Once again I'm going to try to avoid using picks that other people have already made. Vaas, especially, would be a high contender for my #1 spot if Urby hadn't picked him.
5.
Three Dog -
Fallout 3 One of the first quests in Fallout 3 is restoring this man's golden voice to the airwaves and from that moment on he accompanies you through thick and thin, playing a delectable variety of classic pre-war tunes and cracking wise about your progress through the game.
It's Galaxy News Radio and it's your only comfort as you traverse the pitch-black wastes in the middle of the night. Wait, did you just hear something?
Nervously turns off radio"Thrrreeee Dooooggg! That's me, kids. Comin' to you taped from my fortified bunker in the middle of a D.C. hellhole. Ain't life grand?"
4.
Sheogorath the Daedric Prince of Madness -
The Elder Scrolls Series He's so happy to see you and genuinely hopes you have a wonderful day. But also the air is hitting his arm a bit oddly and he's convinced you can totally tell which is freaking him out. Plus the cheese this morning was on the wrong plate and you KNOW he can't just let that slide so if it's all the same to you, he's going to teleport you and a cashew nut 5000ft in the air and see which hits the ground first. Oh, look, a worm! CATCH IT!
"I once dug a pit and filled it with clouds....or was it clowns.... it doesn't matter, it didn't slow him down. But it really began to smell! Must have been clowns. Clouds don't smell, they taste of butter. And tears."
3.
Garrus -
Mass Effect Series Garrus is the most solidly sound guy ever. He's the best friend you wish you had; someone you can knock back a few beers with and just talk about whatever's on your mind. He respects you and your choices even when he disagrees with them, yet he's never afraid to tell you what he really thinks. He's to Shep what Barney is to Gordon. Catch him later and he'll buy you a beer.
Also he's a fucking badass with a sniper rifle.
Garrus can date your sister.
"If this thing goes sideways and we end up on the other side, meet me at the bar. I'm buying."
2.
The Joker -
Arkham Series Certainly not exclusive to the Arkham games, but I'm picking this particular incarnation because, with the possible exception of Heath Ledger's, he simply
is the best Joker. Voiced in Asylum and City by Mark Hamill who voiced the character for years in the animated series, The Joker is one of the most unpredictable and therefore terrifying baddies in fiction. Vaas is just The Joker without the sense of theatre.
While his appearances in the first two games are sublime, I have to make specific mention of his harrowing story arc in
Origins. It's the weakest of the Arkham games, but you get a new take on the Joker's first ever encounter with both Harleen and Batman. These are seen from his perspective, retrospectively as he recounts his past to Dr. Quinnzel. Haunting visions and disorientating gameplay reveal a side of the Joker never really explored before and it's deeply, deeply impactful.
"You of all people should know, there's nothing so cruel as memory.... the pointy biting little thunderbolts, unwanted party crashers, SCREAMERS through your synapses.. inescapable, unrelenting.... not at all friendly. You can't even escape into MADNESS!"
1.
Glados -
Portal Series How can she not be everybody's favourite? She's the most perfect villain ever created. She's Shodan with a sense of impeccable comic timing and you are her play thing. It's pointless to list all the characteristics that make Glados the obvious #1 choice because there are simply too many. She's brilliant. Portal wouldn't even be noteworthy without her. Imagine if it was just the puzzles.
"He's not just a regular moron. He's the product of the greatest minds of a generation working together with the express purpose of building the dumbest moron who ever lived. And you just put him in charge of the entire facility. [clap clap] Good, that's still working."