Top 10 Most Iconic Video Game Characters of All Time
Today, video games are a pillar of modern popular culture.
Just as everyone in the 1970s knew who Scooby-Doo or the Flintstones were, people today can instantly recognize Super Mario or Assassin's Creed . These are the 10 most iconic characters in video gaming.
10. Pikachu
Pikachu can boast being not just a video game icon, but also a television and movie icon to boot. The Pokemon franchise that Nintendo created in the mid 90s went to become a global phenomenon.
See Also: Top 10 Memorable Games From Your 90's Childhood
9. Sephiroth
Final Fantasy VII was hailed as possibly the best RPG video game ever made. The cast included memorable playable characters, but perhaps the most memorable of the bunch was the villain of the game, Sephiroth.
Since then Sephiroth has gone down as one of the all-time best villains in video gaming, a true icon of evil.
8. Link
Just don’t call him Zelda. Although the star of the Zelda franchise may not have his name up there in the title, there’s no one else gamers associate with the franchise more than our lovable, silent protagonist, Link.
7. Solid Snake
For those who believe that video gaming can’t offer a compelling storyline, look no further than the Metal Gear Solid franchise. Solid Snake, the protagonist, is part-spy, part-special ops soldier, and part mercenary.
6. Master Chief
When the original Xbox was launched in 2001, Microsoft was in need of heroes. Halo: Combat Evolved became more successful than Microsoft could have hoped, and the game’s protagonist, Master Chief, became the unofficial mascot for Microsoft’s new gaming console.
5. Lara Croft
The first lady of video gaming was the first female video game star to not be a damsel in distress, but instead was a bonafide badass. The star of the Tomb Raider series, which debuted in 1996 for the PlayStation, has gone on to become one of the most recognizable characters in video gaming.
4. Sonic
The wildly popular 2D platforming games catapulted the world’s most beloved blue ball of speed into video gaming history. Since Sonic the Hedgehog's debut in 1991, his games have sold 80 million copies, created a TV show spinoff and released various kinds of merchandise.
3. Gordon Freeman
Mr. Freeman. The silent, mysterious protagonist of the Half-Life series - indisputably the greatest single-player first-person shooters ever made - has been blasting and crowbar smashing his way into our hearts since 1998.
2. Pac-Man
Let’s take it back to a dirty arcade with a Pac-Man machine in the corner. That hungry little yellow circle was the first real icon of arcade gaming. The first Pac-Man machine was produced in 1980, and its mascot went on to become a cultural icon of that decade.
1. Super Mario
Realistically, could it be anyone else? The famous Italian-American plumber from New York City has been Nintendo’s mascot since 1983, and has gone on to become the most recognizable character in all of video gaming.
