Horizon Forbidden Westis an excellent continuation of theHorizon Zero Dawnstory, introducing a slew of new characters, plot lines, quests, machines, andmuch more. As Aloy tries to prevent global extinction, she comes across new tribes and antagonists trying to stop her. To further her plans, she ends up building a base for herself and her allies.

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Her companions consist of familiar faces — along with a few new ones. With nine allies residing in her base and eighteen brand-new characters added to the game, there is bound to be a character you’ll love and become emotionally attached to.

** SPOILER ALERT: This article contains SPOILERS FOR HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST**

Hekarro from Horizon

Hekarro is the Tenakth tribe’s mighty leader, and the manner in which he holds himself only shows why he is the most fearsome man among the tribes. He has a strong stature, and one of themost detailed outfitsin the game.

Hekarro is always true to his word and never backs down from a deal. While he is the strongest man in the Forbidden West, he is not driven by war or conquest; instead, he is fighting for everlasting peace between the tribes.

Regalla in front of deadly machine

Even though Regalla is amajor antagonistin the game, you cannot help but admire her tenacity. She has dedicated her entire life to vengeance, killing anyone who stands in her way. Regardless of her bloodlust, she is someone who holds vows in high regard and would never fall back on her word.

you’re able to choose to kill her during your fight or have her join your final battle against the Zeniths. By choosing the latter, you get one of the most awesome scenes in the whole game, where she and her men charge together into a horde of deadly machines.

Horizon Forbidden West- Talana preparing for battle

In Zero Dawn, Talanah Khane Padish was central to one of the best side quests in the game, and she was a force to be reckoned with during the Battle of Meridian. In the continuation, she has a much smaller role.

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In Forbidden West, you meet the huntress several times as she is searching for a man. Talanah does not show her anger outwardly; instead she will act decisively in a situation, as evidenced by her previous battles. She even assists Aloy in defeating aShellsnapper, one of the most challenging machinesin Forbidden West.

The beloved Captain of Vanguard makes a reappearance in Horizon: Forbidden West. In this game, Erend is not portrayed as much as a heroic character as he was in the first game, but he still makes for an irreplaceable ally to Aloy.

Horizon Forbidden West- Erend’s and Aloy’s reunion

In a game full of drama and emotional moments, Erend brings a breath of comedic relief. He is always there for Aloy and her companions, offering a drink or a friendly match of Machine Strike — which, by the way, would make for agreat board game.

6Tilda Van Der Meer

Tilda van der Meer resembles Sylens in a way, as you are never truly sure about their goals and motives. Like Sylens, she joins hands with Aloy leading up to the climax of the game, becoming a surprising ally — for a time.

Tilda holds complicated feelings towards Aloy and Beta, as she used to date Elisabeth Sobeck. Their relationship was, however, brief, as Tilda ended it and left Elisabeth to die. Regretting that decision and seeing Aloy’s potential was what drove Tilda to betray the Zeniths, though it also drove her into conflict with Aloy herself in the end.

Tilda in her Zeneath armor

Zo is another great character that makes her first appearance in Horizon Forbidden West. She is a strong woman who would rather fight than accept fate, an opinion that makes her clash often with her superiors.

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Zo joins Aloy and her other companions in their quest to save the world. At the same time, she falls in love with Varl and forms a relationship with him. The couple offers some of the most emotional scenes in the game. It breaks your heart when Zo reveals that her husband died without knowing he would be a father.

Kotallo is one of the newly introduced characters in Horizon Forbidden West, and definitely one not to be ignored, thanks to his dry humor and often poetic insight. The relationship between him and Aloy is a bit complicated in the beginning, but they fairly quickly become close allies and friends.

Kotallo was born into a tribe that values strength above all else, so when he loses his arm, he’s devastated. Together with Aloy, they create a new robotic one, but in the process, he comes to terms with his condition and decides to use the prosthetic only when absolutely necessary.

Playing a significant role in both games, Sylens is arguably the character with the most complicated relationship with Aloy. The motives behind his actions are difficult to understand, and his relationship with the protagonists changes constantly from ally toenemy.

His manipulative personality, the way he continues to take advantage of Aloy, obstructing her and even empowering her enemies, is frustrating, to say the least. In the end, however, at the most critical moment, he forges an alliance with Aloy, and they save the world together.

In Horizon Forbidden West, you are happy to see the familiar face of Varl as he follows Aloy on her quest to save the world from extinction. He is Aloy’s close friend and confidant, and he is the one who convinces her that she does not need to face her mission alone.

Varl’s bravery is not to be underestimated, as he is a courageous member of the Nora tribe and does not hesitate to sacrifice his life for Beta. Hisdeath makes for the most emotional momentin the game, as does the moment Zo reveals she is pregnant with his baby.

It’s no surprise that the series' long-running protagonist is the most popular character. Aloy is a woman bearing the weight of the world on her shoulders, trying to save it from extinction. Her storyline and background are the most complex, which makes it worth investing all your spare time and energy to discover every last bit of it.

Aloy, a brave machine hunter who has been trained from a young age, must slay countless deadly machines and human enemies in order to save Elisabeth Sobeck’s legacy.

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