Summary
Family dynamics have been a part of storytelling since the dawn of time, and video games are no exception. Whether it’s marriage stress like inIt Takes Twoor the adoptive father-daughter relationship inThe Last of Us, gamers love to see the complex interpersonal relationships between characters — especially when they can affect the eventual outcome of said relationship. Siblings are a great example of this, with several games containing sibling relationships of all kinds.
This list looks at six of the best examples of brother-sister relationships in gaming, pitting them against each other to rank them based on how important each relationship is to their respective games and how well the characters work together. While not every example has the happiest of endings, they are all well-written relationships with individual merits to be given for their depictions ofsibling dynamics.
Spoiler Warning: expect to see some narrative spoilers for the games detailed below.
Chris Redfield first graced gamers' screens in 1996 inResident Evil, with his sister Claire joining two years later inResident Evil 2,and since then, the two have become beloved by many. Despite the two beingsome of the most iconic protagonists of the franchise(second only to Leon S. Kennedy), they have only ever appeared together in one game,Resident Evil - Code: Veronica.
Thanks to the series’s habit of somewhat neglecting Claire and Chris' relegation to side a character inResident Evil: BiohazardandVillage, the two haven’t seen a huge amount of development, landing them at the bottom of the list. While they don’t interact much, Claire’s dedication to finding Chris throughout the games she appears in implies a pretty good relationship, without which theResident Evilfranchise would struggle.
The relationship between the three Washingtons is a little strained throughoutUntil Dawn, partially due to the sisters' missing status, and eventually revealed fates. Despite this, in the brief time the player gets to seeHannah and Bethdirectly interact, their relationship is a strong one, the two appearing close. This closeness is, however, what inevitably leads to both girls going missing, prompting the rest of the game’s events to occur, as a prank gone wrong causes Hannah to run out into the mountains, with Beth following.
Josh’s role in the relationship is a little less clear. However, after their disappearance, it becomes clear that he had enough of a positive relationship with his sisters to blame himself for their fates. Returning to the site a year later with the rest of the party, Josh enacts his revenge for the prank the others pulled. Despite his messed-up way of showing it, Josh cares for his sisters deeply, and this relationship is the catalyst for many of the events in the game.
Oxenfreeis a game of choices, each one leading to different outcomes for each character, eventually shaping how their relationships are made (or broken) by the end of the narrative. The best example of this in the game is the relationship between step-siblings Alex and Jonas. Throughout the game’s mind-bending, time-traveling story, the fledgling relationship of these new siblings is tested as ghosts possess people and alternate realities bleed together.
What makes this relationship so powerful is the way that the player can choose its outcome, each decision pushing the two apart or bringing them closer together by the conclusion of the game. While their relationship isn’t as central to the narrative as others on this list, the interactive nature makes it central to the gameplay, which feels unique in its execution.
Before the complex familial concepts ofAssassin’s Creed Odysseyintroduced Alexios and Kassandra as sibling assassins,Assassin’s Creed Syndicatehad the Frye twins leading an underground war against the Templars in London. These two well-dressed assassins are a perfect example of the sibling dynamic in gaming, being the two playable protagonists inSyndicate, each having their own sections of the game and each being a major cog in the narrative events.
With each sibling having their own gameplay style, Evie is more akin to the traditional assassin and Jacob a melee brawler. The two work well off each other, as well as being entertaining characters from a writing perspective.The main pitfall of this duo is the game they find themselves in. While a fantastic game,Syndicatewas released during a decline for the franchise, and so the twins went unappreciated by many fans of the older games.
Hailing from an MMORPG, Alisaie and Alphinaud are the only entries on this list not to include a playable protagonist.Final Fantasy 14follows the Warrior of Light, the player-created character, as they navigate their way through a world in turmoil, eventually joining theScions of the Seventh Dawn. It is with this group of heroes that a majority of the relationships are formed and perceived, and Alisaie and Alphinaud are two of the stand-out members.
Another set of twins, these two are major players in the plot of most of the storylines seen inFinal Fantasy 14, and both work to strengthen the other as well as the almost voiceless protagonist. Alisaie is a compassionate yet cynical Red Mage who is less interested in the city-state politics of Eorzea her brother deals in. Alphinaud is more mature and learned than his sister, using a magic grimoire to fight rather than blades and often acting as a political emissary for various nations. What is most compelling about their relationship is their devotion to each other and the legacy of their grandfather, which makes for some moving moments in an otherwise political and action-heavy narrative.
The final duo on this list is the de Runes of thePlague Talegames. Amicia and Hugo are the main protagonists of both games, forced to rely on each other from a young age thanks to an inquisition killing their parents amid a plague ravaging 14th-century France. The entire narrative of both games in the franchise hinges on the relationship between the two,Amicia having to learn to survive and fight in order to keep her brother safe, with Hugo learning to control a supernatural power that allows him to control the swarms of rats.
Without the relationship between the two, the narrative of both games wouldn’t exist. Outside of the franchise entirely hinging on Amicia and Hugo growing and developing as people, they are impeccably written, allowing their relationship to feel real. It goes through highs and lows, and ultimately, both characters are better for it. The deep love Amicia has for Hugo, even when he is incredibly annoying, makes for some heartbreaking moments that set them firmly atop this list.
