Out of all the classes present in video games, such as assassins and fighters, thieves have perhaps some of the most varied characters of them all. After all, there are so many things to steal in so many different worlds, that it's no surprise players are treated to a wide range of sticky-fingered thieves.
Some thieves are not only better at their jobs than others, but also better at leaving a lasting impression in the minds of the players that encounter them. Whether that be those that appear as only side characters, there to encourage the protagonist's growth, or those that appear as thrilling protagonists themselves, thieves are most definitely a class of their own.
10 Mélie Fought Against Hardship (A Plague Tale: Innocence)
Working alongside her brother, Arthur, Mélie is a young thief with a particular penchant for lock-picking in A Plague Tale: Innocence. Desperate to escape their abusive father, Mélie and Arthur ran away together but soon found themselves in over their heads, which was the moment they decided to turn to their natural talents to become successful thieves.
Sadly, Mélie loses her brother during the game, which only steels her resolve to help protagonist Amicia in defeating the Inquisition. Mélie was never the same after Arthur's death, however, and despite the plague ending and the world seemingly returning to relative peace, she chose to leave the group to instead live a life of solitude.
9 Styx Is One Of A Kind, (The Styx Series)
The video game series Styx follows the adventures of the titular character, a goblin who has access to arcane abilities that help him succeed in his goals of looting, plundering, and stealing. Styx's story is laid out across three adventures; two prequels that are focused on stealth and one, the original in the series, being a role-playing game called Of Orcs and Men.
Across the games, players can learn that Styx is an exceptional goblin who possesses a much higher intelligence than his brethren. Because of this, Styx isn't a fan of other goblins and gets work by being a thief and assassin for hire.
8 Brynjolf Is The Introduction To The Thieves Guild (Skyrim)
After the traitorous guild master Mercer Frey, Brynjolf is one of the most important thief characters the protagonist will meet in Skyrim. Unlike Frey, Brynjolf stays loyal to his guild and even accompanies the Dragonborn on their quest to becoming a Nightingale, becoming one himself and joining the protagonist in protecting Nocturnal.
While there are many brilliant characters in the Thieves Guild, Brynjolf is simply a nice guy despite his profession. He's very supportive of the protagonist and advocates for them multiple times, with Brynjolf being the one to nominate them for the position of guild master at the end of the quest line. Sometimes, in thievery, it feels good to encounter a stand-up character.
7 Yuna Saves Jin Sakai's Life (Ghost Of Tsushima)
The woman solely responsible for Jin Sakai living to see the events of Ghost Of Tsushima, Yuna is a skilled thief, a devoted sister, and, as proven by the events of the game, an impossibly invaluable ally. Not only does she save Jin at the start of the game, but she also does so again at the beginning of the third act, cementing the pair's reliance on each other.
Yuna is independent and indomitable and doesn't hesitate to carry on the work she and Jin were doing together before he was captured. Despite not being keen on having ties to anything, Yuna puts her trust in Jin early on and the two develop a very meaningful bond, one that elevates the already emotional story.
6 Joker Leads A Merry Band Of Thieves (Persona 5)
Despite the Phantom Thieves heists not technically being real, that doesn't mean protagonist Joker doesn't show off some particularly neat thieving skills across the course of the game. An expert at not only combat but parkour as well, the enemies don't stand a chance when it comes to their palaces being infiltrated by Joker and his merry band of thieves.
Although he's voiceless, Joker, much like the other Persona protagonists, still manages to maintain a fairly humorous personality through his interactions with the other Phantom Thieves and his various social links, which is what makes him still likable despite his silence.
5 Kasumi Goto Has A Tragic Past (Mass Effect 2)
Kasumi is recruited in Mass Effect 2 after Shepard agrees to steal a graybox from a man called Donovan Hock. In her quarters, most of Kasumi's belongings can be interacted with to gain some more insight into her character, and combined with her personal mission, Kasumi reveals she has far more depth to her than her sharp quips and nonchalant attitude might first suggest.
By the time Kasumi ends up in Shepard's company, she's lost the one person in the world that was truly important to her. Despite her playful attitude and mysterious demeanor, Kasumi proves to the players and squad alike that she's only human too.
4 Garrett Is The Original Sneak (Thief)
As one of the original stealth-game stars, Garrett has a traditional thief's upbringing, spending his time as a homeless youth on the streets pickpocketing and running messages to get by. That is, until one day when he was caught by Artemus, who offered him the opportunity to become a Keeper for the city.
Garrett, unsurprisingly, didn't see his time on the Keepers as particularly profitable, which is where his foray into thiefdom truly begins. A reliable protagonist who is uncomplicated whilst still remaining interesting, Garrett plucks at the nostalgia strings of many hearts thanks to his prevalence in the Thief franchise.
3 La Volpe Is A Cunning Master (Assassin's Creed 2)
La Volpe was an almost mythical figure during Ezio Auditore's time as a young assassin. As the leader of both the Florentine and Roman thieves guilds, La Volpe was such a brilliant thief that his reputation caused him to be seen as some sort of boogeyman rather than a real person. Never seen, never heard, and with no name to link to him, La Volpe was a ghost.
La Volpe also wasn't afraid to rescind any benefits he might've given if his instinct told him to. While convinced in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood that there was a traitor in the Italian order, he refused to work with them, instead waiting until Ezio brought him evidence as to who the actual traitor was. La Volpe didn't get by based on his skills alone, but also on his shrewd decision-making and powerful gut instinct.
2 Yuffie Kisaragi Makes A Bubbly Departure From Usual Thieves (Final Fantasy VII Intergrade)
Yuffie is the gung-ho ninja and thief that the party can encounter randomly in the forest in the original Final Fantasy VII, or is introduced to the player via her infiltration of Shinra in Final Fantasy VII Remake. Both times, Yuffie's bubbly, loud, and optimistic personality shines through, especially when compared to the rest of the cast.
A defiant resident of Wutai Village, Yuffie resents the fact that the village had to become a resort after the war, becoming a caricature of its former, proud self and holding onto little of its former culture. It's this conflict that pushes Yuffie into bonding with the rest of the party, as they help her reconcile with her father and head off on her own journey.
1 Sly Raccoon Was Destined For This (Sly Raccoon)
Sly comes from a long line of master thieves, being told at the age of eight that he was destined to follow in their footsteps. Despite being orphaned not long after, Sly met his best friends Bentley and Murray in his orphanage, who were both more than happy to help Sly fulfill his legacy.
Sly is charming, charismatic, and quick-witted. Not only is the dialogue in the Sly Cooper series brilliant, but it's also wickedly funny and always delivered well by Sly in particular. The raccoon shows depth to his character too, having a lot of remorse over what happened to Bentley, and participating in a prolonged and complicated relationship with Carmelita Fox.