Players claim Hogwarts Legacy has the best NPC of all time
What would your favourite video game be without non-player characters (NPCs)? Exploring some fantasy realm, sci-fi space station, or nuclear wasteland is all well and good, but there's not much point in witnessing the end of the world unless you've got someone by your side.
We'll get onto some of the best NPCs of all time beyond the jump, but for now, some Hogwarts Legacy players are claiming Avalanche Software's magical adventure beats the competition with the ultimate NPC.
Although the likes of Professor Fig and Deek are perfectly "fine" NPCs, does Sebastian Sallow really deserve the crown as the best NPC of all time?
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We’d implore you to read our explainer of the controversy so far, and consider supporting trans rights charities where possible.
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Hogwarts Legacy fans think Sebastian is the best NPC of all time
A fiery Reddit thread has rattled fandom, with u/BirminghamBuffaloes claiming Sebastian Sallow is the best NPC to grace gaming. We'll admit that Sebastian is that sweet spot of morally grey characters who have some serious consequences for the story of Hogwarts Legacy, but the post has taken a beating.
One critic sniped, "Either you're a troll. Or this is the only game you've ever played." Someone else scoffed, "I mean he was ok in this game. In history? Not even top 100." We'll be honest, we're not sure whether it's a joke.
Others simply defended Sebastian as the best in Hogwarts Legacy. One fan wrote, "Literally no other character has a character arc so... He has absolutely no competition in this game. He's like that one spicy chocolate cookie in a pack of otherwise sweet but bland biscuits."
Someone concluded, "The story of Sebastian was the driving force of that game for me. They could have expanded that and dropped the goblin rebellion altogether and it would have been a better game for it."
Gamers give their best NPC of all time
Across the board, there was plenty of backlash to the OP's flippant statement. Someone championed Handsome Jack from Borderlands, while there was love for Red Dead Redemption 2's Charles Smith. There's also literally anyone from any Fallout game.
In Hogwarts Legacy alone, there are those who'd say Poppy or Omnis are better NPCs. In terms of Potterverse lore, the Gaunt name definitely carries a lot of weight. Also, what about the Black family tree?
Let's also remember that for the first half of 2013's The Last of Us, Ellie is an NPC. The same can be said for most of Atreus in the God of War games. We know Hogwarts Legacy has dipped since launch and you're trying to drum up interest, but come on, no one really believes Sebastian Sallow is the best NPC of all time.