Fictional characters live in a perplexing space between existing and non-existing. They are a fabrication made up by others in order to create a narration. Yet at the same time, these fictional characters take a life of their own or at least have the illusion of being alive. Great works of fiction often hide from viewers that what they’re watching isn’t real. If the characters and/or story are good enough, most people won’t care.
Generally, fictional characters exist in a limited space. Your favorite character from your favorite TV show only really exists when you watch an episode. When the episode ends, that’s it for them. The same can be said for video game characters. However, we real human beings grow older. We begin experiencing new things and responsibilities. A lot of us will get married and have children.
Video game characters will often not experience those kinds of things. Their purpose in life is to serve whatever narrative device the author wants them to fulfill. Once the narrative is done, their experience just ends there. Sometimes video games will show their characters having children in an epilogue or in the sequel games. But thanks to talented fans all over the world, people can now view art that reimagines their favorite video game characters as parents. Many of us will become parents at some point, so it is nice to see 20 Video Game Characters Reimagined As Parents.
21 It’s-A Them!
The characters of Mario live in some sort of limbo. They never age, nor do they ever grow as characters. They are forever stuck in whatever role was given to them when they first appear. The Mario brothers will forever be (ex)plumbers that save the mushroom kingdom, while Peach is usually the beautiful princess that gets taken by a giant turtle.
With that said, imagine if the Mario characters were allowed to grow up and evolve.
Imagine a scenario where Mario and Peach finally do get married and have children. Luigi and Daisy would get hitched too, and have an adorable daughter with a pet chain chomp. They would all have picnics together, along with each other’s in-laws, who are all wonderfully fabricated in the above art. Wouldn’t that be nice to see in a Mario game?
Art by TheBourgyman.
20 A Fast Family
The Sonic the Hedgehog fandom gave rise to meme-worthy art like Sanic and Ugandan Knuckles. So, of course, there is some art of Sonic being a parent – many of which are made with questionable taste. Fortunately, the fan art above is a cute little piece of Sonic and Amy, in their Sonic Boom forms, having a family. While Sonic and Amy do make a cute couple, it is kind of weird that Sonic would settle down with someone who was ostensibly his stalker. The canon may be different in the Sonic Boom universe, but in the mainline Sonic games, Amy has been literally chasing after Sonic for decades. Sonic oftentimes tries to run away from her as well. At least it is nice to know that they are able to make things work out in at least one of the Sonic universes.
Art by Angelamyrose.
19 No Ghosts Allowed
Who says a yellow ball with a mouth can’t find love? Pac-Man has been one of the biggest video game icons for decades, being one of the most recognizable figures in all of pop culture. Everyone knows what he looks like and what he is. Pac-Man the arcade game was a phenomenon that transcends generations; even the kids of today know who he is. Ms. Pac-Man is probably equally famous, with her self-titled game being just as successful, or even more successful, than Pac-Man.
When these two video game icons get together, they form the perfect family. With Jr. Pac-Man below his loving parents, this family of yellow circles is one of the most endearing video game families ever.
Art by Mrs-Cute-Quel.
18 Toon Link’s Storybook Ending
While the relationship between Link and Tetra from Wind Waker isn’t as specifically romantic as seen in other incarnations of Link and Zelda, there was definitely a connection between the two. In comparison to other incarnations of Zelda, Tetra was far more aggressive and active. It plays off well against Link’s nativity and easy going attitude that he showcases in the Wind Waker.
Their bond is definitely enduring, especially when it is revealed that Tetra is the reincarnation of Zelda.
It’s hard to say if Wind Waker Link and Tetra ever did get together, but I like to think that they did, and would create a beautiful family as shown above. There is just something about this particular pairing of Link and Zelda that makes this relationship more possible and believable. They would make a cute couple, with equally cute children.
Art by Beagletsuin.
17 Reploids Need Love Too
The Mega Man X games are some of the best games in the Mega Man franchise (excluding some obvious titles). The first game in the series will forever be associated with introducing fan favorite Zero to the world. Zero would essentially be the co-lead of the sub-franchise, along with Megaman X. In Zero’s side of the Mega Man X4 story, he would develop a bond with fellow Reploid Iris.
The budding romance between the two androids would take a tragic turn when Zero destroys Iris’ brother, the Colonel. Blinded by grief, she then attacks Zero. Iris perishes in the struggle. Her passing would haunt Zero for the rest of the game and future titles. The artwork above imagines a happier ending for Zero and Iris. While I’m not sure a Reploid like Iris can get pregnant, it’s still a pleasurable feeling to believe that in an alternate universe Zero and Iris did find their well-deserved happiness.
Art by Soul-Rokkuman.
16 One Fierce Dad
Ryu is as vanilla as they come. The protagonist of the infamous Street Fighter franchise, Ryu’s main motivation throughout the entire series is just to travel the world and become a better fighter. It isn’t very deep, and in all honesty he is one of the most boring lead characters out there.
I am curious how much the character would change if he had a son.
Would he try to pass down his teachings to his son, and would continue traveling the planet with him? Whatever decision he makes I feel like it would add new dimensions to Ryu’s character. Parenting can add in new depths to characters since it shows a different side of those characters. How much would Ryu fundamentally change if he was put into a position of being in charge of protecting someone else?
15 But Where’s Daxter?
I, unfortunately, got a PS2 really late, so I was not able to properly appreciate the Jak and Daxter video games when they came out, which means my knowledge on the lore isn’t up to speed. These platforming games center on the stoic Jak and his Ottsel (a weird weasel and otter combination) best friend, Daxter. Jak would be the main playable protagonist, with his friend Keira being his primary love interest throughout the games.
A running gag in the games is the fact that every time Jak and Keira are about to kiss, they are interrupted. They eventually do kiss in Jak X: Combat Racing. Since the Jak and Daxter franchise has been dormant for several years now, the current fates of Jak, Daxter, and Keira. are unknown. Maybe Jak and Keira decided to start a family during the years when there wasn’t a new game.
Art by Kaedan100.
14 They Aren’t Nobodies Anymore
You could probably explain rocket science easier than the plot of Kingdom Hearts. The entire franchise is overly-complicated, with many major plot points happening in the spin-off titles that fewer people played. However, the story has its heart in the right place, at least that’s what I believe. There is a reason why fans have been anxiously waiting for the Kingdom Hearts III to conclude the story; there just something engrossing about the narrative that draws fans in.
One of the strengths of the drawn-out Kingdom Hearts narrative is how the series is able to incorporate some truly tragic characters.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is nothing short of a tragedy for the character Roxas, and his friend Xion. Yet, in this fan art, Roxas gets his happy ending.
Art by Annria2002.
13 A Mega Cute Family
I couldn’t get into classic Mega Man as a kid, and would only play the Mega Man X series when I got older. I grew up playing the Mega Man Battle Network series and watching a lot of the anime adaptations. I’m still upset that the last several seasons of the anime never aired in the U.S.; why does Japan get to keep all the good stuff!
MegaMan.exe in Battle Network is a NetNavi, a sentient computer program who serves a specific operator. Lan Hikari is MegaMan.exe’s operator, and is the co-lead of the Battle Network games. In the epilogue in the final Battle Network game, Lan marries his best friend Mayl, and they have a son named Patch. We never see Patch or grown-up versions of Lan and Mayl, as most of the epilogue was just text. So above is an artist’s rendition of what the happy family would look like. The fan art makes me really want a sequel with all the original characters grown-up.
Art by Za-18.
12 Opposites Attract
Kazuya Mishima, the original protagonist of the Tekken franchise, is a pretty evil dude. Fused with the devil gene, Kazuya is power hungry and pretty irredeemable. Jun Kazama is the complete opposite – she’s a caring individual who loves the Earth and the environment. It is revealed in Tekken 3 that Jun had Kazuya’s son, Jin, who would end up being the true protagonist of the franchise.
It is never explained how these two polar opposites ever got together, making it one of the biggest mysteries in the franchise.
Kazuya was presumed deceased for most of Jin’s life, but if he was actually around to be with his son he probably would have been an awful father. The artist for the artwork above has a different interpretation though. Rather be ruthless and power-mad, the art shows Kazuya being a doting father-to-be.
Art by Ryoxkj.
11 An Iconic Purple Pairing
I never played a Spyro game, but I knew Spyro was a big deal when I was kid. Back in the late 90s, Spyro was one of the icons of gaming. Spyro was a purple dragon with attitude, and that was awesome as a kid. Now he is reduced to nothing more than a Skylanders toy. Let’s hope that Spyro ramaster for the PS4 is coming sooner rather than later. It’s time for him to make his much deserved comeback. Spyro’s main love interest in the games is the black dragon Cynder, who was actually a major villain in many of the games. She eventually redeems herself, and her and Spyro do develop a bond. If they did have kid dragons as shown above, then they would probably be the raddest purple/black dragons out there.
Art by TheLeatherDragoni.
10 Need Someone To Tuck You In?
The coolest thing about Overwatch is how anyone can be a hero in that game. It doesn’t matter what age, race, or where you’re from. Anyone can be a hero in the Overwatch organization. It’s cool to see a woman like Ana, who’s in her 60s according to the Wiki, be a playable character in the world of Overwatch. She may be old, yet she is still a terrific sniper and is super fun to use in the game.
Ana is also the mother of another character in the game, Pharah. While I’m sure there is some material out there that may further elaborate what kind of relationship Pharah and Ana had, I prefer to believe that the fan art above is an accurate depiction of their relationship. I want to believe that Ana would be so paranoid that she would aim a sniper at any moment when she hears her daughter was hurt.
9 Eggman’s Imaginary Relative
When Sonic Mania was released last year, a designer mistook one of Eggman’s sprites as a totally different character. He thought he saw a little girl piloting the robot spider, rather than the usual chubby scientist. He then created a design for how this hypothetical little girl would look like, and thus Eggette was born.
Fans on the internet became enamored by Eggette’s design, and a lot of backstory was created.
Most of the backstory isn’t consistent, with many fans not coming to accept if Eggette is Eggman’s daughter or niece. At this point I think Eggette being Eggman’s niece is more accepted, however, in almost every scenario, Eggman is her guardian, making him a parent in my eyes. I hope Eggette becomes canon in the Sonic games because I would love to see what kind of evil duo Eggman and Eggette would make.
8 The Saddest Love Story Ever Told
Final Fantasy X probably has one of the most celebrated love stories in gaming, and probably also has the most heartbreaking one as well. The relationship between Tidus and Yuna is sweet and well-developed. While they are able to admit their feelings for one and another through the course of the game, they are forced to part ways when Tidus had to disappear. Fortunately, in one of the endings for X-2, Tidus and Yuna are able to seemingly get the happy ending that fans wanted…
Unless that audio episode in Final Fantasy X/X-2 Remaster is canon, then Tidus and Yuna’s relationship may be in a worse condition than fans believed. Why can’t Tidus and Yuna ever be happy together? I think we all wish that they can just live happily together, and have beautiful children as shown above.
Art by BleachNumber1.
7 A Perfectly Calibrated Family
Can we all agree that Garrus Vakarian from the original Mass Effect trilogy is probably one of the best supporting characters ever? Depending on what gender you chose for Commander Shepard, you can possibly have a totally different dynamic with Garrus. You can still have a powerful platonic friendship with Garrus as female Shepard, however, if you choose to romance Garrus you will have one of the sweetest romances in entire the game.
What would a turian-human baby look like?
Despite both being different species, they both love each other and have some of the most endearing romance conversations. Too bad Mass Effect 3 had to have such a disappointing ending. Not only did it fail to give fans the ending worthy of the trilogy, it also never showed Shepard getting his or her happy ending with whatever love interest the player chooses to romance.
Art by Rossilyn.
6 Persona Gets Personal
Similar to Mass Effect, you are generally allowed to romance a variety of characters in the Persona series. As a testament to how good the characters are in Persona 5, almost every pairing with all the female leads are fan-favorites among the fandom. Even though all the female characters are very popular, it is Makoto Niijima that stole most gamers’ hearts. Her mature and perfectionist attitude hid her quiet rage underneath, which would properly unleash with her persona during battle.
While all the female characters are pretty much waifu material, Makoto is possibly the fan-favorite among a cast of fan-favorites.
Romancing her is one of the more popular options. Even though the narrative of Persona 5 doesn’t expand further from the leads’ time in high school, the fan art above imagines what life would be like for the protagonist and Makoto after the ending.
5 One Sly Dad
Unfortunately I missed out on a lot of great PlayStation 2 games when I was kid. Lucky for me, Sly Cooper wasn’t one of them. I loved these games so much as kid; they were easy to understand, and had charming stories. The main trio of Sly, Bentley, and Murray, were some of my favorite friendships in all of gaming. Throughout the Sly Cooper games, Sly is a thief who is constantly being chased by the beautiful Carmelita Fox, an investigator.
The two would play cat and mouse in most of the titles, with Sly constantly flirty with the determined investigator.
She clearly reciprocates his feelings, but for one reason or another, they can never stay together. Maybe one day Sly can make an honest living, and they can finally settle down.
Art by Vixcoon.
4 The Fan Ship Sails
The beauty and nightmare of Overwatch is the fact that the game does not have a story. I personally hate that about it, yet it is because of that same thing that fans are able to interpret the world any way they want. All pairings can be canon or not canon depending on the person.
I may not know much about Overwatch, however I do know there a ton of fan-favorite ships among the community.
Like, a ton. I don’t know which ones are the most popular, and I personally do not have any preferences either way.With that said, this pregnant Mercy with Genji is pretty adorable. I don’t know if Mercy and Genji is one of the more popular ships, but I do know there is some history between the two with the lore. So it is definitely one of the more plausible pairings. Nonetheless, I think I just like seeing pregnant Mercy messing around with Genji.
3 The Ultimate Romance
I was very invested in Sora and Kairi’s romance in the first Kingdom Hearts games. I lost it with the drawing that Kairi makes at the end of the game – I just thought it was super romantic. But then Kairi never does anything after that. She just ended up being Sora’s faithful girlfriend, who’s waiting for him to come home.
Despite all that, I do want to see Sora and Kairi officially get together and settle down.
That first Kingdom Hearts game made me so invested in that love story that I really want it to have a satisfying ending. I want to see Sora and Kairi have an adorable family like pictured above. I really like how in the picture Sora and Kairi have a daughter rather than a son, mostly because the artist draws their daughter super cute. Either way, I just want my favorite KH couple to be together and have their happy ever after.
Art by Tenchufreak.
2 Who Needs Aerith?
Do you know what character I hate from the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII? Denzel from Advent Children. He just appears in the beginning of the movie and we never met him before, yet he has this family-like bond with Cloud and Tifa already. I know his backstory is explained in some of the novellas and the Complete Edition of Advent Children, but he adds so little value to the overall narration of Final Fantasy VII.
Cloud and Tifa were already taking care of Marlene, Barret’s adopted daughter. Why did they need to have boy in their little make-shift family? He didn’t do anything in the story, at least anything that matter. Not only that, he is boring character as well. Please tell me, what’s the point of Denzel?
Anyways, above is a cute little fan art of Cloud and Tifa’s family, which sadly includes Denzel.
Art by Artsy-Alice.
