2017 appeared to be busy for gaming. Now we are halfway through the year with a list of games. That’s more than enough to put most previous “end of the year” lists to shame. For this, we owe quite a lot to a spectacularly resurgent Japanese gaming industry. After years of minimal activity, it came back with a string of modern classics, from Resident Evil 7 to Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, 2017 has gifted us with more than a few remarkable game characters. While some come as new versions of heroes from previous titles, others have shown up in our gaming rooms for the first time this year. A few new characters have already left a mark in our hearts that will last long after 2017.

Below are the top five best video game characters of the year so far.