Summary
Alongside world-travelling journeys, fighting god, and great party members,JRPGsare also known for their mascot characters. These characters either provide a sense of comic relief in the story or are an enemy that’s become synonymous with the series they’re based on.
These mascots help fans and newcomers alike recognise the JRPG series, and they’re often the first port of call for merchandise designs because of their memorable and cute appearances. We’ve gathered the best JRPG mascots from across the entire genre - which one is your favourite?
8Mr Drippy
Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch
Mr Drippy is Oliver’s companion inNi No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witchand has the most recognisable character design in the entire game. He is a round, yellow fairy, with a long nose and a lantern hanging from his nose ring.
His voice is just as memorable as his appearance, as he has a strong Welsh accent. This makes his scenes even more iconic. Who could forget the very beginning of the game, when Oliver has just lost his mother, and Mr Drippy asks if he’s upset by saying, “What? Because your mam dropped dead?” Very empathetic.
7Mr Saturn
EarthBound & Mother 3
Though they don’t appear in the first game in the series, the Mr Saturn fromEarthBoundand Mother 3 have become synonymous with the Mother series. These strange creatures are pink with a large nose, whiskers, bold eyebrows, and a single hair on their heads adorned with a red bow.
In both EarthBound and Mother 3, the Mr Saturn reside in Saturn Valley and a unique font is used for their dialogue. They’re a sweet and peaceful people, and every piece of merchandise that uses their design is adorable.
6Jack Frost
Shin Megami Tensei & Persona
Jack Frost is the mascot for theShin Megami Tenseiseries and its spin-off Persona, and has become so popular that he’s alsothe mascot for Atlus as a whole. Jack is an imp-like creature who wears a jester hood and collar and always has a big grin.
He appears as a demon throughout the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona games, and also makes a cameo appearance in Metaphor: ReFantazio as a summon for the Summoner lineage. In some games, Jack Frost can become Black Frost, an evil version of the demon that has a black design and purple clothing.
5Nopon
Xenoblade Chronicles
The Nopon are a unique race of creatures appearing in the Xenoblade Chronicles series. Most Nopon have their own individual design features, but they’re all round and fluffy, with long ears they can use as hands and wings.
Though they speak the same language as Homs, Nopon have their own dialect, such as saying Heropon instead of hero, and they have a habit of saying ‘meh, meh’ at the end of their sentences. While the Nopon have become a fan-favorite species, thanks to characters like Riki, there unfortunately isn’t much Xenoblade Chronicles merchandise featuring the Nopon.
4Pikachu
Pokemon
You’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t recognise Pikachu, which is the sign of a perfect mascot. Pikachu is seen everywhere on Pokemon merchandise the world over and rose to fame in the Pokemon anime as Ash’s partner.
Because of Pikachu’s success, the Pokemon designs have made it a trend tocreate Pikachu clonesin subsequent Pokemon games, with Pokemon like Pachirisu and Morpeko using key elements of Pikachu’s design. Mimikyu, the Disguise Pokemon, even created its own design to look like Pikachu and earn love from trainers.
3Heartless
Kingdom Hearts
The Heartless are the most common enemy you fight inKingdom Hearts, and the Shadow Heartless in particular has become something of a face for the series, alongside the crown and heart logo.
The Shadow Heartless are imp-like with glowing yellow eyes and sharp claws, and they act just like a shadow, often slinking down to lie flat on the floor and avoid your attacks. The Shadow Heartless, alongside the Heartless logo, have appeared in lots of Kingdom Hearts merchandise and make adorable plush toys.
There are lots ofother Heartless typesin the series with distinct designs, but the Shadow Heartless is the most recognisable of them all.
2Moogle
Final Fantasy
The Moogle first appeared in Final Fantasy 3, and though they skipped the fourth game, they’ve appeared in every subsequentFinal Fantasygame since. These adorable creatures have pale pink fur, purple or red wings, a red nose, and an antenna with a ball on the top.
Their appearance in each game varies, with their cutest designs being in Final Fantasy 9 and 16, and their cameo appearances in the Kingdom Hearts series. The Moogle design for Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth missed the mark for a lot of fans, though - those teeth are scary.
TheFinal Fantasy series has a number of other mascots, such as the Chocobo and Cactuar.
1Slime
Dragon Quest
The beauty of the Slime’s design is in its simplicity. It’s just a teardrop-shaped creature with round eyes and a big smile, but it’s instantly recognisable and one of Akira Toriyama’s most famous character designs.
Slimes have been the star ofDragon Questmerchandise for years, even more so in Japan thanks to the series’ huge popularity there. Even if you’ve never played a Dragon Quest game, you know straight away what the Slime represents, and that’s what makes it the best JRPG mascot.
