7 Randos That Became the Face of the Franchise

[@cearnicus]

Don't forget that Mario started as a character in Donkey Kong, simply because they couldn't get Popeye. And then he went on to, well, _gestures vaguely._

[@nathancarter8239]

I was gonna make the same comment, with the caveat that Donkey Kong arguably had something similar happen, becoming the face of his _own_ franchise as well as Mario.

[@CD-Gaming]

And Sonic was originally car air freshener!

[@TonkarzOfSolSystem]

I mean he was the main character in Donkey Kong, not just some rando. And he was envisioned by Miyamoto as a "go-to" character that could easily be placed in a wide range of games in the future (although not necessarily as the main character). So not only was he not a "rando" in Donkey Kong, he was conceived as versatile character from the start.

[@ichigokarasu]

Jumpman, nananananananana, Jumpman, Jumpman, JUMPMAN

[@hfbdbsijenbd]

Popeye started as a one-off side character as well. That kind of synchronicity is nuts.

[@SadThrash]

Then there’s Pyramid Head, who became so iconic that Konami started putting him everywhere - even when it made no bloody sense.

[@tessbolick6605]

much to the frustration and chagrin of Pyramid Head's creator

[@tommym7321]

Yes, but, it was basically exclusively because of the movie. People saw the movie and liked him but didn't realize how tied his presence was to James in SH2, so they just started throwing him in a lot of SH media to fill out as the "big bad". I partially like it because he was always my favorite monster of the series but it does suck that his meaning of being James's personified depression/masculinity/torment/etc has never been said or explored except for in SH2.

[@matthewrowlett1564]

@@tommym7321 well, that's to be expected, considering the games havent been good Since SH2... it makes Sense Pyramid Head became the series mascot, though personally, I would have chosen the Shiba Inu in the control Room as mascot. One of the best joke endings of all time.

[@tankian4545]

@@matthewrowlett1564 Part of the fanbase prefers SH3 over SH2 and The Room wasn't bad either. It was different but not bad.

[@apcsox]

Yeah. It’s weird. I remember my ex was petrified of Pyramid Head, and when the Silent Hill film came out, we went to see it in theaters, and she asked if Pyramidhead would be in it, which he shouldn’t have been since it was based 100% around the original Silent Hill….. boy was I wrong, and she legit had a panic attack and ran out of the theatre

[@Orthanderis]

Fun fact about Pikachu; the original artist had no idea how to draw pokemon that apealed to girls. He initially created clefary for that purpose, intendeding it to be the figurehead, but it really didnt have the appeal. So he brought in a woman to draw cute, softer pokemon and Pikachu was the first one she drew.

[@suroguner]

for those who don't know, Animal Crossing and Doom were originally sharing the same release date.

[@ZackRToler]

And ID embraced it, sad that Nintendo didn't seem to acknowledge it, that I'm aware of at least.

[@bobsquirrelking]

I think he was more referring to the fact that, well, people had a lot of time on their hands right around the release date of the two games 😄

[@nicholasfarrell5981]

​@@bobsquirrelkingI mean yes, but I think that the contrast between the 2 franchises meant that we were practically guaranteed for the two of them to become fanon-bros once we learned that the games shared a release date.

[@Lionfire42]

Arguably, the meme is still alive and well. Pretty sure Mashed has made it part of their canon.

[@mitigatedrisk4264]

The original Barbenheimer

[@TransmitHim]

Sub Zero and Scorpion? Liu Kang is clearly meant to be the main hero in the MK series yet they've repeatedly tried to kill him off or sideline him, while the blue and yellow ninjas have been in every one and usually on the cover.

[@GreaserMan]

Honourable mention to Johnny Cage, as well.

[@Brasc]

I'd say Scorpion rather more than Sub Zero. There's been more than one person who's taken up the mantle of the latter, while Scorpion's "Get Over Here!" has become iconic of the Mortal Kombat series as a whole.

[@GreaserMan]

@@Brasc Technically now there's a new Scorpion.

[@fendelphi]

Hard to call them "randos" when they are still part of the typical lineup.

[@VernulaUtUmbra]

Lui Kang wasn't even meant to be the main character initially, wasn't that Johnny when they wanted him to be Jaune Clad van Damme?

[@LordMelonLord]

Goro Majima from the Yakuza series! Apparently when he showed up in the original Yakuza, he was intended to just be a side character for that specific game. He was so loved by the fans that he came back in Yakuza 2, and from then on has become somewhat of the second main character of the series. To the point where the Yakuza 0 prequel is half focused on him, and when they remade Yakuza they added the Majima Everywhere system!

[@cptpropane]

yeah, he has the whole Majima Saga in YK2 as well

[@Mr.Brothybear]

as someone who's played yakuza 0 Majima's Combat Style has a lot more Flow than Kiryu's in my opinion

[@Sifi999]

@@Mr.Brothybearwhats your favorite style for me its slugger

[@Mr.Brothybear]

@@Sifi999 I'm a Fan of Breaker The Fluidity of Movement is very pleasing to my ADHD/Autistic Brain

[@Impactframess]

Seiya!!

[@cyborghuey]

What about the companion cube from Portal? So many plushies. It even gets tossed out of the shed after you at the end of Portal 2.

[@JumpingTomato]

But that's hardly the face of the franchise, now Glados (or the cake) that something else. The cake is NOT a lie!

[@dweebicusmaximus]

Actually, the companion cube was made lovable on purpose. It was actually a design method to prevent people leaving the cube behind during the puzzle it was found in. So they stuck some hearts on the normal cube, called it a companion cube and people would do anything to bring it with them. So that’s not a surprise, that was the point

[@matthewrowlett1564]

@@dweebicusmaximus not me. I incinerated that thing GRATEFULLY, with Zero hesitation. I HATE weighted block Puzzles. But boy do I live that killer Robot. Yes GlaD0s, No Weighted Companion Cube.

[@AkemiTheSunbro]

On Solaire though, in his “better” ending, yes he does get depressed But, the very fact that he’s summonable for Gwyn means he was eventually able to pick himself up and make it to Kiln of the First Flame. This means in his world, he was able to attain the Lord Souls and open the way to Kiln. Perhaps he also was able to light the first flame, and find his very own sun?

[@colbyboucher6391]

If I remember correctly Myizaki straight-up confirmed in an interview that he thinks Solaire linked the flame in his timeline.

[@AkemiTheSunbro]

@@colbyboucher6391 as someone who has taken the Sunbro moniker as a part of his username, this gives me a great happiness to learn

[@Calekoflight]

Well this is me learning that most of the NPCs in Dark Souls games are not in the world but part of a collapsing multiverse with random crossovers? Now I'm confused again...as it should be with Dark Souls lore.

[@colbyboucher6391]

@@Calekoflight I feel like it's something the games themselves chose to ignore after DS1. At least in DS1 it's relevant for Black Knight Tarkus (dead in your time but kills the Iron Golem from the past, lmao), but otherwise I can't think of any instances where it matters.

[@AkemiTheSunbro]

@@colbyboucher6391 Gundyr in DS3, you fight him while he’s both Decrepit and in his Prime with Iudex and Champion respectively As Solaire says, the Flow of Time is Convoluted

[@dr.badguyreviews6785]

I'm surprised Tiny Tina isn't on this list. She's barely an NPC in the Borderlands 2 base game. But then she gets in a DLC, then her own DLC, a major part in 3, and now she has Wonderlands named after her.

[@fendelphi]

Good example. As far as Borderlands characters goes, she is probably the most recognizable.

[@Droidsbane]

​@@fendelphi well her and Claptrap at least, I mean I'm pretty sure he's in more of the Borderlands series than Tina, he's been the main focus of two Borderlands DLCs and been in several more not focused on him

[@Toschez]

@@Droidsbane I think Claptrap was intended to be the mascot. Look at him dancing in the title screen of the first game.

[@Droidsbane]

@@Toschez ...you got a point there

[@MrIcePho3nix]

@@Toschez Yeah, most, maybe ALL, of the prerelease material for the first game was about him iirc.

[@Kageoni187]

Let me get this straight they made a wise cracking space cowboy who Nathan Fillion was the only right choice to voice and didn’t predict he was going to become the main character in all the best ways?! What rock were they hiding under lol.

[@PhoenicopterusR]

Yeah there's no way you make a charismatic and roguish character, and expect them to not steal the show one way or another. That's basically what that type of character is for.

[@yotuel9064]

The same people that got Peter Dinklage for the voice of the little guy that acompany you all the game but they make him record every line without any emotional imput.

[@leonwere3776]

@@yotuel9064you mean the ghost?

[@yotuel9064]

@@leonwere3776 Don't remember the name. Been a while since I played Destiny first iteration. But it was the floating thingy that revives you at the beggining of the game and keep acompaning you for the rest of it.

[@leonwere3776]

@@yotuel9064 yea that’s the ghost

[@Jakz404]

Maybe not character.. but the Skyrim guard who "used to be an adventurer, until I took an arrow to the knee." Would be interesting to see favourite quotes from games too

[@ClumsyByFact]

The character that comes to mind for me is Johnny Gat from the Saints Row franchise. He is probably more than just a "rando" to begin with, but from a side character he became an absolute fan favorite, and the face of the franchise. His popularity is pretty clear looking at the backlash Saints Row 3 received for decisions they made for him (not writing it because of spoilers), and considering the moment it was known reboot will not feature Johnny Gat, most fans lost their interest. Additionally, being voiced by Daniel Dae Kim is one of the best casting choices ever made ☺

[@xstarsystemsx]

omg yes!

[@boobah5643]

Huh. I'd always gotten the impression that Johnny Gat was more a favorite of the creators rather than fans.

[@bustinarant]

​@@boobah5643I thought he was alright. They did a lot of cutscenes for him in 2 if they were just going to ditch him immediately in the sequel.

[@scary5455]

​@@bustinarant Gat is iconic

[@Zoroasterisk]

@@boobah5643 For me, that's how he started, but he grew on me. When Aisha died, I was 100% on the kill-those-fools train, right along with Gat

[@joffcallaghan]

Nathan Fillion really understands that people love a space cowboy since arguably his most beloved character is Mal Reynolds from Firefly, an architype of the space cowboy character type

[@sopcannon]

I'm a leaf on the wind

[@aq5426]

@@sopcannon Too soon! ;)

[@Alsebra]

I personally prefer his turn as Captain Hammer...but that's more for the rest of the cast than Fillion (how can you compare when your costars are Felicia Day and Neil Patrick Harris?).

[@NehnBellanaris]

He also voiced the cowboy character in Justice League Unlimited.

[@Siege181]

I miss Firefly, the greatest sci fi show that never had its chance!

[@PineappleLiar]

Not sure if this fits, but after Fire Emblem Three Houses came out a lot of the Fire Emblem community got very attached to one Gatekeeper NPC from the game, who in spite of all the wild shit going down was always happy to announce that there was ‘nothing to report!’ While not as commonly popular as some of the characters in this video, he was popular enough to sweep a Fire Emblem Heroes Choose your Legends competition, beating out ‘in Smash Bros since Melee’ Marth by a whopping 30k votes.

[@DWFTW]

Definitely didn't become a face over other characters, but it's a good shout. He was even made playable in the Warriors spinoff game Three Hopes.

[@MisterHanRPG]

I have him(or at least one of his variants) in Fire Emblem Heroes. A very cool character for sure.@@DWFTW

[@Dodaro10]

The closest we can get as the face of the FE franchise is Anna, however she's never the most popular character in any game, but she's in almost every game

[@Jonathon_Hennessey]

Nemesis from Resident Evil canonically only appeared in one game. But he became popular enough to become a mascot for the series and would later appear in Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Marvel vs Capcom Infinite, both Project X Zone games and Dead by Daylight alongside Albert Wesker.

[@Brasc]

Good call. Who better to mention in the comments of an Outside Xtra video looking for... STARS?

[@fendelphi]

Wouldnt really call him a "rando" though, since he is at least partially the main focus in his original game.

[@Jonathon_Hennessey]

@@fendelphi true but there wasn't any indication at the time that he would become as popular as he did.

[@azuredragoon2054]

He also made an appearance in another game about an alien pranking humans. I forget what it's called, but it was mentioned in their "7 villains in the wrong game" video.

[@matthewrowlett1564]

You could just as easily mention Wesker himself... when the mascot was SUPPOSED to be the T-mutate, originally. Then the Tyrant... not ANY of the human characters. Until 2. Because Leon was DESIGNED to become the face of the series, and Never really succeeded. Iconic, sure, but when folks hear Resident Evil, Their first thought usually isn't Leon. Or Chris, Jill, Claire, etc... no, most folks immediately think of one of these Four: Albert Wesker, Ada Wong, Nemesis, or, surprisingly, The Licker. But can you Blake them? All those characters just ooze Cool. Heck, Wesker was Supposed to be a One-off Villain, in a One-off Game, But The Fans liked him so much They decided to bring him back... which is why I don't think Wesker actually Died I'm that Volcano, and will be back whenever they get around to RE9. Also, we need remakes of Zero(with online AND offline co-op replacing the Zapping system) and Code:Veronica... they just did 4, so now is the perfect time.

[@GothGobbo]

Garrus Vakarian and Tali'Zorah from Mass Effect. Sure, BioWare really pushed Liara to be the Alien Face of the franchise, and she's great, but those two really stole the spotlight. Edited to clarify: On cover for the Legendary Edition, Garrus is right there in the middle, taking up the most space after a (helmeted) Shepard. Granted I misremembered Tali's sizing and placement to being more comparable to his.

[@Gamer3427]

There's a reason that while they pushed for Liara to be the face, Tali and Garrus are available as party members in all three of the main games, and even get their own romance if you don't go for either of them. They were easily the fan favorites and Bioware realized and embraced that.

[@jaredjames55]

I was gonna say. Claiming BG3 party members are the best in the world is real bold in a universe with Mass effect

[@aelechko]

Drunk Tali is the best Tali

[@nickelakon5369]

Not what the video is about Neither of them are mascots/face of the series, Shepard is.

[@shadowcat1606]

Nah... the face of THAT franchise are the Default-Sheps.

[@valetboy21]

Shout out to Minsk from the first two Baldur's Gate. Him and Boo were the best and I didn't know anyone who didn't have this team in their party.

[@fendelphi]

I would even go so far as to say that Boo is closer to being iconic than Minsk. So many pets have been named Boo since then. "Go for the eyes, Boo!"

[@xstarsystemsx]

20 years later and i still quote him from time to time

[@VonBlade]

*cough* *Minsc.

[@MyUsualComment]

Also, they're in BG3.

[@nicholasfarrell5981]

@@MyUsualComment and got a busted card in the Magic: the Gathering collaboration set.

[@Tikuros]

The Isabella - Doom guy mash up was the prequel to the Barbenheimer meme. Eternal and New Horizons came out the same day, middle of the pandemic so people needed something crazy and spirit lifting. Therefore the cross-over meme was born

[@nicholaswhaling7233]

Basically me moving from shooters like Unreal Tournament to farming sims like Stardew Valley and Rune Factory.

[@errorcrj110]

Didn't Doom and New Leaf also come out in the same year? Even if not on the same day

[@Metal_Sign-Friday_Patchouli]

@@errorcrj110 that's why it was the prequel to the barbenheimer meme.

[@alexstockwell4349]

Slimes from the Dragon Quest series. Started as the basest mook in the first game, then they started adding more and more variations, until we ended up with DOZENS.

[@ThatShaggyMatt]

Look, I know I'm only one person. But I will be one person to stand up for Lord Raptor. HE HAS A GUITAR WITH TEETH, AND HIS LEG TURNS INTO A CHAINSAW.

[@gregmilne4378]

I always thought he was really cool. No idea why he's getting singled out for negativity here.

[@CoconutCreamPie953]

Honestly, he is also my favorite, and this game had such unique characters that darkstalkers should be revived for at least one more game or their characters should appear in street fighter (playable fighters not costumes). It kinda sucks that Morrigan was one of the only darkstalkers other then jeddah to get a recent playable appearance, and that kinda sucks because in my opinion I felt like she was one of my least favorite characters in the roster.

[@zigazav1]

About the fan canon that Isabelle and Doomguy being good friends, that may have been started by the fact both Animal Crossing New Horizons and Doom Eternal, were to be released on the same day, but both games ended up getting delayed, if I remember right. Nonetheless, this headcanon was acknowledged by I think an official Twitter account tied to Doom, where they commented on the fact despite Doom and Animal Crossing being drastically different games, they are thankful such differences of fanbases, can form such a connection in harmony. I forget the actual words that account had stated, but it was something close to that.

[@Blitz6029]

So like a video game Barbenheimer?

[@dweebicusmaximus]

@@Blitz6029yes, it was very much the original Barbenheimer. Fanart, in jokes and everything

[@bloodwolfgaming9269]

It's even funnier to think that the memes and all that not only lead to the game devs admitting that Isabelle and Doom Guy not only became best friends, but ultimately made it canon that the two got married.

[@jardex2275]

They did release the same day. I distinctly going into Best Buy to get my AC preorder, and Picked up Doom Eternal on a whim because I knew lockdowns were going to be starting soon.

[@deityjc]

Ghost from Modern Warfare 2 comes to my mind. He wasn't a playable character, just a side character that only appeared in the one game (prior to the reboot). He was so iconic in MW2 that they made an entire game featuring his namesake and characters that wore ghost masks same as him, and cosmetics in multiplayer, though he wasn't the only MW2 character to have that. He even had a dog named after him and I believe was referenced in Infinite Warfare, which was the next game made by Infinity Ward. Ghost finally made a return in Modern Warfare 2022 with a new mask, though his old mask was used briefly at the end of the game. All that for a character that died in the first game he was introduced and was never playable outside of multiplayer cosmetics, a treatment that no other Call of Duty character ever received.

[@fredbyoutubing]

That's a good call. I think they knew they had to make one cool recognizable team member for his death to have more emotional impact. But I suspect they didn't think he'd be more iconic than Captain Price.

[@filmandfirearms]

I've never played a COD game in my life, I was always more of a Battlefield guy, but I still know who Ghost is, along with Soap and Cpt Price

[@alexandersmit4256]

Of course, I shan't disrepect Sunbro and his jolly cooperation, but Onionbro holds a special place in my heart. His story even has a (for Dark Souls) happy ending. His descendant is also delightful in DS3, with a similarly happy end. Obviously not as iconic, though.

[@EmperorSeth]

I would argue that Patches is more the main mascot of the whole Soulsborne series, since they managed to work him into nearly every game they've made, including Bloodborne and Elden Ring.

[@alexandersmit4256]

@@EmperorSeth Sure, but if you pop a Patches Squat, there'll be precious few people who know what you're doing. Y-pose, and everybody and their mother knows. You probably shouldn't try to emulate Patches' other, more prominent, trademark. Then they'll be confused AND angry. And this list was specifically about who the players feel is the mascot, not the devs.

[@JT_Lich]

I'd also like to point out that Solaire is one of the only (iirc) characters from a non-Nintendo series (at least, before the remaster came to Switch) that has an amiibo figure.

[@minaashido518]

Pac-Man and sonic too I mention this purely so I can point out that pac man is the only compatible amiibo with little nightmares Let that sink in

[@greenhydra10]

@@minaashido518 The yellow guy that likes to eat stuff? I'm sure that's a coincidence.

[@jardex2275]

Not counting the 3rd party Smash fighters, Shovel Knight, Monster Hunter, Diablo, Skylanders, Mega Man, and Kelloggs cereal are the other series with Amiibo reps. Monster Hunter has the most by far, followed by Shovel Knight and Skylanders. The rest just have a single figure.

[@wildstarfish3786]

​@@jardex2275Skylanders don't count they're an entirely separate toys-to-life line

[@PossiblyCoolAnimations]

Shovel knight amibos exist Edit: oh wait nevermind someone already mentioned it

[@MattiaBulgarelli]

Well, in Darkstalkers Felicia is EVEN LESS clothed than Morrigan, technically... so there's more. (I love all Darkstalkers characters, BTW)

[@Paulafan5]

I thought Felicia was more popular when Darkstalkers first came out. Maybe she's second, but not that far behind.

[@VonBlade]

Whether it's Morrigan or Felicia that win the popularity, Demitri was the face of Darkstalkers so either works

[@Chris_Sizemore]

@@Paulafan5 Felicia has been in almost as many Marvel vs Capcom games as Morgan.

[@codmanout9861]

Yeah, same here@@Paulafan5

[@HelpTheWretched]

I always chose Felicia because her name is a Cat Joke and I got the joke. (Or Demitri because he seemed to be the Ryu/Ken type)

[@personhi1011]

I don't know, Punk Rock Zombie sounds like a pretty sick fighting game character to me

[@Erwooten23]

Handsome Jack, Mr. Torgue, Madd Moxie and Tiny Tina in Borderlands 2. Basically anyone else except the main characters.

[@angelitabecerra]

Claptrap as well

[@aq5426]

As I have repeatedly said: Cayde riding the ENTIRE SECURITY OFFICE of the Prison of Elders all the way down to the bottom is the single most Cayde thing that he has ever done. Seeya in The Final Shape, old buddy.

[@Gamer3427]

Not going to lie, I don't get into Destiny's lore much, (them cutting so much of it from Destiny 2 if you didn't pick it up until later is a big part of it), and I'm on and off again on even playing the game because the grind loop gets old quick. All that said, even I'm excited to see what they plan on doing with Cayde and the story for The Final Shape.

[@etxgaming2303]

I stopped playing after he died but I'm starting to get back into it. I hope he really does come back and it's not some "spirit guide" bs for one season.

[@Fredy--]

Why does he need to send in the cavalry when he is the cavalry

[@lugismansion2400]

i feel like Sargent Johnston should deserve at least a mention since he felt more like a side character in Halo 1 than a main character he is well known for in the Bungee Halos so when he got more popular, he got more lines and more story dedicated to his character before his unfortunate demise in Halo 3

[@fredbyoutubing]

I was thinking of him too. They literally brought him back to life for Halo 2 and built extensive lore in the books to explain how he survived and why he's such a badass.

[@fyzxnerd]

As a Destiny Vet, the entirety of the Cayde-6 section is quite true. Nathan Fillion nailed the Space Cowboy charm and made Cayde a beloved character.

[@greenhydra10]

Jack Frost for the SMT and Persona series. No one is immune to the hee-horde from hell.

[@christophernugent8492]

He he ho!

[@Twilord_]

Jack Frost, Pikachu and Agumon all basically pulled the same trick, fitting since Pokémon is basically running SMT through a Nintendo Late-90s Collectathon filter and Digimon is running SMT through a Bandai Late-90s V-Pet filter. Tyrannomon was the mascot for the original Digital Monster V-Pet... then about two years later they got a console game with its pre-evolution Agumon as one of the starters... ... and just over half a year later they got a promotional anime mini-series with the main characters Agumon evolving to its other Champion, Greymon... ... and then said Anime was so popular it stopped being a mini-series, pretty much sealing Tyrannomon's fate.

[@Stephen-Fox]

...Considering he's practically become a mascot not just to SMT but for Atlus, yeah...

[@ultimatecalibur]

@@Twilord_ Agumon/Greymon/Metal Greymon was always the default mascot. The version1 V-pet (there were 6 versions released in the beginning) had Agumon->Greymon->Metal Greymon as the "perfect" raising path. Tyranomon was the almost completely fail raising Agumon result (you needed to make lots of care mistakes, under train, overfeed while letting it sleep as it wants).

[@Twilord_]

@@ultimatecalibur But Tyrannomon was used more in the advertising. He was the Adult on the original box art, not Greymon, and in line with Tamagotchi's mascot being Mametchi the Adult phase was the one inclined to get promotion. Remember Kabuterimon was the perfect-care line for Gabumon with Garurumon in the same slot as Tyrannomon... ... unless you want to argue THAT was the change? That Matt having a Garurumon was a sort of retcon of Gabumon's healthiest line? Or, perhaps more interestingly, that Matt's character development was so badly needed that Gabumon didn't get his healthiest evolution of that synergy? But then where would that leave Izzy, unless his heartbreak over being adopted had a similar impact... after-all their scans that had their perfect partners made for them were based on versions of them from before their family dramas... But that gets waaaay into fan theory.

[@littlebear274]

The funny thing about Pikachu is that every generation after the first has some Pokemon that tries to riff on what makes Pikachu visually appealing (Dedenne, Emolga, Minun and Plusle, Pachirisu, Pawmi...) and they never managed to even remotely capture the same popularity... until Mimikyu, the Pokemon that's literally just another Pokemon wearing a sheet with some Pikachu-like scribbles on it, the most half-assed effort at imitating Pikachu ever.

[@Blueberryyymuffin]

Mimikyu is still the best

[@annana6098]

Mimikyu is so sad and pathetic in its attempts to be the next Pikachu that it wraps back around to the positive end of the scale. And I'm not a big fan of it, but I have to give the design points for honesty: "we keep trying to make a Pokemon as loved as Pikachu, and they're all sad and neglected, so here's a Pokemon that just embodies that energy."

[@niofo7713]

i'm surprised you didn't mention one that is the most baffling to me, cullen rutherford from dragon age. he was this creepy, unhinged rando in the first game, got ever more unhinged and bloodthirsty in the second, and suddenly in inquisition he's this pretty white boy knight in shining armor romance option and got a whole ass wedding ceremony in the dlc, while even the romancable companions didn't get it. i'm just so flabbergasted that instead of inventing just a new pretty white boy character to be a representation of a "good templar" they picked a guy who advocated for two separate genocides and never showed any particular regret over it.

[@Brittanysplittany]

I’m a big fan of Cullen, but I get your perspective for sure. I see it as character growth! Personally, I like to pair him with a mage in Inquisition as a sort of closure to his arc.

[@niofo7713]

@@Brittanysplittany yeah, i absolutely see it, redemption arcs can be great! my issue is kinda that he doesn't really have a redemption arc written in dai - he just shows up and we just have to take their word that he was redeemed offscreen and is now a good guy. it bothers me, bcos if they never wanted to write him a proper redemption arc on screen, why pick cullen instead of a new character, and if they wanted it, they never wrote it properly, there's no way to call him out or argue about what happened the way you can with for example blackwall. there are good fics that get into great detail about it, but in the actual game i feel like he, ironically, got a short end of a stick when it comes to actual character development. my issue is more with inconsistent writing than character idea per se.

[@lyinar]

I always took it as him seeing what the path he'd been on would lead to with Meredith at the end of DA2 and rethinking a LOT of his life.

[@KatieTP]

Just like how Producer Jon is the face of the Oxboxtra franchise!

[@joshuagrinsell149]

It’s been just over an hour since this video was uploaded. Someone should’ve modded Sheldon into Starfield by now and I demand proof

[@MatthewCSnow]

I would honesty say Karlach is a good contender for the rando becoming the face of the franchise for BG3. Unlike Astarion, she was a nobody with a different look/couldn't join you in the early access and has little promotional art (due to focusing on the early access companions). However, her tragic fighter of hell backstory, her figuratively and literal hotness, and her very wholesome personality won a lot of fan's/fan-artists hearts

[@molchmolchmolchmolch]

But ppl who haven't played the game don't know her. They recognize Astarion though. She looks extremely generic and forgettable.

[@deadfIag]

this isn't about who you are trying to ship, it's about generally recognizable things

[@NsyteIcyShadow]

​​@@molchmolchmolchmolchBut with that logic all of these picks except pikachu wouldn't exist. You would have to play the games (or watch videos) to even know any of these characters. Show pictures of all these characters to someone who doesn't play video games and I guarantee the only one they would possibly know is pikachu. Also weird of you to say a Tiefling with burn marks all over her body and a glowing engine inside of her is generic but basic elf vampire isn't. You appear to be unaware but Tieflings are resistant/immune to fire damage so seeing one with burnt flesh is a pretty rare sight. Tons of media exists with elven vampires though. Your comment also makes no sense because most of these characters became "the face of the franchise" because of the playerbase. The player concensus is what would matter and everyone I've ever talked to about the game says that Karlach is their favorite character including me.

[@tiacool7978]

@NsyteIcyShadow I don't have or play BG3, but the vampire guy is the only one I recognize.

[@Jillbles]

I can deny neither that I'd rather eat a bicycle than submit myself to the self-inflicted torture of playing a From game, nor that despite this, I am familiar with Solaire.

[@Silverheart575]

He may not be the face of the entire franchise, but Larry deserves an honourable mention for being the unintentional mascot of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

[@SirStanleytheStumbler]

Everyone stans Larry.

[@Silverheart575]

@@SirStanleytheStumbler you might want to remove the d in stans.

[@lnsflare1]

​@@Silverheart575Is this the work of an enemy Larry?!

[@Silverheart575]

@@lnsflare1 what?

[@Quiltfish]

I was ready to agree until I realized you weren't talking about Larry Laffer.

[@DiceSully]

Going back to the original Baldur's Gate game, you could say Boo, the miniaturised giant space hamster. Boo has made an appearance in many games, particularly Bioware. Referenced in dragon age, appears in Mass Effect and alongside his ranger companion minsc has a whole wealth of spin off comics, books, and a MTG card

[@claran3616]

And his ranger companion Minsc lol. We know who the REAL celebrity is here.

[@lyinar]

IIRC, Boo and Minsc were the first Baldur's Gate characters to end up featured in official D&D material.

[@Sergiorcj]

Not actually a rando, but fem Sheppard from Mass Effect didn't even have a face model until the last game and then she became the face AND VOICE of Sheppard.

[@joenesvick7043]

Am I glad the Legendary Edition not only included that face for the entire trilogy, but even our custom faces are now consistent. In the original, custom faces weren't importing well for me

[@MalfisByMidnight]

Luke Westaway. You say it in jest, but Luke is definitely the breakout star of the OXTRA continuity. He's an adult man doing adult man things, and for that I think he should be included on the next list.

[@thierryfux7318]

a normal adult man

[@Broll00]

Nah, it’s Ellen.

[@Jlerpy]

​@@Broll00Ellen is no rando. No offence, Luke...

[@aprilhoy4010]

She may not have quite taken over the franchise, but I feel like \\ Tall \\ Vampire \\ Lady warrants honorable mention.

[@jonatanmonsalve11]

I knew Sans had to be on the list. I suggest I similar topic for another video: "7 Randos that fans love, but developers ignore", and of course Waluigi would *have* to be there XD

[@MrFutago87]

I am 100% someone who asks for more Lord Raptor representation in Capcom games.

[@Chris_Sizemore]

Lord Raptor makes a surprisingly large number of cameos as a background character in Capcom's other fighting games. Well, mostly in the MvC series.

[@munohlow]

Fr I think he’s so cool, I must be missing something because I don’t get the criticism

[@Ghostmaker141]

Morrigan from Dragon Age. Was on the cover of Origins and had everyone hyped when she appeared on the trailer for Inquisition

[@vpong15]

Madam Dimitrescu shall not be forgotten

[@radfarlander]

For Borderlands its got to be Claptrap (CL4P-TP) followed closely by Tiny Tina everyone's favorite manic, adolescent explosives expert.

[@jdng86]

I'm glad someone finally said that about Slowking, we were all thinking it. Also my vote would go to Johnny Gat, going from one of your three coworkers to headlining his own game.

[@Krystal109]

Let's be honestly, Nathan Fillion makes every character 100x better.

[@healsallwounds]

A pretty good example from the Dragon Age series is Cullen Rutherford. He was just a minor NPC in the Circle of Magi, but he proved popular with ladies due to his crush on the main character (if you played a mage). He appeared in DA2 and was then promoted to love interest in DAI. He’s not the face of the franchise by any means, but still way more popular than the devs intended.

[@Ashtarte3D]

I'd argue that Astarion is very popular and part of that is because he was out for the entirety of Early Access, but Karlach came for his crown once the game released and has a pretty massive fanbase of her own being a rad ass barbarian with a sugary-sweet soft spot and some hilarious tantrum moments. She quickly became one of my favorite characters ever along side Tifa Lockhart, Lara Croft, Manny Calavera and Mordin Solus.

[@JBasilix]

Honestly as the game went on I liked Karlach less and less. She is to "good". With most characters you can measure their responses along theyr own personality. But Karlach can completely be measured with the Lawfull-Good alignment. Same goes for Wyll. They both are just to uncompromisingly good. No grey in there.

[@TheDapperDragon]

@@JBasilix And Astarion is too 'chaotic evil.' ESPECIALLY if you play Durge.

[@Broll00]

With my irl friends it is unquestionably true the Karlach is the fave by a mile. Also none of us touched it till launch.

[@butwhataboutdragons7768]

Sounds like the Morrigan thing from Dragon Age. Pretty much the face from the first game, yet I (and no doubt many others) really disliked her in the game because if you dare do anything above "complete asshole" she whines and complains about it. There was a "Morrigan disapproves -5" or something like that meme for a while. Funny how characters like this keep recurring. I haven't played BG3 yet but I can hardly ever play Evil characters, much less full Chaotic, so sounds like it's a character I just won't be able to appreciate.

[@NC-ij9rb]

Astarion got almost all us gaming girlies. Let's just say there's a reason it's called fangirling and not fanboying. 😂❤

[@shadowsilvertailsfan]

A true testament to Morrigan's popularity, I only knew of her from Marvel v Capcom, putting her on my team of Megaman, Spiderman, and Morrigan, lol

[@kadosho02]

Vampire Savior / Darkstalkers, is her origin tale sort of. The games have a mini story, but Morrigan also has another part of herself, getting into hijinx, Lilith. When she crosses into other realms, it is mostly for fun. Especially Capcom vs SNK. But she also has a thing for Spidey in MvC. Plus SNK vs Capcom: Chaos, where she is rendered in an SNK sprite. The only times she was not stuck in her old sprite form: Tatsunoko vs Capcom, MVC3, Namco x Capcom, and that function vs function: infinite

[@mikedangerdoes]

I think most people are surprised to learn she's from some other fighting game that mostly only gets remembered as her place of origin.

[@Chris_Sizemore]

I honestly hate that this video used footage from Marvel Infinite. Hearing Morgan with a Scottish accent is just wrong. I don't care that Capcom made it, Morgan should not sound like that.

[@shadowsilvertailsfan]

@@Chris_Sizemore do you know what her country of origin is? Because I know a lot of Street Fighter characters are like that where they have their country of origin. Is it scotland? Because even the Capcom says that decapre and Cammy are related, Decapre is from Russia

[@Chris_Sizemore]

@@shadowsilvertailsfan Morgan is a succubus. A Demon from Hell. I'd say its possible for all demons to be Scottish, but Jedah doesn't talk like that. And he is also from that same Hell. And the Darkstalkers series. And both are in MvC Infinite.

[@Ashect]

Cayde-6 becomes even more badass when his last words were, "How's your sister?" ..Because the villain who shot him is _only alive_ because she sacrificed herself for him protecting their people from a race called the Awoken.

[@MidlifeCrisisJoe]

OK I really have the perfect one for you guys on the fan feedback followup you need to do for this one: Gatekeeper from Fire Emblem 3 Houses. You just need look up the hilarious internet drama that revolved around this extremely minor NPC becoming the breakout king among the FE fan community a couple years ago. It's hilarious.

[@SSJ3CyLink]

He even got voted into FE heroes (mobile gacha game)

[@MidlifeCrisisJoe]

@@SSJ3CyLink Heck, not just that, he got inserted into the next Fire Emblem Warriors game as the ultimate hidden playable character to unlock. Again, despite being a completely minor NPC in the original game it was based around. People just liked him and his positive attitude that much!

[@TheSylvirr]

his voice actor (Kyle McCarley) is 100% aware of this, btw. His discord has a bunch of v cute Gatekeeper emotes (along with Nines, of course) and he's leaned into the mem himself wor a while. Great dude, highly suggest supporting him.

[@mrTii]

But Solaire's popularity *was* acknowledged. They made an amiibo of him.

[@l0stndamned]

I was kinda surprised to see Astarion as the pick for BG3. Nearly everyone I know is more of a Karlach fan (and let's not for get the owlbear)

[@MisterHanRPG]

Or Scratch for that matter.

[@vulture27fm]

Was coming down here to say the same thing.

[@baval5]

I literally have killed him almost every time for sticking a knife to my throat. ...It does help that I play an evil character though

[@O-D-X]

@@baval5 Hell, I don't even bother to talk to him ever.

[@cricketcalin]

Larian actually posted Gale is the most popular origin character and romance option.

[@CD-Gaming]

Funny thing is, Solaire is EXACTLY who I immediately thought of during the intro! And Pikachu when I saw it in my feed!

[@dugstarr5277]

Respect for the OLED joke, that would be a real tear jerker, Luke.

[@kitferran26]

not sure i would call astarion's popularity all that random. the senior narrative designer for bg3 had to step in and do a lot of writing for him, so their favoritism for the character is definitely reflected in how much unique content there is for him, given his relative insignificance to the main plot as compared to, say, wyll or laezel.

[@tinytitmouse7019]

Varric from Dragon Age, similar to Astarion, is a smooth talking rogue with a talented VA. Despite the controversy behind DA2 he’s one of the best parts of the game.

[@icarusty6481]

I would be remiss not to mention Aigis from Persona 3. She was just one of several party members in that game, but her story combined with her status as a cute robot girl lead to her become the main character of The Answer epilogue and the main representative of Persona 3 in most spin-offs.

[@nicholaswhaling7233]

My favorite mechanized infantry woman.

[@dr.nottanownudder]

You forgot Tiny Tina from Borderlands franchise!! I hardly remember any of the main characters, but remember her crazy little self. That's why we got D N D version of borderlands named Wonderlands

[@oraclle]

Luke coming in with the clutch young person reference of *checks notes* Jamiroquai

[@KalijahAnderson]

If you do another one in this series, don't forget Elden Ring 'Let me solo her'. That guy is more recognizable to the populace than most of the bosses.

[@Roccondil]

Only if they start counting player-made characters... he might have been a meme, but he didn't take over being the face of a game/series anywhere near as much as any of the characters mentioned in the video, since he was never encountered in-game by anyone but the player who created him.

[@calebnewman8872]

I went to the store with my 1 year old. I just showed her different stuffed animals and gauged which one to get by her reaction.......she now carries her Pikachu everywhere now. She chose her starter. It was only then that i really appreciated just how well designed he is.

[@DreadWulfie]

Larian and Neil Newbon did such an amazing job with Astarion; it's been a long while since I loved a character this much. 💜

[@O-D-X]

It has been a long time since I loathed a character so much.

[@AgentParsec]

11:28 -- "...one of Capcom's, quote, 'least dressed female characters'..." Compeltely ignoring Felicia in the next shot

[@NocturnalDecay]

Jack Frost from SMT has to be my favorite example of this. He was literally just a weird little guy whi first appeared back in Megami Tensei II and now he's the face of not only the franchise, but the company itself. Kind of insane

[@mckayleepugmire9947]

Observed pattern: Pikachu: cute and powerful Cade-6: funny and cool Isabelle: in a memorable position, helpful, earnest, and cute Astarion: surprising, and attractive to some players Morigan: strong, and the most human looking character in her game Sans: funny, and surprising Solair: tone relief Conclusion: cute, funny characters that lighten the mood and help you are good

[@bretth342]

How could you forget arguably the greatest example of this ever: Dob the Half-Orc Bard

[@scottsoutham825]

Probably was recorded before it happened, but Neil Newborn even won an award for Astarion.

[@brigwe616]

its always a treat to watch Luke do math, it's incredibly relatable

[@Benjamin1986980]

Emil for Nier. His face is even Yoko Taros official mask for all appearances

[@fixedG]

Never more deserved than with Solaire. Praise the Sun.

[@matthewrowlett1564]

Ah yes... that guy I killed. Screw the Sun, Praise The MOON! Honestly, I didn't even use the item he dropped. It did get me some Profit when sold, though.

[@VetrDraugr]

​@@matthewrowlett1564you didn't manage to save him? Shame

[@matthewrowlett1564]

@@VetrDraugr Didn't. Even. Try. I honestly disliked the character. Too... Sunny. I prefer my Grimdark Fantasy games to be Grim and Dark. There's no place for THOSE TYPES in the setting, except as Cannon Fodder and Living Shields... and Solaire was Useless, and couldn't be used for either of those. Its Like Sticking A Paw Patrol character In A Devil May Cry game... Humorous? Absolutely, But it wouldn't be Alive very long.(though personally, those mods for certain games that turn enemies into cartoon characters make me laugh like a maniac... Halo, but all the Enemies are Toy-story characters is a good one, though its been taken down because DISNEY... Walk into a room full of Brutes... but they're all Woody and Buzz... Plasma grenade. Ah... the Therapeutic Carnage...) BUT YEAH... I hated Solaire. Almost as much as the Swamp... ALMOST. God, do I hate FromSoftware and their obsession with poison swamps...

[@fox_four]

What about the creeper from minecraft ? I mean, the entire reason he was even added was because of a bug

[@MichaelSmith-hf2qp]

The cake! Not a character, but arguably the face of the series. Over a decade later we still see "the cake is a lie" Easter eggs.

[@davidhigdon794]

Not sure it counts, but tangential to the Pokemon one is Monster Rancher. Suezo was pretty clearly intended to be the mascot of the first game, but it's been battling with Mocchi for that honor since the latter's introduction. Several boxarts have Mocchi front-and-center, while Suezo was THE monster on the Monster Rancher 4 boxart.

[@last_dutch_hero258]

Can we also apreciate what madness Deep Rock Galactic has brought? “For Karl!” was just a random voiceline, and has become the biggest enigma for the entire series 🤔

[@hoobastank404]

That jacket line at 14:15 absolutely killed me! Well done.

[@HelloThere-gm9xy]

Have I ever told you the definition of insanity? Not putting *Vaas gosh dang Montenegro* from Far Cry 3 on this list!! Homie wasn’t even the head villain of his game but ended up becoming the face of the entire franchise

[@BaileyBPF]

I remember being absolutely mindblown watching Totalbiscuit, may he rest in eternal peace, introduce Far Cry 3 way back when. Vaas was the character that made a great and innovative game iconic and unforgettable.

[@jardex2275]

Pretty sure it was planned. He's on the cover of the game, and they even ran a promotion where they gave away free copies of the game to people that got a Vaas hair shave.

[@Drowzeeking04]

Kinda surprised Sweet Tooth from Twisted Metal isn't on here. Considering in the fourth game he literally takes over the tournament from Calypso.

[@boobah5643]

Heck, by the second game the final boss is inspired by him. He's also a secret character, for whatever reason. He's not OP like Minion; he's not super weak like Grasshopper or Twister; he's just meh.

[@lokiofdohmend996]

I would say Leon S. Kennedy from the Resident Evil series. In a franchise filled with amazing characters, I think Leon comes to mind first for most people.

[@420sakura1]

Is Leon a Gary Stu?

[@heidisparklebottom]

cos we keep hearing someone shout LEEEEON! it's embedded in our brain😂

[@jaded718]

A+ misdirect to make it look like Tom Nook is the face of Animal Crossing before putting up Isabelle's name

[@firetoacat]

What about Johnny Gat from the Saint Rows series? Sure, he did kick a lot of butt, making him a semi rando, but people liked him well enough that when he died in the third game, they brought him back in the fourth and gave him his own spin off game.

[@Mendoza-yi6qk]

To be fair Astarion's name literaly starts with: A Star.

[@mosqapuccino]

Sad for Zavala, who has become quite an appreciated figure in Destiny’s past years, a couple of seasons developing his "melancholic giant" aspect, which was tragically enhanced by the death of his beloved voice actor. Sure, he didn’t become the face of the franchise, more of a refined acquired taste. But he deserves a tattoo…

[@mantis638]

Probably the second most popular Pokémon in the franchise is Eevee. That is why they made the Lets go series be between pikachu and Eevee.

[@SirStanleytheStumbler]

Greninja: Am I a joke to you?

[@mantis638]

@@SirStanleytheStumbler while I can’t deny he is popular, it’s probably not nearly as popular as Eevee. Look at all the merchandising, promotional material, and so much things Eevee themed compared to greninja.

[@naomiskilling1093]

I'd argue Eevee is more of a "rando" than Pikachu. Eevee didn't have the boost of being made the mascot and the only thing that was special about it was its sheer amount of Eeveelutions then suddenly Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness comes out and its elevated to a starter alongside Pikachu then its been Pikachu's opposite ever since.

[@VeronicaWarlock]

@@naomiskilling1093Eevee seems like a Pokémon that was more designed to be a face of the franchise, or at least less of a rando, because of its adaptability. But instead we got the very niche “electric mouse” first, with Eevee tagging along late.

[@FUTBALLZAK]

Second most is obviously Charizard. It's the only rival to Pikachu's popularity. Eevee is another Gen 1 Mascot that the Pokemon anime introduced as the counterpart to Ash's Pikachu through Gary though, and that idea has stuck.

[@kayleighhunter5025]

Beat from the Jet Set Radio series. He is a part of the crew early on in the game, but is still a member of the GG's. They had so many choices, including a skating dog!

[@alexdupaix]

I think the only bg3 companion close to Astarion in popularity is Karlach. Shes fun too.

[@DodderingOldMan]

Shadowheart's pretty popular too. And personally my favourite is Gale. And Wyll is tragically underrated. Honestly all the companions in that game are incredibly good characters.

[@LuriTV]

Shadowheart is leading most of the most useful companion, most beloved character AND favourite love interest lists I've seen.

[@alexdupaix]

@LuriTV I mean no disrespect to the others. They are quite fantastic and charming.

[@Broll00]

Karlach is the unquestioned fave in my friend group so much that I was shocked when Astarion was brought up at all.

[@O-D-X]

ASS-tarion never even gets an invite to my camp. He is a completely forgotten character in my dozen playthroughs.

[@andrewvirtue5048]

17:07 I just seen his shirt says "good guy" and then I thought: "wait... is that like chucky? as in childs play?" Then i notice "oohhhh his collar says it all" Nice shirt.

[@velveteendragon4824]

No game can escape the Shrek-ening.

[@SirStanleytheStumbler]

Or Thomas the Tank Engining, or Darth Vadering

[@velveteendragon4824]

The (Un)Holy Triumvirate of our time.

[@davidmcgill1000]

I miss the Randy Savaging.

[@Darkprosper]

More games should have the Tommy Wiseau-ening, best part of Skyrim and not even made by Bethesda.

[@dannybaruela]

I haven't bought Balder's Gate 3 yet, so this video is how I learned I've been mentally mispronouncing "Astarion" this whole time.

[@OmegaSpider227]

How were you pronouncing it previously?

[@jayme3181]

@@OmegaSpider227 Colin

[@kaniamia]

To be fair, Luke mispronounces it too.

[@dannybaruela]

​@@OmegaSpider227 More of an Americanized version of how Luke says it, I guess? uh-STARE-Ian (like a guy named Ian.)

[@mikeydangerous8808]

Chalkeaters’ “DoomCrossing” video with Isabelle is still the best thing to come out of the Pandemic, save for both those epic game releases…

[@taylor3950]

Clefairy is my favorite Pokémon but 1:57 is a horror I will never unsee.

[@azureskyblade1106]

I refuse to believe Larian Studios didn't see that coming with Astarion. He's the scoundrel rogue AND a vampire. Only way they could've made him more "mainstream appeal" would be to add like an eyepatch or something.

[@raikaria3090]

I mean he IS front and centre in the key art...

[@ericcraft1494]

How you said kingdom of lies with such a stright face was honestly the funniest thing

[@apcsox]

You really should’ve put Cayde’s “how’s your sister?” line right before Uldren shoots him. Because THAT just shows how much of a comical loose cannon he really was

[@DigidesteinedSayian]

My immediate thought is Jack Front of Shin Megami Tensei, who is a cute little waving snowman with a hat and one of the starter enemies. He's now the series mascot, Atlus's unofficial mascot, and was technically one of the first SMT demons to make it stateside in Jack Bros.

[@SlashGriever]

Hee-Hoo it's Frost! not Front. Hoo

[@raikaria3090]

I'm pretty sure Jack Frost is Atlus' *official* mascot actually.

[@jembozaba4864]

I would've thought the breakout companion of BG3 is Karlach. She's such a sweetie

[@yarion4774]

Yeah, but Astarion's perfomance is phenomenal. He is just very sassy and fun asa character. I personally don't like him, but all his little interjections or optional dialogue is hilarious. Additionally,Karlach wasn't even available as a character throughout early access. She is best girl, tho.

[@jembozaba4864]

@@yarion4774 I’m playing through with my friend at the moment. And almost every decision I make has me thinking before hand “what will make Karlach happy”. I love the times she just hums to herself. If only there was an option to use all that other kind of infernal iron to permanently fix her engine.

[@linkhyrule5800]

Solaire himself might not appear in the sequels, but in both Dark Souls 2 and 3 he's earned a covenant of followers that has survived untold millenia and multiple cycles of the world. They may not remember his name, but they remember _who he was_ , and honestly, I think that's all he would have wanted. It turns out, jolly cooperation is an incredibly powerful thing.