Most gamers have a love-hate relationship with video game NPCs. Their lovable and charismatic ways are regularly overshadowed by poor AI when trying to engage with the game’s mechanics. We’ve lost count of the times they have blocked our path or presented their face directly in our line of sight.
Not all is lost, however, as many video game NPCs lend an appreciated helping hand. Whether they are giving you tips for level progression, pointers for how to play the game, or a hand in combat, plenty of NPCs offer invaluable assistance. Here are some of the most helpful.
10 Navi - The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Navi is, without a doubt, one of the most persistently annoying NPCs in video game history, but that doesn’t stop her from being incredibly useful to Link on his quest to defeat Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time.
More than just a way to hurt your ears with a loud and frequent “Hey! Listen!” Navi was initially developed to be Link’s targeting reticule. A tap of the Z button will allow her to target the nearest enemy, person, or object. When prompted, you can get some neat tips on how to defeat your foes. As annoying as she can be, we couldn’t imagine a playthrough of the classic Nintendo 64 title without her.
9 Thanatos - Hades
Another God of the underworld in Hades, Thanatos regularly appears at the beginning of an encounter in the middle of a run to challenge Zagreus in a friendly competition.
If you beat him in slaying the most enemies, you get a Centaur Heart for your troubles. The reward increases your max HP - something you’ll be thankful for later. Thanatos’ challenges are a welcome distraction, if not just for the extra help of taking down your foes. His ridiculous damage numbers are off the charts. He is the embodiment of death, though, so we’ll let him off.
8 Deckard Cain - Diablo 2
Deckard Cain is an iconic figure for the Diablo series, acting as the wise-old man who advises and guides you through the game’s rich lore. Diablo has always been one of the most prominent dungeon-crawling looters, and with such an abundance of armour, weapons, and items to find, each has its own properties and affixes that must be identified.
This usually comes at a cost to the player, but good old Deckard Cain will offer to identify any item for free if you manage to rescue him during the Search for Cain quest in Diablo 2. This saves you from using any Identify scrolls or spending any hard-earned gold, which is great because we all love a bargain.
7 Cortana - Halo
Questionable human and AI paramour relationships aside, Cortana is just as important to Halo as our favourite green Spartan. She has always been the heart and emotional core of the series.
Other than providing good old Master Chief with a friendly companion to help pass the time between blasting the Covenant, Cortana’s deep knowledge and understanding of the ancient alien race is extremely useful for keeping you up to speed with the game’s lore. As one of the most advanced AI ever made, she’s adept at infiltrating all of those pesky Covenant firewalls that block your path and will put out helpful nav points in the world to nudge you in the right direction when you get a bit lost.
6 Dogmeat - Fallout Series
Arguably one of the best boys in all video game history, Dogmeat will always be remembered as your helpful little furry canine companion while traversing along the nuclear wastelands of Fallout.
As a recurring character in the series, Dogmeat often finds something useful for the player while exploring. He can bypass locked doors and containers to get some of that sweet loot for you and can even sniff out ahead for enemies and make a menacing growl to alert your attention to them.
5 Old Man - The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
After awakening from his 100-year-long power nap, the first character Link encounters is the Old Man. Though he may seem to be a hermit, he acts as a helpful guide for Breath of the Wild’s fantastic opening tutorial section.
The Old Man will ensure you are prepared as you set you off on your world-saving journey to defeat Calamity Ganon. He gives you your first weapon, lends advice about cooking and combat, and even grants you access to the game-changing paraglider when you’re ready.
4 Pawns - Dragon’s Dogma
Devoid of any emotion or a will of their own, Pawns in Dragon’s Dogma are there to serve you. You can create a main Pawn that you can fully customise to your liking, including choosing their specific vocations and getting them kitted out in the weapons and armour of your choosing.
You can also enlist the aid of support Pawns, which are those created by other players. These can’t be customised or leveled and must be swapped out with new ones as you make your way through the game. It’s a fantastically unique concept that gives its NPCs a lot more worth than most RPGs out there, and we hope to see it appear more often in games in the future.
3 Atreus - God Of War
One of the most interesting aspects of 2018’s God of War is the deeply complex and nuanced relationship Kratos has with his son, Atreus. He will aid you in combat with his bow, shooting your foes at the press of a button. Occasionally he will jump on the back of your enemies, subduing them so that Kratos can slash them with his axe or wail on them with his chaos blades.
Atreus will also help with some of the game’s head-scratching puzzles, hinting what to do next and translating old Norse runes that Kratos can’t read. He’ll really come into his own as the game progresses and your father-son relationship deepens.
2 Ellie - The Last Of Us
The first Last of Us is another game that presents a budding relationship between the main character, Joel, and his younger and more naive companion, Ellie.
As the game progresses, so does the bond between Joel and Ellie. A deeper trust between them leads to Ellie becoming more helpful in combat encounters. She regularly demonstrates her admirable throwing skills by chucking you some much-needed ammunition or health kits from across the room. When grappling with baddies, she’ll often lend a hand by driving her switchblade into the backs of your enemies and will later shoot at them with a gun when Joel trusts her to use one.
1 Elizabeth - Bioshock: Infinite
Bioshock: Infinite’s Elizabeth is a delight in so many ways, but what truly sets her apart from most video game NPCs is just how much she can help you. She spent a lot of time reading when held captive, putting all of this knowledge to good use. She will heal you, replenish your ammo when using weapons in combat, and pick locked doors and gates when you come across them.
The best part is that her AI is wonderfully coded, meaning it all just… works. There’s no messing about - she never gets in your way or poses a nuisance and will know exactly when to lend you a hand if you need it.