Video Games have been around for a long time and there have been plenty of mascots for different kinds of franchises. When it comes to picking an iconic character to represent your brand, there are many factors to choose from. Those who are in the gaming scene can easily identify Characters like Nathan Drake from “Uncharted” or Dante from “Devil May Cry.” However, here are some of the most popular characters that have pretty much become the poster children for gaming.

Mario

When people think of gaming in general, one character that will always come to mind in Mario.

This character is Nintendo’s most iconic hero and is known for being a plumber who somehow always manages to save his princess. He has gotten many games over the years and is still going strong to date. In fact, his upcoming video game “Super Mario Odyssey” will be launching this October 27 on the Nintendo Switch.

Ryu

Another popular character, Ryu hails from the “Street Fighter” series which is a timeless franchise in video game history. He’s appeared in every game in the series and has even become its poster child alongside characters like Ken and Chun-Li. His famous attacks like “Hadouken” and “Shoryuken” have been included in different parodies of movies and other games.

Sonic

This speedster Hedgehog tried to compete with Mario as a platform game back in 1991.

While he certainly didn’t live up to Mario’s reputation, Sonic still gained a good amount of popularity in the gaming industry. His games have been met with pretty mixed reviews over the recent years, but there’s no denying that Sonic the Hedgehog is a prominent figure in the industry.

Cloud Strife

The “Final Fantasy” series is one of the most popular brands in the gaming industry with the seventh game being arguably the most popular entry.

When someone usually thinks about this franchise, Cloud Strife is the character that would usually come to mind. He has been included in various crossover games like “Dissidia” and “Super Smash Bros.” due to his immense popularity. While not as notable as the others on the list, Cloud is still one of the notable characters in gaming history.

Pikachu

Cuteness plays a big factor when trying to pick a mascot for a certain brand. Fans fell in love with Pikachu when he first debuted in the anime because of his adorable appearance and loyal nature. Since then, Nintendo has used Pikachu as the representative out of all the 802 Pokemon in the series. This little creature has appeared in all sorts of advertisements and is usually always included in all “Pokemon” games.