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The mascot became a prominent marketing tool for video game companies in the early ’90s. Both Nintendo and Sega had great family-friendly, successful franchises at the same time in Mario and Sonic, respectively, and their eponymous protagonists became the de-facto faces of each company. Even the local arcade could use the recognizable face of Pac-Man in its advertising materials. Of course, the next big console to hit the market during this time was the first PlayStation.
However, rather than hit the market with just one mascot, Sony has always wanted to show the world every character under their umbrella. This means that the company has access to many of the best gaming mascots in history.
Updated September 12, 2024, by Hamza Haq: While mascots are no longer as ubiquitous as they were in the ‘90s, console companies like Sony still want to individualize their devices and make them more attractive by creating characters that are mostly only available on their platforms. Exclusivity has always been PlayStation’s strategy for creating hype around their games, and while their recent willingness to port their successful titles to PC might have diluted this a little bit, PlayStation’s identity remains as individual as ever. Over the years, PlayStation has garnered a host of recognizable mascots, but recent successes have created new ones as well.
10 Kratos
God of War (2005)
The God of War series became a surprise hit in the mid-2000s, and it would remain a juggernaut for close to a decade. Players took control of the demi-god, Kratos, as he tried to fight his way past a pantheon of historic Greek gods and demons, a role he was pushed into by Aries.
By the time of his second and third home console releases, Kratos was one of PlayStation’s most identifiable characters, although the franchise lost some steam following the release of 2010’s God of War 3. However, the license’s 2018 revival proved to be one of the best games of that year, and it propelled Kratos back into the limelight. He may not be cute and cuddly, but the Ghost of Sparta has established himself as a Sony mascot and an example of the quality the company can provide.
9 Nathan Drake
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (2007)
As video games have evolved, gameplay has gradually grown more complex or gained a cinematic edge. The first Uncharted game for the PlayStation 3 represented a new era for Naughty Dog. While that game is generally considered among the weakest in the franchise, it set the stage for a string of beloved sequels that delivered high-octane set pieces, impressive visuals, and lovable characters. Uncharted was an evolution of the Tomb Raider formula, and Nathan Drake slotted in seamlessly into the Lara Croft role.
The Uncharted franchise is so popular that almost every new PlayStation console has had to use the image of Nathan Drake somewhere in its marketing, and the franchise even got a movie. As such, the action hero has become an unlikely mascot for the brand.
8 Ratchet and Clank
Ratchet and Clank (2002)
Simplicity seemed to be the key to creating video game mascots in the early 2000s. Microsoft had just released the Xbox with the hugely popular Master Chief as its mascot, so Sony would have to come up with something new for the PS2.
The answer was the platforming duo of Ratchet and Clank. One of these characters had the charm and cuteness of previous gaming mascots, while the other was a handy robot sidekick. They may have been an unorthodox pair, but gamers of all generations can recognize these two gaming icons.
7 PaRappa the Rapper
PaRappa the Rapper (1996)
PaRappa the Rapper had everything a video game company might want in a gaming mascot. He was a cute animal drenched in skater gear with an attitude. That means he could appeal to both younger and older kids alike.
Most gamers would take one look at PaRappa the Rapper and assume he is another platforming hero like Mario or Sonic. However, this was not the case. PaRappa the Rapper is a rhythm-based music game, and it can get quite difficult for younger players. As such, not everyone fans took to the rapper as a mascot, although his game was good enough for Sony to still bring him up as a marketing tool every now and again.
6 Sack Boy
LittleBigPlanet (2008)
The first LittleBigPlanet from 2008 was an innovative puzzle-based platformer, one that required the creativity of young players to succeed. The series has gone from strength to strength ever since, but the trial-and-error nature of the series meant the player character had to be someone that young children wouldn’t mind getting hurt over and again.
Enter Sack Boy, a sentient pile of cloth who made players not feel so bad about running the guy off of a blind jump. He is a charismatic presence, and the fact that he is always smiling no matter the situation makes Sack Boy an instantly likable protagonist. The more complex nature of these games is perfect for older gamers, and the adorableness of Sack Boy draws in the younger crowd. That is the genius behind this mascot.
5 Aloy
Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)
Aloy is the bow-wielding protagonist of the Horizon series, one of Sony’s biggest success stories in recent memory. While mascots like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro are older and more established, Aloy is much more relevant in the current gaming sphere. Horizon Zero Dawn was a Game of the Year contender when it was initially released in 2017, coming in second place, just behind The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Since then, Sony has doubled down on the Horizon games, cementing Aloy’s status further as a go-to mascot for the console. With the company finally caving and porting their most popular titles to PC, Horizon among them, Aloy’s reach is now even more widespread.
4 Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot (1996)
The orange marsupial was everything the PlayStation was looking for in a mascot in the 90s. Crash Bandicoot was a colorful personality that showed off the 3D capability of the console with its platforming challenges. Crash Bandicoot was so popular that the game received a slew of sequels and spin-offs, with the PS1 trilogy even receiving the remake treatment in 2017.
Ever since his first appearance, Crash Bandicoot has been a recognizable video game mascot, and his original games have largely stood the test of time. Even a few missteps with the franchise in the 2000s weren’t enough to derail this mascot, and it seems clear that Sony wants to continue using this character in the future.
3 Spyro the Dragon
Spyro the Dragon (1998)
The demand for a mascot drove Sony to welcome a lot of cute and colorful characters into their fold. As such, the first Spyro the Dragon video game debuted less than two years after the first Crash Bandicoot game. The purple dragon was instantly loved, and the collectathon nature of the franchise made the games a lot more replayable than other platformers at the time.
Spyro is a mascot of the ’90s that many gamers look back on with great nostalgia. His original trilogy of games was remade in the 2010s, and there have been whispers of another game in the franchise for years now.
2 Lara Croft
Tomb Raider (1996)
The first Tomb Raider from 1996 may be considered a blocky spectacle by today’s standards, but this game was a revelation at the time. Tomb Raider had everything gamers were looking for in a 3D game on the PlayStation. There were puzzles, platforming, and combat, all taking place in environments that players had never seen in a game before.
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This gameplay catapulted Lara Croft to the front of the gaming industry, and one of gaming’s most beloved female heroes was born. The franchise was inescapable during the PS1 era, producing new releases at an almost annual rate. While the series has had its ups and downs over the decade and is no longer a PlayStation exclusive, the public’s love for Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider franchise has remained steady.
1 Astro Bot
Astro Bot (2024)
Astro Bot started as the protagonist of The Playroom on the PS4, an experimental title utilizing the AR capabilities of the console. Since then, the lovable bot has appeared in Astro Bot’s Rescue Mission (2018) on the PlayStation VR, Astro’s Playroom (2020), which was a tech demo for the PS5, and most recently, Astro Bot (2024) on the PS5.
While his origins may be humble, the massive success of the most recent 3D platformer, Astro Bot has elevated his status as PlayStation’s most recognizable mascot. This is further evidenced by the fact that Astro Bot is, and likely forever will be, a PlayStation exclusive character, serving as a technical showcase and a pioneer in demonstrating what’s possible with all of Sony’s future console releases.
