Top 10 Most Iconic Video Game Characters

Bungie's faceless Spartan became the mascot of Xbox and the symbol of console FPS gaming when Halo launched in 2001. His stoic silence made him a blank slate for players while his relationship with Cortana became one of gaming's most emotionally resonant partnerships until 343 Industries fumbled it.

Nintendo's silent hero has been saving Hyrule since 1986 without ever speaking a word, yet communicates more personality through grunts and facial expressions than most fully voiced protagonists. His green tunic is the most cosplayed outfit in gaming history, and no, his name is not Zelda.

Core Design's 1996 adventurer broke through as gaming's first mainstream female protagonist and a 90s pop culture icon. Despite early exploitation of her design, the 2013 reboot transformed her into a complex survivor, and she remains the most recognizable woman in gaming across three decades.

Sega's 1991 mascot was engineered to dethrone Mario with attitude and speed, and for a brief moment in the early 90s it worked. Despite decades of terrible games tarnishing his legacy, the Sonic movie franchise and undying fan devotion keep the blue blur culturally immortal.

Santa Monica Studio's Spartan rage machine evolved from a one-note angry protagonist in 2005 to gaming's most compelling father figure in the 2018 Norse reboot. His "Boy" became a meme, but his quiet grief over his violent past gave PlayStation its most emotionally mature character arc.

Game Freak's 1996 electric mouse transcended gaming to become one of the most recognizable fictional characters on the planet. As the face of a $150 billion franchise spanning games, anime, movies, and merchandise, Pikachu is more brand mascot than game character at this point.

Square's spiky-haired mercenary became the face of JRPGs worldwide when Final Fantasy VII launched on PS1 in 1997. His Buster Sword is the most iconic weapon in gaming, his identity crisis storyline redefined RPG narratives, and his Smash Bros. inclusion was a generation-defining moment.

Toru Iwatani's 1980 creation was gaming's first true mascot and the character that proved video games could appeal beyond teenage boys. A yellow circle eating dots generated billions in revenue, earned a Guinness World Record, and remains instantly recognizable to every human alive over the age of five.

Rockstar's 2018 outlaw protagonist delivered the most critically acclaimed character performance in gaming history thanks to Roger Clark's motion capture work. Arthur's slow realization that he wasted his life following Dutch's lies, culminating in that final ride, made millions of players openly weep.

Bungie's faceless Spartan became the mascot of Xbox and the symbol of console FPS gaming when Halo launched in 2001. His stoic silence made him a blank slate for players while his relationship with Cortana became one of gaming's most emotionally resonant partnerships until 343 Industries fumbled it.

Nintendo's silent hero has been saving Hyrule since 1986 without ever speaking a word, yet communicates more personality through grunts and facial expressions than most fully voiced protagonists. His green tunic is the most cosplayed outfit in gaming history, and no, his name is not Zelda.

Core Design's 1996 adventurer broke through as gaming's first mainstream female protagonist and a 90s pop culture icon. Despite early exploitation of her design, the 2013 reboot transformed her into a complex survivor, and she remains the most recognizable woman in gaming across three decades.

Sega's 1991 mascot was engineered to dethrone Mario with attitude and speed, and for a brief moment in the early 90s it worked. Despite decades of terrible games tarnishing his legacy, the Sonic movie franchise and undying fan devotion keep the blue blur culturally immortal.

Santa Monica Studio's Spartan rage machine evolved from a one-note angry protagonist in 2005 to gaming's most compelling father figure in the 2018 Norse reboot. His "Boy" became a meme, but his quiet grief over his violent past gave PlayStation its most emotionally mature character arc.

Game Freak's 1996 electric mouse transcended gaming to become one of the most recognizable fictional characters on the planet. As the face of a $150 billion franchise spanning games, anime, movies, and merchandise, Pikachu is more brand mascot than game character at this point.

Square's spiky-haired mercenary became the face of JRPGs worldwide when Final Fantasy VII launched on PS1 in 1997. His Buster Sword is the most iconic weapon in gaming, his identity crisis storyline redefined RPG narratives, and his Smash Bros. inclusion was a generation-defining moment.

Toru Iwatani's 1980 creation was gaming's first true mascot and the character that proved video games could appeal beyond teenage boys. A yellow circle eating dots generated billions in revenue, earned a Guinness World Record, and remains instantly recognizable to every human alive over the age of five.

Rockstar's 2018 outlaw protagonist delivered the most critically acclaimed character performance in gaming history thanks to Roger Clark's motion capture work. Arthur's slow realization that he wasted his life following Dutch's lies, culminating in that final ride, made millions of players openly weep.