#2 Chell
Some could argue Chell is more of a shell than a character; she never speaks or gives any kind of indication of her thoughts or expressions. Technically, you could play through the entire game and not know she was a woman unless you accidently caught a reflection of her through one of the portals. Like Gordon Freeman, Valve designed her to be a blank canvas, a way for players to insert themselves into her shoes and experience the Aperature Science Enrichment Center for themselves. She could just as easily be a man, animal, or potato and it would theoretically play out the same. But that’s also what makes her special: She’s treated as equally as anyone else. She has the same resourcefulness and perseverance anyone else in the role would, without being talked down to, well, except by GLaDOS.
