Hollywood films, television shows, and, of course, video games are all full of iconic British characters. Britain is well-known for producing great actors, with Ian McKellen, Alan Rickman, Christopher Lee, Idris Elba, Christian Bale, Tom Holland, and Judi Dench being just some of the notable names to come from Britain. These actors have often had todisguise their British accents to play American characters, though there certainly isn’t a shortage of fan-favorite characters with British accents in any form of media.
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As anyone who has been to Britain will know, the term “British accent” is incredibly vague, as not only does Britain consist of multiple countries, but it’s no exaggeration to say that people in Britain, particularly England, are only a 1-hour drive away from a region with a completely different accent. There are thousands of British characters throughout gaming, though the ones on this list stand out above the rest for being truly iconic.
8Haytham Kenway
Haytham Kenway had a memorable introduction inAssassin’s Creed 3,as it initially appeared that the Brit was going to be the game’s protagonist, only for it to be revealed that it was, in fact, a member of the Templar Order and the game’s true antagonist.
Three games is usually a good run for a gaming series, though looking back at it now,Assassin’s Creed 3feels like Ubisoft’s iconic franchise was just scratching the surface of its potential. The franchise has many people to thank for its continued success, one of which is certainly Adrian Hough for his performance as Haytham Kenway.
7Edward Kenway
Haytham Kenway isn’t the only memorable Brit to star in anAssassin’s Creedgame, as Welshman Edward Kenway would also become a fan-favorite character following his appearance inAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag.
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Following the release ofAssassin’s Creed 3, which struggled to live up to the high standards set byAssassin’s Creed 2, many people were curious as to where the action-adventure series would head next, if anywhere. Fans were undoubtedly skeptical when they sawBlack Flag’s pirate theme, though the game is today recognized as one of the series' best. This is in no small part thanks to the memorable character Edward Kenway who is, as his name suggests, the father of the aforementioned Haytham Kenway.
6Tracer
Lena Oxton, better known by her alias Tracer, is one of the many iconic characters to come out of the hit 2012 multiplayer shooterOverwatch. The game’s cover star stands out from the crowd inOverwatchwith her ultra-fast movement, agility, and teleportation-like abilities. Tracer is expected to be a notable character again inOverwatch 2, which has an Early Access release date of July 17, 2025.
5Wheatley
Wheatley is the second character on this list toinitially appear to be on the side of goodbefore their true, sinister intentions are revealed. Few people saw Wheatley’s heel turn coming, as the character seemed to be little more than comic relief at first. Granted, Wheatley is still a source of comedy after his turn due to how hilariously incompetent he is, but it was still a surprise.
Wheatley is voiced by Stephen Merchant, who is well-known for his work with Ricky Gervais onThe OfficeandExtras,along with numerous other writing credits and acting roles.
4Captain Price
Captain John Price is a well-known name and face to fans of theCall of Dutyseries. The character first appeared in Infinity Ward’s 2007 releaseCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, a game that brought theCall of Dutyseries' gameplay to modern-day settings and revolutionized online multiplayer.
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Along with the originalModern Warfare, Captain Price has also appeared in numerous otherCall of Dutygames and is set to return in the upcomingCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which is set to release in October 2022.
3Professor Layton
Professor Layton is the protagonist of the puzzle-adventure series of the same name. Thetricky puzzle franchisebegan in the late 2000s withProfessor Layton and the Curious Village,and the character has since starred in a plethora of other Nintendo DS and mobile games. Professor Layton is often compared to Sherlock Holmes, as the pair of British detectives are memorable and cherished for their combination of wit and intellect.
2Lara Croft
Lara Croft first appeared back in 1996 and has since starred in twelvemain series games along with a plethora of spin-offs. The character has also appeared in a handful of films, most commonly played by Angelina Jolie. Lara Croft is still going strong today and is appreciated for being a pioneer in the rise of strong female protagonists in gaming.
TheTomb Raidermain series is best known for three sets of trilogies, the original PC and PlayStation trilogy that mastered the action-adventure genre at the time; the Legend trilogy; and the Survivor trilogy. The IP has been taking a break from main series games following the end of the Survivor trilogy but is expected to make a return sometime in the next few years.
1James Bond
James Bond may be better known to audiences for his appearances in films and Ian Fleming’s books, though the 00 agent has also appeared in some fantastic games over the years, most notably the legendary first-person shooterGoldenEye 007. Like in many forms of media, theJames Bondgaming franchise has almost been punished for its best work, as every release from the IP is compared to the classic shooter.
Although no games have managed to recapture the magic of the N64 classic, there have still been some excellent games featuring 007, such asNightfireandEverything or Nothing, which both hold up well today. Bond is to make a return to gaming soon, with the highly anticipatedProject 007currently in development.
