2024 Golden Lance Award for Character of the Year

Despite the bevy of awards that were given out this year at Lords of Gaming, Character of the Year was the one that brought about the most discussion. The conversation revolved around the fundamental question of the definition for this category. Yet, this award was centered less on cultural relevance and more on characters within the stories told in games. To that end, there was an even bigger surprise in that two of our entries come from one game. One game that embued its characters with so much style and fun, that we couldn’t pick just one character who belonged. With that said, here are the winners of Lords of Gaming’s 2024 Golden Lance Award for Best Character.

Winner – Louis (Metaphor: ReFantazio) 

Every story needs its villain, and in a game like Metaphor ReFantazio, it needs to have one as layered and intriguing as Louis was. Louis was a character who had the role of the villain throughout the entire story. As opposed to just being the “big bad” you’re destined to kill, where every step of the way you’re led along the path to doing so. 

But Louis was different, in a game that wove in so much political messaging, Louis was merely just someone who was opposed to the regime that led the once beloved kingdom to being filled with misery, as opposed to hope. While his goal seemed evil, it was understandable. His origins were unique and had a level of surprise that even took me by surprise when I thought I had seen it all. He’s composed but can change his tune at the drop of a hat. Someone who can carry his own in battle and encourage others to do even the worst due to the hope he inspires. Louis was a brilliantly crafted character, for a game equally brilliantly crafted.

Runner Up – Shadow the Hedgehog

As someone who has reported on Shadow’s year throughout 2024, I have to throw my vote in the ring for edgy the hedgy as 2024’s character of the year. 

Shadow’s journey in Shadow Generations honors the character as one of the coolest in Sonic’s large cast of colorful characters.  He has by far the greatest depth character-wise being someone who has suffered, lost, and had to make hard decisions. 

Not to mention, seeing the Ultimate Life form on the silver screen with Sonic 3 (2024) this December is a childhood dream made reality. Growing up with this character being one of the prime targets of mockery, and now seeing the entire world love Shadow’s recent adventures warms my heart.

Runner Up – Sargon (Prince of Persia: Lost Crown)

Sargon from Prince of Persia: Lost Crown is an interesting character and one of my personal favourites of the year. He fights under the banner of the Immortals. A faction of (very) mortal people who are an elite unit of the Persian army loyal only to the Crown. However, this dynamic quickly blurs and the fallout pulls him in multiple directions. Each tug of the strings slowly revealed an aspect of him that endeared itself to me. Let’s examine why down below.

Please be warned that there will be spoilers for Prince of Persia: Lost Crown.

Sargon and his allies are introduced to us amid battle against the Kushans. Throughout this tutorial sequence, we start picking up on the friendly rivalry that he has with his allies. After the battle is over, he is granted the Queen’s favour and fuels his arrogance.

After awards, Sargon is betrayed by his mentor Anita who kidnapped the prince, and she took him to Mount Qaf – a cursed land. The Immortals follow suit, and their kinship is shattered over the course of the game. Due to a secret betrayal that was hidden for three decades.

Sargon the Stoic 

Throughout the early stages of the game, Sargon is a stoic protagonist. Masking his own frustrations and insecurities with a stone façade. However, that gets chipped away throughout the game’s runtime. His demeanor becomes more frantic as the pursuit persists and his anger blinds him from the truth. That he is a pawn in a blood feud between warring dynasties. It is only after the death of Prince Ghassan that he begins to see the bigger picture. Since he is more self-aware.

Over the course of the game, he encounters parallel versions of himself. Sargons who made different choices; worse choices. There are versions of him who are greedy and seek to amass power. There are others whose fear made them indecisive, and this led to tragedy. Finally, there are those whose anger and prejudice burned away any hope of a peaceful resolution. Sargon overcame all of them, and he became a better man.

However, he did not just fight his parallel selves to the death. He internalised their flaws and learned from their mistakes as well as those of his own making. He learned to connect with the Immortals on a more humane level and that turned his allies into friendships (sometimes). This wiser more mature Sargon was able to expose the lies hidden in Mount Qaf. In doing so he freed the people living there of its curse.  

In conclusion, Sargon is a great subversive character. Who after coming to grips with the mortality of those around him grows and develops into a kinder wiser man. Thanks to those around him both big and small.