Think of a game in which you control a character (so no Tetris or anything) — go ahead, any game! Now, chances are, whichever game you've picked, its protagonist is either young or, at the most, middle-aged. You've got the likes of Link, Mario, Samus, Cloud, Joker, Neku, Scott Pilgrim... We could go on, but you get the idea.
It's a shame that senior characters (which we'll loosely define here as a person who's around retirement age or older) aren't represented more in gaming; after all, Nintendo's remarkable ability to create games suitable for all ages means that people like Audie (A.K.A the 'Animal Crossing Grandma') enjoy gaming into their 90s and beyond.
So with that in mind, we thought we'd compile some of our favourite elderly characters in gaming; we've got everything here from cute grandmas to gothic vampires, so strap yourselves in folks — old or otherwise — and be sure to let us know your own favourite OAPs in gaming; we may just add your suggestion in!
Grandma - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Link's Grandma is an absolute sweetheart, isn't she? The guardian of both Link and his sister Aryll in Wind Waker, you could perhaps argue that she's not the most vigilant caretaker on Outset Island, but that in no way diminishes her love for the two grandchildren.
It's particularly heartbreaking when you return to the island later in the game to discover the poor woman is incapacitated by depression, cured only by the healing properties of a Fairy. Once she's back up and running, Grandma does what any beloved grandparent does when Link returns to her house: makes sure he's well-fed with some delicious Elixir Soup. We love you, Grandma!
Cranky Kong - DK
Taking on the often overused stereotype of elderly people being perpetually grumpy, Cranky Kong is exactly that — cranky. He's often fixated on the glory days of the 8-bit era, and frequently talks down to Donkey Kong (albeit in a rather lovable way). Nevertheless, his multiple appearances throughout the Donkey Kong franchise just feels right, and we personally wouldn't want him any other way.
Just lighten up a bit, huh CK?
Toadsworth - Super Mario Sunshine
Having being locked away and subsequently forced to clean up Delfino Island for a crime he didn't commit, Mario is in somewhat of a pickle at the start of Super Mario Sunshine. It's a good thing, then, that the lovable elderly steward Toadsworth is there to not only offer up advice (okay, admittedly not very good advice) but simply exude an altogether calming aura.
It's no wonder the character has stuck around in the years since, but after his absence from the likes of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Odyssey, we sincerely hope to see him make a proper return soon.
Professor E. Gadd - Luigi's Mansion
Professor E. Gadd is just ruddy hilarious, let's be honest. His jibber-jabber way of talking had made him one of the most beloved of all Nintendo characters since his debut in the GameCube's Luigi's Mansion. A true genius, his inventions are both wacky and inspired in design, and we can always rely on him when a few ghosts and ghouls come roaming about.
Impa - Breath of the Wild
The wise elder in Kakariko Village is the quintessential mentor character. While she's been a presence in the majority of Zelda titles, her appearance in Breath of the Wild is perhaps the most significant, if only for the excellent backstory provided in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.
And let's not forget, of course, that she wears an incredible hat, complete with ruddy pendulums hanging around the edge! If that doesn't qualify her for this list, then we don't know what will.
Tortimer - Animal Crossing
Tortimer is just living the dream, isn't he? Once the mayor of Animal Crossing's town, he now prefers to spend his time going on lovely holidays or just simply napping. What a guy. Once believed to be an expert gardener, he even had an entire island named after him in New Leaf!
Just don't suggest that his shell might be fake... Heh heh horf!
All of them - Later Daters
Why just settle for one good character when you can have a whole bunch of 'em? The cast of Later Daters is an endearing selection of seniors who reside at the Ye OLDE Retirement Community, and they're a randy bunch, too!
Everyone at Ye OLDE is up for adventure, old age be damned. It's a fine reminder that age is just a number and that you'll always be a young, spritely whippersnapper in spirit — if you so choose.
Dr. Light - Mega Man
The creator of Mega Man, you could argue that Dr. Light is responsible for bringing such beautiful games to the world... Actually no, that's Akira Kitamura. Dr. Light is Mega Man's actual father and creator, and spends his time creating further inventions to help Mega Man defeat the evil Dr. Wily and his Robot Masters.
Without him, well... where would we be?
Dr. Wily - Mega Man
Dr. Wily is the yang to Dr. Light's yin. The Saruman to his Gandalf. The Man in Black to The Gunslinger. You simply can't have one without the other. Dr. Wily can't be considered to be "good" as such; he's a proper rotter, after all.
But without Wily, what on earth would Mega Man spend his time doing? Cutting up fruit with his Metal Blade? How dull.
Mayor Lewis - Stardew Valley
Mayor Lewis is like the Tortimer of Stardew Valley, but without the big shell and deep love for napping. He's the first person you meet when you arrive on your new farm, and what a calming presence he is — just look at that moustache! Magnificent.
He's apparently never been married or had any kind of family due to his deep commitment to his mayoral duties, and we think that is incredibly noble. Hats off, sir.
Dracula - Castlevania
Wait, Dracula's not old, is he? Well yeah, he kinda is. Centuries old, no less!
He's not exactly an OAP in the strictest sense; after all, the very concept of being a vampire is achieving eternal youth, but we reckon that his being on this plain of existence for such a long time grants him permission to feature on this list. Think of the life experience he's obtained during his years!
Rab - Dragon Quest XI
Okay, now we know Mayor Lewis has a pretty good moustache, but goodness, look at this thing! Hefty!
Rab is an altogether gentle yet slightly mischievous fellow with a certain eye for the ladies, but he's also a decent bloke to have by your side while you're off adventuring. Though his age sometimes gets the better of him, he's always ready to go the extra mile for his allies.
Geralt - The Witcher
Hang on now, this is silly; Geralt isn't old! Well, again... he is. He's said to be around 90-100 during the events of The Witcher III — definitely old enough to claim a free bus pass. It's obvious that Witchers don't age like regular humans, so he's still got the 'God Bod' of a young athlete, even if his general demeanour is more like that of the stereotypical pensioner; a bit grumpy, and spends his free time playing cards.
Still, we love Geralt, and we're not quite so afraid of Botchlings with him around.
So there you have it! We'd love to expand this feature in the future, so if you have any suggestions for characters we may have missed, then please do let us know in the comments!
Comments 63
Cid- final fantasy IV and VI
Scrooge McDuck- DuckTales
Strago- Final Fantasy VI
Galuf- Final Fantasy V
Elder Kettle- Cuphead
Lewis is a shady fellow, but I still like him
No Peppy Hare?
Edge Master (Soulcalibur series)
Oro and Dhalsim (Street Fighter Series)
Shang Tsung (Mortal Kombat Series)
Master Splinter (Ninja Turtles)
I really need to play Later Daters sometime. I like that it allows for same-gender romances and polyamorous romances! Plus I've seen one of the endings and it is unexpectedly sci-fi.
@Olliemar28 I mean Geralt is certainly old by normal reckoning and has grey hair, but that's not really due to age and physically he's about late-40's so not exactly elderly by Witcher standards.
I miss Granny from Celeste. Anyone who played through that game all the way knows what I'm taking about.
@Yosher Celeste is great, but I just couldn't beat it. The difficulty made the game feel like some sort of punishment for a misdeed lol. I am NOT casual by any means and have beaten super hard NES games such as Contra, but even Contra didn't make me die inside from seething rage like Celeste did. 😂
I've been playing DuckTales Remastered recently, which is a rare game with an elderly protagonist. And a rare game with a Scottish protagonist, now I come to think of it. Maybe best Scots should be the next list?
Shame Granny from Celeste isn't here.
@Yosher Ah beat me to it. Yes, I know all too well. Still trying to progress through a couple screens every few days on Chapter 9 to find that bird..
@TowaHerschel7 Really? That's odd. The quick reload speed negated almost all of the anger it gave me unlike Hollow Knight where it's a damn 5 minute journey back to a boss just to die again. Now that is rage material.
Oh no! Yadablablablabla!
@Yosher She should replace Dracula on this list, he isn’t old and Granny is amazing
@SteamEngenius It's likely because I'm sight-impaired so my rage likely stems from knowing I don't have a snowball's chance in magma to beat the game lol. 😂
I don't think commitment to the town is why Mayor Lewis is not married. He left his underpants in at least one lady's room and wanted to keep it secret. I assume he's had affairs all over town since he wasn't even sure sure what building they were in.
I've always enjoyed E Gadd's non-sensical yet at the same time wholehearted gibberish, it's made him extremely endearing in every game he's appeared in. Especially Luigi's Mansion 3 where they got his lips to line up with said lovable gibberish which honestly just makes it better (and who could forget his run cycle).
If I had to throw a name into the ring, I'd put down Professor Rowan from Pokemon DPPt. He's one of only 3 elderly professors (which is wild since I always thought there were more) and I like him the best. Oak is iconic yeah, but the seriousness Rowan emanates in addition to his appearances in the anime elevate him slightly above him in my opinion. And then the layers that his ancestor Kamado adds in Legends Arceus? Absolutely muah.
I'm genuinely curious what happened to Toadsworth. He was like a staple in many games of the 6th and early 7th Gen, and then he suddenly disappeared when we hit the 3DS and Wii U.
@ModdedInkling Must've passed away from old age
The old man from Old Man's Journey would seem to be a prime candidate for this list!
@TowaHerschel7 Normally I would feel the same, but the near instant respawn times and having minimal waiting time to get back to where you were made that a lot more bearable. At least, to me.
@SteamEngenius Hahah, I feel ya there. That stage was quite a ride, and it felt incredible to finally teach the end of it. Bittersweet too.
@BabyYoda71 No reason they can't both be on here right? Doesn't have to stay at 13 old people!
@Yosher Good point, 13 is an unlucky number.
I still haven’t beaten Celeste’s 9th chapter, it’s very difficult….
Barry Burton!!!
No Cap’n Cuttlefish?
Professor Oak (and half of the Pokemon professors), Great Deku Tree, Kraden (Golden Sun)
Impa just proves once a badarse, always a badarse. That includes all other old lady versions of her.
Zote (Hollow Knight)
Yoda (Star Wars Games)
Rhea, Manuela (Fire Emblem 3 Houses)
Auron (Final Fantasy X)
Hades (Hades)
A decent list overall, though not comprehensive according to the comments.
I'll just drop this here....
It’s orca from the wind waker
I feel like a broken record with how many times I've compared these games, but the old lady in Skyward Sword is a way better and more important old lady than the one in Breath of the Wild. It's not an exaggeration to say Link would have failed to save the world several times over if not for her. And I think Dickson from Xenoblade 1 is still one of my favorite characters in general. I'd go into more detail but spoilers. I'd also go for Vesemir over Geralt, since he's the only witcher who really acts his age. The latter has the emotional maturity and reasoning skills of a hormonal teenager when he's not slaying monsters or playing detective.
@ModdedInkling I think it's due to the fact very few games that featured Toadsworth knew what to do with him.
I think other than Mario & Luigi RPGs, Toadsworth's 1st appearance in each Mario sub-series was also his last. I think it's a testament to how many Mario series there are that Toadsworth lasted from 2002 to 2009 on one-off appearances alone. (And until 2013 from Mario & Luigi)
The judge from Ace Attorney needs a look in, but otherwise great list
I have to second Master Splinter and add the 3 gurus from Chrono Trigger.
But Frogfucius from SMRPG beats them all.
Cranky is the best. He made me laugh a lot when I was a kid.
Isn't Link over 100 in botw?
@Anachronism Dickson or Vandham from Xenoblade are definitely great on this list but major spoilers with both characters
Gerald Robotnik.
In SA2 he's a dangerous individual who wants to destroy the world using a giant space cannon, in Shadow the Hedgehog he's a hero who gives people the ability to protect themselves from hostile aliens using said cannon.
Well, it's definitely something along those lines...
As an old-ish parent, I have to say Hades is the absolute top "older Dad" in video games. He might be hard to love, and yes he unleashes a whole army of mythical monsters on his son, but damn I feel him.
And let's be honest, if you haven't wanted to unleash a whole army of mythical monsters on your kids from time to time, you clearly are not a parent.
Strago from FF6 is conspicuously missing!
Cranky Kong is objectively the best one on the list but I have to give a special mention to Toadsworth:
"Oh no! Yada Blahblah Blahblah!"
@Axecon I couldn't agree more! Dickson and Vandham would've both been great picks.
@wuntyme8
Zote isn't old at all,but there is the guy near the first bench who you can give the delicate flower to.
Solid Snake. No, Nintendo Life, I have nothing else to add. Screw your character requirement.
@Axecon Do you mean Vandahm, Vandahm, or Vandahm? All joking aside, XC2 Vandahm is definitely one of the best characters in that game. If I could cut out the whole Bana storyline and give that screentime to him, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
Prof.Magnolia from Pokemon Sword / Shield.
Agatha from the Elite 4 (pokemon) was a boss back in the day.
From the Mortal Kombat universe Raiden and Shang Tsun.
Probably some character from Fire Emblem whose name escapes me.
Great Deku Tree from Zelda. Also Zelda's Dad.
Edit:
Doc Louis from Punchout
@TowaHerschel7 Not sure if you know it but there’s a ton of different assists you can turn on in settings for Celeste that can make it a lot easier. Even too easy if you wanted it to be.
Dr. Cinnamon
Dr. Jones
and I swear there was a Bonk / Genjin title where he could turn into an old dude
Wiley is great, but the cheerful boat shop Wiley from Mega Man Legends is the best Wiley.
@Maulbert Snake was only 42 in MGS4. So he sadly would not qualify for the senior coffee at McDonald's.
No Wendy Oldbag? Objection!
Merlin the Wizard from Gauntlet
Tung Fu Rue from Fatal Fury and KoF
Nicotine Caffeine from Samurai Shodown II
Otane Goketsuji from Power Instinct
As far as playable characters, I think Old Snake in MGS4 might be the best example of a playable senior in a mainstream game...but playing with a cranky old man was not all the rage back then.
No Henry Hatsworth? C'mon.
No Professor Theo from Micheif Makers !? Shame
No Old Ben Kenobi from LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga?
So uncivilized.
Koopa Koot will always be memorable to me for his long winded text bubbles and countless favors he would ask of you.
Not only would I not put him on the list because he's annoying, but I also didn't realize that Professor E Gadd was supposed to be old. I thought he was a precocious child genius. So take him off and replace him with Captain Cuttlefish.
I recently finished Arise: a simple story. Great game where the protagonist is older. I love the controls of the character. He does not move fast and when he falls down, it takes him a moment to get up.
Great article, let’s go, older gamers!
Ehh... NL stuff forgot about the existence of fighting games again, I suppose... Well, there is a some bunch of interesting, cool, and kinda funny old characters in fighting games, you know?!
Genbu no Okina(128-129 years old) from The Last Blade series. He looks cool and interesting. His weapons are fishing rod(Hihon) and creel(which holds turtles). His fighting style is kinda unique, imo.
Chin Gentsai(88-89 years old) from The King of Fighters series.
Nicotine Caffeine(68 years old) from Samurai Spirits/Shodown series.
Kliff Undersn(71 years old) from Guilty Gear series.
Tang Hu Lu/Tung Fu Rue(69-72 years old) from Garō Densetsu(Fatal Fury)/The King of Fighters series.
Jūbei Yamada(70 years old) from Garō Densetsu(Fatal Fury) series.
Oro(?? years old?) from Street Fighter series.
Master Rōshi(?? years old?) from Dragon Ball series.
Valkenhayn R. Hellsing(?? years old) from BLAZBLUE series.
Waldstein(?? years old) from UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Exe:Late[cl-r].
Well... That's not all whom I'm remember from fightings, but thought to be worth mentioning. I can't say that the Chung Paifu from Savage Reign is worth mentioning... Well, whatever...
Brian Buster Jr. and Brian Buster Sr(Ulvarian, Wooden Suit)(?? years old) from Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes.
Well... I don't know if he's old enough, but... Silas Greeves(62 years old) from Call of Juarez: Gunslinger.
And, Professor Naomi(63 years old) from No More Heroes series.
Well... That's all, I think.
No one mentioned Cain from Diablo 2 yet?! "Stay a while and listen!"
... where's Deckard Cain?
Toadsworth needs to star in his own game and I would also like to see him get added as a DLC character to Mario Strikers too.
WHERE IS DR. ANDONUTS?
Drachma (Skies of arcadia)
Vandham (xenoblade 2)
@wuntyme8 I wouldn't call Manuela a senior.
Personally in terms of age, I like Nergal from Catherine.
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