Most Useless Video Game Characters

Key Takeaways

Useless video game characters like Natalya from GoldenEye 007 are more of a hindrance than a help.
Clunky AI, like with Sheva from Resident Evil 5, can ruin gameplay experiences with bad behavior.
Characters like Paimon from Genshin Impact lack substance and only restate the obvious, adding little to the story.

As a seasoned gamer with years of gaming under my belt, I must say that these characters certainly leave a mark – albeit not always for the right reasons!

Many gamers would agree that video game characters can be quite inconsistent. On one hand, you have NPCs who are overly aggressive and hog all the kills (like COM characters in Left 4 Dead 2), and on the other, there are characters who are virtually useless, making progress more challenging as they plod along at a snail’s pace, often doing the exact opposite of what’s helpful. Regrettably, numerous video games seem to include characters that offer no defense, no backup, and exhibit minimal intelligence. It sometimes feels like these characters are intent on meeting an untimely demise or making the gameplay experience feel like babysitting a simulation.

Many video game characters may seem helpful at first glance, but there are far too many that serve little purpose in the grand scheme of things. A seasoned gamer can attest to the fact that these seemingly unnecessary characters often prove more irritating than useful, offering very little benefit when reflected upon later.

7 Natalya (GoldenEye 007)

A Character Who Spends Most Of The Time Getting In The Way

For some gamers, it’s a no-brainer as to who the most useless video game characters are, especially if GoldenEye‘s Natalya immediately springs to mind. Aside from having a really long and really cool name (Natalya Fyodorovna Simonova), there isn’t a lot else to Natalya. She’s introduced as a talented hacker, who aids Bond on a few missions after their encounter in Bunker II, where both of them are being held captive. Bond manages to bust out and frees Natalya, whom he ends up smooching by the game’s end.

In GoldenEye 007, much like several cooperative shooter games, having an extra human player is often advantageous rather than Natalya, who in the game, tends to be more of an impediment due to her AI behavior making her less helpful and more like another hurdle to conquer.

6 Sheva (Resident Evil 5)

Clunky AI Holds This Iconic Character Back

Sheva is one of the best parts of Resident Evil 5 (and there are a lot of “best” parts). But that doesn’t make her immune to uselessness. If Resident Evil 5 is played with a friend, the combat can feel a little too easy at times, but it’s a lot more rewarding than controlling Chris Redfield alongside an AI Sheva. Any Resident Evil 5 fans will know that Sheva’s AI is notoriously bad, and this is one of the game’s biggest shortcomings.

In essence, everything about this game is nearly flawless, except for one irritating aspect: when battling a horde of zombies, it’s infuriating to find Sheva standing directly in the line of fire, blocking every bullet you shoot. It’s important to note that Chris’ AI isn’t any better once you’ve completed the game and switch to controlling Sheva, but her AI is frequently criticized for this reason, to maintain consistency in the storyline. Unfortunately, many players would have survived encounters with Chainsaw Majini more often if not for Sheva consistently missing shots, running out of ammo, and then being chainsawed herself. Despite being a beloved character, she lacks intelligence and effectiveness without someone guiding her actions.

5 Magikarp (Pokemon)

Only Useful When It Evolves

Don’t be fooled by Magikarp’s apparent weakness; on the contrary, Gyarados, after evolving from Magikarp, is far from being useless. In fact, Magikarp, as a starting Pokemon, is often considered “useless” due to the challenging training process involved. To transform Magikarp into Gyarados, trainers must laboriously level up Magikarp to level 20, which is quite a significant effort given that Magikarp’s only move is “Splash.

As a gamer, I’ve always found Magikarp to be one of the most accessible Water-Type Pokemon in the game, especially during the early stages when we haven’t unlocked the Surf move yet and don’t get our fishing rod until after a few Gym battles at least. What sets Magikarp apart from other Pokemon is its signature move, Splash, which is remarkably unique in the Pokemon world because it has no impact on opponents and is essentially useless. The only real purpose of Splash seems to be to launch Magikarp out of water bodies, making it an easy target for flying predators like Pidgeotto that swoop down from the skies.

4 Donald Duck (Kingdom Hearts)

An Unreliable Healer

In battle situations, Donald often seems absent when Sora requires healing, quickly depletes his health points, and becomes more of a hindrance than inherently useless, similar to some other characters. Moreover, if he isn’t frantically searching for Sora to administer healing, he’s constantly rising and falling like a yo-yo, playing the damsel in distress instead of saving the actual damsel – the player – during critical moments. This issue is reminiscent of AI problems, as seen with Natalya and Sheva, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating. Ideally, all NPCs should heal when necessary, attack or aim when needed, and stay out of the spotlight and out of trouble.

Even Goofy manages to hold his own fairly well and stays upright most of the time. On the other hand, Donald Duck might want to consider throwing in the towel because, in a pinch, a healer isn’t very useful if they can’t heal. It’s unfortunate, as Donald is such a charming figure. However, none of his shortcomings diminish his significance within Mickey Mouse folklore. Unfortunately, when it comes to critical situations, Donald seems to be in over his head.

3 Ashley Graham (Resident Evil 4)

Escort Missions Are The Worst

In Resident Evil 4, Ashley Graham might win an imaginary “least helpful character” contest. Although she plays a role in Leon’s story that many people find appealing to some extent, she isn’t the most effective ally. Most players can tolerate her presence for only about 10 minutes before she becomes irritatingly annoying. This is because she often blocks doorways, preventing Leon from passing, and seems to struggle with using ladders, causing her to fall frequently and trigger lengthy and disruptive cutscenes. Resident Evil 4 effectively demonstrates the frustration that escort missions can cause, as it limits Leon’s control over Ashley’s actions and movements.

He can tell her to hide in a dumpster or stand in a particular spot that enemies can’t easily access, but besides that, she makes everyone want to tear out their hair when she runs into trouble head-first and gets herself carried away. There’s no doubt that Ashley has incited a few rage-quits in her time. To make matters worse, there’s a good portion of Resident Evil 4 that requires Leon to protect Ashley with with no dumpsters and a lot of difficult enemies spawning. In other words, it’s a recipe for disaster.

2 Reverend Swanson (Red Dead Redemption 2)

Funny One-Liners Aren’t Everything

Rev. Orville Swanson isn’t a central character in “Red Dead Redemption 2,” and he doesn’t impact Arthur Morgan’s journey directly. However, during the Horseshoe Overlook chapter, Arthur is tasked with locating Swanson who had become intoxicated near train tracks. Upon finding him at the station, Arthur saves him from an oncoming train. Swanson reappears in the Saint Dennis, Guarma, and Beaver Hollow chapters, but eventually leaves after the Van der Linde gang disbands. The more honorable Arthur is, the more insight Swanson provides about his mental state, morality, and potential for future contentment. In the Epilogue, it’s mentioned that Reverend Swanson went on to serve as the minister of New York’s First Congregational Church.

Swanson isn’t necessarily dislikable in the Van der Linde gang, yet he doesn’t seem to contribute significantly to their missions or goals. In contrast, Tilly, Mary-Beth, and even Molly have roles that are instrumental during a heist and advance the plot. Strauss helps Arthur with debt collection and provisioning supplies for the gang, but Swanson mostly delivers amusing lines and feels like an absent member otherwise.

1 Paimon (Genshin Impact)

A Guide, A Translator, And A Nuisance

While Paimon serves as the primary character in Genshin Impact, she doesn’t significantly advance the storyline beyond repeating what the player character says or thinks. In other words, Paimon often simply rephrases the player’s thoughts. Furthermore, Paimon is frequently used as a humorous device or provides an off-topic comment during lengthy dialogue sequences in Genshin Impact. Unlike characters like Goofy and Donald from Kingdom Hearts, who can participate in combat, or Ashley Graham, who plays a crucial role in the story, Paimon doesn’t engage in combat and isn’t essential to the plot. Essentially, Paimon serves as a voice for the player character’s emotions while also showcasing her voice actor, Corina Boettger.

In the game, Paimon acts as the translator, however, it becomes repetitive over time. It would have been more engaging for the twins to converse without her, as the dialogue tree often results in similar outcomes anyway. Her role is intended to be a guide, helping the player character understand Teyvat’s world and its inhabitants. Nevertheless, the game wouldn’t feel significantly different if she were absent.

2024-09-26 10:04