The Life is Strange franchise has introduced many beloved protagonists and side characters throughout its four titles, as well as bonus episodes and spin-offs. While not every character has a major role, some have been known to return further down the line in later games, such as David’s cameo in Life is Strange 2 or Steph’s role as a love interest in Life is Strange: True Colors.
Keeping this in mind, there are several characters who deserve to return with a more major role, and we’ve listed them off. Here’s eight characters that could return to lead the next Life is Strange spin-off game.
Mikey North
Mikey North was a supporting character in Life is Strange: Before the Storm, as the best friend to Steph Gingrich and friend to Chloe Price. Mikey spent time with Chloe and Steph playing tabletop games and generally nerding out, showing his goofy, friendly, and loveable personality right off the bat. Mikey has his hardships, too, linked to his family’s struggle for money and his elder brother’s involvement with shady individuals to try to help remedy this need for cash.
With Steph reappearing as a main love interest in Life is Strange: True Colors, and the protagonist of the Wavelengths DLC, many fans hoped that Mikey would return as a minor character, keeping the best friend duo in check. Unfortunately, while it was revealed Mikey and Steph still stay in touch with one another, Steph had backed off from her friendships after going through a hard time, meaning Mikey’s role was a friend desperately trying to reach out and being shut out from her life.
Mikey had much more to him than simply being Steph’s sidekick, so a game that gives him a more significant role as a protagonist could be exciting. There would be plenty of opportunities to include DnD-esque minigames or LARP scenes, such as in True Colors. It would also be particularly satisfying to see his elder brother, Drew, return alongside him.
Drew’s appearance in Before the Storm introduced him as quite aggressive and bullyish, so it would be nice to have seen him grow up a bit and show more of the kindhearted, protective side that Mikey mentioned. I’d love to see these two, a few years down the track sharing the same brotherly love that Sean and Daniel found in Life is Strange 2, and the story possibilities for them are endless, considering they moved out of Arcadia Bay.
Finn & Cassidy
Finn and Cassidy are the much-adored love interests of Sean in Life is Strange 2 and members of a group of runaways known as ‘The Drifters’. Finn and Cassidy are free-spirited individuals with a strong dash of sarcasm, constantly poking fun and simply living in the moment. While Sean and Daniel join The Drifters for a period throughout their story, we get to know Finn and Cassidy a little more on a personal level and some vague information on how The Drifters came to be.
Finn and Cassidy are such interesting, unique, and charismatic characters that many fans would be ecstatic about their return. I could easily see these two leading their own game before the events of Life is Strange 2. Imagine Finn as the primary protagonist, beginning when he’s first released from jail, and his journey leading up to meeting Hannah, Cassidy, and Penny, to form The Drifters. Cassidy would be the perfect supporting protagonist for a game such as this, too, due to her role in keeping Finn in line as a leader when he oversteps his boundaries.
As The Drifters move around so frequently, there’s an opportunity for the setting to involve somewhere new or familiar, and the gang would undeniably bring a warm cozy vibe to the screen. Indie music playing in the background over a cutscene of the group sharing laughs around a campfire, a group of runaways who have all put away their dark pasts and found one another, focusing on positivity; it just screams Life is Strange.
Besides, there’s always plenty of room to throw in some ominous mystery or tragedy involving the group. As a group of misfits in a self-established community, who knows what kind of places they’ll visit, what people they’ll meet along the way, or the trouble that will be found? After all, they’re all running from their pasts, so who knows when it might finally catch up to them? I don’t know about you, but I’m eager to find out.
Lyla Park
Lyla, you precious human being. No, seriously, there are very few side characters that I’ve seen become so well-loved by a gaming community. As Sean’s best friend, Lyla played a minor role in Life is Strange 2. However, the two were quickly forced to part ways after all of the chaos occurred. In her brief introduction, Lyla was shown to be friendly, supportive, sarcastic, and playful. She played the role of matchmaker, trying to set Sean up with his crush, and was extremely kindhearted and loving towards Daniel. Plus, she had this super cool, casual skater-girl energy to her. Honestly, there really isn’t anything to dislike about her.
Even when Sean suddenly abandons her, forced to leave town on the run with Daniel, Lyla sticks by his side no matter what. There are multiple chances to make contact with her through brief phone conversations, and on each occasion, she only wants to know if the brothers are safe and unharmed. She holds zero malice towards them for the tragedy and wholeheartedly believes their story, even when the world is against them. These traits make Lyla so damn loveable, and fans wish she would have received more voice lines/phone calls during their journey.