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Top Ten Professor Layton Characters

Professor Layton is a wonderful puzzle game franchise that spawned numerous games and a couple of anime adaptations. Famous not just for those difficult puzzles, but for a genuinely well crafted story, the games are also populated by a roster of superbly developed, instantly memorable characters. Here are ten best Layton characters based on personality and impact.

10. Granny Riddleton

The tenth spot goes to this underdeveloped, but very recognizable personality from all of the games. Granny Riddleton is a kind, though somewhat arrogant elderly woman who would always appear to give you some puzzles to solve. These games are all about puzzle-solving, so the person who gives them out to you deserves to be on this list.

9. Inspector Hastings and Inspector Grosky

The less memorable of the three main inspectors in the games, but still essential characters, Inspector Ercule Hastings has a naturally amusing name and a personality that ranges from likable and cooperative to downright incompetent while Inspector Grosky is a very funny addition to the roster due to his infectious energy and goofily unseemly looks.

8. Don Paolo

The primary antagonist of the first trilogy, Don Paolo is a wonderfully realized villain all-around. He is an over-the-top, cartoony bad guy in the best way possible and his schemes were always amusing to follow. Eventually, he was humanized and made more complex through the moving backstory that he received in ‘Unwound Future’. His relationship with Layton himself is so well developed.

7. Sherl

Layton’s Mystery Journey is a flawed game for sure, but one that was particularly impressive in its characterization. It had a roster of wonderful characters and one of the highlights was Sherl, this bitchy dog whose biting remarks directed at Kat in particular never ceased to amuse me. He is such a well realized character, in fact, that the eventual refusal to resolve his main mystery (his ability to speak) was frustrating to say the least.

6. Jean Descole

The primary antagonist of the prequel trilogy of games, Jean Descole is clearly the best villain of the franchise, one that was both competent as an antagonist and well developed, complex as a character in his own right. He always looked intriguing, his schemes were quite memorable and he was a lot of fun whenever he appeared in the games, but we also got to see his backstory revealed to us eventually and it made him even greater. His relationship with Layton is so touching and the conclusion to their story was so moving.

5. Katrielle Layton

I love this character and the only reason why I am not ranking her even higher is because she only got one game under her belt. An iconic character, Katrielle’s personality is uniquely eccentric and humorous. She has a huge appetite and that love of food is a comedy fodder throughout the game, but her favoring intuition over concrete evidence is what made her very amusing. Her relationship with Ernest as well as Sherl was wonderfully playful. She’s a lovely protagonist and it’s a shame that she did not get more games to shine.

4. Inspector Chelmey

Inspector Chelmey is not that great of an inspector to be honest as is the case with the other inspects in these games. He jumps to conclusions way too often, which is why Layton proves to be better at solving cases than him. He is also clearly obsessed with being a rival to Hershel, which made him quite amusing. Chelmey is an indispensable part of the original trilogy’s roster and a wonderful creation all-around.

3. Emmy Altava

Emmy is the second sidekick of Layton’s. She is a great fighter and a photographer. She is loyal and kind, but also rather feisty. She shares a sibling dynamic with Luke and acts as an apprentice to Hershel. Although she was nowhere near as memorable as the two main characters, she was made more interesting in ‘Azran Legacy’, where she betrayed our heroes, leading to a strong redemption arc for her.

2. Luke Triton

Luke is a an inquisitive, kind and cheerful boy. He has the ability to talk to animals, which is well used throughout the games. Luke is such a wonderfully developed character as this kid who is more emotional than expected for a boy, but also showing a tendency to have angry outbursts when frustrated or insecure. His insecurities when it comes to his relationship with Layton made him relatable and easy to root for. ‘The Last Specter’ gave us the first glimpse at a younger version of Luke and how the two met, which made for such a moving story. The eventual conclusion to their story was genuinely touching. These games simply would not be the same without the presence of this boy wearing a blue cardigan and a flat cap.

1. Hershel Layton

Luke is my favorite Professor Layton character, but I had to put Hershel Layton himself on the top of this list as he is the protagonist after all and the best-developed character of the bunch. The very definition of a British gentleman, his love for tea is strong, but so is his love of puzzles. His logical thinking makes him a great detective. He is so seemingly perfect at first, but it is revealed that he doesn’t like to talk about his feelings or his past much. Eventually, we do get to see his past and all of his flashbacks were so moving and powerful. His relationship with his parents was lovely, his relationships with the villains quite complicated and his friendship with Luke is the heart of the entire franchise. He’s an iconic video game character without a doubt.

Honorable Mentions:

Alfendi Layton – I did not quite care for this game, but Alfendi made for a delightfully over-the-top and frequently even deranged protagonist.

Stachenscarfen – This mysterious little man doesn’t get any development, but he appears in almost every game and the sight of him always put a smile on my face.

Ernest Greeves – A bit too goody two shoes for my own taste, but still an important part of the trio in the seventh game, Ernest’s infatuation with Kat was quite endearing.