When you think about the best‑selling titles in gaming, the phrase 10 game characters instantly conjures up a mix of heroes, anti‑heroes, and the occasional sidekick that somehow managed to irritate more than entertain. While most franchises stick to a single, well‑crafted protagonist, some developers decided to sprinkle in extra faces for the sake of variety—only to end up with personalities that feel half‑baked, mechanics that feel clunky, and story beats that drag the whole experience down. Below, we tally the ten most infamous characters who, despite their lofty ambitions, left players collectively sighing, “Why did they even add this?”
10 Clank
In the beloved Ratchet & Clank series, the diminutive robot isn’t just a comic relief sidekick; he doubles as a source of intel and a hover‑pack that helps Ratchet zip around. Occasionally, the game hands you control of Clank himself, dropping him into cramped vents or tiny chambers where he must platform and solve puzzles by directing other bots. On paper, the concept sounds fresh, but the execution feels more like a toddler’s scribble than a polished mechanic.
The levels starring Clank are essentially watered‑down versions of Ratchet’s own stages. Puzzles are simplistic, and the platforming often hinges on those same basic tasks. What makes the situation worse is that these segments have been part of the series since day one, and Insomniac seems determined to keep them, even stretching them longer with each sequel. Even the spin‑off Secret Agent Clank fails to rescue the idea, leaving the sidekick’s solo adventures stuck in mediocrity—a stark contrast to the more refined Jak & Daxter series.
9 Big The Cat
As the Sonic franchise expanded, developers kept tossing new characters into the mix, but none have been as universally despised as the lumbering feline known as Big. Debuting in Sonic Adventure, Big’s sole mission revolves around locating his pal Froggy, and the only way to do that is by fishing. Yes, you read that right—fishing.
The gameplay boils down to casting a line, waiting for a bite, and hoping the fish cooperates. While many games feature fishing as a side activity, making it a mandatory part of progression feels jarring, especially in a series defined by breakneck speed. The sluggish minigame drags the pace to a crawl, completely at odds with Sonic’s hallmark velocity. Developers eventually gave Big a makeover in Sonic Heroes, turning him into a powerhouse comparable to Knuckles, which at least curbed the boredom factor.
8 Mary Jane Watson
Insomniac’s Spider‑Man games are celebrated for their fluid web‑slinging and dynamic combat, yet they stumble when they pause the action to spotlight the hero’s love interest, Mary Jane. Reimagined as a clumsy, danger‑seeking heroine, MJ repeatedly throws herself into hazardous scenarios just to “add drama,” forcing players to divert from the core spider‑swinging experience.
These MJ‑centric sections feel contrived and overly repetitive. The narrative strains to shove her into the plot, while the gameplay offers only a shallow stealth system: you trigger a few distractions, stun a set of enemies, and move forward. There’s little room for creativity or variation, and the missions grow longer and more tedious with each sequel, ultimately breaking the game’s rhythm.
7 Silver The Hedgehog
While Big’s fishing escapades are a minor annoyance, Silver the Hedgehog represents a far larger misstep in Sonic’s history. Introduced in the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog, Silver wields psychic powers that let him levitate objects and hurl them at foes. In theory, this should add a fresh layer of gameplay, but the reality is far from it.
Controlling Silver is a nightmare: aiming his telekinetic throws is imprecise, his levitation feels sluggish, and his overall speed is a stark contrast to Sonic’s lightning‑fast movement. These issues become even more glaring because you spend roughly a third of the game as Silver, sharing the narrative with Sonic and Shadow. The result is a drawn‑out slog through massive hub worlds, where Silver’s clunky mechanics dominate the experience.
6 Atreus
When God of War (2018) introduced Atreus as Kratos’s son, fans expected a compelling dynamic duo. However, in God of War: Ragnarok, the young god‑son’s segments feel more like a burden than a boon. He possesses only a fraction of Kratos’s arsenal, can’t take many hits, and the camera sticks uncomfortably close, turning dodging into a frustrating exercise.
Beyond the technical hiccups, Atreus’s narrative role is even more problematic. His sections are hyper‑linear, funneling players down narrow corridors while other characters deliver exposition. One particularly grating example forces Atreus to spend three hours performing mundane chores for a random girl in Jötunheim, grinding the epic tale to a halt and stripping away any sense of agency.
5 Desmond Miles
The modern‑day portions of Assassin’s Creed have long been the franchise’s Achilles’ heel, with Desmond Miles exemplifying the flaw. As a present‑day bartender‑turned‑assassin, Desmond is thrust into a series of puzzles and switch‑flipping tasks that feel disconnected from the historical adventures that define the series.
These sequences interrupt the immersive open‑world escapades with tedious, low‑stakes challenges. Even when Desmond does see combat, his limited skill set pales in comparison to his ancestors, resulting in a lackluster experience. Later entries try to trim these sections down or make them optional, but the early games relentlessly break immersion, prompting many players to roll their eyes whenever they’re yanked out of the time‑bending narrative.
4 Sherry Birkin
In the early Resident Evil titles, players could fight back against the undead, but Sherry Birkin’s playable moments in Resident Evil 2 present a stark contrast. As a frightened child, she’s forced to flee from the deranged police chief Brian Irons, with the gameplay reduced to basic, on‑rails stealth.
These sections consist of hiding behind boxes, distracting the antagonist, and repeatedly retrieving key items to progress. The design feels cheap: seasoned protagonists like Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield could dispatch Irons in seconds, while Sherry’s limited abilities make the whole ordeal feel pointless, especially when she can simply use her G‑embryo to eliminate the threat herself.
3 Blink The Mole
The Spyro series generally boasts solid character design, but Blink the Mole, introduced in A Hero’s Tail, is a glaring exception. Tasked with navigating underground caverns in search of dark gems, Blink relies on a laser and his fists to confront creatures.
Unfortunately, the execution is clumsy. Blink feels overweight, making climbing and platforming unnecessarily difficult. His laser and melee attacks, which should provide dynamic combat, are awkward and often fail to defeat a single enemy. The resulting levels feel like a disjointed mash‑up of mechanics that never truly click together.
2 Taiga Saejima
Taiga Saejima shines as a combat powerhouse in the Yakuza: Like a Dragon series, delivering brutal combos and throws that can topple any foe. Yet, his storyline in Yakuza 4 and 5 is hampered by his status as a fugitive.
Because he’s on the run, Saejima can’t roam the expansive city freely like his peers. Instead, he’s confined to smaller hubs riddled with patrolling police and invisible barriers. Players are forced to navigate a labyrinth of underground passages, condemned buildings, and rooftops just to evade capture. This restriction clashes with the series’ hallmark sandbox freedom, making movement feel convoluted and frustrating.
1 Abby
Perhaps the most polarizing figure in recent gaming is Abby from The Last of Us Part II. Introduced as a muscular avenger seeking revenge for her father’s death at the hands of Joel, Abby takes over the narrative for the majority of the game’s second half, replacing the beloved protagonist.
This perspective shift disrupts the pacing of an already sprawling title. The story becomes a series of drawn‑out cutscenes filled with clunky dialogue and awkward pauses, striving for profundity but landing flat. Abby’s character feels one‑dimensional, and her relentless presence for hours makes players yearn for a return to the original cast.
Beyond narrative woes, Abby’s design raises eyebrows. Her exaggerated physique seems out of place in a post‑apocalyptic world, and her combat reduces to simple, overpowered punches that trivialize enemy encounters. This not only undermines the tension of battling infected hordes but also erodes the depth that the series once cultivated, cementing Abby as a symbol of the franchise’s missteps.