A surprising survey by Bafta suggests that Sackboy is ranked as the fifth most iconic video game character of all time.
Even if people haven't played the Tomb Raider games, most have heard of Lara Croft but is she really the most famous video game character ever?
Possibly, but she has definitely emerged as the winner in a Bafta survey, placing her above Mario, Sonic, and Master Chief. Strangely enough, Hitman’s Agent 47 was named the third most iconic character and Sackboy secured the fifth spot.
The issue is that the survey was based on only 4,000 people's votes, which isn't a large sample and has led to a lot of recent bias, with two Baldur’s Gate 3 characters making it to the top 20.
Lara Croft was featured in a recent revamped collection of the first three Tomb Raider games but hasn't been seen in a major new game since 2018’s Shadow Of The Tomb Raider.
The developer, Crystal Dynamics, is working on a new title, but no details have been revealed so far, raising concerns about the long-term future of owner Embracer Group, who let go of Crystal Dynamics staff last year.
Hitman has been around since 2000, but the developer, Io Interactive, is currently focused on a new James Bond game, and it's uncertain when there might be a new entry in the franchise.
Sackboy is the most surprising presence in the top five, as there hasn't been a new LittleBigPlanet game in a decade, and Sony has since stopped using him as a pseudo-mascot.
He appeared in the 2020 spin-off Sackboy: A Big Adventure, and a mobile endless runner game last year, but the developer, Media Molecule, also experienced significant layoffs recently, and it's unclear what the company is working on now.
The survey was conducted to promote the Bafta Game Awards on April 11, the nominations for which are led by Baldur’s Gate 3 and Spider-Man 2.
According to Bafta, the characters in the top 20 have received a combined 44 Bafta Game Awards over the last 20 years, and this number is likely to increase this year, especially with the success of Baldur’s Gate 3.
