Best Supporting Performance of 2025 - Article
by Lee Mehr , posted on 23 January 2026 / 2,308 Views
A game's lead voice actor may get the lion's share of the lines, but that doesn't diminish the importance of secondary characters – as well as their respective performances. This year was a balance of bigger and more modest budgets than last year. It speaks to how casting the right talent to inhabit said role goes further than dumping a truckload of money. No middle-market title exemplifies that more than Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (with ~$10 million to spare), leading the pack with two finalists.
The Shortlist:
Laura Bailey as Invisigal (Dispatch)
Andy Serkis, Féodor Atkine, Alex Martin & Maxence Cazorla as Renoir (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
Brandon Keener as Kai (Avowed)
Kirsty Rider, Céline Melloul, & Estelle Darnault as Lune (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
Becca Q. Co as Nemesis (Hades II)
The Runner-Up:
Kirsty Rider, Céline Melloul, & Estelle Darnault as Lune (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
With the only other game credit to her name being Sifu, credit where credit is due in capturing Lune with such detail. Of course, that’s not to disregard Melloul's French voice acting, as well as Darnault's corresponding performance capture. Like that of the split acting responsibilities in the Alan Wake franchise, there's an extra effort required to hit these emotional beats in sync. Through voice acting, performance capture, and steady direction, every second with Lune was a cherished one.
The Winner:
Andy Serkis, Féodor Atkine, Alex Martin & Maxence Cazorla as Renoir (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
Lee's First Law of VGChartz GotYs follows as such: the greater the volume of sexy fan art, the higher the likelihood of winning VGChartz's Supporting Performance crown. This also marks the second time both our Winner & Runner-Up are from the same game (the first time being 2024's Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth).
Because why not call up Andy Serkis to voice someone if given the chance? Whether through Serkis' English or Atkine's French, both performances so thoroughly capture Renoir's damaged character. Given this community's voting bias towards secondary protagonists, that alone should speak volumes to the emotional highs and lows captured here. Fantastic performances all around for one of 2025's most memorable characters.
