Top 20 Most Powerful Video Game Characters

“Persona 5” (2017)

Like most other Japanese role-playing games, the final boss of “Persona 5”, Yaldabaoth, is essentially God. Inspired by the Gnostic deity of the same name, Yaldabaoth holds legions of souls hostage and can force people to perform dark deeds under his influence. So, as a being with that much power, why is it that Yaldabaoth is so low on this list? Well, unlike the other gods and deities we will see on this list, Yaldabaoth is defeated by the hands of a bunch of teenagers and their Totoro-like mascot, brought down by guns and literary figures masquerading as personas. Kind of negates the amount of power you truly wield.

“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” (2011)

The land of “Skyrim” houses many dangerous foes for you to encounter, but the one you should fear the most is the creator of dragon civilization himself, Alduin. Sure, you’ve fought plenty of dragons that can breathe fire or ice at you. Alduin, however, can do much more than that. With a simple roar, he can rain meteors down upon you, hence why he is known as the harbinger of the apocalypse. Couple that with a fifty percent resistance to all damage types, and you have a dragon that will slay you before you can even unsheathe your sword…unless you use some ridiculous game-breaking bug to your advantage.

“DOOM” series (1993-)

Given how the demons took control of the Earth TWICE and seem to always rebuild and attack the UAC several times over, one might question just how powerful Doomguy truly is. Besides, if you take away the super shotgun and Praetor suit, what is he, truly? A monster you should fear, that’s what. Doomguy has fought off Hell’s army tirelessly on several occasions, and just with his bare hands, he can drench the canyons of Mars in blood. The only time the demons managed to get the jump on him was when they trapped him in a sarcophagus, and even then, he managed to break free eventually.

“Devil May Cry” series (2001-)

Much like the Doom Slayer, Dante is one of those beings that looks like his power lies solely in his weaponry. True, the Legendary Devil Hunter needs his Ebony and Ivory, but there is much more to this half-demon than the arsenal makes it seem. Along with immense strength, speed, endurance, regenerative healing, and telekinesis, Dante is able to channel his demonic powers into his weapons, making them far more deadly than they already are on their own. Oh, and he gains the ability to fly once Devil Trigger is activated.

“Earthbound” (1995)

Nothing is scarier than an extra-terrestrial fueled by spite, greed, and hate. Giygas is the alien antagonist that many know as one of Nintendo’s most frightening and disorienting villains. Whereas Ness–er, Ninten and his friends only know a few bits and pieces about their newfound PSI powers, Giygas comes from a race that understands its full capabilities and wields PSI with significant prowess. The only reason why he isn’t higher up is because he was able to be defeated through the unstoppable force, the cure-all of every problem in the world: thoughts and prayers.

“Mass Effect” series (2007-17)

The Reapers are indeed one of the most fearsome races in fiction, and rightfully so. We’re talking about a fleet of robotic creatures that are the size of starships and wield the power to corrupt anything organic. And these aren’t just soulless killing machines - they think. They hunt down those in political power and will figure out how to track down each and every living body. It took literally every single civilization in the galaxy to finally put a halt to the Reapers. That is how deadly, devious, and malicious these monsters are!

“Killer Instinct” (2013)

“Killer Instinct” already features a plethora of ultra-powerful beings like a two-headed monster, a martial artist with a dragon, a man made of fire, and a literal killing machine. But when you get to the interdimensional demon that can manipulate time and space, well, you have officially hit peak power in this franchise. That’s what Gargos is about, using portals to beat the snot out of you while sending Omens to do his dirty work. And once he lands a single hit, it’s going to be tough to pull off that combo breaker.

“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)

In just about every other “Zelda” story, Ganon is usually a person, a dude with great power (thanks to a piece of the Triforce) that will do anything to gain rule over Hyrule. In “Breath of the Wild”, he is no longer a Gerudo man, but rather a malevolent force of nature, a plague that has corrupted the lands of Hyrule and turned the Divine Guardians against the people. In other words, it is a form of Ganon that deserves to have the term “calamity” attached to its name.

“Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” (2018)

Much like Calamity Ganon, Galeem and Dharkon are forces of nature rather than gods. An entity, if you will. We see Galeem’s power at the very start of the World of Light campaign as it manages to wipe out just about every single video game character in existence with a simple storm of light beams (save for one survivor). Even after freeing everyone, it took the help of dozens upon dozens of characters to fend off and destroy these two beings whereas Calamity Ganon…it only took one person.

“Final Fantasy” series (1987-)

Everyone has their own “Final Fantasy” villains to fear like Kefka. Thing is that even if Kefka somewhat succeeded with his plans, Sephiroth terrifies us way more. For starters, this is a super soldier who will destroy entire planets just to inflict a simple status effect on you. Even after his defeat, Sephiroth still manages to carry out his dark deed of hurling a Meteor into Gaia. While Aerith’s magic mitigated the damage and prevented the planet from being destroyed, Midgar was still eradicated in the process. His influence on Cloud and the other characters still lingers.

“Asura’s Wrath” (2012)

A demigod seeking revenge against the gods that betrayed him? Where have we heard this one before…? Regardless, Asura definitely deserves to be on this list. Just look at the roster of gods he’s beaten to a pulp despite his stature. One of these gods, Chakravartin, grows to the size of a planet, attempts to crush Asura with a single finger, and STILL falls! We understand that size does not equal power, but in this case, Asura should have been crushed. Need we say more?

“Scribblenauts” series (2009-)

Okay, we will admit that this seems like the weirdest candidate for this list, but trust us when we say Maxwell is absolutely one of the most powerful video game characters ever. For those who have not played this once fantastic series, this young lad is able to conjure up whatever his heart desires just by writing in his notebook. Anything he wants so long as he jots it down! He can spawn in black holes if he wanted to and bring an end to the world just because he wrote it out.

“Street Fighter” series (1987-)

Anyone who has ever played a fighting game will easily tell you just how legendary and powerful Akuma really is. It’s a popular and understandable take, yes. After all, this is the central antagonist of the “Street Fighter” series who has undergone several transformations since his debut. You got Shin Akuma, Cyber Akuma, Oni Akuma… It’s like anything that can be a potential threat automatically seeks out this vicious man. But to call him the most powerful fighting game character? We beg to differ.

“Tekken” series (1995-)

Kazuya doesn’t need a multitude of forms to kick some ass. Kazuya just has one, and it is a nightmare to deal with. He already has the fighting prowess with his Mishima Style Karate moves, but when in Devil form, he is nearly unstoppable. It’s also worth mentioning how many times he’s escaped death. Getting thrown off a cliff as a child? Nope, still alive. Getting thrown into a volcano? Yep, survived that, too. Fought Akuma? Well, if he didn’t survive that fight, we would have swapped the two, now wouldn’t we?

“Kid Icarus” series (1986-2012)

Ah, Lady Palutena, the heavenly goddess of the “Kid Icarus” games. For someone as goodhearted and warm as her, we’re kind of shocked that her immense power hasn’t gone to her head as it would others. In addition to flight and a host of mystical attacks melee, ranged, and defensive, Palutena can summon anyone she needs in the moment, transform other beings into whatever she chooses, give objects sentience, and even command the weather. Basically, the entire world is in the palm of her hands, and she has almost no consequences to worry about.

“Mortal Kombat” series (1992-)

Normally, we would have put Liu Kang somewhere towards the bottom of this list or even nowhere on here at all. However, the events of “Mortal Kombat 11” have altered his status. He is no longer just Liu Kang, Earthrealm champion and protector. He is now Liu Kang, Fire God and Keeper of Time! So, now he can beat your face in, burn you, and rewind time to make you live out your defeat as many times as he wants you to. The bicycle kick just got a hundred times more annoying.

“Diablo” series (1997-)

Look, regardless of your familiarity with “Diablo”, you can piece together why the titular antagonist is this high on the list. It’s freakin’ Satan! You know, the Dark Lord, supreme ruler of the underworld who influences mankind’s darkest desires and sins. Not only that, but he can harvest your fears and make them reality, thus inflicting more fear to feed off of. It's just a never-ending cycle of fear and power, and it's why few have dared to challenge him. You just need to expunge all human emotion from your brain.

“God of War” series (2005-)

Of course Kratos is on here. It really isn’t that surprising. Kratos has been duking it out with entire pantheons since before Asura was even a thing (in the world of video games). No matter how many times Zeus got the better of him, no matter how frequently he was kicked down, Kratos just wouldn’t die. Even at the end of “God of War III”, the Blade of Olympus could not kill off the Ghost of Sparta. And now, he tangos with the Nordic gods, who will see just how mighty Kratos truly is.

“Pokémon” series (1996-)

Behold - God as a Pokémon! No joke, that is exactly what Arceus is according to the lore. From across various Pokédex entries, it is said that Arceus was, in a sense, the big boom of the universe. It existed before the universe was even a thing and built the universe itself. That alone is enough to call it one of the most powerful video game characters ever, and it goes without mentioning some of the ridiculously damaging moves it can learn like Hyper Beam, Cosmic Power, Draco Meteor, Extreme Speed, Perish Song, and Judgment.

“Kirby” series (1992-)

No matter what status you are - half-demon, god, demigod, creator of the universe, whatever, no other video game character has been able to match the same level of destruction as Kirby. Yes, this cute pink puffball is absolutely the most powerful character ever. Though diminutive compared to most heroes, Kirby is basically a living black hole, capable of sucking in whatever is in front of him and copying abilities of whatever he eats. He can become anything by bringing an end to the original. We suppose you could say he is an immortal body snatcher.