Asians in video games have been around for decades but for the most part they've been depicted as either martial arts monks, big-boobed jiggle bots and Engrish speaking sidekicks. Screw all that, we're celebrating the characters that broke through the cultural barrier and became heroes because they're so effin' cool. These are the 10 Best Asian Characters In Video Games.
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Lau Chan
Virtua Fighter
Master Chen is like a father figure to all other video game fighters. The chef turned tournament gladiator taught young whipper-snappers a lesson every chance he got but he's not all fists and feet. Lau Chan also had a kind heart although he was willing to give up his relationship with his daughter Pai for competition's sake.
Knives Chau
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
The self-proclaimed "Scottoholic" was a welcomed addition to the ridiculously difficult 8-bit throwback title via DLC. Knives might have had a few stalker-esque qualities about her but it was that passion that made her an ass kicker extrrodinaire.
Ada Wong
Resident Evil 2
Res-Evil's bad girl killed zombies like roaches with the sophistication of a ballet dancing gunslinger. Don't be fooled by her beauty, Ada Wong is just as ill with the pistols as Leon. Not even Tyrant or Annette could take her out.
Ryo Hazuki
Shenmue
Ryo came across in the short Shenmue series as an every-man pushed to handle his business like anyone else in his position. Barring the tedious job missions on the docks, we got to know Ryo as the type of dude you'd want to hang out and knock back a few brews with.
Inspector "Tequila" Yuen
John Woo's Stranglehold
Right on the tail of Inspector "Tequila" Yuen's dominant run in John Woo's film Hard-Boiled, Stranglehold arrived to feed fans' lust for non-stop gun busting. In the game, Yuen returned to wipe out the criminal element in streets of Hong Kong while personifying the epitome of cool. Who else could chew on a matchstick without looking like an idiot?
Chell
Portal 2
GLaDOS' nemesis not only struck a blow in the name of science but also for women and Japanese American characters in games. Nothing eluded to her ethnic background as she was just awesome.. In fact, you didn't even know if Portal's protagonist was male or female. Double awesome.
Ghost
Enter the Matrix
Yeah, the game sucked but Ghost was still that dude. Just as efficient in sending agents back to headquarters with their code between their legs, Ghost was a problem for anybody dumb enough to test him.
Faith
Mirror's Edge
As the first Asian American women to be the main character and protagonist in a video game, Faith became the embodiment of smarts, skill and physical excellence. The Parkour running revolutionary will always symbolize the type of three-dimensional character that can work if some thought is put into it.
Chun Li
Street Fighter
Easily one of the most recognizable characters in video games as a whole, Chun Li seems to pop up in every list you can think of. Regardless of her pretty face and legendary thighs, our favorite undercover agent gets respect from both men and women for her signature winning taunt, "hahahah...Yatta!"
Wei Shen
Sleeping Dogs
The undercover cop determined to take down a Triad gang after the tragic death of his sister tops our list. Part Inspector "Tequila" Yuen from John Woo's Hard-Boiled and part Chev Chelio from the Crank films, Wei Shen is the type of character that you'd secretly imitate when no one else is around to clown you for your failed crescent kicks.