When it comes to primates in fictional media there often seems to be a bias of popularity towards monkeys, but that doesn't mean gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans aren't represented in some of the most popular and/or beloved series.
The Jungle Book did a great job at making orangutans feel mythical, The Planet Of The Apes showed the terrifying potential of chimpanzees, and almost everyone on the planet knows who the gorilla named Donkey Kong is. There's always time to celebrate the best of what video games have to offer, so looking at the best gorillas, chimps, and orangutans in the medium showcases their impact on the world of video games.
9 Cyborg Chimp (TimeSplitters)
The TimeSplitters series isn't known for air-tight logic or canon, but even then Cyborg Chimp is a rather weird character to explain. At its core Cyborg Chimp is a cybernetically enhanced version of the character Monkey. The issue here is that monkeys and chimpanzees aren't the same things, so either the naming is wrong, or the enhancements to Monkey go a lot deeper than what is described.
It seems that it was genetically altered in the process and as a result, it lost its tail and became more closely related to chimps. This character is only in TimeSplitters Future Perfect, the third entry in the series, which was originally released back in 2005.
8 George (Rampage)
In the modern era, it's more likely that general audiences know George the gorilla from the Dwayne Johnson-led blockbuster movieRampage than the classic arcade video game series of the same name. The truth of the matter is that he serves as one of the big three main playable monsters in that game series, and fans have been clamoring for the return of it.
Running from left to right and destroying anything and everything in existence is what made those games engaging, and controlling a powerful larger-than-life gorilla while doing it will always make George one of the best gorillas in gaming.
7 Oranguru (Pokemon)
Despite orangutan being featured in things as far back as The Jungle Book, it's odd that it took until the seventh generation of Pokemon games for there to be a Pokemon based on and inspired by the lanky great apes. Oranguru is the Pokemon in question and it is a Normal and Psychic dual-type often referred to as the Sage Pokemon.
It sports an all-white coat of fur with purple accents that serve as a faux shall or cape of some sort. It currently doesn't evolve from or into anything else, but its base stats suggest that it's in its final life stages, suggesting that if it ever did receive a new addition it would likely be a base form or pre-evolution.
6 Sten (Breath of Fire)
A once respected soldier, Sten is an entertainer featured in Breath of Fire 2. At first glance, it may seem as though Sten is most closely related to monkeys, but on further inspection he doesn't seem to have a tail, opening the door for the idea that he's actually an ape of some sort.
Sten's species, Highlanders, are described as chimps, and hail from a place atop the mountains called Highfort. Breath of Fire may not be the most famous role-playing game, but the series has a strong community of supporters who consider the series a must-play, and Sten is often lauded as a standout character in Breath of Fire 2.
5 Andross (Star Fox)
Despite Andross never being confirmed as any specific type of animal, visually it's rather obvious that he's a primate of some sort. So though he may not technically be a gorilla, chimpanzee, or orangutan, he's famous enough to deserve a spot on this list.
Though Star Fox is a series that isn't as popular as Super Mario or The Legend of Zelda, the aptest comparison for Andross is that he is to Fox McCloud as what Bowser is to Mario or what Ganondorf is to Link. His story sees him as a scientist who goes mad with experimentation as his ambitions drive him to create things that endanger all those around him.
4 Gorilla Grodd (Injustice 2)
Gorilla Grodd is a deeper-cut villain in the DC Universe who often spends his time sparring with the Flash. In Injustice 2 he's featured as a playable character and thanks to that came many fans of comics or fighting games became familiar with the formidable gorilla who's often too intelligent for his own good.
It's unclear if he'll be featured in any upcoming games from DC and WB Games, but there is a chance he appears in Suicide Squad Kills The Justice League from Rocksteady Games as that title seems to be featuring a substantial portion of the DC universe. Either way, Injustice 2 did more than enough to showcase how physically imposing Gorilla Grodd could be in a fight.
3 Winston (Overwatch)
Though Overwatch has dealt with its fair share of issues and criticisms in recent years, most fans won't deny how great Blizzard was when it came to character creation and design. Fans immediately were endeared by Winston's assertive and intelligent way of speaking.
He's a highly intelligent gorilla who fights to protect people from threats lurking in the shadows. If or when Blizzard decides to do an animated show or movie, it's likely that Winston's already substantial popularity will balloon to even greater heights.
2 Primeape (Pokemon)
Primeape is a Pokemon that originally debuted in the Kanto region and featured in Pokemon Red & Blue. It's the final evolutionary form of Mankey, and one of the more widely used Fighting-type Pokemon in those original mainline Pokemon titles.
It's known for its stubborn attitude and ferocious fighting style and was the featured Pokemon in one of the more memorable episodes of the official Pokemon anime. Fans are hoping that this beloved ape gets a new regional form in the upcoming releases, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.
1 Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong is a character that's played a pivotal role in the evolution of video games. Despite it canonically being an ancestor of the modern Donkey Kong character, he can be seen in the original arcade cabinet that served as the origin of Mario and the Super Mario series.
Between his own 2D and 3D platforming titles, to cameoing in every Super Mario multiplayer title, Donkey Kong has established a legacy as not only the most famous video game gorilla but one of the most identifiable characters in media.