Top 10 Best Movie Portrayals of Video Game Characters

“Pokémon Detective Pikachu” (2019)

Nintendo has traditionally been incredibly cautious about allowing their characters to be adapted to film with over a quarter century passing since they had previously made a live action feature. The wait would prove to be worth it however as the beloved worldwide phenomenon of Pokémon was brilliantly brought to the screen giving audiences the realistic versions of Pokémon they had been dreaming of for decades. The most notable of course was the title character of the film and the longtime Pokémon mascot Pikachu. With the indelible Ryan Reynolds providing his voice, the fluffy electric detective was imbued with personality and humor, giving Pokéfans everything they could have hoped for.

“Tomb Raider” (2018)

Coming off of her Oscar winning turn in “The Danish Girl” and critically acclaimed performance in “Ex Machina,” Alicia Vikander was a perfect choice to bring one of video games’ most iconic women back to the big screen. The reboot was in line with more recent portrayals of the famed video game adventurer Lara Croft, which focused less on objectifying the character and more on making her a gritty and capable action heroine. No stranger to action films after appearing in “Jason Bourne,” Vikander delivered on both the emotional and physical aspects required of the role.

“Sonic the Hedgehog” Franchise (2020-)

Over his long and illustrious career Jim Carrey had done it all; comedy, drama, playing over the top buffoons, and quiet introverts. One thing he had never done however, was play a character that had originated in a video game, that is until he stepped into the shoes of the mad scientist, Doctor Robotnik. Carrey managed to put his own stamp on the villainous role, reminiscent of his parts in the 90s, while still managing to stay true to the roots of the character. After a great performance in the first film Carrey brought things to the next level when he returned in the sequel, giving Robotnic his iconic bald head, goggles, and wild mustache.

“Mortal Kombat” (2021)

A standout in the long and storied history of the Mortal Kombat games, Scorpion is known as much for his compelling backstory as his legendary catchphrase. The 2021 adaptation opened on that backstory, featuring Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi, a 17th century warrior who was murdered alongside his family. Returning as the vengeful specter known as Scorpion, Sanada imbued the role of the spectral yellow clad ninja with an astounding amount of pathos. On a quest for revenge it wouldn’t be fair to call Scorpion either a hero or a villain, perhaps put best by Sanada himself, he is a family man changed to a fighting machine. Perhaps best of all about Sanada’s stellar performance was his utterance of the iconic line “Get over here!”

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (2023)

Mario’s greatest nemesis has always walked a tightrope between being imposing and a little bit ridiculous. When it came time for Jack Black to lend his voice to Bowser he walked that tightrope to perfection, giving the fire breathing lizard a gruffly commanding yet slightly goofy presence. Black truly went the extra mile, embodying Bowser in more than just voice, as evidenced by his off screen antics promoting the film. Despite his dastardly deeds Bowser felt tragic and relatable, perhaps most of all in his ballad “Peaches,” which unsurprisingly went viral.

“Twisted Metal” (2023-)

Taking a page out of Darth Vader’s book this masked villain is actually two performances in one! Professional wrestler Samoa Joe is the body of Sweet Tooth bringing the mass killer a brutal presence while Will Arnett used his gravelly voice to give him a darkly comedic menace. As the nightmarish clown that owns the streets of a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas, Sweet Tooth manages to be a memorable and imposing villain both in and outside of his car. Sweet Tooth’s look is a dead ringer for the games with plenty of easter eggs over the course of the series for fans to scoop up.

“Castlevania” (2017-21)

Season actor of the screen and stage Richard Armitage provided his iconic baritone voice to the vampire hunter Trevor Belmont. In line with the video game’s Japanese roots the show was animated to be reminiscent of anime as well as artwork from Ayami Kojima originally done for the games. That art style, combined with the booming voice of Armitage helped perfectly translate Belmont into a new medium. Drawing from the plot of Castlevania III, and later Curse of Darkness, Belmont was a dark and brooding figure with a real sense of gravitas not possible in the days of pixels and text boxes.

“The Witcher” (2019-)
Originally a series of novels by polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher franchise found newfound popularity with the release of the massively popular series of video games based on the bestsellers. One of the many fans of the Witcher games was avid gamer Henry Cavill, who actively campaigned for, and received, the lead role. He proved to be perfect for the part, possessing both the muscular physical build to effectively inhabit Geralt and the nerd cred to exist in the world of magic and monsters. Perhaps more importantly however, his natural talent as an actor showed through, helping to make the show a certified hit.

“Arcane” (2021-)

The world of League of Legends is brilliantly depicted in a game full of fascinating characters and rich settings. However due to the nature of the game’s multiplayer format there isn’t much opportunity to delve into the worldbuilding and character backstories. That’s what made a television show set in that world so intriguing. allowing, for the first time, an exploration of the characters and world that had captured the player's imaginations. The show chose fan favorite Jinx as its primary protagonist chronicling her slow descent into madness and violence brought to life by voice actress Ella Purnell.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

A Final Performance for the Ages From Raul Julia

Hiroki Narimiya Is Perfect in This Adaptation of an Over the Top Classic

A Haunting and Powerful Motion Capture Role by Toby Kebbell

“The Last of Us” (2023-)

If there ever needed an argument to be made for video games as a worthwhile art form, one would need look no further than “The Last of Us.” Featuring characters imbued with all of the best and worst aspects of humanity, often at the same time an actor with real range would need to play Joel in the adaptation. Pedro Pascal fully rose to the occasion displaying those complex emotions and embodying his difficult but powerful character arc. For his effort Pascal received both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, as was Bella Ramsey, who gave a powerhouse performance as Ellie. (xref) The pair helped to make “The Last of Us” one of the greatest pieces of television ever.