Summary
The only way to make a video game’s heroic cast even better is by adding a bit ofcharm and irresistible cutenessin the form of an adorable animal companion. Dogs and cats have had their fair share of time in the spotlight, taking roles not only as the hero’s loyal sidekick but also as the main star of the show.
Rabbits are an underappreciated species in the video game scene and deserve just as much love as their canine and feline friends. These floppy-eared creatures have popped (or hopped) up in quite a few video games through the years as both adorable protagonists and bone-chilling villains. Here are some of themost iconic rabbit characters throughout video game history.
Originally from a 1987 comic book series (andan animated serieslater), Sam and Maxalso starred in their very own series of graphic adventure video games. The anthropomorphic pair are private investigators who work together to solve crimes, often disregarding the law altogether.
Sam is a tall dog who dresses for the job, wearing a matching suit and fedora, while Max is described as a hyper “rabbity thing” who is often short-tempered and aggressive. Unlike real-life much more timid rabbits, Sam is violent and often initiates conflicts, all for the sake of fun and adrenaline.
While pirate Zack and his little yellow monkey friend, Wiki, are the main characters of their own game, they belong to a crew named the Sea Rabbits. Zack and Wiki are adventurous pirates who are on the hunt for treasure to be named thebest pirates in history. They are part of the Sea Rabbits, and while the pair is the only exception, the entire crew is made up of rabbit pirates who love to adventure on the sea.
Johnny Style serves as the Sea Rabbit’s pilot and wears a stylish (and practical) helmet and sunglasses. Aside from being a trusty pilot, he also serves as a helpful guide for the player, offering them hints if prompted.
10Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (Epic Mickey)
A Classic Toon Who Deserved More Recognition
Before Mickey Mouse, there was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Oswald was initially the ruler of a place called the Wasteland, aplace for forgotten Toonsto reside. TheEpic Mickeylore follows Disney’s real-life humble beginnings, starting with the creation of Oswald, just for him to be tossed aside as a forgotten Toon and for his brother Mickey to rise to fame instead.
While Oswald originally feels spiteful and jealous of his brother Mikey’s fame and popularity, he eventually teams up with the iconic mouse to help him defend his home in the Wasteland against The Blot and the Mad Doctor.
9Zero III / Zero Jr. (Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward)
A Deceptively Cute Antagonist
Zero is the long-time antagonist throughout the entireZero Escape/Nonary Gamesseries. Zero remains a masked/faceless entity for the most part in both999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine DoorsandZero Time Dilemma. However, in the second installment of the series, Zero gets an upgrade and gets his very own advanced A.I. to act as his avatar and give the players their instructions.
Despite Zero Jr.’s adorable appearance,he is still the awful, heartless host of theNonary Games, and protagonist Sigma Kilm (as well as the rest of the cast) must find and defeat.
Among the many adorable rabbit villagers that have been featured in theAnimal Crossingseries, Coco has been a fan favorite for her unique"creepy but cute"appearance. Coco has been around from the very first installment of theACseries and is the only rabbit villager in the series who has a “normal” personality type.
There are a handful of theories about where her name originates from; some insist it comes from “coconut” due to the three holes that make her face, while other theories assume Coco is derived from “cocoa,” referencing chocolate Easter bunnies.
Just about anyDanganronpafan can attest to how much despair and suffering each game in the series puts its colorful cast through, which madeDanganronpa 2’s opening that much more suspicious. Usami is a white and pink magical rabbit girl who first greets the cast as their host and teacher as they awaken to suddenly be transported to a beautiful tropical island.
Usami is kind to the students, telling them that their only task is to befriend one another and create lasting bonds. However, antagonist Monokumamakes his appearancenot too long after, attacks her, and changes her adorable appearance to match his own, renaming the poor bunny “Monomi” after himself.
Cream is arabbit in theSonicseriesand is often seen with her adorable Chao friend, Cheese (making for a delicious pun). While “regular” rabbits are often lumped in with the rest of the adorable woodland creatures that Sonic is known for rescuing, Cream is a little different. Cream the Rabbit fits in with Sonic and the rest of his gang (and often joins in to help), being an anthropomorphic version of the animal she resembles rather than an identical version of a real-life rabbit.
Much like fox buddy, Tails, Cream can also fly, but instead of using her tail to fly, she uses her big floppy ears to achieve flight instead.
After Nabbit’s first appearance inNew Super Mario Bros. U, he quickly became a staple in theMariocast and always found his way into variousMariogames afterward. Although he first appears as an antagonist, he eventually became a playable character inNew Super Luigi UandNew Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe.
Nabbit isa notorious thiefand often steals from Toad Houses, but little is known about him and his motives. Nabbit wears a handkerchief that looks identical to Bowser Jr.’s mask, but it is still unknown if the two work together or if his handkerchief is simply another item Nabbit has stolen.
4Peppy Hare (Starfox Series)
A Respectable Father Figure
Before fighting alongside long-timeStarfoxprotagonist Fox McCloud, Peppy Hare served in the Cornerian Army with Fox’s father, James McCloud. Peppy, along with James, then left the army with the intent of serving justice and delivering freedom to the Cornerian territories.
After the betrayal of their former teammate, Pigma, James was supposedly killed, with Peppy barely making it out alive. It was after returning home and telling Fox about his father’s fate that Peppy and Fox began their new team. Having years of experience, Peppy had always tried his best to be a respectable father figure to the young Fox McCloud.
Rabbids have certainly made a name for themselves, not just in the gaming space but also in more mainstream media after breaking out into their television series, comic book series, and a film in the works. Introduced way back in 2006 in theRaymanuniverse, rabbids served as the antagonist inRayman Raving Rabbids. However, because of how popular they grew with audiences, the big-eared creatures were pivoted away from being villains and starred as protagonists in their own following games.
The nonsense gibberish-talking rabbids grew so popular they eventuallyteamed up with Mario and friendsin their own titleMario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, which continued to receive more and more love after releasing three separate DLC missions.
