Video games can immediately become ten times more amazing once developers add dogs to them. There are some franchises out there that are solely remembered for their iconic canines.
It doesn’t matter if the dog is a boss, a playable character, an anthropomorphic being, or a machine. In the list below, we shall be listing some of our favorite and popular dogs from across video game history.
The Bestest, Goodest Boys In Video Games
Diamond Dog (Metal Gear Solid V)
Metal Gear Solid is surely one of the most popular video game series of all time, but did you know one of the games also introduces players to an important canine ally? Diamond Dog appears in Metal Gear Solid V, which is supposed to be the missing final game that connects timelines.
We get to see this furry friend grow up from his youth as a small puppy to one of the most well-trained soldiers and a companion to Snake. Diamond Dog sports an eye patch mirroring the look of Big Boss, making him one of the best dog designs in video games.
PaRappa (PaRappa the Rapper)
There was once a time when rappers were afraid of dissing one of the genre’s greatest, that is, PaRappa. Maybe that is not a bad joke, considering PaRappa the Rapper is still considered one of the most important rhythm games ever.
Besides, PaRappa himself is one of the best dogs in video games ever. Being the main character of his own title, he must pass through all the levels by winning rap battles against other opponents. PaRappa fans still yearn for a new entry in the franchise or at least a remaster of this classic game.
Mira (Silent Hill 2)
Dogs can also be good comedians and trolls in video games. Such is the iconic role of Mira, the shiba inu from Konami’s Silent Hill 2. It’s a dog that appears in one of the non-canon joke endings of the game, where it is revealed that it was responsible for all the events of the game.
Even though Silent Hill 2 is a very serious game and jokes can fall off in bad terms considering the themes that it tackles, fans never raised a finger towards the shiba inu ending. In fact, she has become one of the best dogs in video games because of how adorable she is.
Sif (Dark Souls)
Sif is definitely one of the best dogs in video games ever. Even the developers who created the Souls series, thus inventing a new sub-genre of action games, are constantly guilty of going back to the Grey Wolf’s design in their other games.
We get to meet this massive good boy in the Artorias of the Abyss DLC for the game. Players instantly fell in love with the dog after piecing together the lore behind it. Sif is one of the most loyal dogs in all of gaming, always protecting the grave of Artorias till death did them part.
Amaterasu (Okami)
So far, all the dogs we talked about on this list were sub-characters in their respective video games. Now we are going to talk about a popular canine who is the main character in her own series. We are, of course, talking about Amaterasu from Okami.
She is one of the most popular dogs in video games and has appeared in multiple series before, including a fighting game. Besides, she is a literal deity in real-life Shinto culture, making her a divine dog in the history of video games.
If you have not delved into the Okami games yet, then it’s the perfect time to catch up, because a new entry in the series is currently in the works.
Annoying Dog (Undertale)
You might have come across the character of Annoying Dog online through meme culture, because he is one of the most recognized pieces of pixel art in video games. But beyond that, he is also a fan favorite dog in gaming history.
Just like Amaterasu and Sif, we see the Annoying Dog appear in multiple instances throughout Toby Fox’s games. But his most iconic appearance will always be as this cute white shiba inu who constantly appears to troll one of the characters in the game.
The creator of Deltarune and Undertale is a huge fan of the Annoying Dog himself, as he constantly makes use of the dog’s face as his avatar.
Isabelle (Animal Crossing)
The Animal Crossing franchise is famous for being one of the coziest video games ever, and no other series has been able to replicate that yet. In these games, you, the player, get to start living your life in a society full of anthropomorphic animals.
Thus, we get to come across a lot of characters who are canines, and the most popular among them is Isabelle. She is constantly treated as the mascot character appearing in several promotional materials for the franchise.
But even beyond that, Isabelle is a fan favorite for her personality. Everyone constantly tries to pair her up with some of the most oddly matched characters ever, and that includes the Doom Guy.
Koromaru (Persona 3)
One of the most well-known JRPG franchises of all time has to be the Persona series, but most of that popularity comes from the fifth entry in the series. It was not until the remake of the third game that more people started realizing that dogs can have personas as well.
Koromaru is the best dog in all of the RPGs ever. According to the developers, his personality is based on the iconic Shiba Inu, Hachiko. As he is seen to be extremely loyal in the game as well, guarding his master’s shrine.
Blade Wolf (Metal Gear Rising Revengeance)
The Metal Gear franchise has multiple dogs that are remembered for being iconic across the world of gaming. Blade Wolf in particular stands out the most in this list for not being a living canine.
He is a quadrupadel metal gear who initially appears as an enemy unit. Due to the amazing fan reception, he was given his own playable campaign with a unique playstyle.
Blade Wolf, being a machine, went through several revisions in the game, which got him several different weapons in his arsenal.
Boney (Mother 3)
If we had to pick an RPG that is the most wanted out of any in the whole genre, then it has to be Nintendo’s Mother 3. Fans still yearn for an official translation of this game in particular. But all of that is besides what we want to talk about.
Our point of interest is the character of Boney, which is a dog and one of the main companions in the game. He is a pet dog to Flint and his family, who are the protagonists of Mother 3. Throughout the game, we find Boney assisting them in various ways.
He has increased agility during combat compared to all the other human characters and can be equipped with various items that aid him in battle. Boney is simply one of the best dogs in video games, and more people should meet him, even if it means playing a fan-translated version of Mother 3.
