When it comes to video games, the main character is usually someone you’re meant to root for, embodying qualities that players admire or find entertaining. However, some games introduce additional playable characters who don’t quite hit the mark. Whether due to poor design, frustrating gameplay mechanics, or simply being unnecessary to the plot, these characters end up being more of a nuisance than a joy to play. Here are ten game characters that left players wishing they’d never picked up the controller.
10. Clank – Ratchet & Clank Series
Clank, the robotic sidekick in the Ratchet & Clank series, is a character that should bring variety to the gameplay. Instead, his segments often feel like a watered-down version of Ratchet’s adventures. Despite the attempts to give Clank his own set of puzzles and platforming challenges, these sections usually fall flat. The simplicity and sluggishness of Clank’s missions break the flow of the game, making them feel more like chores than enjoyable diversions. Unfortunately, these segments have persisted throughout the series, frustrating fans who just want to get back to the action.
9. Big the Cat – Sonic Adventure
In the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, speed is everything—except when you’re playing as Big the Cat. Introduced in Sonic Adventure, Big’s gameplay revolves around fishing for his lost friend, Froggy. While fishing might be a relaxing side activity in other games, it’s entirely out of place in a Sonic game. The slow pace and repetitive nature of Big’s levels drag down the otherwise fast-paced action, leaving many players eager to skip his sections altogether.
8. Mary Jane Watson – Marvel’s Spider-Man Series
In Insomniac’s Spider-Man games, Mary Jane Watson is reimagined as an investigative journalist who frequently gets herself into dangerous situations. Unfortunately, her playable segments are frustrating exercises in shallow stealth mechanics. These sections not only slow down the game but also feel forced, as the plot bends over backward to involve MJ in the action. The stealth gameplay is restrictive, offering little room for creativity, and ultimately, her inclusion detracts from the overall experience.
7. Silver the Hedgehog – Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
Silver the Hedgehog, introduced in the much-maligned Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), is a character with psychic powers that should be exciting but instead are poorly executed. His telekinetic abilities are clunky, making combat and platforming feel awkward and slow. To make matters worse, players are required to spend a significant portion of the game controlling Silver, which only highlights his flaws and adds to the game’s overall negative reception.
6. Atreus – God of War: Ragnarok
God of War: Ragnarok gives players control of Atreus, Kratos’s son, in several segments. While this shift aims to set up Atreus as a potential future lead, the execution leaves much to be desired. His limited abilities and the overly linear level design make his sections feel restrictive and less engaging than Kratos’s adventures. These missions often grind the game’s momentum to a halt, particularly during long, drawn-out quests that contribute little to the overall story.
5. Desmond Miles – Assassin’s Creed Series
The Assassin’s Creed series is beloved for its historical settings and dynamic action, but the modern-day segments featuring Desmond Miles are a frequent source of frustration. Desmond’s gameplay involves tedious puzzles and switch-flipping tasks that interrupt the flow of the main game. While his story is meant to tie together the different timelines, many players found his sections to be boring and unnecessary, wishing they could stay in the richly detailed historical settings instead.
4. Sherry Birkin – Resident Evil 2
In Resident Evil 2, players occasionally take control of Sherry Birkin, a young girl trying to escape the clutches of a deranged police chief. These segments are pure stealth, requiring players to hide and evade rather than fight back. While these moments add tension, they also feel frustratingly slow and limited compared to the rest of the game. The helplessness of Sherry’s character makes these sections feel more like a chore, disrupting the otherwise well-paced survival horror experience.
3. Blink the Mole – Spyro: A Hero’s Tail
Blink the Mole is a character introduced in Spyro: A Hero’s Tail who quickly became infamous among fans. His levels involve clunky platforming and awkward combat that feels tacked on rather than integral to the game. Blink’s heavy, sluggish controls make even the simplest tasks frustrating, and his sections are widely considered the low point of an otherwise enjoyable game.
2. Taiga Saejima – Yakuza Series
In the Yakuza series, Taiga Saejima is a powerhouse, but his gameplay is hampered by the fact that he’s an escaped convict. This status severely limits where he can go, confining him to smaller areas and forcing players to navigate complex underground passages to avoid the police. These restrictions clash with the open-world nature of the Yakuza games, making Saejima’s segments feel unnecessarily limiting and tedious.
1. Abby – The Last of Us Part II
Abby from The Last of Us Part II sparked significant controversy among fans, not just for her role in the story but also for the gameplay. Her introduction shifts the narrative away from the beloved characters of the first game and forces players to spend a substantial amount of time with a new group. Abby’s sections are long and drawn out, with gameplay that undermines the tension and challenge of the game’s world. Her powerful build and combat style, while interesting, feel out of place in the context of the post-apocalyptic setting. This, combined with a plot that many found heavy-handed and unconvincing, made Abby a widely disliked character among fans.
