It's Not Easy Being Green

Frogger is one of those games that seemingly everyone has heard of. The game was popular enough to warrant a Saturday morning cartoon, it was the subject of a Bad Religion song, and it was further immortalized in an episode of Seinfeld. His historical significance and cultural impact cannot be overstated, but there are a couple of reasons why Frogger isn’t ranked higher on this list. Firstly, his original game technically focused on five separate frogs rather than a single character. More significantly, his design seems to change with the wind. He often appears as an ordinary frog, but he’s also given human-like characteristics on occasion. The one aspect of his character that seldom changes is his color. The hoppy-go-lucky amphibian looks completely different from one game to the next, but all of his iterations would be well-suited for this list.

Abe is a textbook example of an unlikely hero. When we first meet him, he’s being forced to work in a meat processing plant with his fellow Mudokons. His race has innate telepathic abilities that allow them to control others, so it’s not without irony that the Mudokons are enslaved themselves. Abe has no agency over his life, but he’s thrust into a heroic role after he discovers that the meat plant intends to turn the Mudokons into food! (The story takes a page right out of Soylent Green, which is thematically appropriate for this list.) Despite being meek, inexperienced, and extremely clumsy, Abe makes it his mission to free his compatriots before they are turned into tasty snacks. His telepathy can be suppressed and his only other talent is his ability to fart on command, so he’s forced to become more self-sufficient during his oddysee.

Mortal Kombat featured three palette-swapped ninjas that were virtually identical aside from the color of their outfits. Fans would occasionally refer to Sub-Zero and Scorpion as the blue ninja and the yellow ninja, in reference to their attire. If you were to describe Reptile as the green ninja, you could be referring to either his clothing or his skin! Although he does a good job of concealing himself, Reptile turns out to be a literal reptile. If only there had been a sign! It was always exciting to see his reptilian face make an appearance, though I’m sure his opponents felt differently. Incidentally, he makes a habit of devouring his enemies after latching onto them with his ridiculously long tongue. It’s cute when Yoshi does it, but it’s not nearly as adorable when copious amounts of blood are involved.

Donkey Kong was Mario’s first arch-nemesis, but their rivalry was pushed aside as soon as Bowser entered the picture. Not to be outdone, Donkey Kong eventually found himself a reptilian adversary of his own. While Bowser is content to kidnap the princess, K. Rool has more sinister things in mind… He steals bananas! Although his schemes never work out the way he wants, he deserves some level of credit for his theatrics. It’s good to be king, but K. Rool also paints himself as a pirate kaptain and a mad scientist. (His alter egos are so unique than some official sources erroneously list them as different characters!) Regardless of which persona he’s using, K. Rool is as bumbling as he is boisterous. This doesn’t mean that he should be taken lightly, of course. Despite his inherent goofiness, K. Rool is a constant thorn in Donkey Kong’s side.

We’ve already dedicated an entire list to gaming’s greatest frogs, so there’s certainly no shortage of candidates for this countdown. That being said, Frog from Chrono Trigger is defined by his appearance in ways that most frogs aren’t. Incidentally, he was a normal human and a brave knight before a dark mage turned him into an anthropomorphic frog. Although he remained loyal to the kingdom and the royal family, he viewed his newfound form an ever-present reminder of his failure. The curse made him reclusive and embittered, but it also fueled his desire for revenge and gave him a newfound purpose. Frog is still an accomplished swordsman even after the transformation, but he occasionally has to remind others than he’s not a pet. Almost everyone calls him Frog instead of Glenn, and he’s okay with this arrangement since he’s accepted his fate.

Bubble Bobble tells the story of two children who venture into the ominous Cave of Monsters in order to rescue their kidnapped girlfriends. It’s an emotional roller coaster, and it’s widely regarded as one of the most realistic stories in video game history. The cave is every bit as dangerous as its name suggests, and it’s crawling with baddies. The deck is stacked against Bubby and his brother Bobby, and they’re only able to survive because a nefarious wizard transforms them into adorable bubble-blowing dinosaurs for some reason. The children – now referred to as Bubblun and Bobblun – can use their newfound abilities to neutralize their foes, but their success is largely informed by the power of positive thinking. The bubble dragons never stop smiling, and their eternal optimism makes it impossible not to root for them.

Without question, Creepers are the most captivating enemies in Minecraft. The stealthy creatures spawn in dark areas, but they can also survive in the sunlight. This means that they can pop up anywhere. Instead of attacking directly, they silently creep up on their targets and explode without warning. Even though Minecraft isn’t a horror game, Creepers have likely been involved in more jump scares than any other video game entity. Their green skin helps in this regard, as it acts as a natural camouflage. They’re only effective if they can remain undetected, so it’s not without irony that they have become so commonplace in the real world. Even if you’ve never played Minecraft, you’re likely familiar with their sad green faces. The little guys have become merchandising icons and the subject of countless pop culture parodies.

Rottytops seems like a really rad chick. This is a pretty bold statement when you consider all of the evidence to the contrary. She frequently lies, she occasionally tries to eat her friends, and her head has a tendency to fall off! She travels in a caravan with her zombie brothers, and all of them are said to be bad news. If you can look past her mischief (and stapled-on limbs), then you’d probably have a lot of fun with Rotty. It’s hard not to admire her enthusiasm, even when she’s being manipulative. (In one instance, she pretends to be injured so Shantae will carry her around.) She’s an energetic girl who has a lust for life despite being dead. I’d almost forget she was a zombie if it wasn’t for her green skin and her insatiable appetite for brains. She’s an unpredictable force of nature, but no one can accuse her of being boring.

Street Fighter has always done a great job of highlighting various countries, cultures, and fighting styles. It’s a colorful cast if ever there was one, but Blanka is the most colorful of them all. The Brazilian wildman was raised in the Amazon rainforest, and his fighting techniques are as feral as his appearance. (He’s not above biting his opponents of the situation presents itself.) Many of his castmates can throw energy-based projectiles, and Blanka has the uncanny ability to generate electricity. Instead of throwing fireballs, he hurls his body around like a wrecking ball! Blanka’s green skin was initially attributed to an overconsumption of chlorophyll, but different explanations have been presented over the years. In any regard, it makes Blanka look like the personification of the jungle and helps him stand out on an already-diverse roster.

During the development of Super Mario Bros., Shigeru Miyamoto toyed with the idea of giving Mario a dinosaur companion to ride. This idea had to be put on the back burner due to the technical limitations of the NES, but the release of the Super NES allowed this dream to become a reality. Since making his debut in Super Mario World, Yoshi has become one of Nintendo’s most iconic characters. The diminutive dinosaur is known for his insatiable appetite and his sunny disposition, and he’s always willing to lend a hand. Whether he’s stomping goombas, transporting babies, or eating large quantities of cookies, it’s always a good time when Yoshi’s on screen. We’ve technically been introduced to countless iterations of the Yoshi species over the years, but the garden variety green Yoshi represents the entire lot.