Barbie

The stories we love in games, movies, and TV shows come alive thanks to their characters. That’s what we’re celebrating with the Best Character of 2023 award – the characters that took us on emotional journeys, made us laugh, felt like our genuine friends, and will live on in our memories for years. </br> </br> The Best Character award encompasses everything that makes a character feel whole; the script, the performance, the arc, and the message. And gosh, 2023 has been a good year for all of that. We saw one of gaming’s best characters make the leap into live-action television with Bella Ramsey’s fantastic interpretation of Ellie in The Last of Us, bringing all her anger and disappointment to the screen in a rawer form. Then we had Margot Robbie’s exceptional turn as Barbie, turning a voiceless plastic doll into a feminist comedy icon for the ages. And, of course, actor Ben Starr took the internet by storm as new fan-favourite Final Fantasy protagonist, the brooding and occasionally (literally) fiery Clive Rosfield. </br> </br> But none of those three took our top spot. Read on to discover who IGN staff chose as their best character of 2023.

<b>Runner-Up: Loki</b> </br> </br> The first of three characters each claiming 8.7% of the vote is Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. Long considered one of Marvel’s MVPs, this year’s second season of Loki really cemented the Asgardian god as being up there with the likes of Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man. Loki displayed great growth and maturity as he left behind his role as the God of Mischief and instead became the God of Stories, dedicating himself to guarding the branches of time until the end of everything. Selfishness has been one of Loki’s most defining characteristics, and so to take on such a position is the ultimate signifier of how his time with the TVA has shifted his values and perspectives. This growth was conveyed beautifully by Hiddleston, who has never failed to carry Loki’s sense of glorious purpose with both the demanded gravity and levity.

<b>Runner-Up: Rocket Raccoon</b> </br> </br> The MCU is many things, but rarely is it genuinely heartbreaking. But emotional pain is the key to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, in which writer and director James Gunn made sure we were all a little damp around the eyes with the raw tale of Rocket Raccoon. We saw the early years of everyone’s favourite gun-toting trash panda, voiced by Bradley Cooper, in which Rocket is the subject of cruel animal experiments. A childhood of imprisonment is enough to make even the hardest fan well up, but the genius of Rocket’s story is in the allegory. Here we see a creative worker exploited by his corporate master, the High Evolutionary, who plans to gobble up Rocket’s brain and grow fat on his success. In a year where creatives stood up to the Hollywood studio system, Gunn’s message was loud and clear.

<b>Runner-Up: Astarion</b> </br> </br> Quite honestly we could have shortlisted any of Baldur’s Gate 3’s companion characters and they’d all be worthy winners, but only one has truly taken the world by storm. Astarion, played to high-camp perfection by Neil Newbon, has instantly secured himself as one of the all-time RPG greats. Despite literally trying to kill you instead of saying ‘hello’ at the start of the adventure, Astarion quickly wins the entire party over. His charms begin with flamboyant mannerisms and a wicked sense of humour – there’s never a time when Astarion doesn’t have a barbed punchline ready. But as the journey progresses you discover that hoity-toity surface is the deflective armour that guards a tragic, traumatised heart. Becoming a vampire spawn is never an easy experience, and so the quest to aid Astarion face his past and former master is one of Baldur’s Gate 3’s most rewarding journeys. </br> </br> Oh, and he’s a hot elf who gets freaky in the sheets. That’s got to count for something too, right?

<b>Runner-Up: Richie</b> </br> </br> Claiming 20.3% of the vote is Richie Jerimovich, everyone’s favourite cousin from Hulu’s The Bear. A year ago that would seem a crazy choice, but season 2’s outstanding seventh episode "Forks" turned everything around for the previously abrasive Richie. In just 36 minutes we got to witness more growth than many characters get in full movies, with Richie finally finding a sense of purpose while shadowing staff at a fine dining restaurant. Ebon Moss-Bachrach perfectly captures the emotional journey in every movement – seeming completely comfortable in his two-piece suit after it being so alien to him just half-an-hour prior. It’s a journey of self-improvement that we can all relate to, regardless of where we are on that quest. Seeing him belt out Taylor Swift’s Love Story as the episode draws to a close is an absolute explosion of catharsis; love yourself and what you do, and you’ll find your place.

<b>Winner: Ken</b> </br> </br> Taking the top slot with 24.6% of the vote is Ken, played sublimely by Ryan Gosling in Barbie. Greta Gerwig’s bubblegum-coloured riot provided in-depth character journeys for almost everyone, but it was Ken who was given the most mileage. Starting as a pathetic pick-me, Ken’s visit to the real-world opened his eyes to the ‘strengths’ of toxic masculinity, resulting in the wonderfully gaudy Mojo Dojo Casa House and the best musical number of the year. Through every dance move, sparke-eyed wink, and overconfident line delivery, Gosling is completely dedicated to the bit. Ken is the absolute fool you both hate and love. </br> </br> But Gerwig wasn’t satisfied to make men the butt of the joke in her feminist flick; Ken is the lens through which we see how the patriarchy has failed men and boys, and how unrealistic demands of masculinity have driven them into a state of inadequacy. Through Ken, Gerwig and Gosling assert that we are Kenough. </br> </br> Just like with Richie in The Bear, Ken’s story is one about self love and recognising that your value is in yourself, not the eyes of others. It’s a feeling so many of us can relate to, so no wonder these two fantastic performances topped our poll for Best Character in 2023.