Reviews by Kyle Ellis

In a franchise filled to the brim with male protagonists, Aveline de Grandpre holds the distinction of being the first woman, and woman of color, to be the main character in an Assassin's Creed game. Aveline is an assassin of French and African heritage, who fights to defend against the oppression of slaves in New Orleans during the 18th century.

She is not only a skilled assassin, but is a talented actress which becomes a vital part of the story as Aveline fights to free the slaves in her city. At once poised, charming, but ruthlessly efficient, her morals and actions make her an excellent video game protagonist.

If you lived through the nineties, you might have been slightly aware of Sakura-mania. With her spirited determination and awkward teenager-isms, this young contender made her mark in Street Fighter Alpha 2. From then on, she's been in most of Capcom's Vs. titles, multiple chibi-themed spin-offs, and even a self-titled manga series (Sakura Ganbaru!)! Furthermore, she also appears in another Capcom cult favorite, Rival Schools: United By Fate.

Rose is another Street Fighter trailblazer since she's the first Italian contender and the first female cast member of the Alpha series. Furthermore, she is one of the most significant characters in the series, having confronted M Bison multiple times. What's more, it turns out her soul power and M Bison's psycho power come from the same source, making the two forever intertwined.

There's something so sleek and distinguished about playing as Rose. Maybe it's her killer fashion sense? Or the way she wags her finger after a match? Maybe it's the way her soul power flows so effortlessly from her scarf? We're not entirely sure, but we stan. And, we're not the only ones who look up to her. Various characters refer to her as obasan (Japanese for "aunt"). Indeed, we agree. She's the cool aunt anyone would want!

Where does this all begin? Ingrid was an original character for a canceled game called Capcom Fighting All-Stars, slated to launch in 2003. While this game did not proceed past development, she made her official first appearance in the ill-fated crossover game, Capcom Fighting Jam ("Evolution" in the west). This game included characters from multiple series, including Street Fighter 2, 3, Alpha, Darkstalkers, and Red Earth.

Even though her first gaming appearance was a dud, Ingrid became popular enough to get added to the roster of Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX on the PSP. Furthermore, she comes up a lot in Capcom lore. For example, the UDON comic book prologue to Street Fighter X Tekken revealed that she created the mysterious Pandora box central to the game's plot. So, perhaps Ingrid's the connective tissue tying Capcom's fighting game universe together.

April, like Chun-Li, has a messy backstory because the games, films, and cartoons seldom agree on what her biography should be. However, the 1987 game and cartoon, as well as the current adaptations of TMNT, have April working as a News Reporter for Channel 6 News.

Despite often being the victim that causes the Turtles to seek out criminals to fight, April is a trained fighter herself, and always the first to fight off Shredder - with or without the boys. She’s also an adamant defender of the Turtles, making her as loyal as she is brave.

Originally an unseen protagonist in the first Outlast game, Miles is a playable protagonist in the sequel. He’s an Investigative Reporter, though working in the freelance realm after posting content deemed “unacceptable” about Afghanistan when working as War-time Reporter in a professional format.

Miles stays hungry for a good story, so hungry he’s often finding himself in scary and highly dangerous situations. However, his speed, agility, and strength allows him to fight his way out of every predicament his career goals find him in.

A Freelance Photojournalist, Frank is the playable protagonist in the Dead Rising series. He’s the classic tough guy, complete with the hardened wartime reporter backstory. He was also a wrestler when he was younger, and still maintains a strong and muscular physique.

Janna has many skin variants in League of Legends, so she’s also a contingent inclusion, but her Forecast Janna Skin is as fitting for her character as it is cute. Janna’s talents lie in her ability to control and conduct weather elements such as air.

Her lore describes her as god-like with her control of the elements, and this skin has her become a weather reporter “predicting” the coming gusting winds in the area. She has a jovial and sunny personality, a stark difference from her usual commanding persona.

The words "Darth Vader's apprentice" are always going to grab the attention of Star Wars fans. But the appeal of Starkiller goes beyond his relationship with the iconic villain. He's a likable character who has an engaging arc that sees him go from a villain to a hero. It's a unique tale because Star Wars protagonists usually start on the light side of the force and get tempted by the dark. Yet, for Starkiller, it's the other way around as he's tempted to do good, even though Vader pushed him towards the dark side.

His master also clearly trained him to be an incredible force-wielder, as Starkiller is one of the rare individuals to be arguably stronger than Yoda. This overwhelming power is another reason the character is so great, as who doesn't love seeing him rip through countless stormtroopers?

Unlike Luke and Anakin, Starkiller isn't known for his flying abilities. So, for his mission, he needed a pilot. Juno Eclipse fills that role admirably throughout the adventure, but her usefulness to the plot stretches beyond her ability to control a ship.

During the early stages of the game, she serves as Starkiller's only positive moral influence. After all, despite being a member of the imperial navy, she is a good person. Without her, the protagonist may have never changed his ways. So, while it would've been nice to see her get her own arc outside of Starkiller, she plays an important role, nonetheless.