It's hard not to admit that video games, as cultural artifacts, are only getting better and more ambitious with their storytelling. The classics of the past still exist (mostly) and new video games, whether it be triple-A titles with behemoth-sized budgets or indie darlings, now have the opportunity to push the medium forward in exciting and diverse directions. This is due in no small part to the work of Jennifer Hale.

Related: Why Jennifer Hale Is The Perfect Voice For Ratchet & Clank New Lombax

She is a titan among voice actors and performers in the video game industry and has brought to life countless characters in various beloved franchises throughout the last couple of decades. She's basically the Meryl Streep of video game voice actors. And while no Jennifer Hale performance is a bad performance, if you had to pick just ten to praise, here are the ones that stand out the most.

10 At Least One More Hero: Kimmy Howell

Kimmy Howell at the academy looking into camera from No More Heroes 2

Despite being rather erroneously named (there have been plenty of heroes, sequels, and ports since the 2007 debut), No More Heroes has developed a cult following among fans of hack-and-slash games. Writer and director Suda51's series might not always be doing dazzling new things with the medium, but it's full of quirky charm and memorable characters.

Related: Lingering Questions We Have After The End Of No More Heroes 3

Besides Travis Touchdown, the "hero" of the game known for taking to the toilet whenever you need to save, there is also Kimmy Howell, the student-turned-pop idol who plays a role in both No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, and No More Heroes 3. She might not be in the game for much of its run time, but Jennifer Hale gives her a memorable voice, nevertheless.

9 Colorful Noir: Linda Vermillion

Linda Vermillion looking at the camera in Killer7

Killer7 is another cult classic written and directed by Suda51. Like much of his work, the game features a bizarre story filled with psychic powers throughout its colorful take on the noir genre. Suda51's distinctive style doesn't mesh with everyone, but here it works in spades.

The game also showcases Jennifer Hale's range as a performer with her portrayal of Linda Vermillion, the sniper-toting assassin. It's a small role, but Hale's performance elevates the writing from ambiguous to enigmatic in a way that imbues all the style of the game with a bit of actual substance.

8 The Other Lord Of The Rings Games: Galadriel

Galadriel from Middle Earth Shadow of War DLC blade of galadriel

Beyond being a staple of the fantasy genre for both literature and film, The Lord of the Rings has had a pretty good track record for video games as well. The 2002 video game version (unrelated to the film) of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring isn't the best one among them, but it does feature Jennifer Hale as the iconic Lady of the Wood, Galadriel, which is pretty cool.

In a surprising move of continuity, Hale also plays Galadriel in Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War, which are much better games.

7 All Hail Hale In Halo: Sarah Palmer

Sarah Palmer from Halo 5 looking into camera

Good thing the fight wasn't actually finished in Halo 3 because the subsequent entries in Xbox's flagship series have allowed for even more sci-fi storytelling and Spartan-led alien slaying. In Halo 4 and Halo 5, Jennifer Hale plays one of the new Spartans, Sarah Palmer.

Palmer is also one of the main playable characters in Halo: Spartan Assault and is a key figure in much of the series' story after the original trilogy. Regardless of how you feel about the direction the narrative of Halo is going, it's nevertheless quite impressive how Hale's long and storied career has brought her to so many beloved franchises.

6 A Riveting Twist To Ratchet & Clank: Rivet

Rivet meeting clank from Ratchet and Clank a rift apart

The PlayStation 5 might not have had many exclusive games in the early days of its inception, but that isn't the only reason why Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart was so well received. It is a genuinely wonderful game made all the better by the way it shakes things up and introduces a new playable character: Rivet.

Jennifer Hale's performance as Rivet is, unsurprisingly, excellent. She plays the character with both pathos and charm, instantly elevating her into the pantheon of PlayStation platformer-mascots.

5 The Best Silent Protagonist Vocal Performance: Samus Aran

metroid Prime Samus Aran pointing blaster cannon at camera

If you have played the Metroid Prime trilogy, you might recall the sound of alien groans and blaster cannon fire and not much else. Samus Aran has never been the chattiest protagonist, and it's the same in the Metroid Prime trilogy.

This certainly helps to create the moody atmosphere these games are known for. In case you don't recall: it works exceptionally well. That said, Samus is credited with a vocal performer, and guess who plays her? That's right—Jennifer Hale.

4 Bioshock's Infinitely Interesting Rosalind Lutece

Lutece twinstallying coin toss in Bioshock infinite

Bioshock Infinite might have aged like apples in a trash can—despite the game insisting that disposed produce is okay to eat—but there is still a lot to admire about the game. The world of Columbia, for one, is genuinely interesting to look at. The music is excellent. The story might devolve midway through but the acting is stellar across the board.

There are a number of V.O. superstars here—such as Troy Baker and Laura Bailey—with Jennifer Hale playing Rosalind Lutece, the quantum physicist and quick wit who mysteriously shows up throughout the game. Who knew she could do an English accent so well?

3 One Of The Best Knights Of The Old Republic: Bastila Shan

Bastila Shan concept art from Star Wars KOTOR

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, its sequels, and spinoffs have been beloved entries in the Star Wars extended universe for a long time now. A remake sounds pretty great, but the fact of the matter is that these games still hold up. The gameplay is serviceable and the story is stellar.

Related: Knights Of The Old Republic Is One Of The Greatest Star Wars Stories Ever Told And Fully Deserves A Remake

There are tons of great performances in the game and Jennifer Hale's voice work as Bastila Shan is no exception. As far as Jedi go, she is one of the coolest.

2 Metal Gear Soap Opera: Naomi Hunter And Emma Emmerich

MGS4 naomi hunter looking into camera

Metal Gear Solid, beneath the melodramatic trappings, superficial jargon, and semi-nonexistent sense of an ending, is still a remarkable series with characters you can grow to care about and a story worth sitting down with to have a think. It's hardly controversial to say it's one of the greatest video game series of all time and Jennifer Hale is another stellar part of what makes it work.

She plays both Naomi Hunter and Emma Emmerich—two scientists and Foxhound associates of Snake. Throughout Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2, and Metal Gear Solid 4, you'll spend hours on the Codec with her characters, which would seem like too much if it weren't for how great her performance consistently is.

1 Massively Affecting: Commander Shepard

Commander shepard mass effect looking into camera

Jennifer Hale has played the whole gamut of video game characters, but none are as iconic as Commander Shepard, the hero of the Mass Effect trilogy. To say that this series of games is beloved would be an understatement. People love Mass Effect so much that the series has its own fan-made holiday, N7 day. Fans love the sweeping scope of space, smart remixing of classic sci-fi tropes, and grand take on RPG mechanics.

More than anything else, though, people love Mass Effect's characters. While you can customize the player character to an extent and choose their gender, it is a fact that the developer, Bioware, planned the game around a female Shepard first. Good thing they got the best voice actor in the business, as Commander Shepard will surely go down in video game history as one of the all-time great protagonists.

Next: Mass Effect: Questions We Have About Eclipse