The legendary and beloved actor Lance Reddick passed away on March 17, 2023. While the star’s memorable roles undoubtedly make up a major chunk of his glowing resume, the 60-year-old’s death has also left a hole in the Destiny community. The actor had long played a prominent character in the video game series, so fans naturally flocked to the game’s servers to pay their respects. But Destiny isn’t the only blockbuster title the actor lent his voice to — he had a prolific career post-2010 and helped in bringing some incredibly iconic (and some not-so-iconic) video game characters to life.
So, to Reddick fans who want to experience the magic of the actor’s magnificent voice once more, dive into our list of all of his video game characters:
Derek Carter in 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand (2009)
Who hasn’t played the genre-defining classic, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand? The 2009 title might not have been a commercial success and may have just been the corpse of one failed game dressing up as 50 Cent to make a quick buck, but it did launch the voice-acting career of Lance Reddick with the role of Derek Carter.
The game follows, — you guessed it — 50 Cent and his crew as they murder their way through an unnamed Middle Eastern country on a quest to get their payment for a rap gig, a 10-million-dollar diamond-encrusted skull. The story may have been lackluster, but 50 Cent did produce the soundtrack for the game and created 18 exclusive tracks for the title. Despite his best efforts, the third-person shooter had middling responses from critics with most noting it worked well for what it was but lacked replayability and suffered from a bad storyline.
Martin Hatch in Quantum Break (2016)
2016’s Quantum Break, though obtaining generally positive reviews, flew under the radar for many gamers. The time-manipulating third-person shooter placed gamers in control of Jack Joyce, a special agent for Monarch Solutions, the world’s premier company researching time travel.
Lance Reddick’s character, Martin Hatch, is one of the enigmatic men in charge of Monarch. Hatch is one of the primary suspects in the game, with his business partner, Paul Serene varying wildly between trusting and suspecting his second in command. Designed to have a tie-in TV show, Xbox described the crossover as a “transmedia action-shooter video game and television hybrid” — the execution of the idea amounts to a full video game with a TV show shoved tur-duck-in style inside of it. The writers aimed to use the amalgamation to create a nuanced and realistic villain for the game, one that would give gamers plenty of reason to replay the title and sweat their choices while doing it.
Reddick gives some wonderful performances throughout the game and the embedded television show, and if the game wasn’t worth picking up for its unusual execution, the stellar performances given by the cast members definitely do.
Sylens in The Horizon series
The Horizon series is an absolutely gorgeous AAA title, though it only has two entries, Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. Set in a post-apocalyptic solar punk world, the Horizon games follow the young Alloy, as she utilizes technology long since forgotten by most in her world to decode the mysteries of their precursor civilization. The action role-play title had a lot to entice gamers, especially the enigmatic and callous Sylens played by Lance Reddick.
For their first few interactions, players only know Sylens by Reddick’s melodic voice. Well-spoken and relentless, Sylens has devoted his life to unraveling secrets held for a myriad of years. His pursuit of knowledge has made him one of the most intelligent people alive but blunted his emotions causing him to be somewhat savage in his interactions with others. Sylens is incredibly complicated and has consistently muddied the water around his intentions. The man remains a mystery even after the conclusion of the second game, with fans torn over whether or not he is acting as a hero or as a villain.
Charon in John Wick Hex (2019)
John Wick Hex (2019) was a prequel to the John Wick film series. This top-down shooter was fairly well received by critics but left gamers feeling frustrated. The game aims to put players in control of the action of the first film through a turn-based strategy. Emphasizing strategy and time management, the tactical shooter featured an original story and brought back some of the movie’s cast for voice work, including Lance Reddick.
Reddick reprised his role as the beloved concierge, Charon, from the films. The enigmatic doorman, dogsitter, and gunman is there to play a valuable support role for John throughout the movie series. So, the video game tie-in gives us a little bit more of the deuteragonist’s back story and helps explain why Charon is so willing to bend over backward for John.
Charon in Pay Day 2: John Wick Heists (2017)
Coinciding with the release of John Wick: Chapter 2, Overkill Software teamed up with Lionsgate to release the tie-in heist DLC for Pay Day 2. The DLC provided players with a smattering of new goodies and achievements alongside two brand-new heists. Lance Reddick reprises his role as the Continental concierge and serves as the damsel in distress for one of the missions, with John once again coming to his rescue. The other heist features a very grateful Charon acting as a middleman for the heist crew, and in a move that is rare for the Pay Day series, not even trying to leverage the job for his own gain.
Commander Zavala in Destiny series
It’s honestly easier to say what Destiny games Lance Reddick wasn’t a part of rather than list all that included the actor. Since the series’ release in 2014, he graced ten of the thirteen titles, only missing three of the early DLC for the original Destiny. The series is set in a not-so-distant future after humanity encounters the Traveler, who gives mankind the technology needed to shepherd them into a new golden age of exploration. After the Traveler is incapacitated, it is up to the Guardians to investigate his disappearance and put a stop to the heightened alien threat before the human race is wiped out.
Reddick voices Commander Zavala, an awoken Guardian who serves as the Vanguard of the Titan class. He is obdurate and ceaseless in his defense of Last City, one of the few remaining refuges for human beings. His battle prowess knows no equal and has led the Guardians to victory many times. His single-minded focus can be alienating for some, and though the stoic commander exhibits subtle humor, it is often missed by all but his oldest friends.
The Destiny community quickly rose to pay tribute to their gone-but-not-forgotten leader. When news of Reddick’s death reached the internet, thousands of players flocked to the game to pay their respects. Users flocked to the in-game location where Commander Zavala is located and offered various battle emotes, some even danced, bowed, and cried at his feet. The display was so moving that Reddick’s wife reached out to thank fans for the touching tribute. Destiny 2: The Final Shape has a planned 2024 release, but whether Reddick was able to reprise his iconic role one last time has not been confirmed yet.
Hellboy in Hellboy: Web of Wyrd
Our final entry comes far too soon. We don’t know much about the as-of-yet-unreleased Hellboy Web of Wyrd, but the cel-shaded brawler does seem to promise gamers they are in for a treat. The game’s premise revolves around the disappearance of one of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense agents, after which it’s up to Hellboy to find out what happened. The game sports some excellent design, with the art direction closely following in the footsteps of its comic inspiration. Reddick voices the titular character of Hellboy, which means the game’s eventual release will mark his final performance.