The Best New Video Game Characters of 2012 (IGN)

**ecks13** · 12-04-2012

Meet the new kids on the block.

Super Mario. Desmond Miles. Master Chief. All tried and true heroes who made their way back to our games this year, and while we loved them all for it, it's equally as exciting seeing some new faces on the block. We watched them fight tigers, evade zombies and rotate the world around them and we can't wait to see what stories they'll be a part of next. Here are our favorite new video game characters of 2012.
Clementine, The Walking Dead

We did anything and everything we could to protect one innocent little girl named Clementine in TellTale's The Walking Dead. Familiar faces came and went. Some were dragged into the night by strangers. Others were devoured by the undead. But no matter what choices we made, who we saved and how we survived, we made sure Clementine was right by our side. And in case we didn't make it ourselves, we even taught her how to shoot a gun.
Gomez, Fez

He didn't have a rich story or a tortured past. He wasn't raised in a war-torn climate destined for vengeance. Nope, he was adorable, iconic and jubilant. He brought us back to simple sprite-based games we played growing up, and that's exactly why we loved Gomez so much. Just look at him jump! It's impossible to not smile along with him.
Vaas, Far Cry 3

For a long time in Far Cry 3, you might suspect some Fight Club business is going on between Jason and Vaas – at a certain point you realize that Jason could never be quite the same man or monster as the leader of Rook Island’s pirates. He’s a totally bonkers villain who doesn’t care what he has to lose. Vaas’ bipolar behavior and volatile temper make him unpredictable and scary. He’s also just goofy enough to be likable in a weird way.
Tiny Tina, Borderlands 2

Tiny Tina is more than just a kid in ragged clothes. An orphan with a penchant for explosives, her semi-coherent babble manages to both charm and alarm, with more than a few lines that will bring a smile to even the most cynical person's face. In a year of tough guys, she's refreshing. One second she's a psychotic killer, the next the fragile, tragic child she once was and still, somewhere, buried deep in her mind, is.
The Traveler, Journey

We know not of his past, only his destination. In a story of life and death told only through the most minimalist means, our nameless character in Journey careened over dunes of sand, explored forgotten tombs and scaled mountains, all without uttering a word. The result was one of the most memorable gaming experiences in history and a character who shows that a silent protagonist in games can sometimes say the most.
Walker, Spec Ops: The Line

It’s not often we get a hero we hate. Captain Martin Walker enters Dubai as a determined, by-the-books soldier. The needless violence he’s responsible for begins to weigh on him, and the farther down he spirals into darkness, the more unhinged Walker becomes. The man may start out as a generic, macho military idiot, but Walker’s depth exposes itself as he starts showing his true, ugly colors.
Haytham, Assassin's Creed III

No man is as cunning, conniving, and sassy as Haytham Kenway. His tongue is sharper than his blade, and both make him an effective killer and leader. As the father ofAssassin's Creed III's protanogist Connor, it should come as no surprise that he's also a skilled seafarer, nimble acrobat, and people person. Kenway’s political allegiances may not align with what Assassin’s Creed fans have come to expect, but he’s a convincing playable villain we love to loathe.