarely speaks, limiting his communication to grunts, yells, and the OCCASIONAL dialogue choice. Modern gaming rarely opts for silent protagonists, with many franchises moving their silent character into fully voiced roles. Yet, Link defies the misconception that silent characters are bland or uninteresting, and powers on in brooding silence. There’s two things I’m sure of in this world, Link is the greatest silent protagonist of all time, and I’m not fully sure I used the word incarnations correctly at the start of this entry.