PlayStation's 10 most influential video game characters, ranked

2. Joel

Video games: The Last of Us 1 and The Last of Us 2

"It's called luck, and it is gonna run out." - Joel Miller

Joel divided the video game community. Some say he destroyed the world’s last hope of ending the apocalypse. Others think saving Ellie was right because a cure wasn’t guaranteed. There is also the thought that sacrificing a kid is wrong. No matter what side of the fence you’re on, Joel’s decision made you emotional. Especially if you’re a parent.

People who played the game knew how season one was going to end. Like the video game, everyone watching the show was divided. The show was so good that the sales of The Last of Us video game went up. It’s easy to guess that the ending played a part in that.

1. Lara Croft

Video games: The Tomb Raider franchise

"You don't know how far I've come" - Lara Croft

There’s no Uncharted or The Last of Us without Lara Croft. Her games continued the trend of action-adventure games with thought-provoking puzzles mixed with tons of gun violence. She’s also one of the first women video game protagonists on PlayStation. Thankfully, she became more than that.

Tomb Raider continues to be popular. The franchise has produced 19 video games with more sure to come. Lara Croft has also appeared in three movies with a Netflix series on the way (Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft). She may be on Xbox now, but she was once a PlayStation-exclusive character.