In order for any good game or game series to truly solidify its place in fans' hearts, it needs an iconic character that represents the brand and that everyone can recognize. Establishing an iconic mascot to serve as the face of a game can make or break a game's reputation.
Having a cutesy mascot to represent a brand or game is a very popular strategy; because who doesn't love Pokemon's Pikachu or Disney's Mickey Mouse? However, some gaming mascots are hiding something a bit more sinister behind their adorable looks. Here are some gaming mascots that aren't as sweet as they look.
8 Teddie - Persona 4
Teddie (known as Kuma in Japan) is a rather sympathetic character by the end of Persona 4's story. Overall, he's not all bad and does in fact end the game with a satisfying conclusion regarding his issues of cowardice. However, the "overly flirtatious" character is a rather popular trope in lots of media in Japan, and unfortunately, Teddie just so happens to be the group's occasional token perv type character.
Sure, this doesn't make Teddie irredeemable and Yosuke can be held accountable as being a bad influence, but fans can't help but feel bad for the girls when Teddie crosses lines that make them feel uncomfortable.
7 Paimon - Genshin Impact
Despite how vast the ever-growing cast of Genshin Impact is, Paimon remains the face of the entire game. After all, some players may have different versions of the Traveler and a perpetually changing party, but Paimon maintains her status as the iconic partner that everyone has by their side throughout their journey.
While Paimon has proven her loyalty to the Traveler on a few occasions, fans aren't so sure they can fully trust their mysterious floating companion. The Genshin fandom has been known to give poor Paimon a hard time, simply because of her signature high-pitched voice. "Cute" is always a good way to go, but it seems as if the voice directors told Paimon to turn the cute-dial up to a hundred and in the end, overdid it. In addition to this, there are some fan theories floating around about how Paimon is secretly evil in one way or another and is in it for the long con, under the guise of aiding the Traveler.
6 Tom Nook - Animal Crossing
It seems as if the Animal Crossing fandom is rather divided when it comes to businessman (or rather business raccoon?) Tom Nook. While some are on the side of defending Tom Nook for his charitable side and how the housing prices he offers players in-game are incredibly reasonable considering the real estate market in real life, other fans aren't as quick to warm up to the furry mascot.
There is in fact another side of the fandom that paints Tom Nook as a capitalistic, money-hungry crook that simply forces the player into paying for a home mortgage without their consent. Tom Nook may be the adorable face of Animal Crossing, but who would have guessed he'd have such a dark side?
5 Slimes - Dragon Quest
Slimes are one of the most iconic character types in multiple open-world fantasy-type JRPG style games; most notably, the Dragon Quest series. There isn't a singular specific slime that serves as the face of Dragon Quest but rather the entire slime species.
To any non-fans out there, it may seem as if slimes are cute pets to keep in-game or friendly creatures one can encounter in the wild; which would only be half true. While they are a species found in the wild, slimes, despite their cute and cheery appearance, are (for the most part) actually bad guys! It's a sad awakening to any strangers of the Dragon Quest series to find out that its adorable mascot has been a weak, common enemy type all along.
4 Conker - Conker's Bad Fur Day
Audiences first met Conker, the adorable orange squirrel, in Diddy Kong Racing in 1997. At this point, he was a rather typical Nintendo character at the time: cute, covered head-to-toe in bright colors, and 100% family-friendly. However, after his solo debut received substantial criticism for being "just another kids' game", Conker returned a completely different squirrel.
The debut of Conker's Bad Fur Day reimagined the cutesy orange squirrel as a foul-mouthed, alcoholic anti-hero that violently rids of any enemies that stand in his way. This gritty revamp of this once cute and cuddly was surely scarring for all the children that remembered their orange furry friend for his adorable "I'm Conker" line when picking their favorite animal back in 1997.
3 Wheatley - Portal 2
After being constantly berated by GLaDOS in the first Portal, meeting the intelligence dampening sphere, Wheatley, in Portal 2, was a nice change in pace. Finally, Chell could rest easy knowing she now has a friend that was on her side that she could rely on. Wheatley was, in other words, manufactured to be stupid; he was meant to inhibit GLaDOS's overall mental capabilities.
Luckily, Wheatley's "slow" nature was incredibly charming and endearing in its own way; having him resemble that one friend that means well but just can't seem to get the execution of his ideas quite right. However, halfway through the game, Wheatley swaps places with the antagonist, GLaDOS, and turns against Chell as if their friendship never happened. Wheatley proves that with the acquisition of astronomical power, even the most unsuspecting characters can quickly turn violent and evil.
2 Pipo Monkeys - Ape Escape
The hilarious and highly animated monkeys from the Ape Escape series are seen so often in media that some may be familiar with these cheeky monkeys but not even know/haven't even played any Ape Escape games! These funky monkeys are incredibly iconic in the world of gaming. However, while they almost always take front and center stage, the protagonist of the very first game is actually a human boy named Spike.
It would be an honest mistake to assume that the monkeys (actually called Pipo Monkeys), are the main characters of the game, but in actuality, they are the main enemies. The main ape antagonist, Specter, controls an army of adorable (and unsuspecting) Pipo Monkeys via special helmets and sends them through time in an attempt to rewrite the world's history.
1 Monokuma - Danganronpa
Any non-Danganronpa series fan would maybe see the notorious Monokuma just any other cute and cuddly mascot; an adorable bear with a simple yet unique and easily recognizable design. However, to many Danganronpa fans, just the mere sight of this bear can send shivers down their spines; or for some, ignite fiery rage in their hearts.
Danganronpa is synonymous with murder, pain, betrayal, and heartbreak. While the vast cast of characters usually takes the main stage in every game, it is the iconic bear himself, Monokuma that is the "host" of every Danganronpa killing game. Despite all the characters' pleas for mercy, Monokuma always pushes the game forward until the very end. Who knew such a cute bear could be so cruel and bloodthirsty?