The 10 CREEPIEST NPCs in Gaming
The G-Man
Half-Life series (1998-2020)
Rise and shine, rise and shine! The G-Man from the Half-Life series is one of the creepiest characters in a video game ever, and its clear from the first moment you see him. He talks in a drawn-out and slow cadence, and his face sort of borders on the uncanny valley effect thanks to facial animations at this point being kind of stiff. We never learn what he wants or who he really is, and this mystery only enhances just how creepy he comes across as. It seems he has some sort of supernatural abilities, and you get the feeling that he might have more to do with things than he lets on. Could he be the reason for it all? We dont know, but hes always watching!
The Happy Mask Salesman
The Legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask (2000)
The Happy Mask Salesman is undeniably creepy, and its all thanks to his unsettling design and behavior. The first feature you notice is the giant fixed grin, and it seems to never change no matter if hes happy or not. Hes got this weird feeling about him, he always appears in places where youd least expect him as if he just materialized there to see you. It seems like time stops when Link speaks with him too, which further adds to the enigma. It gets worse when you start to question his abilities; he teaches Link the Song of Healing, which transforms a tormented souls pain into masks. So youre telling me this guy can trap souls within masks? And lets not forget his iconic line Youve met with a terrible fate, havent you?
Friend or Foe?
System Shock 2 (1999)
Almost immediately after waking up from cryo-stasis in System Shock 2, were being manipulated. Either by characters under the control of SHODAN, or by The Many. In fact, were almost right out of the gate contacted by various people on comms including Polito who is advising us on what to do from here. But if youve played the game, you know that Polito is in fact long dead and is being impersonated by SHODAN. But theres an even creepier entity in System Shock 2, The Many. Theyll ALSO try to manipulate us through the Von Brauns AI, Xerxes. So whos our friend, and whos our foe here? Its more nuanced than that, but The Many has some of the creepiest voicelines ever recorded for a video game.
Sander Cohen
BioShock (2007)
BioShock generally has a pretty unsettling vibe to it through and through and thats simply how it was designed. Its no surprise then that its a host to one of the creepiest NPCs ever with Sander Cohen. Hes an alleged artist, except his art is people encased in plaster. You find his now still victims doing bizarre and disturbing poses throughout Fort Frolic. And unlike many or even most other NPCs in the game, we actually see Sander present right in front of us pretty often. That piano scene is especially hard to forget!
Watson
Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis (2007)
Ahhh, 2007. Video games were advancing at break-neck speeds, unfortunately some more than others. And occasionally, a developer gets lazy and something like Watson from Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis happens. The game spawned an infamous meme thanks to Watsons lack of a walking animation, causing him to teleport into the players view! It created an undoubtedly creepy effect with Watson somehow seeming almost omnipresent. One moment hes ten feet in front of you, only for you to turn around and have him staring you in the face. Could Watson be an interdimensional being capable of instant transmission?
The Outsider
Dishonored (2012)
Similar to BioShock, Dishonored has an inherent creepy and unsettling feeling that is woven into its design. Early on in the first game, Corvo meets the Outsider in what appears to be a dream. He seems to be some sort of god figure to the people of the world, both spurned by The Abbey but also worshipped by the people of Tyvia. He seems to have a fascination for human suffering, and gifts Corvo with his mark which bestows him with his powers, simply to see what hell do with them. And yet, we never learn anything of his goals or motives or what he truly wants. Hes just this creepy god figure who is apparently always observing from the void.
Cicero
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)
For anyone whos played Skyrim, youd probably immediately guess our pick for a creepy NPC even without mentioning him by name. To be fair though, Skyrim does have a few lesser known creepy NPCs too! With that said, Cicero is genuinely so unsettling. Youd probably meet him first upon progressing the Dark Brotherhood questline, but its possible to meet him at Loreius Farm north of Whiterun as well, where hell be stuck with a broken wagon. Hes a deranged murderer in a Jester outfit. He talks in third-person, and has the weirdest dialogue in the game. Take a listen.
The Strange Man
Red Dead series (2004-19)
The Strange Man in Red Dead Redemption is a very enigmatic and mysterious NPC of which we know very little about. In the first game, he seems to have somewhat of an understanding of future events before they happen. In Red Dead Redemption 2, his mysteriousness is only amplified, but for now lets talk about his unsettling appearances in the first one. Hes a lanky, dapper looking man with a calm and cryptic persona. When we meet him, he typically has a moral dilemma for John, and Johns final encounter with him takes place on the exact spot where John will later be buried. Popular theories include that of him being an embodiment of Death, or perhaps even the Devil, tasking John with moral dilemmas in an effort to relish in his sins. But no one knows, and Red Dead Redemption 2 only left us with more questions than the first one.
Eddie Low
Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)
As you can tell by now, Rockstar Games has a penchant for making both intriguing and disturbing NPCs in their games and its all part of the magic. Some of the creepiest ones are found in GTA, particularly Grand Theft Auto IV with this instance being Eddie Low. Hes a serial killer and you meet him in two random character missions in Alderney. You can tell immediately that something is off with this guy, as he describes filth and rotten people. In-game, we often see reports of a nameless killer, and it quickly becomes clear that the culprit is Eddie Low. Hes one of the creepiest characters Rockstar has ever created.
Winston
Tomb Raider II (1997)
Winston and Tomb Raider II in general is a pretty funny case, considering its got one of the most unintentionally terrifying NPCs ever. The training level of the game takes place in Laras home, and its a pretty massive mansion which typically wouldnt be that scary at first glance. But couple the old graphics with the dark areas, and you now have something that looks straight out of a creepypasta! But were here to talk about Winston. Laras loyal butler, whos so loyal that he keeps following her around everywhere she goes. This leads to some seriously unsettling moments, and it doesnt help that he walks so slowly. He just endlessly stalks you. Of course, this is kicked up a few notches in Tomb Raider III where the Croft Manor is made even darker! I mean seriously, is this a horror game? Why did they make it so scary?
Are YOU sleeping tonight? Let us know in the comments below which NPCs were the scariest for you!
