Who Is the Most Symbolic Video Game Character Ever?

Symbolic as in recognisable, or symbolic for a particular reason?If itu2019s a videogame character who simply defines videogaming to the masses, then thereu2019s only one character who just about everyone in the world would immediately recognise - and Jakub Celo Celusak has nailed it, and especially so with his comment:Mario:No other character in the history of video games is more instantly recognisable. The fact heu2019s knocking 40, has launched every Nintendo system in existence and has been the central character in some of the greatest platform games ever made, simply cements his reputation.

Like Michael Jackson, he is the ONLY bonafide superstar character in video games that everyone of any age, would immediately recognise, anywhere in the world. To steal Jakubu2019s line which perfectly illustrates this; my mum who is 71 doesnu2019t know many other - if any - characters in video games, but she knows Mario.PacMan:The yellow pill popping muncher is perhaps the only other character who would run Mario close.

Like Mario, heu2019s instantly recognisable to everyone from old-timers, to young kids. The only reason PacMan is not as popular as Mario is because he disappeared for a long time before reappearing in a raft of new games 10-15 years ago. Again though, the proof is in the pudding.

My mum would recognise himDonkey Kong:Donkey Kong is another who just about all gameru2019s and non-gameru2019s would instantly recognise. As a big gorilla who chucks barrels AT MARIO no less, heu2019s always going to be memorable.Sonic the Hedgehog:An extremely popular character and I would wager a lot of people would recognise this blue spiky dude that Sega created, and he just about scrapes in to my top 4.

Is his popularity on a par with the 3 above though? Not in my opinion. My dad would definitely recognise him and my mum might remember him but, his super stardom didnu2019t last u2013 like Nintendou2019s characters have - and he peaked and died without a trace.

Certainly symbolic on the games industry, though.***After these, it gets a bit sketchy and speculative. Youu2019ll have the younger generation of gameru2019s whou2019ll vote for characters that hardly anyone who is older would recognise, or characters that whilst popular in gaming, do not carry the gravitas of those above to transcend gaming.

Lara Croft:I think u2013 most people u2013 would recognise Lara Croft, AKA Tomb Raider. If not for her trademark skimpy outfit, then certainly for her inflated proportions. Again my dad definitely would know who she is but, my mum probably wouldnu2019t.

Gordon Freeman:His character defined the FPS genre. You ask any gamer who Gordon Freeman is and they would tell you without a moment's hesitation u2013 the hero of Half-Life. Heu2019s a nerdy, geeky, wimpy, bespectacled, beard toting character who everyone associates with perhaps the two greatest FPS games ever made.

His legacy is cemented no matter what the future holds for Half-Life or Steam.Master Chief:Older folk certainly wouldnu2019t know this guy and my parents, sister and wife definitely wouldnu2019t (the acid test for the popularity of any game-hero). Heu2019s certainly recognisable though, and that is due in no small part to the popularity of Halo.

The game which made the Xbox a must have.Link:Surprisingly low on my list. Link might well be the hero of the Zelda series but, Iu2019d wager not too many non-gameru2019s would know or recognise him.

Link simply doesnu2019t carry the swagger of Mario. Heu2019s not as memorable and nor has he starred in arcade games that immediately spring to mind for non-gameru2019s.****There arenu2019t many more in my mind after these.

Of the rest, most are as recognisable as they are forgettable and as Iu2019ve said, symbolic characters for me must be recognisable by everyone - not just gameru2019s. Thatu2019s what make them symbolic.If I was to give honourable mentions to others, then these would make my list purely as a gamer.

They wouldnu2019t make it as landmark characters that my parents, sister, wife and most of my non-gaming friends would recognise but nevertheless, theyu2019ve stamped their mark in gaming. Ryu & Ken u2013 The street fighter stalwarts.Solid Snake u2013 Metal Gear Solidu2019s legendary character.

Leon Kennedy u2013 From Resident Evil 2 onward. Vault Boy u2013 Doesnu2019t actually do anything but heu2019s synonymous with Fallout.Pikachu u2013 The bright yellow Pokemon species.

Nathan Drake u2013 Everyone in gaming would recognise this dude. Pyramid Head u2013 One of the most recognisable baddies in gaming but, only to gameru2019s

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Who would win between Yoda and Darth Vader?

As with many of these types of questions, it depends, until we examine and decide on the context of the fight - specifically, how long after episode 3 this theoretical match-up occurs.

Immediately After Episode 3This is likely when Vader is most powerful during his life after putting on the suit. Hes still young, decently agile, well-practiced in dueling and the Force, still emotional, still filled with anger and hate, and would certainly relish the opportunity to take down a former Master. However, although Vader may be at his strongest here (post-suit), he is not nearly as strong as his more full-bodied self when fighting Obi-Wan.

Yoda, at nearly 900 years old is not necessarily in his prime at this time, but clearly is no pushover, going toe-to-toe with Sidious and holding his own. While ultimately he was unable to defeat Sidious, they were pretty evenly matched, in terms of strength in the Force and duel-ability, but where Sidious had the advantage was in stamina. The longer the fight went on, the weaker Yoda became.

Yoda may have underestimated Sidious, but Sidious also underestimated Yoda, and we witness this underestimation (and the look of fear in Sidious face) when Yoda is blocking Sidious Force Lightning at point-blank range. This also happens to be the moment where Yoda has a sudden perception in the Force that tells him this isnt the fight that needs to be won, but that he must survive if the Sith are to be defeated. Having become weaker as time went on and just suffered a multi-story fall after Sidious lightning exploded in their faces, Yoda used this opportunity to trust the Force and make his escape.

If Vader were to attack Yoda at this point in time, there is no doubt in my mind that Yoda would defeat him.Before being sliced in half, Anakin was certainly on the path to becoming more powerful than Sidious (and consequently, Yoda), but that potential is wasted by his overconfidence, which lead to his defeat by Obi-Wan. He is still strong after that point, but never as strong as he was, and absolutely not stronger than Sidious (or Yoda).

Having lost all of his limbs, getting in a duel or fight of any kind now means that much of the power in the Force he does have, must now be dedicated to his own physical enhancement rather than focused on the offensive/defensive aspects of the fight itself - thats a pretty serious handicap. Yoda, being free to use 100% of his Force ability however he likes, I think, would not even break a sweat in a fight with Vader. Vaders overconfidence would be his undoing once again - only this time, he would not be left alive.

During/Around Episode 5 (20 years later)Alright, so, roughly 20 years have passed - for both Vader and Yoda, thats a heck of a lot of time to become sufficiently out of practice when it comes to ones Force ability and dueling ability. Vader has been overseeing the construction/maintenance of the Death Star (and not much else), and Yoda has been living alone on Dagobah (doing not much else). Im skimming over details of what was actually going on with everyone because theyre not important to the Vader vs Yoda duel here.

The basic point Im making is that everyone is more out of practice, and therefore not as strong or as skilled as their younger selves. They havent exactly had anyone to fight, to train with, or consistently challenge them over the years, so it makes sense within the lore of the Star Wars universe, that by the time Vader and Obi-Wan fight each other in episode 4, neither of them really look like they know what theyre doing. The same goes for Yoda, who is considerably weaker by this point, and isolation has not maintained his health very well.

Vader, on the other hand, has youth on his side (relatively speaking), and while he has grown out of practice, he hasnt necessarily grown weaker. Even though Vader is not at his strongest, Yoda IS at his weakestIf Vader were to attack Yoda at this point in time, Vader would defeat him, but, given that Yoda is on his deathbed anyway, its nothing to really brag aboutYoda would likely be capable of a decent battle of the minds for a short while, but would quickly wear out against Vader. I dont foresee any sort of lightsaber battle between them, but rather a sad-to-witness death for Yoda by Vaders signature move.

ConclusionFor a more powerful Vader but also still powerful Yoda immediately after Episode 3: Yoda wins. Yoda and Sidious were evenly matched skill-wise during their fight, and Vader was never stronger than Sidious. Yoda would be able to handle an overconfident Vader with ease.

For a much less powerful Yoda and still decently powerful Vader around/during Episode 5: Vader wins. Everyone is very much out of practice by this point with no one to fight or be challenged by over the years, but Vader has more-or-less maintained his power better than anyone else. A weaker Yoda would not be able to stand up to him for very long