Gaming has always represented a whole host of unique characters from all walks of life. But while blacksmiths and merchants are well represented, there is another profession that doesn't often get the spotlight: the librarian. On some level, we suppose that makes sense; Blacksmiths and their constant metal hammering naturally bring a lot of attention to themselves, and that seems to run counter to the typical librarian's vibe.
Related: Best Magical Academies In GamingBut you know what? Anyone can swing a hammer, it is some kind of dark magic to convince large groups of people to lower their voices. Thus, we have compiled a list of our favorite librarians to appear in video games. They are a varied bunch, and a little on the off-beat side, but they have all bookwormed their way into our hearts.
10 The Librarian - Ghostbusters The Game
We suspect that throughout the history of media, there are few librarians as notable as the librarian from the first Ghostbusters film. She is, after all, our first real introduction to the paranormal in the franchise. Of course, none of that would matter if she didn't also appear in a video game, and, thankfully, she does. In fact, she gets her own boss battle!
Ghostbusters The Game even saw fit to fill in the backstory of the librarian. That's right, because of the game, we now have lore for this ghostly librarian. We now know that her untimely demise was the result of reading the wrong book. Well, at least she went out doing what she loved!
9 Carla - Return To Monkey Island
Look, we get it, Carla is the Governor in Return to Monkey Island, not necessarily an official librarian. However, she does have a sizable collection of books and demands that you return them before you borrow another. You know what we call that? A librarian!
Sure, we could have just gone with Phatt Island's librarian, but is she an awesome sword-fighting mutineer? We think not. Well, we don't really know, she may be. We never asked her... That's beside the point! The iconic Monkey Island swordmaster makes the cut, and if you don't want to be cut yourself, we recommend that you return her books in a timely fashion!
8 Librarian - Warhammer 40k Battlesector
If you look at the picture above, you may be asking yourself where the librarian is. Well, while the majority of librarians in games are seemingly witches or deeply unnerving individuals, Warhammer instead portrays them as elite space marines that also have access to Psyker Power.
Related: Best Warhammer Video Games (40K & Fantasy), Ranked According To Metacritic Score
Basically, in the world of Warhammer 40k, Librarians are a mixture of Schwarzenegger and Gandalf. They are an incredibly potent unit in Battlesector as well. With the 40K version of the librarian you trade spectacles for spectacle, as they obliterate foes with their flashy arcane powers. We wouldn't have it any other way.
7 Kamek - Super Mario Bros. Series
Everyone's favorite mystical Koopa Trooper is not only a frequent thorn in the side of Yoshi, and troublesome opponent for Mario himself, but also the overseer of a library. If you are squinting incredulously, we will admit, this is based solely on the fact that one of the Mario Party stages is Kamek's Library.
But hey, he is the only Koopa of the bunch who we ever see reading, so it all sorta makes sense, no? Either way, we consider it cannon, and thus, this troublemaking turtle is making the list.
6 Orlok Dracule - Bloodstained
Bloodstained's Orlok is a super fun inclusion to the game. He is multiple Castlevania Symphony of the Night references rolled into one character. His name is taken from a notable boss optional boss (as well as the primary antagonist of the series), he bares a strong resemblance to Alucard, and to round it all off, in his secret boss fight, he has moves taken from Dracula as well as Alucard. Orlok is truly a love letter to Symphony of the Night.
But what of Orlok as a librarian? That is what we are all here for, after all. Well, we know he is an incredibly dedicated man. You know that boss fight we mentioned? That is caused by you being overdue with one of his books. Truly a librarian's librarian.
5 Lisa - Genshin Impact
Lisa is Genshin Impact's iconic librarian. While she has a classic witch's aesthetic, she is, in fact, Mondstat's library's overseer. Lisa can be a bit of a contradiction, on one hand, she has little mercy for those who do not respect her libraries policies (one of the regular quests you can engage in is tracking down tardy book borrowers), while at the same time, she is often seen ditching her duties, or straight-up sleeping on the job.
That being said, her lazier tendencies don't prevent her from getting her hands dirty and using her powerful lightning magic to dispatch with her foes. In fact, Lisa is one of the first characters you can recruit (no gacha necessary).
4 The Librarian - Discworld
Well, this is the third entry in this list where the name of the character is "The Librarian". However, this is the first one that is an orangutan. How does an orangutan become a librarian, you ask? Well, you are asking the wrong questions. What you should be asking is how does a librarian become an orangutan. Or more pressingly, once a librarian accidentally transforms themselves into an orangutan, why don't they change themselves back?
Related: Point-And-Click Games That Aged Really WellWell, you see, it makes it easier to get the high-up books. Duh! Needless to say, Discworld's librarian is easily among the most memorable librarians in games. Just watch what you say, you don't speak orangutan, and even the best-read orangutans can be temperamental.
3 Popola - Nier Franchise
Popola—alongside her twin sister Devola—is one of the few characters to make an appearance in both Nier titles. In the first Nier title, Popola acts as the librarian of The Village. She is a level-headed, and dedicated person who acts as one of the leaders. Throughout most of the game, Popola is shown to be a kind and caring person. One who loves her sister dearly. This all leads to her being a pretty complicated and conflicted character in the end.
Both Popola and her sister play a central role in the first game, they play a pretty important part in 9S' section of Automata as well. Her story is a tragic one, but as sad as it may be, it is also extremely memorable. Ultimately, it is hard to think of any other librarian in games who play as substantial a role as Popola does in the Nier titles.
2 Master Librarian - Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
When it comes to Alucard's romp through the incredibly hostile Dracula's Castle in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, friends are few and far-between. Even those who would become his allies aren't above socking him in the face. There is, however, one person who doesn't seem interested in doing Alucard harm: that is, of course, the Master Librarian.
This enigmatic figure is both loyal to Dracula and Alucard. Though his loyalty comes in the form of selling you junk. That's right, Dracula's Castle contains every manner of evil, including capitalism. While we know little about the Master Librarian, that only feeds into his allure.
1 Eike - Suikoden 3
Eike is part of Thomas' group of oddballs in Suikoden 3. While is not a combat-capable character, gameplay-wise, he is completely unflappable and is shown to be quite capable of striking fear into the hearts of quite fearsome warriors with his eerie presence alone.
For those unaware, Suikoden 3 has a detective character who will investigate your recruits, and provide you with fun facts about them. What tidbits does he uncover about Eike? Well, he sleeps motionlessly, with his eyes open, while speaking a language that... "doesn't exist". Oh, did we mention that he likes to chill out at the bottom of a dangerous dungeon? That's Eike. And god damn, we're happy he is on our side.
Next: Great Games You Didn't Know Were Based Off Of Books
