His Majesty – Baldur’s Gate 3
A video game cat that is particularly true to life, His Majesty features as a non-playable character in Baldur’s Gate 3. When you approach, he hisses and moves away, and he has a vendetta against the character Isobel because she hasn’t given him any milk. If you cast Speak with Animals on him, his irate and demanding personality is revealed, and he won’t even drink the milk you bring him.
Cheeseburger – Far Cry 5
Something of a tragic figure, Cheeseburger is a bear from Far Cry 5 who was orphaned at a young age and developed diabetes from a diet of burgers and fries. After escaping a cult and experimentation, this character becomes a helpful companion, resistant to most gunfire and brutal in his attacks on your enemies.
Epona – The Legend of Zelda
This recurring companion in the Legend of Zelda series first appears in Ocarina of Time as a foal, reared by Malon. She grows close with Link and gradually becomes his tame and loyal steed. She went on to feature in Majora’s Mask, The Minish Cap, Twilight Princess, and Breath of the Wild.
Senu the hawk – Assassin’s Creed Origins
One of the rarer creatures on this list, Semu is the female Bonelli’s Eagle that features in Assassin’s Creed: Origins. The character is the beloved companion of Bayek, flying high over the land to scout and perform reconnaissance missions for him. She is a talented hunter who can dive-bomb Bayek’s enemies.
Rex the Cyberdog – Fallout: New Vegas
Taking control of a character called the Courier, players of Fallout: New Vegas can obtain a companion in the form of Rex the Cyberdog. Rex is a German shepherd with various cybernetic enhancements, who has survived a brutal war. On closer inspection, it is revealed that Rex bears a painting of a bull, the symbol of his old masters in Caesar’s Legion.
Pikachu – Pokémon
The character design for Pikachu originally resembled a squirrel, before the game designers settled on a yellow mouse-like figure. His name derives from ‘Pika’, the Japanese word for a flashing light. Soon after Pikachu first met the public in 1996, Time Magazine named him as the Second Best Person of the Year and described him as “the most beloved animated character since Hello Kitty”.
Sonic the Hedgehog
First designed as a rival to Nintendo’s Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog was created by Sega and featured in his first self-titled game in 1991. Sonic is an anthropomorphic, bright blue hedgehog, locked into an ongoing battle with the tyrannical Doctor Eggman. Sonic has spawned two Hollywood blockbusters that are the most successful video game movie adaptations of all time.
Horses – Red Dead Redemption
The horses in Red Dead Redemption have received plenty of praise for their highly realistic design. By obtaining a horse, the player can ride, jump over obstacles, and form a closer bond with the creature over time. But these steeds also shy away from steep edges, spook at the sight of certain animals, and will jump at the sound of gunfire, just like their real-life counterparts.
Goose – Untitled Goose Game
This puzzle stealth game sees you play as a goose who wreaks havoc upon his human neighbors. In fact, the game was marketed with the tagline: “It’s a lovely morning in the village and you are a horrible goose.” The goose can complete various tasks to move up to new levels, or it can simply hassle and antagonize local people.
Oatchi – Pikmin 4
Vaguely resembling a dog, Oatchi is one of the most popular companions to feature in the game Pikmin 4. This alien creature can help to battle your enemies, transport you and your objects, and can even swim. This pooch isn’t held back in life despite the fact that he has only two legs.
Riley – Call of Duty
Like Rex the Cyberdog in Fallout: New Vegas, Riley is a battle-hardened German Shepherd. He joins players on a campaign in No Man’s Land, helping to fight enemy troops and carry out reconnaissance. Beloved by many of the US troops, Riley is brave and loyal, and he takes and survives a gunshot wound trying to aid his fellow soldiers.
Yoshi – Mario
Featured in the Mario franchise, Yoshi is a green dinosaur character named after the island upon which he was discovered. He may count as his own species, as there appear to be various identical Yoshi figures across the franchise who have distinct identities. He is friendly and approachable, with the ability to lay eggs and become a steed.
Donkey Kong
Another creation of Nintendo, Donkey Kong started out as a 1981 arcade game and an antagonist of Mario. The name ‘Donkey Kong’ was first suggested as a joke: creator Shigeru Miyamoto devised the name ‘Donkey’ to suggest stubbornness, and ‘Kong’ to emulate the famous King Kong. Donkey Kong is a gorilla and the sworn enemy of the Kremlings crocodile clan.
Mudcrab – Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
These animals can be a nuisance, and in large groups, they can even be a threat. But the mudcrabs of Skyrim are certainly unique. “The common Mudcrab can be found by the northern shoreline or along the banks of any lakes or rivers,” one loading screen notes. “When not moving, it is easy to mistake for a rock, and uses this natural camouflage to ambush unwary prey.”
Sheep – Minecraft
Sheep date all the way back to Minecraft’s early Java Edition, and they’ve been a fan favourite since the beginning. A source of mutton and wool, these herd animals are an example of a “passive mob”: harmless entities driven by the game’s AI system. They can be bred to produce a rainbow of different-coloured wools.
Trico – The Last Guardian
Trico is a central character in The Last Guardian. Part dog, cat and bird, this giant beast has glowing eyes that change colour depending on its mood. The main character, a young boy, must look after Trico by tending to his wounds and feeding him barrels of food.
Ratatoskr – God of War Ragnarök
Ratatoskr is the squirrel guardian of the World Tree of Yggdrasil. He featured as a runic animation in God of War, and then his attitude-filled figure was turned into a fully-fledged character in God of War Ragnarök. He is known for his anxious and perfectionist tendencies, and his stutter that is nevertheless littered with foul language.
Chocobo – Final Fantasy
Chocobos are the supersized birds that have turned up in every Final Fantasy game since the second instalment of the franchise. The common yellow chocobo cannot fly, but their black counterparts can. They are ruled over by the Fat Chocobo, which can store various inventory items in its belly.
Isabelle – Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Isabelle is a yellow dog who works as the mayor’s assistant in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. She is polite and diligent, always keen to help the player with any tasks. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of her hometown and is adept at settling disputes between the locals, though she seems to resent the task.
Palico – Monster Hunter World
Palicos – perhaps named after the calico cat breed – are feline companions to hunters in the game Monster Hunter World. Each player is given just one Palico, but these companions are highly customisable, with a wide range of weapons and armour pieces to choose from.
Glitterhoof – Crusader Kings II
Glitterhoof is a horse that crops up in the game Crusader Kings II. If you are a ruler with the so-called ‘Lunatic trait’, you can appoint this horse as part of your council, in a nod to the Roman emperor Caligula. According to legend, Caligula appointed his beloved horse Incitatus as an official advisor.
The beavers – Timberborn
Timberborn imagines a post-apocalyptic world where humans have turned all of Earth into a wasteland and become extinct. One of the surviving species, however, are the beavers, who rise to form their own cities, cultures, transport systems and even religions. The player’s choices will determine how long the beaver colony survives and thrives.
Claire – A Short Hike
Claire is a small blue bird who features as the heroine of A Short Hike. This anthropomorphic character traverses the islands and forests of Hawk Peak Provincial Park. She is aiming to reach the top of Hawk Peak mountain to get phone reception and pick up a “Very Important Call”.
Fox McCloud – Star Fox
The protagonist of Star Fox is Fox McCloud, a multitalented anthropomorphic red fox. McCloud is a pilot, team leader, fighter and adventurer who lost his father, James McCloud, to the evil scientist Andross. McCloud recruits Falco Lombardi and Slippy Toad to form an intergalactic mercenary team.
Goat – Goat Simulator
Goat Simulator started life as a joke prototype but eventually became an action video game with Xbox and mobile versions. In this game, you play as a goat, whose only aim is to cause as much destruction as possible. The game was successful enough to spawn a single sequel, humorously named Goat Simulator 3 to confuse players.
The cat – Stray
In the 2022 video game Stray, you play as an unnamed stray cat who becomes trapped in a futuristic city and is trying to find a way out. This game lets you climb, fight and claw like a cat, as well as make friendly overtures towards non-player characters. An animated film adaptation of this game is reportedly in the works.
Sly Cooper
The nimble Sly Cooper is the main protagonist of the video game series of the same name. He is a “gentleman thief” archetype who only steals from other criminals. His hijinks with best friends Bentley and Murray make this character a particularly fun one to play as, whether he’s using his hooked cane for a break-in or donning a disguise to thwart his enemies.
Gwen – Spiritfarer
Gwen appears in the game Spiritfarer as a kindly older-sister figure to our protagonist. In the afterlife, she is a deer spirit, but in life, she was an aristocrat with a troubled family history. As the game dips in and out of the worlds of the living and dead, we see Gwen reconcile with her past, all while yearning for a coffee.
Banjo and Kazooie – Banjo-Kazooie
The Banjo-Kazooie franchise follows the adventures of a bear named Banjo and his best friend, a large red bird called Kazooie, as they battle against the witch Gruntilda. The first game came out in 1998, but the famous duo have since cropped up in Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. and Sega’s All-Stars Racing.
Crash Bandicoot
Many of the creatures on this list have an evil scientist nemesis, and Crash Bandicoot is no exception. This game series, originally developed for PlayStation, is largely set on the fictional archipelago of Wumpa Islands. In this Australasian setting, Crash Bandicoot himself is a mutant eastern barred bandicoot.
The sugar glider – AWAY: The Survival Series
In AWAY: The Survival Series, you can experience life as a sugar glider – a type of small omnivorous gliding possum. Inspired by nature documentaries, this game lets you forage and hunt for small prey while evading larger predators and exploring the forest. This game also shows how climate change is affecting precious and dwindling wildlife habitats.
Spyro the Dragon
First released in 1998 on Playstation, Spyro the Dragon follows the adventures of the titular small purple dragon who is trying to free others of his kind from a series of crystal prisons. It spawned various sequels, a reboot and a 2018 remastered version. This latest addition to the franchise replaced certain firearms to make the game more child-friendly.
The bull shark – Maneater
In Maneater, you play as a ten-metre-long shark intent on avenging her mother’s death. Despite the fame of the great white shark, this game features a bull shark instead because they are capable of swimming in freshwater sites. The protagonist eventually must confront a radioactive monster that is terrorizing the port.
Amaterasu – Okami
Amaterasu is a white wolf with bright orange markings. She is a playable character in the game Ōkami, in which she is a reincarnation of the Sun Goddess. In a past life, she was Shiranui, a folkloric figure with a similar appearance. Whenever Amaterasu’s “ink pots” run dry, she loses her orange markings and turns pure snowy white.
Roach – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Roach is a horse owned by Geralt. She is reportedly named after the freshwater fish species, rather than a cockroach. As the game progresses, Geralt ties his monstrous trophies to Roach’s saddle. Roach is a bay mare, but later in the game, she may be replaced with a black Nilfgaardian horse of the same name.
The cats – Nintendogs + Cats
Following the popularity of Nintendogs, the studio released a sequel entitled Nintendogs + Cats. This game introduced cats as three “types” rather than breeds: Standard, Oriental and Longhair. Although the characters had limited colours and varieties compared to their dog counterparts, they were still a beloved addition to the franchise.
The birds – SkateBIRD
In SkateBIRD, you control a tiny bird who performs skateboarding tricks. As you move up to more advanced levels, you gain access to new bird-friendly skateparks, which include miniature environments with desktop items like pencils and erasers. Thanks to the game’s playful nature, many of the tricks become increasingly ridiculous and outlandish.
The fox – Tunic
This action-adventure game is set in a colourful post-apocalyptic fantasy landscape, where you play as a fox. This character is identified as “Ruin Seeker” in the game’s manual, but the game itself leaves him unnamed. As you begin to play, you must navigate the world without directions or instructions, with much of the text appearing in a made-up fantasy language.
Lila – The Spirit and the Mouse
The indie game The Spirit and the Mouse allows you to play as a tiny mouse called Lila who roams the French village of Sainte-et-Claire. Wielding electric powers, Lila solves puzzles around the village and completes quests on behalf of local human residents. She combats electric spirits known as kibblins on her travels.
The dogs – Nintendogs
Released in 2005 and spawning four editions, Nintendogs is an addictive pet simulation game where you train and care for puppies, building a lasting relationship with them. With various breeds to choose from, the dogs in this game also have a range of different personalities from birth.
