15 Most Offensive Gaming Characters Ever

13. Barret Wallace (Final Fantasy VII)

The Character: The first black character in the Final Fantasy series, Cloud's iconic eco-terrorist sidekick is a physical force to be reckoned with, kitted out with a Gatling gun for an arm and dedicated to protecting his adopted daughter Marlene at all costs.

Why They're Offensive: Barret may be a bada**, but he's also a painfully blatant black stereotype, something Japanese games as a whole tend to struggle with. With his brutish attitude, profane manner of speech, perceived lack of intelligence, ghetto-based origin and thuggish appearance (complete with gaudy tattoos), he's a walking representation of everything racists like to believe about black people.

It's arguable that this is offset somewhat by his heroic qualities and evident love for Marlene, but even so, he's an over-the-top caricature and one that could so easily have been toned down at least a tad.