Top 10 Max Payne Characters

“One-eyed Alfred” himself, Woden served as a mysterious, enigmatic figure throughout the first game before the complex truth behind him and his history with the Payne family is revealed. While he serves as an ally to Max throughout the first game by warning him of impending police and nudging him in the right direction of his wife's killer, he has ulterior motives, and was indirectly responsible for the death of Michelle Payne. He even puts a hit on Max in the sequel, proving that while he's an invaluable ally, his motivations always remain murky and complex.

While the third game in the series all but ditched the dark and gritty noir aspect of the first two games, it still contained some fantastic characters, including the woman who kicks the whole plot into motion, Fabiana Branco. While she may seem a little shallow and air-headed, attending fashion shows and just generally being a hot blonde gold-digger, you nevertheless feel terrible for her when she is eventually kidnapped and beaten. While she may seem like a lot of fun, her time throughout the story is anything but, and her death is arguably the most tragic of the entire game.

Introduced in the second game but nevertheless a great addition, Winterson helps give the sequel its notable gritty tone and provides one of the most shocking moments of the entire series. A hard-working NYPD detective who doesn't take crap from anyone, Winterson is tough as nails but gets herself tragically tangled up in mob boss Vladimir Lem. We're introduced to her name through Max’s haunting memories during the game’s opening scene before learning the powerful truth of what it means. While her intentions were good, her prodding into something bigger than her only ends in tragedy.

Ah, bless his heart, he tries so hard to be the tough guy. Working as a member of the Punchinello crime family, Vinnie tries to be bad throughout the two games, but his whiny, Joe Pesci-esque Brooklyn accent and love of comic books only makes him appear more childish than anything. Still, we have to feel bad for him when he's strapped into an explosive Captain Baseball Bat Boy costume, even if it is his favourite character. Providing some welcome comic relief throughout the otherwise grim proceedings, Gognitti is the lovable loser you can't help but admire.

Passos serves as Max's partner throughout the third installment, providing him with a friend, some jokes, and a few extra bullets. Always one to lighten the mood, Passos is so good and so friendly that we can't help but feel like he's going to betray us throughout the game. His girlfriend and unborn child lead even more gravitas and stress to his character and possible death, but luckily, none of that happens. He's loyal to a tee, and a welcoming presence in the slums of Sao Paulo. A buddy cop movie featuring Max and Passos would certainly be appreciated.

The man too stubborn to die himself, Bravura is a commanding presence, particularly in the second installment, serving as Payne’s strict and demanding boss that can't help but pop a few pills due to the stress. While his character is the typical tough boss, take-no-crap-from-his-incompetent-employee police chief, he’s still a wholesome character in his own right. We learn through the comics that he and Max remained close friends and allies until his death from a heart attack, proving that their bond remains unbreakable even in the face of tragedy and insubordination.

Serving as the president of Aesir Corporation and main antagonist of the first game, Nicole Horne is a fantastic villain and proves herself to be a formidable foe, even if the final battle isn't against her directly. Horne is both ruthless and inhumane, responsible for designing the drug Valkyr and being behind the deaths of Max’s wife and baby daughter. Known as “The Hag” due to her old and wrinkled appearance, it's clear that no one particularly enjoys her presence, and it's more than satisfying watching her helicopter explode into a million pieces.

His name has already been mentioned twice, so it's clear that he is behind quite a few shenanigans throughout the first two games. Serving as the boss of the Russian mob and both ally and enemy of Max, Lem’s presence and accent display a smooth, suave, and sophisticated man, but lurking underneath is a deeply troubled and psychotic individual. Once the greed gets to his head, he places a hit on Max, severing their once fruitful alliance and leading to a tense and terrific showdown at Woden Manor. We couldn't think of a better villain.

While Mona appeared briefly during the first game, and while we were led to believe that she died, she makes a commanding return in the sequel and serves as Max’s tragic love interest. Mona is just as tough as Max, and she remains mysterious throughout the game, often appearing and disappearing at random and not divulging a lot of her personal life. In short, she's just like Max, and he can't help but fall in love. Her tragic end only helps to alleviate Max’s pain, giving the game series a boost to its already deep, thematic elements and provides the original story with fantastic closure.

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

Jack Lupino
Frankie Niagara
Victor Branco

We know, shocking, right!? Payne serves as the obvious protagonist throughout the series, haunted by the deaths of his wife and baby girl. Although he had a bit of a goofy face in the original game, he is nonetheless a tough and brooding figure, always waxing poetic and killing as many goons as is necessary to get to the bottom of his conundrums. He's easily one of the best video game characters of all time, and helped to give games serious respect in the eyes of critics and the public in terms of their storytelling and dramatic capabilities.
Do you agree with our list? Which “Max Payne” character is your favourite? For more intense top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to Watchmojo.com.