The first years of the new millennium brought us the seventh generation of video game consoles, and with that came a whole new family of attractive men and women. With new evolutions, this decade introduced the start of increasingly realistic-looking characters.
In this decade, we finally started to see male protagonists who aren’t weird action-hero caricatures, but look more natural. But the trend for female characters started to lean towards ridiculous proportions that gave even the original Lara Croft a shameful run for her money.
We’ve already taken a look at the ’80s and the ’90s, but in this third part of our series we’ll explore the era between 2000 and 2009.
Joanna Dark in Perfect Dark (2000)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mfv74bfhn5fpng.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Julie in Heavy Metal F.A.K.K. ² (2000)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mfvjcbco5n6jpg.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
Cate Archer in No One Lives Forever (2000)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mfw8jxdpwxppng.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Dante in Devil May Cry (2001)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mfwnmj37b0ijpg.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
Konoko in Oni (2001)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mfxir8j6pq2jpg.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
Cortana in Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mfy4annux3vpng.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Yuna and Tidus in Final Fantasy X (2001)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mfyrn6sf4odpng.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Mercedes Cortez in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mfyc2u810c6png.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Farah and the Prince in Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (2003)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mfsvlcd6doopng.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball characters (2003)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mfze83k7bslpng.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Max and Mona in Max Payne 1 & 2 (2001 & 2003)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mfzvrheurn5png.png?quality=75?quality=75)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mfzxgni1veopng.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Samus Aran in Metroid Zero Mission (2004)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mfuz0auxt7qgif.gif?quality=75?quality=75)
Alyx Vance in Half-Life 2 (2004)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mg0cp605mptpng.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Fran in Final Fantasy XII (2006)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mg6ohaehw4ypng.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Zoe Castillo in Dreamfall: The Longest Journey (2006)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mg16ucygo4tjpg.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
Nariko in Heavenly Sword (2007)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mg1fi3sjrbppng.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Commander Shepard in Mass Effect (2007)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mg1nvzr4ttdjpg.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
Princess Peach in Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mg3lxl35cuyjpg.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
Nathan Drake and Chloe Frazer in Uncharted 1 & 2 (2007 & 2009)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mfudymu98qjjpg.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
Lara Croft in Tomb Raider Underworld (2008)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mg3u7iqt1x1jpg.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
Travis Touchdown in No More Heroes (2008)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mg49095nxybjpg.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
Akihiro in Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 (2008)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mg4iljklh5wpng.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Sheva Alomar in Resident Evil 5 (2009)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mg52pnsaf9opng.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Ezio Auditore in Assassin’s Creed II (2009)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mg556g95pwnpng.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Kisuke and Momohime in Muramasa: The Demon Blade (2009)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mg5mzpeo8lrjpg.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
Cammy and Vega in Street Fighter IV (2009)
![A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/03/18mg68wxrpvcwpng.png?quality=75?quality=75)
With two generations of consoles, handhelds and PC games out there, there might be other good looking characters missing from our list. Post them in the comments!
Sources: Prince of Persia Wiki, Naughty Dog, Perfect Dark Wiki, Heavy Metal Magazine Fan Page, Bungie, FF Wiki, Dreamfall, Ninja Theory, Megami Tensei Wiki, Capcom
Comments
21 responses to “A Visual History Of Attractive Video Game Characters: The ’00s”
What about the female cast of Mass Effect?
Liara T’soni. Best!
Also, as far as males go.. Rex was the best. His deep voice, warlike disposition.. better than shepherd all day.
Miranda Lawson mmmmm
Yvonne Strahotski mmmmm
Not exactly the ideal picture of Ezio to show he’s an attractive bloke, one where you can see something other than his chin might have been a better pick.
Also, if you’re doing Mass Effect, where’s the epitome of awkward sexiness that is Garrus?
Garrus is out doing some calibrations
the hood is part of his apeal…mysterious and sexy
I think J Schreier’s next article should be titled “Game websites need to stop letting teenagers write their articles”.
This series is just creepy. I didn’t take the first post’s title of “A VISUAL history of ATTRACTIVE characters” literally. I thought it would list the characters with their bios – describing the defining qualities that made them stand out from their game world. Instead we get a series of screenshots that has put this article in the same level as voyeuristic picture mags.
(I only registered simply to voice this opinion.)
Not to mention there were several porno games listed amongst them. Kotaku sure doesn’t do a good job of convincing people sexism in gaming culture is a problem.
The sad thing is, I can remember looking back at some of these characters from 2000-2005 and thinking they were… hot. Imagination… heh
I really like the new Lara Croft, only just started playing it this week. I love the progressive change in her outfit from clean, through to dirty and torn. I hope they continue with the new Tomb Raider games
Where’s Zoey?
lack of Tekken and Soul Calibur characters
Why not include the Mirrors Edge girl? I had a crush on her.
That is not Joanna Dark 2000.
Putting Yuna and Tidus in there is just making me more psyched about the HD remake. Now I’m impatient :p
That screenshot looks like it’s taken either from the screens of the new HD remake, or straight from a PS2 emulator. That game did not look that good.
Old Snake from MGS4?
Why take those Max Payne 2 images from the PS2 version, they look horrid compared to the PC version.
That Alyx picture is going to haunt me now. Wherever I am, I’m going to be paranoid she’s watching me with that expression…
Missing Adam Jensen
No love for Mono?
16 colossi for nothing; Wander’s going to be pissed.