10 Best RPG Characters Of The Last 10 Years

Sometimes tragedy is all you need to bond instantly with a character, and you'll find that in spades within the NieR games - thanks, Yoko Taro. Still, while the likes of 2B and 9S give you plenty to fawn over, it's the story of Emil that really grasps your attention.

Emil the Skeleton did not actually start life as a skeleton; shocking, right? Instead, he was a young boy who debuted in NieR (2010), a spin-off of Drakengard. Sadly, this kid had the cursed ability to turn anyone who looked into his eyes to stone. But that was only the beginning of his suffering, as he eventually transformed into his monstrous skeletal form.

In NieR: Automata, thousands of years after the events of NieR, you meet him again in the form of a moving cart that provides services for the androids of YoRHa and you. Despite being a victim of intense suffering, Emil maintains a cheery personality and optimistic outlook. He even sings a delightful shop song and delivers plenty of hilarious dialogue.

However, the character is also the gateway to a mind-blowing (and close to impossible) secret boss fight, only adding to his mystique.