Character Modelling: single mesh vs several objects

I know this is an old question, but I haven’t found a concise answer yet.

Is it better to have a character model created from a single mesh, from a single object with several meshes, or from several objects? And if all are valid, what would be better 1) for games, 2) animation, and 3) for 3D Printing?

Thank you very much :slight_smile: