Nolan North’s 10 Best Video Game Roles

Due to his expansive career in movies, TV shows, and video games, Nolan North has been labeled as one of the kings of voice-acting. Alongside the likes of Troy Baker, Tara Strong, and Phil LaMarr, Nolan North has one of the most decorated careers, having played everything from heroes to villains and all in between.

Nolan North’s most notable works in the voice-acting world have been video games. More than likely, gamers have heard Nolan North’s voice in a game at least once a year for the past twenty years. Some of these roles have become so iconic that it’s hard to imagine the characters being the same without Nolan North’s characterizations.

10 Remy DuVall – Mafia III (2016)

Despite being mostly known for heroes, Mafia III‘s Remy DuVall is a perfect example of Nolan North’s talents at playing a villain. In real life, Nolan North is a charming and hilarious goofball but as DuVall, he is a downright evil man.

He appears to be a respected businessman but is actually a white supremacist who leads a cult of racists. Even Nolan himself has stated that playing Remy was taxing due to the dark nature of the character and the racial slurs he had to say. However, Nolan North’s dedication and talent led to Remy being a stand-out villain in the Mafia series.

9 Martin Walker – Spec Ops: The Line (2012)

Another dark role for Nolan North, Spec Ops: The Line‘s Martin Walker is a soldier stuck in an abandoned Dubai trying to complete his mission. Nolan North nails the commanding officer and determined soldier aspect of Walker. However, that is only a part of the performance.

There are twists and turns that delve into Walker’s psyche, leading to a haunting portrayal. Rather than just a typical action game, Spec Ops: The Line takes inspiration from Apocalypse Now or Full Metal Jacket, showing the mental trauma of war. Nolan North delivers on the many emotions that Walker goes through.

8 Ghost – Destiny Franchise (2014-2017)

After Peter Dinklage was replaced in DLC for the first Destiny game, Nolan North took over as Ghost. Now in Destiny 2, after years of content, Nolan remains as Ghost and has become more beloved than Dinklage was.

Since the players’ character is silent, it helps that Ghost provides memorable dialogue. Ghost can be sassy, optimistic, and or very entertaining as a guide for the Guardian. Without him, Destiny 2 would not be nearly as interesting.

7 Modi – God Of War (2018)

Modi is the son of Thor in the fourth God of War game. He is also the brother of Magni, voiced by Troy Baker; one of many duo roles for the two actors. Both brothers are vulgar, power-drunk gods who kill and destroy things just for the fun of it and are some of the God of War franchise’s best villains.

However, their quest to stop Kratos and Atreus throughout God of War slowly becomes more and more personal. What makes Modi stand out in Nolan North’s career is the fact that his voice is near unrecognizable. One could have said that it was another actor altogether and it would be believable since Nolan North nailed the booming, Nordic god voice.

6 Wade Wilson/Deadpool – Deadpool (2013)

Before Ryan Reynolds rebooted Deadpool perfectly in film form, Nolan North was often called the definitive actor for the character. This is due to the ultra-violent, ultra-hilarious, and ultra-insane game based on the Marvel character.

From the fourth wall breaks to the portrayals of multiple personalities, Nolan North brought the character to life better than anyone before that point. North was hilarious throughout, but he also brought an edge to the character that would shine through on occasion. In the end, he also voiced Deadpool in other Marvel video games and even some animated projects.

5 David – The Last Of Us (2013)

In The Last of Us, Nolan North was the villain to Troy Baker’s iconic Joel and Ellie. David does not appear until late in the game, but even in such a small time, he became one of the most famous characters. To say it simply, David is a murderous cannibal who wants Ellie all to himself.

It leads to an amazing encounter between him and Ellie and creates a memorable villain performance for Nolan. It’s easily Nolan North’s creepiest role, and it was another that showed off the actor’s immense range.

4 Tony Stark/Iron Man – Marvel’s Avengers (2020)

Even during Marvel’s Avengers‘ poor launch, the one thing most fans were happy with was the Marvel characters and their stories. None of the actors ever feel like they are trying to be copies of their Marvel Cinematic Universe counterparts, and the same goes for Nolan North as the new Tony Stark. Rather than offering an impression of Robert Downey Jr., Nolan North puts his own stamp on the character.

His Iron Man is more of a matured and weathered version, having lost the team and all his money. Of course, he still brings the jokes – which Nolan North nails – but he’s also a mentor figure for Kamala Khan. On top of that, his volatile friendship with Troy Baker’s Bruce Banner is a huge highlight of the game’s story.

3 Oswald Cobblepott/The Penguin – Batman: Arkham Franchise

During a time when every game studio wanted Nolan North to do nothing but clones of Nathan Drake, the Penguin was the role that helped his career most, as he stated on his show Retro Replay. It’s another voice where Nolan is almost unrecognizable due to the crackling cockney accent of Oswald Cobblepott.

Nolan North made the Batman: Arkham version of the Penguin believable as a crime lord in Gotham City. He turned Cobblepott into an actual threat with plenty of charisma and memorable lines. For some, he’s as iconic as Penguin alongside Danny DeVito and Burgess Meredith.

2 Edward Richtofen – Call Of Duty: Zombies

Debuting in Call Of Duty: World at War, Richtofen is a German scientist who begins as a reluctant anti-hero but soon becomes the poster child hero of the franchise. For ten years, Edward Richtofen stole the show for many reasons, such as his vulgar sense of humor and over-the-top screaming.

When the Primis timeline came into play, Richtofen became more of a hero ready to save the multiverse from imminent destruction. Nolan North made the character in way similar to what Steve Blum did for Tank Dempsey. He was funny, bombastic, and remains the most iconic Call Of Duty: Zombies protagonist, and it’s impossible to imagine the character without Nolan North’s voice.

1 Nathan Drake – Uncharted Franchise

No shocker here since, Nathan Drake from Uncharted is Nolan North’s most iconic role, and for good reason. For four games, Nolan North portrayed Nathan, a thief and explorer with a heart of gold and a love for history. He is the perfect modern-day Indiana Jones, facing off bad guys and monsters to find treasure and usually save the world.

Nolan North brings the wit and charm while keeping Nathan Drake grounded in reality, feeling more human and relatable. Nathan would evolve throughout the Uncharted games with Nolan North’s performance getting stronger and stronger. It is also noteworthy that it was Nathan Drake that launched Nolan into becoming a mega-star in the voice acting world.

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