In any video game, it's dangerous to go alone, so it's usually a pretty safe idea to travel in a party. Nowadays, party-based RPGs are par for the course in both traditional games and modern classics. But for every Vault Hunter looking for treasure in Borderlands, there's a Hero of Light grinding and building their stats.
Many classic RPGs feature iconic and unforgettable player characters and party members that help move the adventure along. From wizards and warriors to ecoterrorists and giant battle cats, the genre is loaded to the brim with a cornucopia of heroes and heroines banding together for grand adventures and fights against the forces of darkness.
The Warriors Of Light (Final Fantasy)
Fundamentals are important for any field, and RPGs are no exception. Before they were the fantasy epics they are today, the genre relied on rudimentary visuals and a whole lot of text. The original Final Fantasy helped shape the genre for the better by introducing full, fleshed-out, 8-bit visuals of the action and encounters, including the player's own party of adventurers.
The Warriors of Light were essentially the standard-issue party. Featuring warriors, mages, thieves, and monks, it helped frame many party systems in other RPGs for decades to come. Not much in terms of personality, but they helped lay the groundwork.
The Companions (Dragon Age Series)
At the other end of the spectrum, the Companions seen in Bioware's Dragon Age series are some of the most vibrant and interesting party members out there. While more modern than most on the list, there are simply too many characters in the series to not win recognition.
From the sorceress Morrigan to the big, brutish might of the Iron Bull, the player's party can be as unique and varied as they are. Regardless of whether they want to rely on strength, magic, or both, everyone has a story.
Randi, Prim, And Popoi (Secret Of Mana)
Secret Of Mana was a cult favorite at the time, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a trendsetter ahead of the curve. While it's been considered a hybrid of Zelda and Final Fantasy, it introduced a feature that more RPGs should strongly consider.
Not only did it have a unique party of adventurers, but it allowed players to change characters at will, using a variety of spells and weapons. With the choice of a swordsman, a sprite, or a spellcaster, the choices are certainly magical.
Pokémon Teams (Pokémon Series)
It goes without saying, but the Pokémon franchise is one of the most popular video games out there, regardless of genre. And while it's hard to pick just one winning combination, the fact that a player's party can be fitted with hundreds of different pokemon and team-ups is more than enough to warrant a mention.
Everyone has their favorite starter, type, and particular Pokémon partner, but there's no denying that the series maintains its identity through the ocean of party members to choose from. As the saying goes, gotta catch em' all.
Thor, Thyra, Merlin, And Questor (Gauntlet)
Gamers would not have the dungeon-crawler genre they know today if it wasn't for this arcade classic. Before the days of LAN parties and MMORPGs, if players wanted to mash some monsters and collect hordes of loot, they played Gauntlet.
Thor the warrior, Thyra the Valkyrie, Merlin the wizard, and Questor the elf were the game's champions of choice. Taking heavy inspiration from the realms of Dungeons and Dragons, the game helped pull the adventure from the DM guides and onto gaming screens and consoles everywhere. Defeat the monsters, collect the treasure, don't shoot the food, rinse and repeat.
Diablo’s Classes (Diablo Series)
With the recent rerelease of the popular Diablo II, the player classes would-be monster slayers can choose from definitely deserve some serious recognition. Obviously taking inspiration from the previously mentioned title, players have their pick of fantasy characters to take on the demonic forces of the Prime Evil.
Considered by one of the most influential RPGs on the market, the series has had practically two decades worth of a dedicated following. Even after all this time, the demon-hunters, barbarians, and necromancers still pack a mighty punch.
The Hero, Yangus, Jessica, And Angelo (Dragon Quest VIII)
One of the most defining factors of the Dragon Quest series is how well the player's party interacts with one another. They all have defined personalities, classes, and abilities, but there is one arrangement of heroes that tends to stand out to hardcore fans.
The seventh game in the franchise features a hero with a cute mouse sidekick, a reformed thief with a thick cockney accent, a spectacular mage, and a delinquent monk who knows how to wield a rapier. The series itself is known for being colorful and full of personality, so there's no reason its player characters should be any different.
Cloud And Company (Final Fantasy VII)
Long after its days on the NES, the Final Fantasy series has had well over 15 core games in its decorated career. But while summons, heroes, and kingdoms may come and go, there's one that remains the gold standard by which the series is based, largely due to its cast of unforgettable freedom fighters.
Even casual fans of the genre can recognize Cloud Strife at the bare minimum, maybe even Tifa or Yuffie. Either way, the game and its cast put the RPG series in a new light by showing just how emotional investing the medium and the genre could be.
Chrono And His Friends (Chrono Trigger)
There's only one other Square property that could give FFVII some serious competition, and that's the cast of the legendary Chrono Trigger. The game itself already has somewhat of a sterling reputation in terms of story and worldbuilding, but its phenomenal and eccentric cast of characters is simply unignorable.
Characters like a swordsman, an inventor, a princess, a frog, and a giant robot don't often end up in the same game outside of a Fortnite DLC, but this gang of heroes knows how to make a statement. Here's hoping players can see them again sometime soon.
Sora, Donald, And Goofy (Kingdom Hearts)
Final Fantasy and Disney might not seem like two elements that would blend well together, but Kingdom Hearts is the blessed product of that union. The main reason it takes the top spot is because most players, gamers or not, are already well-familiar with most of the members.
With the exception of Sora, Donald and Goofy are definitely characters with a huge support network, along with the dozens of other characters that join in on the action. The Disney magic is resoundingly strong with these three.