Whiledogsare considered man’s best friends and have appeared as animal companions in many games, there’s another common pet that often appears: cats! While these adorable animals often aren’t a good fit for video games due to their lazy nature, there are still quite a few games that feature iconic and loveable cats.
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With plenty of cats in gaming, one has to ask which is the best. It can be difficult to compare two cats to one another and determine which is the best, but if one were to judge gaming cats based on their screen time, role in the game and pure cuteness, then it does become possible to craft the following list of lovable gaming cats.
10Jeanne (No More Heroes)
The Only Cat That Can Rap
Scottish Fold
Speech Flight
Can you pet?
No More Heroes
Kicking off this list is Travis Touchdown’s cat from the No More Heroes franchise: Jeane. Jeane is a strange entity whose design, purpose and even gender changes from game to game. Going from a background creature In No More Heroes 1 to a deep-voiced companion in No More Heroes 3 is quite the journey and it wasn’t made in a day.
In No More Heroes 2, Jeane is portrayed as a fat cat who the player has to train to greatness by remembering to exercise with them after each assassination. Luckily he seemed to get in shape again by the time Travis Strikes Again came out, which portrayed Jeane as a talking cat with a very anime-esque portrait. Jeane’s ability to constantly change each game surprises the player and earns him a spot on this list. Who knows what to expect from him when he inevitably changes again?
An Adorable Tragedy
The cat from Shenmue (who can be named three separate things by the player) has one of the most tragic backstories in gaming. Losing both its siblings and its mother in a single morning wasn’t enough for this poor kitty, as it also has to go the whole game without a home, relying on Ryo to feed it over the course of the game.
The poor kitten’s situation in Shenmue is used to draw a parallel between it and Ryo, as both have lost much due to Lan Di’s revenge at the start of the game. While both the kitten and Ryo are helpless, they can grow to be fully capable in their own right. This brave kitty’s ability to keep chugging onward earns them a spot on this list.
8Spider-man the Cat
Swinging Around Town
Spider-Man
Following up the previous depressing entry on this list is a cat whose role in their game is nothing but pure cuteness: Spider-Man! No, not Miles Morales or Peter Parker, but Spider-Man the Cat. This adorable kitty first appeared in Spider-Man: Miles Morales, a short side game that was released between the first and second Insomniac Spider-Man games.
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Upon completing a seemingly normal sidequest in the world of Miles Morales, players will unlock this costume for Miles that is mostly normal but has the addition of a cute cat sticking out of his backpack at all times. He wears a Spider-Man mask and will react as the player swings around the city at high speeds; he’ll even occasionally fall out of the backpack when performing a super move as a fun detail. While Spider-Man the cat doesn’t do much in the game, his cuteness factor is almost unmatchable.
True Steak Lovers
Cooking, Gathering, Buffing, Trap-Setting
Monster Hunter
Next up on the list is a rare example of a cat that the player can customize: the Palicoes from the Monster Hunter franchise! Similar to a lot of cats in the upper sections of this list, Palicoes can do a lot more than standing around looking cute. These reliable companions can cook for you, heal you and provide many other types of assistance to Hunters braving through the wilds.
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In a franchise filled with gigantic creatures that have all become iconic in their own right, you would expect something small and cute like the Palicoes to be forgotten a few entries in. They have lived on in the hearts of players as they keep appearing in each game, however, becoming somewhat of a secondary mascot of the franchise. This mascot status and their ability to help the player ranks them on this list.
Controller of Gravity
Gravity Manipulation, Transformation
Gravity Rush
Up until now, the cats on this list have been ranked mostly on their cuteness status and the amount of screentime they have. Starting from this entry, though, there will be cats that play a major support role in their game. Such as Dusty from Gravity Rush, who gives Kat the ability to manipulate gravity at will. The game itself wouldn’t exist if not for this adorable companion helping Kat every step of the way.
Dusty isn’t a one-trick pony, of course, as he’s also able to help Kat activate other abilities such as transforming her into Panther Mode to defeat enemies fast in Gravity Rush 2. This cute cat and his ability to keep surprising the player easily earns a place in the second half of this list.
A Very Familiar Cat
Dream Manipulation, Transformation, Ice Powers
Melty Blood
The next cat on the list is one who has the ability to take a human form: Len fromType Moon’s Visual NovelKagetsu Tohya. While she’s most recognizable in her human form, there are plenty of scenes in Kagetsu Tohya of her as a cat hanging around the Tohno Mansion.
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While parts of her role in the Tsukihime franchise can be considered problematic, docking her points on this list, the story of Kagetsu Tohya and Len’s protection of Shiki is admirable and earned her a place in gamer’s hearts for over twenty years. In spite of questionable moments, Len’s cuteness in both her cat form and human form as well as her frequent appearances in fighting games secure her a high placement on this list.
4Big the Cat
Where’s Froggy?
Fishing, Jumping
The next entry on the list is a character who was met with a lot of hatred in the ’90s and early 2000s, but in recent years has become loved by the internet: Big the Cat from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. While he initially received hate for slowing down the pace of Sonic Adventure, many Sonic fans now appreciate Big for being a chill and calming presence in the otherwise breakneck-paced Sonic franchise.
Big the Cat cares about two things in the world: fishing and his best buddy Froggy. In both Sonic Adventure and Sonic Frontiers the player can spend some time fishing with big with some relaxing gameplay as a break from thrilling platforming of the main game. Hisiconic statusand chill attitude earn Big the Cat a spot high on this list.
Missed the Dog List
Fire Powers, Materia Equipment
Final Fantasy
Despite Red XIII, also known as Nanaki, being an entirely fictional animal that can be interpreted as either a cat or a dog, he displays more than enough cat-like traits to make it onto this list. This loyal party member will follow Cloud to the end of the world and back and is a mainstay in many players' teams, making him easily one of thebest characters in Final Fantasy.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth leans heavily into the cute aspects of Red XIII’s character by giving him a high-pitched voice once the player learns his backstory and letting him engage in many goofy activities throughout the game. These hilarious moments skyrocket him high up on this list to the number 3 slot.
A Poor Stray
Orange Tabby
While there have been hundreds of cats in gaming, few can claim to be the protagonist of their own game. The playable cat in 2022’s Stray may not have an actual name, but she makes up for that in sheer bravery and determination.
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Stray boasts drop-dead gorgeous graphics, an intriguing story and unique post-apocalyptic world, and ridiculously fun and silky smooth gameplay.
Progressing through a world very much not made for cats and avoiding deadly drones just to complete quests for robotic people is the type of task that most lazy cats wouldn’t even consider undertaking. Yet despite all of that, the cute cat of Stray strives on and places second on this list.
The Original Fourth Wall Breaker
4th Wall Breaker
Rocket Propulsion, 2D flattening, Reading a Guide Online
When talking about influential cats in video games, there’s none that even come close to Neco-Arc. This cat from Tsukihime would one day have a figurine of her made called a Nendoroid, the very first Nendroid in fact. Nowadays nearly every video game and anime worth its salt has a Nendoroid made of them, with their shape being influenced by Neco-Arc over two decades later.
Outside of the real world influence she has had, Neco-Arc is hilarious, appearing in the game’s various bad ends to give the players advice or just make fun of them. The recent Tsukihime Remake amplifies her comedy with an increased animation budget for her slapstick with Ciel. Add on Neco-Arc’s frequent appearances in the Melty Blood fighting game franchise and it’s hard to argue any gaming cat is better than her.
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