Mario
You know him, you love him, Mario is easily the most recognizable video game character of all time. Although his origin story started in a little game called Donkey Kong, which released in 1981, Mario didn't earn a traditional title (we are excluding Mario's Cement Factory and Mario's Bombs Away for the Game & Watch) until 1983. Super Mario Bros. is genuinely the most important video game to ever exist, period.
Master Chief
Master Chief is a close second to Mario, due to the separation in the gaming world. It's always seemed like the gaming industry has been separated into two categories; Nintendo, and everyone else. Obviously Nintendo is backed by their history (and the fact that they make great games) but Halo: Combat Evolved is arguably the most important first-person shooter title to ever come out.
Laura Croft
The Tomb Raider series was the first massively successful video game with a female protagonist. This was a giant step for the industry, and it opened the door for a lot of female devs that had ideas to make more games with female leads. Laura Croft is depicted as athletic, intelligent, ruthless, and funny, separating her from the way women were generally portrayed in media at the time. In 1998, Paramount bought the film rights to Tomb Raider, and in 2001 they released "Laura Croft: Tomb Raider, the first feature film ever made that was based on a video game.
Link
Link is the other Nintendo legend that pushed the industry into a realm it never touched before. The Legend of Zelda didn't invent the adventure game, but it did provide the player with a real sense of adventure. Referring to The Legend of Zelda for the NES, the player is dropped into a world with no information about it, the rest is discovered through context and exploration. You essentially make your own adventure, the character doesn't find items, YOU do. The Legend of Zelda gave the player a sense of accomplishment through curiosity, compared to other games that would reward the player for their dexterity, this was a huge step for the industry.
Princess Peach
Peach has always been on the back burner. However, in modern times she has been given some truly impressive and memorable roles in important video games. For instance, her presence in all of the "party" style Mario games, such as Mario Kart, Super Smash Brothers, Mario Party, etc. reinforces her as an important independent character, as opposed to just being portrayed as a damsel in distress. Plus, Peach was really overpowered when Super Smash Bros. Ultimate came out, and she hasn't been nerfed that hard since...
Solid Snake
Snake is the protagonist from the Metal Gear Solid series, a game that pretty much invented the use of stealth mechanics and implemented real military tactics into a hand-controlled setting. Metal Gear Solid is fun and entrancing, but it's the comedic relief that Solid Snake has to offer that ties the whole game together. Without Snake, the plot of MGS would come through as pretentious, but when the main character takes himself so seriously that it can be viewed as a joke, that's genius character design.
Cloud Strife
Although he isn't necessarily the most "important" character in all of Final Fantasy, Cloud is arguably the most recognizable. His iconography began in 1997, with the 7th installment of the Final Fantasy series. FF VII is the most successful, and arguably the "best," game in the franchise, making Cloud, the protagonist, the most recognizable character in the Final Fantasy universe.
Donkey Kong
THERE HE IS! My guy right here was at the beginning of it all. If it weren't for Mr. Kong, nobody would have thrown those barrels at Mario, and the world would have been vastly different. Donkey Kong is the most memeable, funniest, goofiest, and one of the cutest Nintendo characters to date, despite his size and strength. If you show a picture of Donkey Kong to a child, they will likely know who he is and chuckle at how goofy he looks.
Pac-Man
PAC-MAN was the first widely recognized video game character. During the "Golden Age" of gaming (1978-1982), PAC-MAN was king. Arcades flooded with kids and adults alike, quarters jangling in their pockets, ready to drop all of their hard-earned change to put their name on the chopping block for the chance to end up on the high score table. PAC-MAN started a revolution, and it was the first game to make gaming competitive.
Ganondorf
Although he goes by many names, Ganondorf is the ubiquitous antagonist throughout the entire Legend of Zelda series. In every game he's in (including Super Smash Bros), Ganon is the most fearsome, most evil, and the most destructive force in the history of Nintendo. Bowser just wanted to steal the princess, Ganon wanted to steal the entire world and enslave its people to do his bidding, and for that, we remember him.
Duke Nukem
Duke Nukem was the first game made strictly for adults. Duke is canonically raunchy, hyper-masculine, and a lady killer, all while defending the Earth from an alien invasion. After all, they were intentionally sealing the hot Earth babes, AND they drank all of Duke's beer. Duke Nukem will go down in history for being one of the major inspirations of humor based game design, and he has some of the best one-liners the industry has ever seen.
John Marston
Red Dead Redemption (or as I like to call it, cowboy GTA) is one of the best selling and most highly critically acclaimed games in history. By association, John Marston is one of the most iconic video game characters to ever be created. His image within the game isn't his only claim to fame, his backstory, voice acting, and personality are enthralling. Compliments of a fantastic vocal performance from Rob Wiethoff, this character will likely be talked about for many years to come.
Scorpion
Contrary to popular belief, it's widely regarded that Scorpion is actually a more memorable character than Sub-Zero. With his patented "GET OVER HERE" move, that act of aggression (and honestly, it's pretty overpowered for chaining combos) solidified the image of Mortal Kombat in the way that the developers intended, hyper-violent and incredibly complex.
Max Payne
Max Payne is another successful creation by Rockstar Games, whom you may know from the Grand Theft Auto series, the Red Dead series, L. A. Noire, Manhunt, and many more. Rockstar's ability to create characters with lasting plot identities that are charming, without being overbearing, is unparalleled. Max Payne is no exception, seeing as the series is now entering the development stages for its 4th game.
Kronos
Kronos's identity has been constantly changing since the original God of War for the PS2. His ruthlessness, character development, and general lovability really pull his personality together on a wide scale. God of War is one of the highest-grossing game series in Playstation history, and that is partly due to Kronos's recognizability and personality.
Mega Man
Mega Man is one of the most lovable members of the 1980-1990s classic gaming icons. His popularity in Japan dwarfs his popularity in America, but Americans still stand united with our beloved blue robot boy. In recent years, his popularity has diminished, but his recent inclusion in Super Smash Bros. has boosted Mega Man's recognizability considerably.
Bowser
Bowser has been around since the dawn of gaming (popular, non-arcade gaming to be specific) and he is the unanimously well known "bad guy." His status as a video game icon is unparalleled due to history. Seriously, if you show people who have never played a Mario game three pictures, one of Mario, one of Peach, and one of Bowser and asked them which one was the bad guy, they would 100% say Bowser.
Pikachu
Pokemon is the highest-grossing media franchise of all time, and with Pikachu as the posterchild for the series, there aren't many people on Earth that don't recognize this electric mouse. Now with the inclusion of Kanto region Pokemon in the upcoming "Pokemon Sword and Shield," we're going to be seeing more and more of this little dude as the franchise evolves into the future.
Marcus Phoenix
For a lot of us youngsters, Gears of War was our first look into the world of 3rd person shooters. With its gritty aesthetic, super cool weaponry, and an amazing cast of characters, the GOW franchise has stood the test of time and it continues to improve. Along with the gameplay improvements, Marcus Phoenix (the notorious main character) has aged gracefully as well. Since Marcus Phoenix has stood through the years, continuously retaining his status as an icon.
Sonic the Hedgehog
He's the only video game character you love to hate, the unforgettable, untamable Sonic the Hedgehog. Even though recent generations have a fairly negative outlook on our speedy blue friend, he is BY FAR one of the most iconic video game characters to ever exist. Plus, the remade version of the Sonic movie trailer just came out and it looks pretty decent.
Zelda
Zelda is the iconic heroine of the Legend of Zelda franchise. Although she is frequently (jokingly) mistaken for Link, her inclusion in the title, her dynamic character development throughout the series is unparalleled by any other "damsel in distress."
Gordon Freeman
Half-Life is one of the most important game series of all time. Without the Half-Life engine, there would be no Portal, no Gary's Mod, no Team Fortress, no Counterstrike, and no Steam. Yep, that's right, there would be no Steam if it weren't for Half-Life. Gordon Freeman isn't just the face of Valve, he is the face of the PC gaming industry as a whole.
Samus Aran
Samus is the protagonist of the Metroid series. She was the first "secretly female" character in any game of the time period in which Super Metroid came out. Nintendo is still pumping out Metroid games, and Samus has three iterations of her character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. She is doing incredibly well still nearly 30 years after her first appearance.
GLaDOS
Even more iconic than her adversary, Schell, GLaDOS is the fearsome ringleader of the labyrinth we call, the Portal series. GLaDOS struck fear in the heats of unsuspecting teenagers with Portal came out in the Orange Box complete package. If you don't know what that is, you might want to check it out ASAP.
Nathan Drake
Uncharted laid the groundwork for what we expect from 3rd person adventure games. Naughty Dog has an absurdly high standard for their games, and every memorable game they put out is accompanied by an equally memorable protagonist. Nathan Drake is charming and witty, but his personality provides a stark contrast with the intense thematics present in the Uncharted series. His comic relief holds Uncharted together like glue.
Jak (and Daxter)
Naughty Dog showed up STRONG on the PS2 when they released Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. Jak is the silent hero while Daxter is the loudmouthed parasite that takes all the credit. They have a perfect character duo dynamic, and for that, they are iconic.
Rayman
For those who have never played a Rayman game, you should go pick up Rayman Legends right now. This game is a practically flawless platformer with more elements of humor, personality, and flavor to count. Rayman is the icon you should get to know as soon as possible.
Handsome Jack
Handsome Jack is the notorious "antagonist" (capitalist) from the Borderlands series. Although he has paid his dues and is now a playable character in the new Borderlands 3, his presence in the second game was entrancing.
McCree
Many claim that Tracer is the most iconic character from Overwatch, but alas, McCree is the only one who has reached permanent meme status. Although all of the characters from Overwatch are memorable, the fact that you'll hear non-gamers shouting "IT'S HIIIIIGH NOON" at each other pervades all the other character's accolades.
Fargoth
If you haven't played Elder Scrolls: Morrowind yet, you're missing out on easily the coolest Elder Scrolls game ever made (this is in a different metric than Oblivion and Skyrim, please chill). Fargoth has reached this list because he is the first video game character I PERSONALLY found joy in stealing from. You're iconic because we hate you, you smarmy fool.
Pit
Kid Icarus is really cool, and if you haven't played it, you probably don't live in Japan. Although it sounds odd, Nintendo has a completely different successful catalog in Japan. For instance, Dragon Quest is the best selling Nintendo game over there, and Kid Icarus is pretty close behind that. Pit is legendary because of his legendary status, PLUS, his games are actually really good.
Spyro
Don't get it twisted, you used to beg your parents for Spyro games because you just wanted to play as a cute purple dragon. We're all adults now, it's okay to admit it. Regardless, Spyro is one of the most legendary and memorable characters in all of gaming, and he never says a single word.
Shepard
Ignore Mass Effect Andromeda, that game was not representative of the entirety of the Mass Effect series. Focus on Mass Effect 2, don't think about the others. Regardless of what you dressed your Shepard up to be, its undeniable the camaraderie and admiration you eventually feel for your character. Great game, fantastic characters, iconic protagonist.
Joker
Persona 5 just might be the most important JRPG to come out this past year (2018), even though we have contenders like Dragon Quest, Fire Emblem, God Eater 3, P5 still holds strong as the most lovable turn-based game on the market right now. Please play P5 asap.
Yoshi
Yoshi is one of the most confusing Nintendo characters ever created. It is unclear whether he hatched Mario and Luigi from an egg, or saved them from abandonment, but either way, he is a staple in the video game universe. We love our hungry green friend, and anybody who disagrees can face the consequences.
Kirby
Kirby is the honorary round mound of happiness that Nintendo decided to create just for fun. He isn't the most dynamic Nintendo character, but what his games lack in plot, he makes up in cuteness and accessibility. That, and he was the sole survivor of a nuclear holocaust that plagued the entire Nintendo universe.
Fox McCloud
Fox is the cocky, lovable leader of the Star Fox Fleet, which you control in Starfox 64 (and some others). Oddly enough, he hasn't made any appearances in any games besides Super Smash Bros. (and that Starfox Adventures game that we're still trying to forget about), but the popularity of that series brought Fox to the forefront in Nintendo iconography.
Luigi
Love him or hate him, Luigi isn't going anywhere anytime soon. The lovable, dopey younger brother of Mario built his own path to greatness by literally CLEARING OUT A HAUNTED MANSION AND A HOTEL. If that doesn't cement him at the top, nothing will.
Villager
This soulless creature exists in the Animal Crossing universe and the Super Smash Bros. universe and that is IT. Fortunately, those two games are just large enough to keep this monster contained. If you have ever felt personally attacked by the Animal Crossing Villager, please contact Nintendo directly.
Ryu
Even if you don't know this guy, you know this guy. Street Fighter was formerly the most played fighting game on the planet. If you haven't seen at least one singular picture of Ryu in your entire life, you're probably lying.
Bayonetta
Bayonetta is too cool for just a Japanese audience. Bayonetta 1 and 2 sold extremely well in Japan, and for once, it sold almost equally as well in America. If you haven't played Bayonetta, chances are you have at least heard of her. If you haven't done either, you should consider either of those options mentioned earlier.
Inkling
You should play Splatoon. Inkling (there's a bunch of them) is one of the coolest character designs to hit the strip in recent history. The Inkling is one of Nintendo's best characters, hands down, you should play Splatoon.
Simon Belmont
Although this is his rarest form, the more popular Belmont brother is the posterchild for the entirety of the Castlevania series. Which, for those who don't know, are really freaking good games.
Dante
For those who haven't played Devil May Cry, Dante is the least humble demon slayer there has ever been. DMC was the game that reinvented multi-hit combos and made waveclear style hoard battles fun. His face is known by few, his impact is known by many.
The Hero
We can't keep throwing all of our love at AMERICAN icons, that just wouldn't be fair. The Hero is the star of Dragon Quest (this particular Hero is from the newest Dragon Quest), which is currently the highest-grossing Nintendo game in Japan. He plays the strong, silent type, but deep down he has a passion for compassion.
Big Daddy
The Big Daddy is Bioshock's Bowser. Bioshock has since been named one of the greatest games ever made and its predecessors were not short from the margin either. Chances are, if you played games while growing up in the early 2000s, you know who this guy is.
Minecraft Steve
Although I haven't ever personally touched Minecraft, Its influence on the industry is unmistakable. Minecraft is pioneering a young generation of engineers and innovators, like actually. If it weren't for this guy, there would be fewer architects of the future.
Sephiroth
Sephiroth is the "ultimate bad guy" in Final Fantasy VII. In turn, he became the ultimate bad guy in Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2. He is a secret boss that is BY FAR the most difficult boss battle in the game, so a lot of folks who didn't play Final Fantasy met him through that. Either way, he's got an unnecessarily long sword, which is usually the dead giveaway for this character.
Sora
The Kingdom Hearts series POPPED OFF in the early 2000s. I, for one, played the heck out of the first and second Kingdom Hearts games, much like all the other nerds from my generation. Sora is an instantly recognizable character, with the keyblade, Disney shoes, spiky hair, and notoriously blue eyes.
Ratchet and Clank
These guys are also members of the elite Playstation echelon. A ton of Ratchet and Clank games came out in the golden years of the PS2. Accompanied by Jak and Daxter and Sly Cooper, this duo is hard to forget.
Crash Bandicoot
It's crazy that a dude that looks like this got so famous, but here we are, staring at him from behind our screens. Crash Bandicoot was a staple of some of our childhoods, and his huge, goofy smile can't help but leave an impression on people. Even if you haven't played a Crash game, you know who this guy is.
Geralt of Rivia
You probably know this, but Geralt of Rivia is the main character of "the Witcher." The Witcher III has been voted one of the best games ever created, it has also won numerous awards in its genre category. Although the story is complex, and the characters aren't really conducive to easy remembering, Geralt of Rivia sticks out like a sore thumb.
Ryu Hayabusa
Ninja Gaiden has a reputation for being incredibly difficult, which it is, but don't let that scare you away. These games are packed with fun, they have rich plot and characters, and they are challenging but FAIR when it comes down to it. Do yourself a favor and try one of these games out, if you're not too scared of dying a few times.
Pyramid Head
From the Silent Hill series, Pyramid Head struck fear into our childhood hearts arguably more than any other video game villain. For starters, he's truly terrifying. For enders, that's why he's iconic.
Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight is the demonstrative title of the current state of gaming. It was funded entirely on Kickstarter, and since then it has grossed millions of dollars above its goal. Other games like Hollow Knight and Celeste have followed a similar principle, which is necessary for small team operations. Indie games are HOT, and they're just going to keep getting hotter.
Mr. X
Similar to Pyramid Head, Mr. X was spooky as hell, just in a different way. Pyramid Head is good for jump scares, and for developing a plot around spookiness. Mr. X, however, follows you around for the entirety of Resident Evil 2, and if he catches you, he will kill you in one hit. He cannot be killed, and he cannot be stopped.
Chun-Li
Anyone who has ever played a fighting game knows about Chun-Li. But, most don't know the effect that she had on bringing women into the competitive fighting game scene. Chun-Li was an icon for girl gamers when there was no icon for women to latch onto in arcades, which were typically dominated by male audiences. Chun-Li is arguably one of the most important fighting game characters of all time because of this.
Conker
Conker's Bad Fur Day might have looked like a fun game for young children to play, but when parents bought their kids this game, all hell broke loose. Conker's hijinks transcend the animation style, presenting a raunchier, edgier game within the childlike exterior. Because it was so deceptive, it was successful, and we respect that.
Sly Cooper
Sly Cooper is the thieving raccoon that snuck his way deep into the treasure trove that we call our hearts. Sly was a staple of our childhoods, whether you owned the games, borrowed the games, stole the games, you definitely know who this cool dude is.
Banjo and Kazooie
Two of the most recent additions to Super Smash Bros., Banjo and Kazooie are the kings of the 90s. Rareware churned this incredible game out on the Nintendo 64 when it was at its hottest, and Banjo and Kazooie is still considered to be one of the best collection titles to ever be made.
KNACK
IT'S KNACK BABY!!!!!! YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD GET AWAY WITH A GREATEST VIDEO GAME CHARACTERS LIST WITHOUT HAVING KNACK ON IT? THAT'S ABSURD. Knack 2, the game of the year 2016-19 by the way, is deliberately the most futuristic title ever conceived by a human mind. Even if you don't know about Knack, you do know about Knack, because there is a Knack within all of us.