Famous Video Game Characters: 60+ Iconic PCs & NPCs

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Gamer Grant Cunningham shares the most famous video game characters in history

Co-authored by Grant Cunningham and Eric McClure

Last Updated: July 27, 2026 Fact Checked

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• The Most Famous
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• Animals
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• Bosses
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• Soldiers & Assassins
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• Historical Characters
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• Criminals
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• JRPG Characters
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• Sidekicks
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• Supernatural Beings
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• Antiheroes
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• Non-Living Entities
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

At this point, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone arguing with you if you were to claim that video games are art, and like great literary works, the most famous video games have some memorable characters. In this article, we partnered with a gamer to outline the most popular, infamous, and notable video game characters from gaming history.

Famous Fictional Video Game Characters

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Gamer Grant Cunningham says that Pikachu is the most famous video game character of all time. The most famous characters tend to be mascots of iconic franchises, like Mario for the Super Mario games, or Master Chief for the Halo series. Some of the other notable names include:

• Sonic (Sonic the Hedgehog)
• Pac-Man (Pac-Man)
• Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)
• Link (The Legend of Zelda)

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Section 1 of 11:

The 10 Most Iconic Characters of All-Time

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   Pikachu The yellow electric rat is the de facto mascot for Pokémon, which is the most popular intellectual property on the planet. That’s not even an exaggeration—Pokémon is estimated to be the highest-grossing media franchise in the history of human existence. When your brand is that popular, it makes sense that the character would be easily recognizable! Cunningham also notes that there are plenty of people who have never interacted with Pokémon but can still look at a picture of Pikachu and know exactly what it is (or at least know its name).

   • First game appearance: Pokémon Red (1996)
   • Fun fact: Clefairy was originally intended to be the “star Pokémon” of the franchise, but audiences immediately liked Pikachu so much that they reframed the anime and games to focus on them instead.

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Grant Cunningham is a gamer and online gaming expert based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Also known as @essgeecie online, he’s built an audience of over 270K followers across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
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   Mario He really is the video game character at this point. People from every corner of the globe instantly recognize this Italian plumber with a penchant for losing his girlfriend, and that easily sets him apart as one of the most famous video game characters of all time. Cunningham adds that everyone knows Mario exclusively as a video game character, which makes him so iconic.

   • First game appearance: Donkey Kong (1981)
   • Fun fact: Mario was originally supposed to be a carpenter, but since the first Mario game was set underground, the game’s designer thought it made more sense if he were a plumber.
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   Sonic the Hedgehog He’s fast. He’s blue. He’s got a blockbuster film franchise where he battles Jim Carrey over and over again. Sonic the Hedgehog was originally developed to be Sega’s star mascot the same way Mario was for Nintendo, and boy did that move pay off in spades. The sassy blue hedgehog ended up being a huge hit with video game fans.

   • First game appearance: Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
   • Fun fact: Sonic is a hedgehog, which is kind of funny considering the fact that in real life, hedgehogs are functionally blind and they’re terribly slow, while Sonic’s two core features are his giant eyes and his ability to move fast.
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   Pac-Man It’s really impressive how popular Pac-Man became considering he’s basically just a yellow circle with a pizza-shaped slice cut out of him for a mouth. Pac-Man is probably the most iconic arcade character of all-time.

   • First game appearance: Puck Man (1980)
   • Fun fact: Pac-Man’s first game release was in Japan. It was called Puck Man, but when it came time to port the game to the US, American vendors really worried about kids defacing the “P” and turning the title into a curse word, so they changed the title.
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   Lara Croft Lara Croft is really more impressive than people give her credit for. Not only was she an iconic, powerful female character in an era where video games were basically designed exclusively for men, but she proved that video game design and theming can be oriented towards adults. The fact that new Tomb Raider games are coming out today is a testament to her cultural magnetism.

   • First game appearance: Tomb Raider (1996)
   • Fun fact: Lara Croft’s name was chosen kind of at random. She was supposed to be “Laura Cruz,” but the designers wanted something more British-sounding. They opened a phonebook to “L” and picked the name closest to Laura Cruz that sounded the most British.
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   Steve As much as “hardcore gamers” may hate to admit it, Minecraft is the game of the moment. Kids and adults alike across the globe have poured hundreds of hours into the sandbox building and exploration game. If you’re doubting how famous the “main character” Steve is at this point, try yelling out “Chicken jockey!” when you’re passing a playground and watch the kids go nuts.

   • First game appearance: Minecraft (2009)
   • Fun fact: The character’s name, “Steve,” is a joke. The game’s designers thought it was funny that they named the player character the most boring name on the planet.
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   Master Chief The star of the Halo franchise, the faceless protagonist was mysterious, intimidating, and dangerous. Halo blew up and became the gold standard for what a first-person shooter should look like at the time, and Master Chief’s design and personality really helped propel the franchise to what it is today.

   • First game appearance: Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
   • Fun fact: Master Chief’s face was never revealed in the first few games, which became an iconic part of his personality and design. In fact, when the Halo TV show for Paramount promised to show his face, it actually upset the fans!
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   Link No, he’s not Zelda…Zelda is the princess in the games. The fact that many of you immediately recognize that fun fact is a sign that Link really is one of the most famous characters in video game history.

   • First game appearance: The Legend of Zelda (1986)
   • Fun fact: Link has a kid. It’s confirmed in Hyrule Historia that he settled down and started a family.
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   Donkey Kong The powerful gorilla first made his appearance as a villain who just couldn’t stop hurling barrels at people. Luckily, DK (as he is affectionately known by fans and friends) grew up and went on to be a force of good in the world.

   • First game appearance: Donkey Kong (1981)
   • Fun fact: Donkey Kong is actually the reason Mario exists. Players of the original Donkey Kong game got to play as a weird little jumping Italian guy and they seemed obsessed with learning more about him, so Mario was born!
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    Freddy Fazbear After Minecraft, no video game aimed at younger audiences has had a bigger impact on pop culture than Five Nights at Freddie’s. The lead villain of the franchise, Freddy Fazbear, has been haunting players and keeping kids up at night as long as the games have been around. He even got a blockbuster film out of the deal!

    • First game appearance: Five Nights at Freddy’s (2014)
    • Fun fact: Freddy is supposed to be smarter than all of the other mascots. In fact, he never moves during the first two nights of the original game, which implies that they’re studying the player’s movement before taking any moves.
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Section 2 of 11:

Animals

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   Knuckles The burly, red character is actually an echidna, which is a really funny animal. They have quills like a hedgehog, but they lay eggs.

   • First game appearance: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994)
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   Fox McCloud Is there a cooler name for a fighter pilot than “Fox McCloud?” It helps that he is an actual fox, but still…

   • First game appearance: Star Fox (1993)
   • Fun fact: Fox’s sidekick, Flippy, has an iconic moment at the beginning of the game where he yells about doing barrel rolls. It’s the inspiration behind Google’s “barrel roll” Easter egg.
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   Yoshi Mario’s sometime-friend and sometime-mount is a dinosaur. He has a giant tongue that flies out, snatches up enemies, and then poops them out in an egg. You know. Like a normal dinosaur.

   • First game appearance: Super Mario World (1990)
   • Fun fact: Yoshi’s full name is “T. Yoshisaur Munchakoopas.” Seriously. We’re not making that up.
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   Banjo Banjo is a brown bear. He’s half of the Banjo-Kazooie team in the titular Banjo-Kazooie games. This franchise has sort of fallen into obscurity over the years, but Banjo is still instantly recognizable for any seasoned gamer.

   • First game appearance: Banjo-Kazooie (1998)
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   Conker After Banjo and Kazooie, Conker was Rare studio’s second big hit. He’s a cute little squirrel with a serious penchant for destruction.

   • First game appearance: Conker’s Pocket Tales (1999)
   • Fun fact: Conker’s second release, Conker’s Bad Fur Day is considered one of the most well-reviewed N64 games of all time.
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   Sly Cooper Sly is a racoon thief, which implies he’d be really good at sneaking around and creeping around enemies, but he does spend most of his games hitting people with a large stick. Sly would go on to become one of the most popular characters from the PS2 era.

   • First game appearance: Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (2002)
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   Tails The sweet, gentle foil to Knuckles' boisterous tough-guy act, Tails is a twin-tailed fox who can fly over enemies and obstacles.

   • First game appearance: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992)
   • Fun fact: A lot of people think Tails is a girl, but he’s actually a guy in the game.
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   Crash Bandicoot Do you even know what a bandicoot is? They’re small marsupials native to Australia. They’re important from an ecological perspective because they dig tons of holes, which helps aerate soil and promotes growth.https://www.bushheritage.org.au/species/bandicoots This is especially funny because Crash Bandicoot spends the vast majority of his games jumping high up in the air and bouncing on the heads of other woodland critters.

   • First game appearance: Crash Bandicoot (1996)
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   PaRappa PaRappa the Rapper is a dog with an incredible flow and sense of rhythm. He would recite songs about driving a car, baking cakes, and doing fun little two-steps in your underwear. What isn’t to love?

   • First game appearance: PaRappa the Rapper (1997)
   • Fun fact: “PaRappa” is a bilingual pun. In Japanese the word kind of sounds like “para para” which means to flip pages (a nod to the art style of the game). In English “rappa” sounds like “rapper,” which is what he’s actually doing in the game.
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    Ecco Ecco the dolphin may not carry the weight he once did, but in his heyday, Ecco was a gaming icon. It’s a curious character too, considering how un-anthropomorphized he is. Ecco really does just look like a normal dolphin.

    • First game appearance: Ecco the Dolphin (1992)
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Section 3 of 11:

Bosses

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   Bowser Mario’s big bad enemy has had some of the most iconic boss fights of all time. His sheer ubiquity is something to point out as well; normally, game franchises mix up the big bad guy from game to game, but basically every Mario game features a Bowser fight at some point.

   • First game appearance: Super Mario Bros (1985)
   • Fun fact: Bowser’s design is based on an infamous Japanese demon (called a kappa).
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   Ganon Ganon is Link’s iconic villain. He’s amorphous, strange, and clandestine, which is really what gives him so much weight as the big baddie in the Zelda games.

   • First game appearance: The Legend of Zelda (1986)
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   Pyramid Head Pyramid Head is perhaps the most aptly-named villain of video game history. He has a head. There’s a pyramid on it. He’s Pyramid Head. And he drags a giant sword behind him…they should have called him Giant Sword Man Pyramid Head.

   • First game appearance: Silent Hill 2 (2001)
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   Dr. Robotnik Also known as Doctor Eggman, Robotnik is an iconic villain obsessed with stopping Sonic and taking over the world.

   • First game appearance: Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
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   Alduin Every Elder Scrolls player remembers their heart stopping the first time they encounter Alduin. He’s truly one of the most menacing villains in video game history.

   • First game appearance: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)
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   Vergil One of the main antagonists of the Devil May Cry series, Vergil has a ton of personality and charisma. He’s not one of those big bads who hides in the shadows and pulls strings from the darkness—he’s right there battling with Dante every step of the way.

   • First game appearance: Devil May Cry (2001)
   • Fun fact: Vergil’s name is a reference to Virgil, a key character in Dante’s Inferno. Dante is the name of Vergil’s twin brother in the game.
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   Kerrigan The swanky StarCraft queen has one of the coolest character designs in the history of gaming. She’s like a spider queen mixed with an alien, and her Machiavellian plans regarding the Zerg Swarm made her way more deep than she had any right to be.

   • First game appearance: StarCraft (1998)
   • Fun fact: Dwight Schrute dresses up as Kerrigan for Halloween in one of the more iconic later episodes of The Office.
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   The Heart The “villain” of Slay the Spire is one of the stranger character designs in modern gaming, which is kind of what makes the Heart so famous. It’s a downright brutal boss fight, too. It’s considered one of the best boss fight skill checks in gaming, according to some people.

   • First game appearance: Slay the Spire (2019)
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   The Flood We’re kind of cheating here because The Flood aren’t one boss, but as a species that is interlinked telepathically by a swarm-like hivemind, they kind of count, right? The first time they appear in the game is such a wild moment that almost every Halo player won’t forget the first time they see them.

   • First game appearance: Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
   • Fun fact: The Flood is a Biblical reference to the flood from Noah’s Ark. In fact, much of Halo’s narrative is inspired by Biblical references (the Ark, Halo, the Prophets, etc.).
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    The Radiance Hollow Knight really captured the attention of gamers everywhere with its unique world-building, incredible level design, and grueling boss fights. The final boss of the game—The Radiance—would go on to become one of the most iconic (and difficult) boss fights in the history of gaming.

    • First game appearance: Hollow Knight (2017)
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Section 4 of 11:

Military Personnel

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   Marcus Fenix You know someone is going to kick some butt in game when their necks are wider than their heads.

   • First game appearance: Gears of War (2006)
   • Fun fact: You’d never guess it, but Fenix is voiced by the same actor who voices Bender from Futurama.
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   Solid Snake The protagonist of the Metal Gear Solid franchise, Snake was a dangerous mercenary who could kill a dozen different ways. He also had a super cool character design—the bandana flowing in the wind always gave Snake a kind of momentum many other characters lacked.

   • First game appearance: Metal Gear (1987)
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   Commander Shepard Shepard is the main character in the Mass Effect series, and he’s often highlighted as one of the most dynamic and deep characters ever written into a video game.

   • First game appearance: Mass Effect (2007)
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   Sam Fisher If any mercenary in the dark could give Solid Snake a run for his money, it’s Sam Fisher. The government operative turned secret agent turned lone wolf turned rogue government operative again is instantly recognizable from his super distinct nightvision goggles.

   • First game appearance: Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell (2002)
   • Fun fact: The night vision goggles Fisher wears actually don’t exist in real life. Their design was meant to make it easy to see Fisher’s head when he crept from shadow to shadow.
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   The Arbiter Master Chief’s foil, the Arbiter is really the first member of the Covenant to humanize the alliance and bring them to life.

   • First game appearance: Halo 2 (2004)
   • Fun fact: Recognize the Arbiter’s voice? It’s Keith David!
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   Agent 47 The unnamed and probably cloned hitman is instantly recognizable for the barcode on the back of his head. He really is one of the coolest bald characters to ever grace a video game screen (or movie screen! He got a feature length film in 2015).

   • First game appearance: Hitman:” Codename 47 (2000)
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   The Doom Guy Yeah, he’s a bit of a goofball, and he doesn’t have much in the way of personality or characterization, but who needs all of that when you’re running around ripping the heads off of demons?

   • First game appearance: Doom (1993)
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   Duke Nukem He’s rude, he’s brash, and he’s the voice of sassy teenagers everywhere who revel in not reading things. And that’s exactly why he’s famous! Duke Nukem is a satire of everything nasty and juvenile that people think video games represent.

   • First game appearance: Duke Nukem (1991)
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Section 5 of 11:

Historical Characters

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   Ezio Auditore da Firenze There are a lot of characters from historical eras in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, but Ezio is probably the most beloved. He had just the right amount of sass to become the face of the fandom.

   • First game appearance: Assassin’s Creed 2 (2009)
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   Prince of Persia The Prince of Persia (whose name actually changes from game to game) can warp time to fix mistakes, get around obstacles, and defeat foes. It may not sound like much, but the Prince of Persia was iconic enough to warrant a movie where he was played by obviously-non-Persian actor Jake Gyllenhaal!

   • First game appearance: Prince of Persia (1989)
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   Guybrush Threepwood The name may not ring out in infamy now, but back when point-and-click adventures ruled the world of gaming, Guybrush was a certified icon. His swarthy and swagged-out swashbuckling really brought life to a game where you’re usually just clicking on stationary objects.

   • First game appearance: The Secret of Monkey Island (1990)
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   Gandhi Specifically, Gandhi from the Civilization games. He’s famous (in the video game) for a fun, quirky urban legend. See, Gandhi’s AI character seemed oddly excited at the idea of nuking other countries, and it was theorized that it came from a design bug where the game’s designer set his aggression level to 0, so any negative variable sent him not to a negative number, but to the highest level possible. It turned out to be a myth, but the story had enough sticking power to make Civilization’s Gandhi infamous.

   • First game appearance: Sid Meier's Civilization (1991)
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   Arthur Morgan He’s an outlaw bandit in the Wild West, yes, but Arthur also happens to be one of the most dynamic characters ever written in a video game. Morgan also happened to be the lead figure in one of Rockstar’s best selling games, so he has naturally developed quite the fanbase.

   • First game appearance: Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
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Section 6 of 11:

Criminals

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   Niko Bellic There are going to be quite a few GTA characters in this section for obvious reasons, but Niko is probably the most famous. As an immigrant on the run from a violent past, there was something so distinctly American and real about Niko.

   • First game appearance: Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)
   • Fun fact: Niko actually has the highest body count of any GTA character. He has a total of 47 non-optional murders that must be carried out to beat the game.
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   Trevor Phillips If Niko is the cool and measured protagonist with a cold heart and a steady hand, Trevor is the opposite. He might be legit insane. Some of the crazy business that he gets up to is too dark even for a wikiHow article.

   • First game appearance: Grand Theft Auto V (2013)
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   Garrett Garrett is mysterious, conniving, and subtle. He doesn’t reveal much about himself at any point in the game series, and that’s kind of what makes him so famous. He’s the textbook thief character.

   • First game appearance: Thief (1998)
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   CJ CJ is the wide-eyed kid who we watch grow throughout the course of San Andreas, which is probably why so many people remember him fondly, despite all of the murdering and carjacking.

   • First game appearance: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)
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   Carmen Sandiego Bet you didn’t know she was a criminal, huh? Well, she is. She’s supposed to be the best thief in the world.

   • First game appearance: Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1985)
   • Fun fact: Carmen has a comically elaborate backstory. Her friends call her Buffy, she’s a former spy from Monaco, and she drives a 1939 Packard convertible. She also loves her ruby necklace, the “Moon of Moldavia.” She loves tacos. These are all canonical facts about Sandiego, and we haven’t even brushed the surface.
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   V They’re a newer inclusion, but they really do have the momentum to make it on the Mount Rushmore of video game criminals. They have an impressive character because their design is so expressive, but at the same time, players can imprint all kinds of personality quirks and features onto them to make them unique.

   • First game appearance: Cyberpunk 2077 (2020)
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Section 7 of 11:

JRPG Characters

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   Sephiroth The main antagonist of the Final Fantasy games (at least for many of them), Sephiroth has the intimidating juice to really stick in your mind.

   • First game appearance: Final Fantasy VII (1997)
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   Cloud The protagonist facing Sephiroth, Cloud is an icon in his own right. It really helps that he carries a sword larger than his body and won’t hesitate to use it.

   • First game appearance: Final Fantasy VII (1997)
   • Fun fact: While he’s known for his spiky, long blonde hair, he was originally designed with slicked back brunette hair. Crazy to imagine, right?!
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   Crono The silent swordsman has waned in popularity over the years, but hardcore gamers can never forget his impact in the Chrono series—especially when it’s so easy to remember his name based on the titles of the games.

   • First game appearance: Chrono Trigger (1995)
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Section 8 of 11:

Sidekicks

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   Luigi At this point, Luigi might be just as popular as Mario. We’d also highly recommend his Haunted Mansion series. Those games are way too fun to be ignored.

   • First game appearance: Mario Bros (1983)
   • Fun fact: Luigi’s key personality trait is that he’s a coward. He was meant to be a bit of comic relief that highlighted Mario’s bravery.
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   Peach The love interest of Mario and the oft-kidnapped monarch, Princess Peach has developed over the years into a real character in her own right. Today, she’s arguably just as famous as Mario and his spooked-out brother.

   • First game appearance: Super Mario Bros (1985)
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   Elizabeth She’s often cited as one of the most dynamic sidekicks in all of video game history, and with good reason. She begins as a bright-eyed and naive prisoner and ends up becoming a time traveler…well, we won’t spoil the game for you, but she’s up to something!

   • First game appearance: Bioshock: Infinite (2013)
   • Fun fact: When Elizabeth first tears a hole into reality, she reveals a movie theater in Paris. The movie playing on the marquee is La Revanche du Jedi, which translates to The Revenge of the Jedi. This was actually the original name IRL for Return of the Jedi. It signals that Elizabeth might be able to change the course of history.
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   Ellie The poor kid really puts up with a lot in the video games (and TV show). It’s only right that we at least reward her effort to survive during a fungal apocalypse with a spot on our “Famous Video Game Characters” list.

   • First game appearance: The Last of Us (2013)
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   Dogmeat Introducing a dog companion in the series is one of the best things Bethesda ever did. Naming the dog companion “Dogmeat” is pretty high up there for second place, though.

   • First game appearance: Fallout (1997)
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   Cousin Roman “Nico! Let’s go bowling!” It’s a phrase video gamers everywhere have been equal-parts haunted and amused by.

   • First game appearance: Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)
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Section 9 of 11:

Supernatural Beings

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   Mega Man Mega Man never got the shine that his other popular peers of the era did (Sonic and Mario were much more popular), Mega Man and his trusty arm canon are still iconic enough to justify a slot.

   • First game appearance: Mega Man (1987)
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   Kratos Kratos is a literal God of War in the God of War games, and boy does he earn the title. The amount of wrath and anger this guy doles out over the game series is just downright impressive.

   • First game appearance: God of War (2005)
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   Rayman He has floating arms and legs so we’re going to count him as a supernatural entity here.

   • First game appearance: Rayman (1995)
   • Fun fact: The floating limbs weren’t actually an artistic choice. They were a workaround to get past the hardware and animation limitations of the time. By giving him floating limbs, they could animate him in a much more expressive way, which is ultimately why fans were so attracted by his original game!
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   Max Caulfield The time manipulating moody teenager would be just at home in some YA melodrama, which is what makes her so much fun in the Life Is Strange games.

   • First game appearance: Life Is Strange (2015)
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Section 10 of 11:

Antiheroes

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   Max Payne He has all of the key markers of a good anti-hero. He broods. He dual-wields pistols. He chain smokes cigarettes. He’s basically the perfect “bad good guy” in video game form.

   • First game appearance: Max Payne (2001)
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   James Earl Cash The Manhunt title caused a lot of controversy when it first came out, and James Earl Cash’s personality sure didn’t help. The former serial killer-turned-more-serial-killer really makes it hard to root for him, although it helps that the people you’re killing are also pretty nasty.

   • First game appearance: Manhunt (2003)
   • Fun fact: The game was originally supposed to be an adaptation of The Warriors, but Rockstar couldn’t get the rights so they used all of the assets and mechanics they’d designed for that game to make Manhunt.
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   The Postal Dude When your video game character has a dedicated button for peeing on someone, you’re going to end up with a memorable anti-hero.

   • First game appearance: Postal (1997)
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   Wario Wario is the bizzaro-world version of Mario who is sometimes the hero and sometimes the villain and sometimes just a guy in a go-kart who you need to beat on the race track.

   • First game appearance: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992)
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Section 11 of 11:

Non-Living Entities

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   Cortana Master Chief’s AI companion, Cortana, may start off the series as a simple narrative device, but she grows into one of the most compelling non-human characters to ever appear in a video game.

   • First game appearance: Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
   • Fun fact: Cortana was the inspiration behind Windows’ AI assistant of the same name.
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   GLaDOS The Portal games don’t have very many characters. In fact, the original kind of doesn’t have any characters, except for GLaDOS—the sassy and sarcastic robot tasked with following you through the trial period.

   • First game appearance: Portal (2007)
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