top 10 video game characters... with a character

10. Drirr (Albion, PC)

Iskai. A mysterious race settled on the island of Nakiridaani generally thought to be much faster, yet physically weaker than humans. Until Drirr, the warrior, enters the scene. Levelled up, he is capable of cutting others in half. With a blade attached to his tail. Speaking about cool. (Sincere apologies, no image to be found)

9. Ryu Hayabusa (Ninja Gaiden, Xbox)

Hayabusa Ryu means Peregrine Falcon Dragon. AND he always wears black. AND he's a ninja. AND he's physically tied to dragons. AND his sword is capable of cutting through airships. AND he's been framed for killing his girlfriend. Need more be said?

8. Agent 47 (Hitman, PC)

You might argue that Codename 47 is nothing but a tool. He's but one hell of an inventive tool, it must be noted. No gun? Here comes the fibre wire! No straight way through? Here comes the bald-headed waitor! Seriously, if I was killed by this guy, I would thank him for that.

7. AM (I Have No Mouth and I must Scream, PC)

Accompanying a fellow AI Shodan, who lurks about this chart too, this fella will- after he's wiped out the rest of the human race- send you on an adventure of "speared eyeballs and dripping guts and the smell of rotting gardenias" eventually turning you into a "great, soft jelly thing". If an AI is capable of coming up with THAT, sign me in!

6. Sgt. Simon "Ghost" Riley (Modern Warfare 2, PC)

Flesh, blood, bones, brains and a reasonable bit of testosterone. Ghost is quite simply the coolest "believable" computer game character. By miles. Why oh why will I never have a chance to grab a pint with this guy?

5. Giblet (Overlord, PC)

This little guy's cookbook includes such delicious masterpieces as Phoenix southern fried breast fillets or Unicorn salami. On top of it, when he says "It's good to be bad, but it's better to be evil," he MEANS it. Hoorrah, evil minion army!

4. Shodan (System Shock, PC)

The artificial intelligence born (most probably) on the Citadel space station orbitting Saturn is pissed off a whole lot more than she is piss poor. A to-the-bone sick megalomaniac is when she's the most amusing, you silly human worm!

3. Raziel (Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, PC)

Vampires are so NOT hip these days, why the hell is that! They never have been employed by a mainstream homosexual brothel chain called 'Twilight', once, they were fallen angels. Punished, condemned to devour only souls as some of them happened to have their jaw torn off. Once, they were evil. Once, they were hip.

2. Dante (Devil May Cry, PS2)

There is NO sequence of words in any language anywhere in the entire world to describe what you have just seen. There is one word however, that captures the very liquid essence of it. Take a wild guess which one, you have one attempt.

1. Kratos (God of War, PS2)

Ingenious evil minions, SAS subjects in skull-decorated balaclavas, hacked (off) AIs, jawless vampire half-gods with nothing much to lose... badass? Is "badass" REALLY what you're thinking? Well, meet Kratos, see what you think NOW!