Pikachu (Pokemon)

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. Pikachu's merchandise sales alone exceed $50 billion, a figure 70% higher than the entire Final Fantasy series gross, making it the highest-grossing media franchise character ever. While #8 Cloud Strife defined RPG cool, Pikachu conquered the mainstream on a scale no other character here approaches.