They’re just lil’ guys!
For too long, we have taken for granted the cute sidekick in video games, and now we’re here to put that injustice right. Where would our protagonists be without their trusty steed, their loyal companion, or even an NPC or enemy that lures you in to proclaim, “awwww”? Nowhere, that’s where. And, they aren’t in it for the glory. No, no, no. They exist for the love of the game.
Let’s give them some love.
I only have two rules for this list:
That means that, for all that I love them and they are cute lil’ guys in the abstract, I will be foregoing the likes of Kirby, Astro Bot, Pikmin, and, I dunno, that God-like dog from Humanity. This list is an ode to the lil’ guy, both in name and stature.
However, I will be including side characters who have had their own spin-offs. I’ll give you an example. Timon and Pumbaa had their own TV series, right? They are in no way the main characters of The Lion King. Sure, they were great, but that’s not the point. Simba, Mufasa, Scar, and Nala are the principals of that movie. Apply that same logic to video games and you get it.
You get it.
Yes, I know I’ve defined the rule badly. You know exactly what I mean, so stop yer bellyaching. Both small in stature compared to the main protagonist and having the energy of a cute little dude or dudette that I may or may not have bought as a plushie at some point. Or a figurine. Or a LEGO set. Or I created it myself with my own bare hands because I’m obsessed with that little guy.
I don’t have a problem.
TO THE RANKING!
BK is a raccoon that brings chaos to Donut County. The premise of the game is to follow orders from the Trash King, cleaning up different environments by swallowing the town piece by piece. You control a hole which grows larger and larger as more “trash” falls into it, and BK is the raccoon bro who guides you through each level. He’s got an attitude, a remote control, and a quadcopter. This lil’ guy has it all. Also, he eats donuts and drinks coffee. HE’S LIKE ME!!!
Okay, okay. You got me. This is very much a personal pick, but I grew up on the Monkey Island games. They ruled, providing hilarious point-and-click adventures from the one and only Guybrush Threepwood (mighty pirate). In Monkey Island 3, Murray was introduced. Once an undead crewmate of the evil pirate LeChuck, Murray’s skeletal body was destroyed by a cannon, and he became a lone, sassy, inept skull. He hates everyone and everything, but, damn, does he own all of it. From then on, Murray is just a recurring guy in the series, and I couldn’t be happier to see him whenever I find him.
First found in The Maw in Little Nightmares, the Nomes are jumpy lil’ guys dressed in all white (or a dirty browny gray). Some of them will try to befriend you, and some of them will run the hell away, scared of their own shadow. It’s only to be expected, living in the precarious environments of Little Nightmares. Tarsier Studios gave us exactly what we wanted as well. They allowed Six, the playable character, to HUG THE NOMES! Awwww, making friends is cute.
Cha-Cha, a lost child from the Shakalaka tribe within the Deserted Island, made his debut in Monster Hunter Tri. Aiding the player character in their quests, Cha-Cha brings the twee factor to hunting gigantic fiends throughout the game. Usually sporting an acorn mask and a staff donning a cute little monster head on top, Cha-Cha is the perfect amuse-bouche for the stressful hunts.
One of the most useless lil’ guys on this list, the grubs from Hollow Knight are little more than collectibles. However, I gots to free these green larvae from their fishbowl-like captivity. Hollow Knight sometimes even plays a trick on you, with mimic-like enemies camouflaging as these adorable dudes. The sounds they make are my siren’s song, and you better believe I took time out from exploring Hallownest to seek them out, even if it ultimately led to my doom.
Stop looking at me funny. This is a legitimate pick! Quit laughing!
These lil’ guys are your shopkeepers in Bloodborne, as helpful as they can be for creatures that can only materialize out of a bird bath in the Hunter’s Dream. Not only that, but they can also wear hats, offer you their wares, and even applaud you. That’s right! These lil’ guys are the most encouraging NPCs in Bloodborne. Maybe they aren’t that nice to look at, but pfft. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
One of the more recent lil’ guys on this list, appearing in Star Wars: Outlaws, Nix is your alien companion as you traverse the Star Wars scoundrel universe. Just like other companions on this list, Nix can help you out by causing distractions, aiding in solving puzzles, or even distracting guards in hellacious stealth sections. Ubisoft scored a rare win with the design of this lil’ fellow.
Yoshi’s canine friend Poochy has been a staple in the little green dinosaur’s games since Yoshi’s Island. This funny-looking dog has a spotted coat, spiked collar, big lips and a giant tongue, along with a little red ball at the end of its tail. Poochy is just the bestest boy in the whole wide world. Yes he is! Yes he is! Ahem…. But, specifically, the version of Poochy from Yoshi’s Woolly World is my choice for this lil’ guy list.
Side-scrolling puzzle game, Planet of Lana introduced Mui, a cat-like creature that helps you traverse a world inhabited by murderous robots. Invoking an art style akin to that of a Studio Ghibli movie, this game is gorgeous. The Miyazaki vibe extends to the design of Mui, curling the tail up into an adorable spiral. Mui is a well-designed lil’ guy that would look great on that shelf of plushies you’ve got.
Rinwell’s owlet companion in Tales of Arise, Hootle, induces an overdose in adorableness. Before Rinwell joins the party, Hootle is her only friend, but what other friend could you possibly need? Hootle also alerts the player if another owlet is nearby, a collectible in the game that grants you rewards in the Owl Forest. A whole forest full of these lil’ guys is sure to brighten your day.
How could I not include Sparx the dragonfly? Spyro the Dragon’s trusty winged friend has been with us since the beginning, helping us find treasure, telling us how many hits we can take before we keel over and die, and munching up butterflies. More than that, though, because Sparx is comparatively one of the littlest guys on this list, and, despite being an insect, it retains its cuteness. And, let’s face it, for sheer longevity, Sparx has to be on this list.
When you die in The Messenger, it’s not “Game Over.” That doesn’t often happen these days, after all. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t punished, and that’s where Quarble comes in. This handsome little demon takes a revival tax from you, receiving payment for your resurrection out of your collected income until it’s satisfied. I could never be mad at them, though. He’s just a lil’ guy.
Don’t you dare tell me that Tonberry doesn’t belong on this list! I played Final Fantasy 7 Remake and got my ass whooped by this little lizard guy with his tiny knife a bunch of times. It made me nope out of the game, but the Tonberry is the epitome of lil’ guy energy. Look at him! His vibe belies its murderous tendencies, and that is what makes it so freaking dangerous.
First appearing in Sonic Adventure, the Chao are evolved from the surviving ancients. I have no idea how or why these dudes naturally selected into these diminutive, fairy-like creatures, but I’m here for it. The Chao tend to hang around in Chao Gardens, and that means you can see a bunch of the lil’ guys all in the same place! Be careful not to stay there too long, though, or else you’ll never want to leave!
NEVA!
Maybe I’m stretching some rules here because Neva grows over the course of the story, but he definitely begins as merely a baby. It’s your job to teach your best friend Neva morality and to be brave in the face of danger. In those early chapters, our eponymous pupper must be protected at all costs. He’s just a scared lil’ guy without a mom to help him find his way in the world, and you, the human, must step into that role.
Hi-Fi Rush is a terrific action rhythm game with a fantastic art style from Tango Gameworks. You know, that studio that was shut down after critical praise from all quarters? Luckily, Tango was revived, because now we might get a sequel to Hi-Fi Rush. The main character, Chai, makes friends with 808, a mechanical cat that can help him in battles by assisting directly or just keeping the beat by acting like a metronome. The little cat-bot is totes adorbs.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order introduced us to a new droid that would serve as the protagonist’s (Cal Kestis) loyal partner. That’s nothing new for Star Wars, right? We’ve had R2D2, C-3PO, the war criminal Chopper, and the list goes on. But this droid was different. BD-1 is a diminutive droid that helps Cal out with puzzles, provides him with stims to heal, opens up shortcuts, and scans the living hell out of the environment to fill out maps and log entries. It does it all, and looks and sounds great doing it.
The Rot are not just collectibles; they give Kena a multitude of different abilities for puzzle solving and combat. These lil’ guys are found hiding under rocks, hanging out with frogs, and being adorable. The developers, Ember Lab, knew exactly what they had with The Rot. They put cosmetics in the game so you can dress them in little hats and masks, and it even has this mechanic where you can have Kena sit down and play with all her little friends. The Rot are goated.
How could I not include one of the most well-known little guys around, Toad? Sure, he’s got his own game, and you could argue that he is his own man. Would he contribute to society if he were left to his own devices? Nah! Mario’s sidekick would be floundering around the Mushroom Kingdom, directionless and depressed without that Italian plumber. And, once you accept that Toad qualifies in this list, you gotta say he’s the most prestigious lil’ guy, dripping in video game history.
But, he’s not my number one…
PIIIIIIIIKKKAAAAACHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!
Maybe I’m a basic b*tch, but there was only one winner here, right? There’s a reason The Pokémon Company made the yellow lightning guy their mascot out of the hundreds of different lil’ guys they’ve designed over the years. The anime had a lot to do with making Pikachu the lil guy they are today, but let me remind you about Pokémon Yellow. He was your GUY, and you were his. Pikachu is the best lil’ guy of all.
Pikachu. I Pika-CHOOSE-YOU!
I’ll see myself out.
