.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=570&dpr=1.5)
For some reason, video games love scientists. Maybe it's because there's something innately compelling about the quest for scientific knowledge and discovery, something that lends itself to game mechanics; or maybe it's because games are famously for nerds, and scientists are famously nerds.
Whatever the reason, there's no shortage of wacky and weird scientists in video games - characters who cover the spectrum between innocent research and malicious power-seeking. Some of them might offer help to you and your party on your quest, while others will stop at nothing to stand in your way. But which of these knowledge-hungry scientists are the most iconic of all?
8 Dr. Andonuts - Earthbound
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=740&dpr=1.5)
Though Dr. Andonuts isn't quite as outsized a character as his fellow scientists on this list, he still fits in with the kooky atmosphere of Earthbound. He's the father of one of your party members, Jeff, who he hasn't seen in ten years; when you finally reunite the two, he marvels at how big his son has grown and then awkwardly asks if he'd like a donut... which he doesn't have.
His strangeness doesn't stop there. Before the end of the game, Dr. Andonuts will reveal to Ness that Jeff wets the bed constantly; he'll help another character turn into a living dungeon; and, finally, he'll transmute all of the party members' souls into robots so that they can travel back in time and defeat Giygas. He might be brilliant, but ethics aren't really his strong suit.
7 Professor E. Gadd - Luigi's Mansion & Mario Series
Professor Elvin Gadd - or E. Gadd for short - is most notable for his major role in the Luigi's Mansion games. He's a passionate ghost-hunter and the inventor of the Poltergust vacuums that Luigi uses to suck up wayward spirits; his kooky hairstyle and gibberish exclamations add a dose of silliness to the spooky series.
His role goes beyond those games, however. He appears in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga as a coffee aficionado, and his presence is even felt in Super Mario Sunshine as the inventor of F.L.U.D.D. Mysteriously, Bowser Jr. also notes that he got his Magic Paintbrush from a man who sounds a lot like Professor Gadd. This adds an unsettling dimension to his character - is he an ally to the brothers, or does he just like chaos?
6 Shion Uzuki - Xenosaga
Shion is a noble kind of scientist, someone who pairs a desire for knowledge with genuine care and love for humankind. She's the main protagonist of the sorely-missed Xenosaga series, and the games trace her growth from people-pleaser to disillusioned misanthrope to self-possessed, optimistic searcher.
A major part of her character is the respect that she shows to robots, and her desire to create one that can have emotions and a conscience. As nefarious as that might seem, the game makes it clear that her intentions are actually pure; the difference between how she acts and how she feels is one of the things that makes her character so compelling.
5 Ansem - Kingdom Hearts
Throughout most of the first Kingdom Hearts, you don't see or interact with Ansem directly. Instead, you hear about him secondhand, in fearful whispers and stories of how his experiments with darkness led him to ruin. Throughout the game, you learn that Ansem was a scientist whose quest for knowledge overruled any sense of goodness or care towards other people, as he seeks power through any means necessary.
Finally, after chasing him through several different worlds, Sora confronts him in a dramatic battle and defeats him with the power of light. Ansem's fearsome devotion to darkness and power represents the darker end of the scientific spectrum: he privileges pure knowledge over practical care.
4 Lara Croft - Tomb Raider
-6.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=740&dpr=1.5)
Though it's easy to forget in a series that's more about acrobatic exploration and frantic gunplay than about careful research, Tomb Raider's Lara Croft is actually a scientist by training. She's an archaeologist, devoted to the discovery and study of ancient artifacts.
Her intelligence is one of her more underrated qualities, but it's also the glue that holds the rest of her character together; after all, she wouldn't be able to get out of so many life-threatening situations if she didn't have a logical, scientific mind.
3 Dr. Wily - Mega Man Series
Dr. Wily serves as the recurring antagonist of the Mega Man series. Even in the Mega Man X sub-series, which takes place long after the time period of the original games, Wily's malicious presence sets the whole plot in motion. Wily is depicted as a true scientific genius whose brilliance is only matched by his prideful disdain for others.
When his friend Dr. Light begins to question his research, Wily becomes resentful over this perceived slight and begins to plot world domination. This sets off one of the most iconic rivalries in all of gaming. All those brains didn't give him a sense of emotional stability, it seems.
2 Professor Oak - Pokemon Series
Of course, every Pokemon game features a new scientist, but Professor Oak is the most iconic. He was the first in the series, and many players received their first Pokemon from him, meaning that he's instantly recognizable to an entire generation of gamers.
Even beyond that, though, Professor Oak stands out because you can actually battle him in the original Pokemon games... provided you know how to access it. It's one of the toughest battles in the game, but its sense of narrative closure makes it one of the best, too.
1 Dr. Robotnik - Sonic Series
Finally, we have the man, the myth, the absolute legend: Dr. Robotnik. Sonic's longtime adversary manages to walk a fine line, being as silly as he is diabolical. In the original games, he seeks the Chaos Emeralds, hoping to use their power to achieve world domination; he's a pretty one-dimensional villain, but you have to fight him several times, building up his rivalry with Sonic.
Once the games made the jump to 3D with Sonic Adventure, though, he became a deeper character, willing to work with Sonic when they're presented with a common enemy. This is also when he started being referred to as Eggman... but OG fans will never forget his original name.