The hit games of the past year have also produced some well written and well developed characters. From assassins from the American Revolution to heroes who hold the fate of the entire galaxy in their hands, this year was a roller coaster ride of emotions and action. However, among all the characters introduced and reintroduced this year, one of them stood out among the others. And so, the winner of the On Request Character of the Year award is Commander Shepard from Mass Effect 3.

Whether you chose Female Shepard or Male Shepard, Commander Shepard showed the most emotion, action, and heart of all the other characters. Facing total destruction at the hands of the Reapers, the galaxy turned towards the one man who foretold of the apocalyptic events that surround Mass Effect 3, and that is Shepard. Gathering a team to fight this invasion force, Shepard must unite the galaxy and face the consequences of your choices in the previous games before finally returning to a Reaper occupied Earth and facing the threat head-on. Facing death around every corner, you see the emotional and physical toll the war takes on Shepard, and your heart goes out to him/her as they must make difficult choices and fight against impossible odds in order to save the universe. As the concluding chapter of the series, Commander Shepard stood out among all the other characters this year, and so is this years Character of the Year.