Summary
After completing a video game, it’s hard not to become attached to the protagonists you’ve spent countless hours journeying with, facing hardships and overcoming obstacles together. It’s a bittersweet moment when a gamecomes to an end, and you realize you might not ever experience the same moments with the protagonist again.
However, when a sequel brings them back, it’s hard not to be excited, no matter how cheesy or brief their appearance may be. From blink-and-you’ll-miss-it mentions and appearances that seamlessly fit into the plot of the overarching story, these familiar faces never fail to spark a rush of fondness, and excitement at having your new protagonist meet their predecessor.
The previous protagonist doesn’t have to be straight from the last game but simply a protagonist from any of the prior titles.
Updated on Jul 28, 2025:We’ve added a video version for you to check out, so you can hear all about those wonderful, shocking moments where the previous protagonist makes a surprise return…
10Yakuza: Like A Dragon
The New Guard Meets The Old
Starting withYakuza: Like a Dragon, Ichiban Kasuga becomes the primary protagonist, a wise choice as Kiryu’s story was over at that point, and it became easier for newcomersto jump into the series. However, with Kiryu being such a legendary figure in this universe, it was a no-brainer to have the two face-off against each other.
Chapter 14 is when the battle between the new and old generations finally happens, and it’s a great boss fight. Kasuga ends up losing, which was the right decision by the writers, as you don’t want the new character winning right off the bat like he was John Cena circa 2010.
9Silent Hill 3
Silent Hill 3isn’t really a sequel to Silent Hill 2, but more of a direct sequel to the original title. Playing as Harry Mason’s daughter, Heather, your main goal for the first half of the game revolves around getting back to your apartment room. Once you come back, you’ll sadly discover Harry Mason’s corpse ina truly tragic moment.
The music, quality acting, and camera positions deliver this moment about as effectively as possible. While he’s no longer alive, it almost seems like he helps from beyond the grave when reading his memos directly from spots that were in Silent Hill 1. Plus, Heather wouldn’t have made it out alive without the precious necklace Harry gave her.
8Bayonetta 3
The 3 In The Title Means More Than You Think
Even people who are mixed onBayonetta 3cannot deny how awesome the climax is. The final boss, Singularity, has so many different phases, and the entire sequence is a blast. The best moment, though, has to be when Bayonetta, from both the first and second instalment, shows up to even the odds.
That’s a great Marvel Movie Moment right there that’ll get anyone hyped. It’s probably the most memorable part of the whole game, plus it’s a great way to make the Bayonetta 1 and 2 costumes playable again.
7The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Surprising For An RPG Like This
InThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, the quest The Mind of Madness crosses your path with Devernin, a manservant who requests that you find his master and persuade him to return from his vacation. As your quest leads you into the abandoned Pelagius Wing in Castle Solitude, you soon find yourself transported to another realm, where you come face-to-face with the Daedric Lord Sheogorath.
If you’ve playedThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion’s Shivering Isles DLC, you’ll know that Sheogorath’s current iteration is actually the Hero of Kvatch, the previous game’s protagonist, who has assumed the mantle of the Lord of Madness. If you pay enough attention to his ramblings, he even drops a few lines referring to the events of Oblivion.
An Awesome Teamup
Multiplayer zombie shooterLeft 4 Dead 2may have a new cast of unlikely survivors, but it turns out the world isn’t that big, after all. In ‘The Passing’ campaign, Nick, Ellis, Rochelle, and Coach have to escape the suburban town of Rayford, Georgia.
However, their paths cross with the original group of survivors from the firstLeft 4 Deadgame. Francis, Zoey, and Louis make an appearance, having just lost Bill, and aid the new group in succeeding where they failed. A fitting tribute to the original game, this meeting is a passing of the torch from old to new, a bittersweet goodbye to characters that you have grown attached to in the first campaign.
5Borderlands 2
A Great Way To Tie It Back To The Original
Five years after the events of the originalBorderlands,Borderlands 2introduced four new Vault Hunters who are unexpectedly betrayed by their new employer and forced to defeat him in order to stop the destruction of the world.
Guided to the town of Sanctuary, you discover that not only is the leader of the resistance Roland, the playable Soldier class from the first game, but the other original Vault Hunters are still alive, kicking, and leading the charge against the bad guys with all they’ve got.
4Far Cry: New Dawn
A Great Twist
With the world in shambles followingthe nuclear strikesat the end ofFar Cry 5, Far Cry: New Dawn follows the story of an unnamed security captain as they attempt to build the community in Hope County and defeat the bandits threatening the security of the town.
As with its predecessor, the game allows you to recruit companions to help you on your crusade— one of them being The Judge, a masked, silent assassin. However, as you spend more time with the Judge, you’ll realize they are none other than the Junior Deputy: the very same protagonist of Far Cry 5, deeply brainwashed and wracked with guilt for their previous actions.
3Grand Theft Auto 5
A Brutal End
Rockstar’sGrand Theft Auto 5puts you in the shoes of three criminals, Franklin, Trevor, and Michael, as they try and carve their way through their lives of crime. Trevor Philips is a career criminal and a former bank robber, who, by the time the game starts, deals drugs and is one of the biggest arms smugglers in San Andreas.
In one portion of Trevor’s story, after having sex, you’re confronted by the person angry about the cheating affair that just occurred. Those that played The Lost and The Damned DLC fromGrand Theft Auto 4should know that this character is Johnny Klebitz, the lead protagonist. Naturally, things don’t end well for Johnny, with Trevor curbstomping him on the spot, ending his journey there and then.
2Mafia 2
Tommy Wasn’t Getting To Get Away That Easy
Mafia 2 puts you in the shoes of Vito Scaletta, a young war veteran sucked into the life of crime by his best friend and his own unfortunate circumstances. As Vito becomes a made man in one of Empire Bay’s most notorious crime families, he is tasked with taking on assassinations for the mob.
Late in-game, Vito and his best friend, Joe, are tasked with assassinating a former mobster turned government informant. As they approach the house with full intent to kill, the reveal is that this unlucky informant is actually Tommy Angelo— the protagonist of the firstMafiagame. There’s nothing as bittersweet as murdering someone whose story youknow.
1Dragon Age: Inquisition
Great And Powerful Fan-Service
The third game in theDragon Ageseries,Dragon Age: Inquisitionfollows the story of the Inquisitor, the sole survivor of an explosion that tears a hole between the Veil and the real world, allowing darkspawn to emerge and send Thedas into chaos. In the quest ‘Here Lies The Abyss’, the Inquisitor is introduced to Hawke and the Warden, the protagonists of Dragon Age 2 andDragon Age: Originsrespectively.
As the quest continues, the Inquisitor and their companions are forced to enter the Fade. However, before you can escape, you must choose whether to leave behind either Hawke or the Warden to buy some time for your team. Either choice seals the chosen character into the Fade, perhaps forever, and is considered one of the hardest choices in the entire series.
