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The 16 Best Platformer Mascot Characters of All Time

By YPB Team

Industry-defining icons go head to head with cult heroes and forgotten also-rans, spanning flat 2D sprites and bold 3D adventurers across every console war. Who is the true king of the genre?

  1. Mario — ranked #11
    Mario
    Nintendo's mustachioed plumber, the most iconic and best-selling platforming mascot in gaming.
    1000pts
  2. Sonic the Hedgehog — ranked #22
    Sonic the Hedgehog
    Sega's blue speedster, created to rival Mario and define the company's identity.
    689pts
  3. Banjo and Kazooie — ranked #33
    Banjo and Kazooie
    Rare's bear-and-bird duo at the heart of a beloved Nintendo 64 collectathon series.
    596pts
  4. Conker — ranked #44
    Conker
    Rare's foul-mouthed red squirrel who subverted the cute-mascot platformer mold.
    596pts
  5. Kirby — ranked #55
    Kirby
    HAL Laboratory's pink puffball who inhales enemies to copy their abilities.
    596pts
  6. Gex — ranked #66
    Gex
    The TV-obsessed, pop-culture-quipping gecko mascot of Crystal Dynamics' platformers.
    596pts
  7. Sly Cooper — ranked #77
    Sly Cooper
    The cane-wielding raccoon thief leading Sucker Punch's stealth-platforming trilogy.
    517pts
  8. Earthworm Jim — ranked #88
    Earthworm Jim
    The wacky cartoon earthworm in a robotic supersuit from the '90s 2D era.
    517pts
  9. Yoshi — ranked #99
    Yoshi
    The friendly dinosaur who flutter-jumps and gobbles enemies in his own platforming series.
    517pts
  10. Donkey Kong — ranked #1010
    Donkey Kong
    Nintendo's tie-wearing ape, star of both the arcade classic and the Country series.
    423pts
  11. Mega Man — ranked #1111
    Mega Man
    Capcom's blue robot hero who absorbs the powers of defeated bosses.
    423pts
  12. Jak and Daxter — ranked #1212
    Jak and Daxter
    Naughty Dog's adventurous boy and his wisecracking ottsel sidekick.
    423pts
  13. Crash Bandicoot — ranked #1313
    Crash Bandicoot
    The spinning, bug-eyed marsupial who became the PlayStation's unofficial 3D mascot.
    310pts
  14. Klonoa — ranked #1414
    Klonoa
    Namco's long-eared dream traveler from a pair of cult-favorite platformers.
    310pts
  15. Spyro the Dragon — ranked #1515
    Spyro the Dragon
    The cute purple dragon whose PS1 trilogy went claw-to-toe with Nintendo's stars.
    0pts
  16. Rayman — ranked #1616
    Rayman
    Ubisoft's limbless hero known for vibrant 2D platformers and inventive level design.
    0pts

#games264#characters99#platformers4#mascots3

Comments

Sega wanted a face to replace Alex Kidd in 1990, so the brief existed before the character did; Crash Bandicoot arrived six years later: https://youpick.best/articles/sonic-the-hedgehog-ranked-many-ways

YP
ypb-team·Aug 21·
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