If there is one thing video games are good at, it is delivering memorable characters with iconic designs. There is a lot to be said about how a character's design affects how we perceive them. A character's design can tell its own story. What we are getting at, here, is that characters with eyepatches are super cool.
If you want to show that your character is a veteran warrior, this is a great way to demonstrate that. It can toughen a character, it can give them a bit of grit. There is a reason character designers keep going back to this aesthetic and it is because it works!
10 Bartholomew Fatima, Xenogears
Good ol' Bart is hotheaded, brash, and maybe just a touch juvenile. The truth is, he would probably come across as just another spoiled kid. However, Bart has something to aid him. Something to show that he is battle-hardened. That eyepatch, baby! That's right, Batholomew rocks that eyepatch, which really does help to harden his otherwise soft look.
If you aren't convinced we have another detail that should put Bart over the top and convince you that he deserves his placement on this list. His mech has an eyepatch as well. Is your mind blown? Now that is commitment to the aesthetic!
9 Lanselot Tartaros
Lanselot Tartaros is one of the mysterious antagonists in Tactics Ogre. He is one of the primary threats that loom above for the majority of the game, even if he isn't necessarily the central villain. He appeared in another game before Tactics Ogre, though. In that one he was a more optimistic, heroic figure. What element of their design do you think was used to visually show this transition? That's right. The eyepatch carries yet another awesome design.
Lanselot Tartaros is one part cool demeanor and two parts cynicism. He has convictions, but his absolute lack of faith in mankind has made him favor tyranny, power, and control. He is ultimately a tragic figure. However, the best villains are often tragic, which maybe explains why he is such a great character.
8 Sagat, Street Fighter
In what world could we talk about notable eyepatch wearers and leave out 'The Emperor Of Muay Thai'? Sagat's tenure in the Street Fighter series started with him appearing as the final boss. Sagat quickly established himself as a popular mainstay. His eyepatch isn't just a design aspect, either.
In fact, his "rivalry" with Dan Hibiki is directly connected to the loss of his eye. It was, in fact, Dan's father, Go Hibiki, who took it. Unfortunately, Go lost his life as a direct result. Years later, when Dan challenges Sagat in order to avenge his father, Sagat throws the fight, demonstrating true remorse and showing how he had grown. That's right, you can trace one of Street Fighter's best character arcs straight back to the eyepatch!
7 Star Wolf, Star Fox
When designing a villain to act as your protagonist's foil, you can't go wrong with the twisted parallel character archetype. And what is the twisted version of an optimistic, starship-flying fox? A cynical, grizzled starship-flying wolf, of course. And how do you know he is a badass? It is all in the eyepatch, my man!
Wolf O'Donnell is a great villain, and one of Star Fox's best villains. He was even memorable enough to earn himself a roster spot in Super Smash Bros. But would he have been so warmly received without that fearsome patch to let people know that he means business? We think not. As they say, the eyepatch makes the wolf.
6 TJ Combo, Killer Instinct 2
TJ Combo in the first Killer Instinct is... fine? He is just another boxer. And, unfortunately, there are already tons of super cool boxing characters in fighting games. TJ just didn't have anything to help set him apart. Clearly, the developers saw that as well. And, as a direct result, we were given his Killer Instinct 2 redesign. Which is the same as the first design, but with an eyepatch. And instantly he was perfect.
Never before has the power of the eyepatch been more evident. TJ Combo became three hundred percent cooler with the addition of the eyepatch (we ran the numbers). In all sincerity, it really did somehow manage to take him from being somewhat generic to being pretty damn cool.
5 Geddoe, Suikoden 3
Suikoden 3 does a fantastically interesting thing and splits the narrative across three primary perspectives. We have the youthful Hugo, The honorable knight Chris, and the battle-worn Geddoe. You could probably guess which of these three wears the eyepatch, eh?
Geddoe is one of those characters who is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. He has possession of one of the true runes, which makes him immortal. And beyond that, little is known about him. He is very matter-of-fact and dependable. But he is also extraordinarily guarded. Which, of course, is his biggest draw: this dude is super mysterious,
4 Big Boss, Metal Gear Solid
We could almost certainly craft a list of eyepatch-wearing characters taken exclusively from Metal Gear Solid. That is a franchise that just loves eyepatches! However, while there are a dozen excellent options, we have to go with the central character who started the trend: Big Boss.
Big Boss is one of those figures that is hard to put your finger on. He has values, but they are twisted and off-kilter. His solution to the world's problems appears to be to engulf the entire world in an unending perpetual war. Which, you know, maybe isn't the best idea. Still, he makes for a fascinating antagonist and has absolutely left his mark on the medium.
3 Beidou, Genshin Impact
While you don't want to flood a list of eyepatch-having characters with pirates, it would be perverse to not include at least one. Beidou is Genshin Impact's resident pirate. She also rocks one of the coolest looks in the game. And what sells it? Do we even have to say? Of course, it is that badass eyepatch!
Beidou has remained a popular character, and that could be, at least in part, due to how awesome her gameplay is (if you like counter mechanics, she is the character for you), but we like to think it all goes back to that incredible design!
2 Beatrix, Final Fantasy 9
Final Fantasy 9 is an absolute classic. However, if we have one serious gripe with this classic JRPG it is that we never got to permanently recruit Beatrix. She is just so damn cool. It was a missed opportunity, Square! And while Beatrix is great as a character, the element that really sells her battle-hardened image has to be her badass eyepatch.
You will fight her multiple times throughout your adventure, and every time the game makes it readily apparent that she is a cut above. In fact, off the top of our head, we can't think of a boss in Final Fantasy history who you encounter multiple times, yet can never be defeated. What a legend!
1 Majima, Yakuza
Starting off as a noteworthy antagonist in the first Yakuza game, Majima's star would steadily rise over time. He even got to be playable in Yakuza Zero. The unpredictable antagonist who appears unhinged has always been a villain trope, but Majima is so much more than that. Even in the first Yakuza game, when he acts the most erratically, Majima still showed honorable traits.
It always made you wonder how much of his behavior was an act he puts on in order to intimidate his enemies. And, of course, as the series went forward, we saw more and more of who Majima truly was. But one thing remains absolutely consistent: he is an intimidating, eccentric, and awesome character. Oh, and he has a bitchin' eyepatch.