Well, here's my Top Ten in no particular order. I might go back and change this later, but for now it's not in any particular order. Long spaces between words mean that they're spoilers in white, so you'll have to highlight them to see them. Don't say I didn't warn you.
MK9's Top Ten Video Game Characters
Duster (Mother 3)
Duster is a good guy thief. Cool enough already? If he's back attacked (I'm pretty sure this is only when he's alone though, which makes sense), he can flip behind the enemy and turn the tables on them by turning their back attack into
HIS back attack. And then there's the fact that in a normal enemy encounter, he's got a chance of getting a first strike of his own in, which is awesome. He's also got an epic kick for his regular attack. Plus he plays a mean bass for the DCMC. And you know what makes him by far the most epic video game character I can think of?
The fact that he has a leg handicap and still manages to do all that and doesn't whine or complain. Sure, it's a slight handicap, but it's a handicap nonetheless. That, my friends, is why you NEVER,
EVER give up just 'cuz you're handicapped. If I catch anyone saying anything of the sort, I will say this exactly "But Duster's got a leg handicap and he's got talent way beyond that of an ordinary thief". In fact, I'll even post a screen of this message and circle the text just to show you. Or quote it. Either or. Anyways, Duster is the only character I can say without a doubt where I place on my list: he'd be No. 1, of course.
Samus (Metroid Series)
Samsus is awesome, no doubt about it. Samus has survived so much, bounty hunted so many space pirates, and has earned the title of "Legitimate Butt Kicker". Though her main appeal (her mysteriousness) was kinda sorta ruined in Metroid: Other M (I love the game, but I'm not sure I like what they did to Samus, her biggest appeal was her mystery), she's still pretty awesome and deserves to be in any Top Ten Video Game Characters List.
Luigi (Super Mario)
Luigi is often overlooked in lieu of Mario, but Luigi is the stuff. In the Mario and Luigi games, Luigi's hilarious and he's a pretty dang good tank by default (I like tanks a lot in RPG's and I greatly prefer them to sweepers) in those games too. Plus, he's got better jumping and speed than Mario in most of the platformer games and overall, he's way underrated and I definately like him more than Mario (that may be subconcious nostalgia of how I figured out who Luigi was: I was playing SMB2 on the SNES with my cousin and I asked her "who that green guy was", <3 the old days).
Johto Rival (Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal, Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver)
The Johto Rival (heretofore referred to as Gold [I'm an SS player in case you hadn't noticed by the name]) is by far one of my favorite characters in the Pokemon Series. He's a jerk for most of the game and he gets you (or me, at the very least) to truly hate him. But he eventually does a metamorphasis and becomes a nice person after doing training at the Dragon's Den and several defeats at your hands plus teaming up with you against Lance and Claire (and by the way, I managed to beat Lance and Claire with my party's average level being 60 and without much help from my Rival [hooray for Snorlax!]). Plus he's Giovanni's son, how cool is that?!
Spirit Tracks' Princess Zelda (Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks)
The Zelda from ST is plain awesome. She's a nice person with good character development, very funny, and I love that she actually helps Link physically throughout the whole game instead of just sitting around on her royal derriair (no clue how it's spelled in English, I just know it's French for butt or backside or whatever) "supporting" Link. Plus she brings back the long dead Link/Zelda shipper, which I liked a lot (seriously, it's been at latest OoX since that shipper was implied in-game).
Rydia (Final Fantasy IV)
I haven't played much of the Final Fantasy series yet (I'll get there eventually), but I do know that of what I've played, either Rydia (the name of whom I believe is a mistranslated version of Lydia: the Japanese language has the L and R share the sounds) or Edge is my choice from those games. However, my reasons contain spoilers, so I've colored them white to blend in with the layout. Highlight if you've already played the game/don't care.
I love how she undergoes a metamorphasis throughout the game, although I wish it would've been a little more gradual. She'd probably be near the bottom of my list for that reason.
Lucas (Mother 3)
Lucas is another Mother 3 character which I'd definately choose to have in my Top Ten Characters list.
Basically, Lucas is, at first, a coddled young crybaby. When his mother is killed by a chimera-ized Drago, he does virtually nothing but cry at her grave all day. Then, over the course of the game, he gets bolder and braver until finally, he becomes a strong, thoughtful and kind young boy just as his parents wanted him to be. I'm very fond of characters who undergo metamorphasis's, in case you hadn't noticed.
Edge (Final Fantasy IV)
I love Edge to death. Not because he undergoes any metamorphasis's or anything, but because he's funny and just plain awesome. Plus, he's got some pretty cool Ninjutsu too, so that's nice.
Louie (Pikmin 2)
I love Louie because of how funny he is. And his dark secret is also pretty hilarious. As much as I love characters who undergo metamorphasis's, I also love bumbling sidekicks and Louie fits the bill of the latter perfectly.
Roxas (Kingdom Hearts: 352/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts 2)
Roxas is probably my favorite Nobody in the Kingdom Hearts series (but then again, whaddaya expect, he's Sora's Nobody). I actually feel kinda sorry that he doesn't have a heart and that he and his best friends were torn apart. Xion voluntarily went back to go back into Sora's memory
(since she WAS the Nobody that memories of Sora went to through Roxas, thus granting her awesome Keyblade abilities)and Axel pretty much ended up just being loyal to the Organization in the end in lieu of being a friend to Roxas.
And to be honest, getting me to feel for a character is a big thing since I'm not usually one to cry from a work of fiction. So yeah, major points right there.
But then again, he did end up with a real life in Twilight Town in Kingdom Hearts II, but still. I really like him, he's probably my favorite KH character, so yeah.