The worst NPCs

13 days ago, by Enzo

Unlike our previous article, it’s worth noting that not all NPCs end up being memorable for the right reasons. Some have stuck in players’ minds because they slow down progress, cause repeated wipes, or endlessly repeat the same lines to the point of obsession. Clumsy, useless, intrusive, or simply unbearable... Let’s take a look at our selection of the worst video game NPCs, the ones we love to hate.

"Leon! Help!"—Does that ring a bell? To no one's surprise, a frequent mention whenever this topic comes up, let’s give a warm welcome to the daughter of the President of the United States, Ashley Graham. She’s the very same character who accompanies Leon Kennedy for much of the Resident Evil 4 adventure. Her inability to defend herself, her tendency to get captured, and the constant need to protect her make her one of the most famous and most frustrating escort NPCs in video games ever. Compared to the original 2005 release, however, her image has improved with the 2023 remake.

The mascot of the Borderlands series, Claptrap is a chatty, eccentric little robot who features just as often on lists of the best NPCs as he does on lists of the worst. His deliberately crass humor, incessant commentary, and chronic inability to be helpful make him a divisive character who is deeply irritating to some.

Up until Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Mr. Resetti would appear whenever a player quit the game without saving. He would then deliver long, unshakable lectures, becoming a nightmare for the most impatient players. Ordis, the AI aboard the player’s ship, accompanies them on every mission in Warframe. Between his incessant remarks and frequent personality glitches, many end up muting him because his comments become so repetitive over hundreds of hours of gameplay, though there's a few players who like it.

The Admiral in Monster Hunter World may impress with his charisma at first, but he often lets the player handle the most dangerous tasks while he watches or shows up at the last minute. This contrast between his heroic rhetoric and his actual involvement has both amused and annoyed the community. As leader of the Minutemen in Fallout 4, Preston Garvey is best known for his endlessly generated quests. His famous line, "Another settlement needs your help," quickly became a meme because it so frequently interrupts exploration with the same ol' requests.

The worst NPCs aren't necessarily the worst-written ones: many have become famous precisely because they evoke strong emotions, even if those emotions are often frustration or annoyance. Some have even gone on to become true icons thanks to memes and the memories they've left with players. After all, an unbearable character is often better than one that's simply forgettable.