Highlights
- Video games hold several examples of iconic duos that we know and love.
- Ratchet and Clank are a classic pair of characters from an older game.
- V and Johnny Silverhand, on the other hand, showcase a newer gaming duo in Cyberpunk 2077.
What's better than a standout video game character? A standout video game pairing. Whether you're reminiscing over a glorious clash in personalities, getting nostalgic over a time-tested tag team who work together flawlessly, or considering some of gaming's freshest forays into character duos, there's much to love.
Maybe it's two people brought together by fate to save the world from an ancient evil. Maybe it's sibling plumbers attempting to save a kidnapped princess. Regardless, emotional bonds or iconic status come to fruition, and the player-duo attachment follows. With hundreds of pairings to choose from, here are the top character duos in video games.
Updated on August 10, 2023 by Dennis Moiseyev: Whether co-op or single-player, some gaming experiences just wouldn't be the same without having another equally engaging character by your side to help you in combat or unlock more of the story together. Throughout the years, gaming has gifted us with plenty of iconic duos, and now there are even more matched so perfectly that they can't go unmentioned.
There will be spoilers for certain pairings, so if you intend to eventually play their games, be advised to skip over that entry just in case.
27 Sam And Max - Sam & Max Series
Sam and Max are an anthropomorphic dog and bunny investigative duo that first appeared in comics and then got adapted into a point-and-click adventure game from Lucasfilm, before switching development studios to Telltale Games. Their iconic ride – a custom DeSoto Adventurer – takes them to some of the most outlandish crime scenes, with cases that bring hilarious moments of signature irreverent comedy.
These crime-solving partners also couldn't be more different in their personalities, which makes them so terrific together. Sam tries to go at things with a bit more professionalism, always wearing the iconic grayish-blue suit and fedora. On the other hand, Max is the perfect antithesis to Sam, contributing to most of the comedy in their banter with his overly hyper and unhinged personality.
26 Riley And Jacob - Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals
Character duos and engaging dialogue conversations are at the heart of Oxenfree. In Lost Signals, you have a new duo with Riley Poverly and Jacob Summers, who are helping place transmitters around the coastal town of Camena and reminiscing about old times. They both grew up in Camena and attended high school together, Jacob remaining there as a local and Riley returning for this job to document anomalies.
When the entities of the Sunken are summoned and a time loop becomes active, and the night turns spooky, the pair has to work together against a group of teens seemingly tied to a cult. Riley and Jacob's chemistry and personalities work really well under the circumstances to ease some of the tense and haunting phenomena and bring memorable quotes into their conversations.
25 V And Johnny Silverhand - Cyberpunk 2077
While Jackie Welles might've been a short-lived but overall better companion to V up to the Relic Heist in Cyberpunk 2077, you're stuck with Keanu Reeves' character Johnny Silverhand for the rest of the story. Silverhand and his memories become implanted into V's head through the Relic and add a bit of an anti-hero dynamic to the game.
Johnny was a former rockstar that fought in an uprising against the Arasaka Corporation before his death. He tends to frequently invade V's headspace in various moments of dialogue to butt in with his own hostile doses of advice as to how he'd handle things, and his flashback sequences make for some cool missions.
24 Mono And Six - Little Nightmares 2
Unlike the first game, Six is not alone anymore in the terrifying nightmarish puzzle platforming world. In fact, Little Nightmares 2 doesn't start you off as Six but with a new protagonist named Mono, who has a paper bag over his head, and soon ends up rescuing Six along the way, and the two become a team for the rest of the gameplay.
Mono and Six working together as a duo brings a whole different dynamic to the themes and mechanics of Little Nightmares. They must help each other through the puzzles and avoid detection from enemies, with Mono often being able to use weapons around the environment on enemies, adding a new gameplay element. And there's a great twist to both characters at the end.
23 Marianne And Spirit World Marianne - The Medium
The Medium provides probably one of the most intriguing duos you'd ever see in a game, as it's your character separated by a split-screen with her same version but in a spirit dimension. That's because the main protagonist is Marianne, who has the ability to project into the spirit realm and communicate with the souls inside.
This duo results in the core mechanic of the game. You'll be required to alternate between Marianne in the spirit world and Marianne in the real world for puzzle-solving and escaping an evil entity known as the Maw. You can also access the memory shards of spirits when in their realm and often need to use your shield to protect against moths.
22 May And Cody - It Takes Two
There's no other split-screen co-op platformer with as many heartwarming moments and humorous family drama quite like It Takes Two. In this game, the duo is a husband and wife about to end their marriage until something magical happens with their daughters' dolls and a relationship self-help book, creating the ultimate Parent Trap.
Cody and May are now transported inside Rose's favorite dolls, and they're at the mercy of Dr. Hakim, the author manifesting as a talking book, to repair their relationship before they can get back to their daughter. They don't keep an open mind at first and continue squabbling, but their love eventually returns through the obstacles they overcome.
21 Cal Kestis And BD-1 - Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order And Jedi: Survivor
Introduced in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and jumping back into action in 2023's Jedi: Survivor is Cal Kestis and his droid BD-1. These two ultimately join the ranks of the most iconic duos in the Star Wars universe, like The Mandalorian and Grogu, Rey and BB-8, and Luke and R2-D2. Companion droids with boisterous personalities due tend to steal the Jedi's thunder in Star Wars.
And BD-1 certainly contributes to the magnificent story, gameplay, and exploration Fallen Order has to offer. You can't imagine the game without this adorable little guy there tossing a stim to Cal when you're low on health, zapping an enemy to stun them in defensive aid, keeping you informed via scans of environmental objects, and hunting for some collectibles.
20 Leon And Ashley - Resident Evil 4 Remake
Ashley Graham is the president's daughter kidnapped by an occultist group using her as a test subject for their sinister Las Plagas infection, and it's your job as Leon Kennedy to protect her throughout. There were many significant changes in Resident Evil 4 Remake, including new character designs and story dialogue, which better establishes the chemistry between Leon and Ashley.
It takes a lot of time for their trust in each other to fully develop and builds throughout each chapter. But by the end of the game, Ashley and Leon are on amazing terms and have a strong connection, especially after what they've been through together with their Plaga parasite and fighting off brutal enemies. Seeing them dressed in wacky costumes is a lot of fun too.
19 The Protagonist And Gatlians - High On Life
High on Life puts such a creative spin on character duos in games, turning the gameplay experience into one filled with humor and raunchy remarks. But what more do you expect from a design team that also brought you the Rick and Morty series? When life gives you aliens that turn humans into drugs, talking alien weapons become your new best friends.
The protagonist remains silent, and the fascinating Gatlians of Gatlus that come in all sorts of blaster personalities do all the smooth-talking for you, in addition to being used as excellent weapons. You can always rely on their quirks and dialogue to deliver nonstop surefire laughs, as many notable comedians provide their voices.
18 Amicia And Hugo - A Plague Tale Series
Amicia de Rune truly deserves a Sister of the Year award for the extreme measures she's forced to take in protecting her younger brother Hugo throughout A Plague Tale: Innocence and the sequel, Requiem. Armed with her sling and always having Hugo tethered to her hand, she keeps him safe and calm from dangerous soldiers and large crowds of diseased rats.
Both Plague Tale games set the de Rune duo on incredibly emotional and life-altering journeys, but the genuine bond and wonderful connection that Amicia shares with Hugo help them to overcome the darkest things they have to experience. Hugo also has a unique ability of his own to help out from time to time. His Macula curse can grant him control of the rat hordes.
17 Cynthia And Garchomp - Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum And Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
You might be thinking: "Cynthia and Garchomp? Really? Why not Ash and Pikachu?" The pairing is timeless, but we're looking at the games, rather than the anime. And while Pokemon Yellow admittedly exists, it's something of a forgotten offshoot compared to the Sinnoh games and their Switch-era remakes.
What makes Cynthia and Garchomp work so well is their powerful teamwork, both during the climax of the Team Galactic storyline and the battle for the Sinnoh League Championship. Pokemon has a handful of similar examples, including Lance and Dragonite in the Johto games. N and either Reshiram or Zekrom are another honorable mention, although their relationship in Black & White is a bit... unique.
16 Jak And Daxter - Jak And Dexter
Jak and Daxter was among the earliest examples of teenage angst coupled with fun and engaging combat on the PlayStation 2. Oh, and a loudmouth sidekick to boot. Daxter is an ottsel that used to be human. Some would blame Jak for this alteration, but that's a conversation for another time. Jak and Daxter are close friends throughout most of the series.
For example, in an instance where Jak becomes vengeful, who brings him back to the light? Daxter does. On the flip side, when Daxter becomes imprisoned for over two years, Jak doesn't give up his search for him. Jak and Daxter are joined at the hip, and their bond is integral to the series.
15 Booker And Elizabeth - BioShock Infinite
From the esteemed BioShock series comes Booker and Elizabeth. Booker DeWitt, a PI and the protagonist of 2013's BioShock Infinite, first meets Elizabeth trapped in her tower. They escape it together and utilize Elizabeth's ability to manipulate tears to other realities to combat enemies on Monument Island.
Booker believes he was sent to retrieve Elizabeth and bring her to New York City. After a revelation between Elizabeths from other realities and a life-altering decision Booker makes, the relationship between Booker and Elizabeth takes an intriguing turn into one of the most shocking plot twists in recent video game memory.
14 Banjo And Kazooie - Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie is known as one of the best collectathon games, with apparently one of the best duos according to BAFTA. Between the two of them lies a delightful friendship. Banjo takes in Kazooie, a red breegull who adorably likes to seek refuge inside Banjo's backpack.
As expected, Banjo is an experienced Banjo player, and Kazooie, you guessed it, can play a mean kazoo. While Banjo is a well-kept and polite honey bear individual, Kazooie is a loud wisecracking bird poking her head out of Banjo's backpack to give anyone a piece of her feathery mind.
13 Donkey Kong And Diddy Kong - Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong is a third-generation leader of the Kong family on Donkey Kong Island. His nephew, Diddy Kong, happens to be his best friend. While both give off the feeling of being a bit too foolhardy and brotherly, Donkey Kong is more of a father figure for Diddy Kong.
In one particular instance, the bond between them is front and center. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl Subspace Emissary Mode, Donkey Kong sacrifices himself to distance Diddy Kong from Bowser's threat before being turned to stone.
12 Kratos And Atreus - God Of War Series
Kratos' relationship with his son Atreus is central to 2018's God of War and its sequel, God of War Ragnarok. The first game begins on a sorrowful note with the death of Kratos' wife and Atreus' mother, Faye. On a journey to bring her ashes to Jotunheim, Kratos' demeanor is initially quite stern, but he then opens up to Atreus, and the bond between father and son blossoms on the battlefield.
The revelation from the first game, Atreus actually being Loki, causes a rift in their relationship that sends Atreus on a journey of self-discovery, and their duo doesn't quite exist as before. In Ragnarok, Atreus is older, more rebellious, and wants distance from his father. You see him going off on his own and can play as him in many sections using his new abilities in combat.
11 Lee And Clementine - The Walking Dead
Lee and Clementine stole everyone's hearts in 2012's The Walking Dead. Surprisingly, Lee escapes a prison sentence thanks to the apocalypse, and he encounters Clementine, a young girl all on her own. He takes her in and protects her at all costs. With Lee, Clementine doesn't only survive, but she learns how to in the coming new world.
After Lee's demise, Clementine continues, holding onto everything he taught her. Lee's teachings, most of all, were to believe in the good of humanity. Eventually, she darkens, but she never entirely lets go of the principles Lee instilled in her.
10 Ratchet And Clank - Ratchet And Clank
First gracing the screens of Playstations back in 2002, the sole Lombax, Ratchet, met a crashed robot, Clank. While both characters are relatively intelligent in their own right, Clank acts as a much-needed contrast to Ratchet. Clank is more composed and measured, while Ratchet is more responsive and audacious.
The two became life-long best friends and embarked on world-altering adventures filled with tech overhauls, emotional discoveries, clever and innovative combat, and boisterous comebacks. The pair is commendable apart, but they are fierce and scary as a team. If you own a PlayStation 5, their latest outing in Rift Apart isn't just a good game, but a technical showcase for the power of current-gen hardware.
9 Master Chief And Cortana - Halo
John's relationship with Cortana is the best part of the popular Halo series, and it isn't even close. Master Chief is as decorated as they come, but without Cortana, Chief would not only be dead, but his human and emotional elements would be nearly non-existent. Cortana's dedication and loyalty to Chief reach bounds beyond her programming.
When Cortana's AI consciousness was on the brink of collapse, John's actions and relationship with her brought her back from that very brink. If nothing else can prove her admiration for John, her final act was done so to protect John despite herself.
8 Alphinaud And Alisaie - Final Fantasy 14
In the earlier hours of Final Fantasy 14's sprawling, ongoing story, you will be forgiven for wondering why twins Alphinaud and Alisaie make a good gaming duo. Indeed, all throughout A Realm Reborn, they have just a few scenes together, and their distinct brand of fire-and-water personalities are far from endearing. In fact, it isn't until Heavensward's patch phase that we see them together again for longer than a blip.
But my oh my. As the game's writing grows in strength, the Sharlayan Elezens' dynamic improves exponentially. They're still fire-and-water, but the kind you can't help but smile over, and you sense a deep and unflinching love between them that willrequire tissues on several occasions. It's memorable enough to overcome those early struggles in characterization.