Most divisive RPG companions

An RPG is only as important as the party players can put together. There are certainly good RPGs that are like solo adventures Fire Ringor most Soulslikes in general. A good party goes beyond making a game easier because it's the little moments along the journey that can make that experience more memorable.

In some of the best RPGs, there have been moments with companions and party members that will strike at the very core of someone's soul and challenge their beliefs. Sometimes players will be tested with a rescue, romance or a sacrifice. Either way, fans can argue about the following characters and moments from these RPGs for years, as they can be divisive.

Baldur's Gate 3

Is Astarion really the best?

Baldur's Gate 3 players choose who they want to be with romantically in the game, and perhaps in real life. There's no denying the love of fans online, as evidenced by Reddit posts, videos, and fan art, and it can get pretty spicy. At the top of the list is Astarion, arguably one of the best RPG companions of the past few decades, with great dialogue, a complex story, and a strong presence in battle.

Whether or not Astarion is the greatest is debatable at all times, but it's the secret companions that some fans will really fight over, like Minthara. Getting her requires knocking her out in the troll camp, followed by freeing her from prison in Moonrise Towers, or at least that's one way to do it. As a Drow Paladin, Minthara's story is as complex as the others, and the fact that it takes a while to get her makes Minthara's friendship all the more rewarding.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

The best gold barrel date

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and the original Final Fantasy 7 had a big debate about two of the party members, Tifa and Aerith. Cloud, the main character, grew up with Tifa, and there was rekindled love between the two as the campaign continued, but it also felt like Cloud could have been trying to fulfill an old promise rather than creating a romance.

Then there was Aerith, a new girl in his life who had a crush on him, and even though Cloud was cold it was clear there was something there too. Players were given a chance to go on a date with one of them at a theme park, the Gold Saucer, depending on many factors in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and the original version. Some fans always thought Tifa was the one, while others loved Aerith. On a side note, Cloud could go on a date with other party members as well, but those scenarios were more and less romantic than the one with Barret.

Hogwarts Legacy

Is Sebastian righteous or evil?

IN The legacy of Hogwartsplayers can be sorted into one of the four school houses, and no matter what, they can make friends from other houses in the game and follow their quests. One of the most controversial characters is Sebastian, a Slytherin student who struggles with his uncle over his sister's illness.

Sebastian will do whatever it takes to cure her, leading to players having to make some very tough decisions with him. They can put another Slytherin student, Ominis, in a difficult situation as well because he knows that dark arts are needed to get the cure Sebastian is looking for. The finality of this quest can go several ways, including learning dark arts to use in battle, and overall Sebastian's arc is probably the deepest in this Harry Potter game.

Kingdom Hearts

Donald and Goofy's best transformations

Through most things Kingdom Hearts game, Sora is the main character who is helped by Donald and Goofy. In some of the Disney worlds, players can exchange one of them for other Disney characters, such as Ariel from The Little Mermaid. In some worlds, Sora and the others also had to disguise themselves to fit in better.

In the same underwater world, Donald became an abomination to octopus ducks while Goofy was transformed into an equally terrifying dog turtle. When it comes to these two, fans can argue who is a better AI teammate, with most blaming Donald as useless, or at least in the first game. They can also discuss their various forms, with many winnings going towards their zombified costumes The Nightmare Before Christmas” world.

Mass effect

Who will be saved?

The Mass effect the series is full of great companions, and while fans can debate who the best romance is between the original trilogy, like Liara vs. Garrus, there's an even bigger debate not far into the first game. Two of the first companions players will get are fellow humans, Ashley and Kaiden.

In the campaign, players will be forced to decide who to save and who to let die, and it can be an emotional decision. On one hand, Kaiden will always be on Shepard's side and be grateful, but lacks a strong personality. Ashley, on the other hand, has a bigger personality and is more of a character, but she can often ignore Shepard throughout the trilogy.

Fallout 3

The great sacrifice

Fallout 3 has some companions that players can collect, but it's a loose system that will get better as Bethesda games continue. At the end of the game, players must make a choice about a reactor. There are several choices to make, both good and dark, such as players can send someone else to the party to shut things down, or they can sacrifice themselves, but whoever does so dies.

That is, unless players get Fawkes, a super mutant, which can be difficult to acquire. If players befriend him, they can send Fawkes into the radiation chamber, and it won't kill him because he's already mutated. That said, morally it's still messed up to ask someone to do that, or at least that might be what the debate is about.

The world ends with you

The best partner

The world ends with you takes place in the afterlife, where the hero, Neku, must make it through a whole week and fight against others to become the master of the game. If you do, the winner gets a wish, and in each of the three weeks, Neku gets a new partner. Shiki is perhaps the obvious fan favorite as the only female in the game, who clearly forms a somewhat romantic bond with Neku in their time together. She lacks confidence and is not as strong as the second week's candidate, Joshua, who is easily the strongest partner in the game.

However, after players find out that he is the orchestrator of the game, this may lower fans' love for Joshua from a combat perspective. Finally, there is Beat, a stubborn rival to Neku for most of the game until the final week when they are forced to join. He has a good balance of power, and it's fun to see Neku and Beat butt heads, although he can also be annoying. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, making it difficult to decide.

Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic

Pros and cons of the HK-47

When it comes to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republiceveryone will have their favorite party member or party build. It could be about their looks, their skills, or overall strength, like Carth, who is a strong Han Solo type. One of the best characters in the game is HK-47, a carnage-hungry droid that players must make a decision about.

Do they keep this sassy droid, who has arguably the best dialogue in the game, in the party, or bench it? The reasons for keeping it are obvious, but so are the drawbacks, as the HK-47 has very few skills and cannot specialize in weapons, making it a weak party member in combat.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Is Yoshi broken?

Paper Mario fans rank Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door high as the best game in the series. Like most contributions, Mario can only have one party member accompany him into battle, and they each have their pros and cons in terms of what they can provide in battle.

Among them all, Yoshi Kid can be argued to be the undisputed champion due to his range and versatility of skills. Gulp and Stampede are his two best moves, making any battle with him alongside Mario in battle. His alternate skin colors may also be a sign of pride among players, who value one color over another, from green to orange to white. His spunky attitude can also be a bit addicting to see how he reacts to certain story situations.

Dragon Quest 5: Hand Of The Heavenly Bride

Your bride to be

Dragon Quest 5: Hand of the Heavenly Bride is a unique entry in Dragon Quest series as it replaced human party members with monsters that players could recruit. Additionally, players got to see the hero grow up through various points in his life, including the ability to choose a bride, which was mostly a story decision.

In the original SNES version, players could choose from the rich and kind girl in town, Nera, who could give players stability. Then there was Bianca, the adventurous childhood friend who seemed the most fitting given the story. Another girl, Debora, was added as a romantic alternative to the DS version, who is kind of like the dominant one who is rude but fun to have around. Dragon Quest fans can debate each character for their positivity, but childhood friends always seem to be the obvious choice in media, just like the example between Tifa and Aerith in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.