Most Popular Character Names in Gaming History

Some names show up so often in games that they feel instantly familiar. You might meet different heroes and villains, but the name on the save file keeps popping up from one series to another. That kind of repetition happens because these names fit well across many settings and genres, from shooters to role playing adventures.

This list looks at ten names that recur across well known games. Each entry gives examples of characters who share the name and notes the studios behind those titles. The goal is to show how certain names became part of gaming culture through repeated use in releases that many players know.

Alex

You can find Alex leading stories and supporting casts across a lot of popular games. Alex Mason drives the campaign in ‘Call of Duty Black Ops’ from Treyarch and the name shows up again with Alex Chen in ‘Life is Strange True Colors’ from Deck Nine. Even ‘Minecraft’ includes Alex as a default player model through work by Mojang Studios.

The name reaches sports and story modes too. Alex Hunter headlines The Journey in ‘FIFA’ through development by EA Vancouver and EA Romania. That wide spread across shooters adventures and sandboxes helps the name Alex stay common in player conversations.

Chris

Chris Redfield anchors major arcs in ‘Resident Evil’ with Capcom building out stories that span multiple entries. The name Chris also appears in ‘Until Dawn’ from Supermassive Games where the character supports the branching choices that define each playthrough.

Fighting game fans know Chris from ‘The King of Fighters’ where SNK uses the name for a key member of the Orochi storyline. Different genres keep using the name which helps it appear on character select screens and fan lists all the time.

Jack

Jack has a long history across action and role playing series. Players met Jack as the silent protagonist of ‘BioShock’ from Irrational Games and 2K Marin and many later learned the name through Handsome Jack in ‘Borderlands’ from Gearbox Software. The name turns up again with Jack in ‘Mass Effect 2’ where BioWare builds a central squad member around powerful biotics.

You can also spot the name in character backstories. Raiden is known as Jack in ‘Metal Gear Rising Revengeance’ which PlatinumGames developed with Konami as publisher. ‘Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin’ adds Jack Garland to the mix through Team Ninja which keeps the name in circulation for modern players.

John

John connects to some of the most played franchises in gaming. Master Chief is known as John 117 in ‘Halo’ with work split across Bungie and later 343 Industries under Xbox Game Studios. Rockstar Games gives the name another famous role with John Marston in ‘Red Dead Redemption’ which made the name familiar to open world fans.

The name appears in stealth and action lore as well. Big Boss is referred to as John in ‘Metal Gear Solid’ through Konami and the character list for ‘Far Cry 5’ includes John Seed which Ubisoft Montreal brought to life. Those repeated appearances keep John at the front of character lists.

Sam

Sam Fisher leads stealth operations in ‘Splinter Cell’ with Ubisoft building gadgets and missions that define the series. The name returned in ‘Death Stranding’ where Kojima Productions made Sam Porter Bridges the center of a delivery based world that many players explored.

Action fans will also know Sam from ‘Serious Sam’ by Croteam which keeps the name tied to arcade style shooting. ‘Gears of War 3’ adds Samantha Byrne called Sam through Epic Games which gives the name another role in a long running shooter franchise.

Max

Max Payne set a tone for third person shooting with slow motion gunplay from Remedy Entertainment and later Rockstar Studios. The name reached a new audience in ‘Life is Strange’ where Dontnod Entertainment introduced Max Caulfield in a choice driven story that grew into a fan favorite.

You can also find the name in licensed and crossover work. ‘Mad Max’ from Avalanche Studios puts players behind the wheel in a wasteland setting and ‘Sam and Max’ from Telltale Games keeps Max in a comedic point and click series. Those varied uses show how the name fits both serious and playful tones.

Michael

Michael De Santa headlines one of the three playable characters in ‘Grand Theft Auto V’ by Rockstar North which gave the name a high profile in open world gaming. Horror fans will also remember Mike in ‘Until Dawn’ where Supermassive Games lets player choices shape multiple outcomes.

Sports and action games join in as well. ‘NBA 2K’ story modes often include teammates and rivals named Michael through Visual Concepts and ‘Dead Rising’ features supporting characters with the name in entries from Capcom. The steady use across different genres keeps Michael familiar to many players.

James

James Sunderland anchors the story of ‘Silent Hill 2’ from Team Silent at Konami which made the name central to one of the most discussed horror games. The name appears again in ‘Pokémon’ where Team Rocket’s James shows up across games built by Game Freak which keeps the name visible to a wide audience.

Role playing and open world entries use the name too. ‘Fallout 3’ features James as the player character’s father through development by Bethesda Game Studios and ‘The Last of Us’ includes James in the winter chapter with work by Naughty Dog. These appearances let James span horror adventure and post apocalypse settings.

Anna

Fighting game fans know Anna Williams from ‘Tekken’ where Bandai Namco Studios places her in a long running rivalry that stretches across many entries. Strategy players see the name constantly in ‘Fire Emblem’ because Intelligent Systems uses Anna as a recurring merchant and guide figure across the series.

First person storytellers and shooters add more examples. ‘Metro’ features Anna as a key ally through development by 4A Games and ‘Battlefield’ campaigns have included characters named Anna in entries created by DICE. That spread across different platforms and styles helps the name stay common.

Sarah

Sarah has appeared in action adventures and strategy games for decades. ‘The Last of Us’ introduces Sarah Miller early in the story through development by Naughty Dog which made the name memorable to many players. Real time strategy fans know Sarah Kerrigan from ‘StarCraft’ with Blizzard Entertainment building one of the most famous arcs in the genre.

Fighting games and action titles continue the trend. ‘Virtua Fighter’ includes Sarah Bryant with work by Sega AM2 and ‘Gears of War’ extended cast features characters with the name across multiple releases by Epic Games and The Coalition. Those consistent appearances help Sarah remain a staple name in game credits.

Share the character names you notice most in your favorite games in the comments.