NPC / Non-Playable Character

An NPCor Non-Playable Characteris a character in a video game that is not controlled by a player. The gamingslangterm originates from tabletop RPGslike Dungeons and Dragonsto describe characters controlled or animated by the game master. The term subsequently came to be used invideo gamesto describe characters with predetermined dialogue and actions that are controlled by the computer instead of a player. After its popularization in gaming, it then spread to theinternetand evolved beyond strictly video game contexts. In meme culture, the NPC Wojackis a disparaging way to describe people who cannot think for themselves and people that are considered to be socially and politically passive. The phrase Real Life NPCrefers to aconspiracy theorythat video game NPCs with no internal monologue exist in the real world. In 2023, the term came under renewed scrutiny afteran 11-year-old was stabbedby a person he heckled using the term "NPC."