20 Games With A Mentor You’ll Never Forget

Great mentors stick with you—whether they’re guiding your first steps, handing you life-saving gear, or challenging you to make impossible choices. The games below pair their heroes with figures who teach, shape, and sometimes test them in ways that define the entire journey. From seasoned warriors and adoptive parents to mysterious guides and kindly professors, each mentor adds stakes, skills, and story beats that turn a good adventure into a formative one.

‘The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’ (2015)

Vesemir anchors the witcher guild’s traditions and trains Geralt through Kaer Morhen’s harsh realities. He shares monster-hunting wisdom, moral context for witcher neutrality, and the history of the Wolf School. His counsel frames Ciri’s safety and the politics swirling around the Wild Hunt. CD Projekt Red uses Vesemir to connect contracts, character growth, and the world’s older lore.

‘God of War’ (2018)

Mimir serves as a walking encyclopedia of realms, runes, and riddles once Kratos frees him from the tree. He decodes mythic politics, explains the World Serpent, and provides tactical tips that broaden Atreus’s abilities. His stories contextualize every realm door and side quest you open. Santa Monica Studio builds Mimir’s guidance into traversal, puzzle hints, and narrative exposition.

‘The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’ (1998)

Sheik appears at key temples to teach Link warp songs and deliver concise strategies for the next dungeon. Those teachings gate new areas, speed backtracking, and structure the adult-era quest line. Alongside the Great Deku Tree’s early guidance, Sheik links music to progression systems. Nintendo EAD uses Sheik’s lessons to pace the seven-year time shift and temple order.

‘Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater’ (2004)

The Boss is Naked Snake’s former commander and the standard by which every CQC lesson is measured. Her mentorship informs the mechanics you use—throws, counters, and stamina control—and the ethics you’re asked to weigh. Codec reflections and field trials make her ideology tangible before the final test. Kojima Productions ties mentor doctrine directly to camo, survival, and mission debriefs.

‘Mass Effect’ (2007)

Captain Anderson backs Shepard’s Spectre candidacy, supplies Normandy access, and covers for early mistakes. He introduces Citadel politics, explains Council dynamics, and unlocks mission pathways when red tape closes in. Debriefs with Anderson often open new leads and gear approvals. BioWare positions Anderson as your political shield and tutorial for the series’ branching structure.

‘Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’ (2019)

Cere Junda becomes Cal’s master in exile, rebuilding his connection to the Force through meditation points and training recalls. She maps the way to Zeffo, sets research priorities, and calibrates BD-1’s tools to match new obstacles. Her past with Trilla frames the stakes behind every holocron clue. Respawn Entertainment integrates Cere’s mentorship with ability unlocks and route planning aboard the Mantis.

‘Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice’ (2019)

Owl raises the Wolf as a shinobi, teaching stealth kills, prosthetic adaptability, and a creed that later collides with your choices. The Sculptor refines that path, upgrading tools and pushing posture-focused combat discipline. Conversations with both figures gate endings and reshape late-game objectives. FromSoftware makes mentorship a mechanical and narrative fork that determines your loyalties.

‘Ghost of Tsushima’ (2020)

Lord Shimura mentors Jin in samurai honor, procession tactics, and leadership rituals across Tsushima’s regions. Their lessons clash with the ghost methods you adopt—assassinations, smoke, and fear. Story beats with Sensei Ishikawa and Lady Masako expand that education into archery and clan duty. Sucker Punch Productions uses these mentors to structure Mythic Tales and push Jin’s code to its limit.

‘Assassin’s Creed II’ (2009)

Mario Auditore inducts Ezio into the Brotherhood, unlocking training grounds, weapon sets, and villa investments. He lays out the Templar conflict, marks targets, and teaches squad deployment as you grow. Leonardo da Vinci adds gadget support, turning codex pages into climbing and combat upgrades. Ubisoft Montreal channels mentorship into new move sets and a clearer map of Renaissance conspiracies.

‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ (2018)

Hosea Matthews is the Van der Linde gang’s strategist and Arthur’s quiet tutor in cons, diplomacy, and restraint. He plans heists, scopes marks, and coaches you through social approaches that keep bullets holstered. Camp talks with Hosea steer upgrades, hunting prep, and long-game survival choices. Rockstar Games uses Hosea’s guidance to pace the gang’s escalation and your moral latitude.

‘Pokémon Red and Blue’ (1996)

Professor Oak gives you your first Pokémon, the Pokédex, and the framework for type matchups and route progression. His lab sets the starter decision that shapes early gym strategies and encounter odds. Periodic evaluations and lab returns nudge you toward completion milestones. Game Freak builds Oak’s mentorship into core systems—party composition, HMs, and gym order.

‘Persona 5’ (2016)

Sojiro Sakura shelters the protagonist at Leblanc, fronting cover stories and teaching time management through café work. His confidant ranks unlock curry and coffee buffs that drive SP economy in palaces. He also expands social access, enabling nighttime outings and new tools. Atlus ties Sojiro’s mentorship to resource loops that keep heists viable deep into the calendar.

‘Elden Ring’ (2022)

Melina forges the agreement that grants leveling and Torrent’s whistle, then directs you to sites of grace that chart progression. Her visits punctuate legacy dungeon milestones and advance the Roundtable Hold’s services. Dialogue choices with Melina influence access to key late-game areas. FromSoftware embeds her mentorship into waypoint discovery, map pacing, and build growth.

‘Dark Souls’ (2011)

Solaire of Astora models jolly cooperation, introducing summon signs and boss strategies without breaking diegetic tone. His questline teaches how world states, covenants, and persistence interact. Meeting spots telegraph where help is most effective and when it’s risky. FromSoftware uses Solaire to teach networked play and the value of observation in Lordran.

‘Horizon Zero Dawn’ (2017)

Rost trains Aloy from childhood in tracking, bow disciplines, and survival routes outside the Embrace. Trial tutorials mirror his lessons—enemy scanning, component targeting, and trap placement. His rules of caution frame how you approach Cauldrons and corrupted zones. Guerrilla Games channels Rost’s mentorship into stealth tools, skill trees, and the Proving’s structure.

‘Half-Life 2’ (2004)

Eli Vance orients Gordon to the Resistance, provides labs for Gravity Gun experimentation, and introduces vehicle segments via Black Mesa East. His guidance unlocks allies, safehouses, and tech that drive chapter transitions. Debriefs with Eli bridge City 17’s sectors and your objective chain. Valve uses his mentorship to thread physics puzzles, squad tactics, and story handoffs.

‘Baldur’s Gate’ (1998)

Gorion shelters the Ward from Candlekeep onward, framing your first quests and moral guardrails. His death sets your investigation path and motivates early party composition. Notes and allies tied to Gorion point you toward Nashkel and the Iron Crisis. BioWare uses the mentor’s absence to propel exploration, faction choices, and AD&D 2e systems onboarding.

‘Fire Emblem: Three Houses’ (2019)

Jeralt leads the Knights of Seiros and briefs Byleth on academy duties, battalion systems, and mission prep. He models formation choices and teaches caution around gambits and terrain bonuses. His guidance affects how you divide lesson time and recruit students across houses. Intelligent Systems and Koei Tecmo fold Jeralt’s mentorship into weekly scheduling and tactical growth.

‘The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ (2011)

Arngeir and the Greybeards teach Thu’um progression, gating access to shouts and mountain passes. Their tests unlock word walls, clarify dragon lore, and calibrate cooldowns for mid-fight utility. Pilgrimages to High Hrothgar set early game goals and safe routes. Bethesda Game Studios ties their mentorship to exploration arcs and combat variety.

‘BioShock’ (2007)

Atlas acts as a radio guide through Rapture’s districts, pointing you to key plasmids, weapon upgrades, and objectives. His instructions structure detours to workshops, medical bays, and power stations you might otherwise miss. Audio diaries and map markers reinforce his step-by-step coaching. Irrational Games uses this mentorship to pace resource acquisition and twist how you interpret player agency.

Share your favorite unforgettable game mentor—and why they stuck with you—in the comments!