Video games tend to depict worlds of good and evil. Nowadays, audiences like their television and movie characters to exist in areas of moral grayness. However, video game characters are much different, since they embody aspects of the player who has control over their actions and in some cases, their entire personality.
This is why many video game characters inhabit personalities that can be seen as righteous or optimistic. These characters are meant to act as foils to either their respective players or even their games' antagonists. Depending on how you play, these characters' optimism may land them in some pretty messy situations.
10 Cuphead
Cuphead is one of the most popular indie games in recent years. The run-and-gun platformer is notable for its hand-drawn animation, mimicking the aesthetic of the Golden Age of Animation. As such, players control two charismatic protagonists: Cuphead and his brother, Mugman, identifiable by their friendly smiles.
In the opening cinematic of Cuphead, the loose narrative finds Cuphead and Mugman gambling in the Devil's Casino. There, they ambitiously make a bet with the Devil himself, which subsequently costs them their souls. Because of their optimistic gambling strategy, their quest to retrieve their souls from various debtors begins.
9 Gregg Lee
Night in the Woods is a unique adventure game, which follows a depressed young adult named Mae navigating her hometown after she drops out of college. Don't be deceived by the cute animal artwork, because Mae's discoveries eventually uncover the darkness of this town. Along the way, she's joined by her long-time friends.
One of these friends is Gregg, whose rampant enthusiasm for Mae's return will charm players early on. However, spending more time with the character will reveal his traumatic past, including the time he spent with his abusive uncle. It's no wonder that someone as cheery as Gregg has grown up into an adult who enjoys crime.
8 Papyrus
All of the characters in the hit indie game Undertale have become icons of video game culture. The game finds players navigating an underground world with gameplay similar to RPGs like Earthbound. However, players' ability to kill or spare their opponents will drastically alter the outcome of the game's story.
One of the fan-favorite characters in Undertale is Papyrus, a jolly skeleton wearing a scarf and armor. Despite his goal to capture a human and join the Royal Guard, Papyrus' flamboyance and optimism will appeal to players. Even if said players decide to kill Papyrus in their story route, he retains his confident politeness.
7 Tingle
Tingle first appeared in the Legend of Zelda franchise in the Nintendo 64 title Majora's Mask. Oddly enough, Tingle is far from the strangest character that Link encounters in the land of Termina. Players will quickly learn through talking with Tingle that he believes he's the reincarnation of a Fairy, becoming friendly with Link.
Tingle's oblivious optimism remains a key feature in his later appearances. In The Wind Waker, Link first encounters Tingle in a jail cell on Windfall Island. It's unclear what landed Tingle behind bars in the first place, but freeing the wannabe fairy will grant Link an item called the Tingle Tuner, which players can use to buy items.
6 Tom Nook
The Animal Crossing franchise is one of Nintendo's breeziest IPs. That's even the case with Tom Nook, one of the series' most iconic figures. Every Animal Crossing game finds players being introduced to their new home by the polite and optimistic Tom Nook, though this may be a front for a darker interior.
One of the only real goals of any Animal Crossing game involves players paying off the debt they accrue from getting a home from Nook. In the original GameCube title, this debt even involved players having to work for Tom Nook for a brief period. Overall, it's easy to see that Nook's attitude doesn't translate to his business deals.
5 Phoenix Wright
It's hard to not be optimistic when your job involves trusting your clients. That's certainly the way of life for Phoenix Wright, the protagonist of the Ace Attorney series of games. In the first entry, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Wright is a rookie lawyer who accrues an undefeated reputation through sheer belief in his defendants.
However, this unrelenting confidence doesn't always work in Wright's favor. Wright is infamously disbarred after presenting false evidence in defense of his client, a magician named Zak Gramarye. Despite this case of forged evidence, Wright's client was actually innocent, though Wright was unable to prove this until many years later.
4 Pit
Kid Icarus: Uprising is one of the most beloved Nintendo titles on 3DS, and was instrumental in revitalizing the long-dormant franchise. The game also features a complete personality overhaul for both protagonist Pit and his patron deity Palutena. In Uprising, Pit is notable for his enthusiasm, courage, and heroism.
Unfortunately, the war Palutena wages in Uprising doesn't serve someone as optimistic as Pit well. Along the way, he encounters trickster gods like Thanatos, cruel forces of evil like Hades and even gods who despise humans like Viridi. This struggle almost kills Pit at one point in the story, though the hero luckily prevails.
3 Tracer
The cavalcade of characters in Overwatch covers the entire spectrum of personalities. Tracer, for one, is one of the game's most popular characters, thanks to her bright and chipper personality. This British pilot is one of the game's most tricky-to-fight Damage heroes, as she can utilize time travel to rewind her most recent moves.
This ability is a direct result of Tracer's promising career as a fighter pilot. Back then, she was known as Lena Oxton, becoming the shining face of Overwatch's experimental flight program. Unfortunately, an accident forced her molecules to desynchronize from the flow of time, resulting in her gaining the ability to "blink."
2 Sora
Sora is the main protagonist in every Kingdom Hearts title, becoming one of the most cheerful video game characters of all time. That's mostly due to his characterization as a beacon of light and hope in the quest to find King Mickey. However, this optimism has also been what gets him into constant trouble.
Oftentimes, Sora's courage manifests into blind action, finding him constantly risking the lives of himself and his teammates Donald and Goofy. However, his heroism always seems to help him find his way. Even when he lost his friends in a fight with Riku, Sora quickly recovered from his depression and regained his ambition.
1 Mario
Mario is one of the most iconic video game characters of all time. Of course, one doesn't become the mascot for Nintendo's entire company by being miserable and tough. Mario is a shining example of a hero who always rises to the occasion, no matter what villain or monster wreaks havoc on the Mushroom Kingdom.
However, Mario's adventures often find him in some pretty difficult circumstances. For instance, his failure to rescue Peach in Super Mario Galaxy finds him navigating the expanses of outer space. Even titles like Super Mario Odyssey find Mario on a seemingly-endless quest, though he never turns down an exciting adventure.