Shoot the Moon

Luna is a traveling scholar who specializes in cultural anthropology and folklore. She apparently comes from a cold and poverty-stricken country, but her specific nationality is unknown and details about her past are shrouded in mystery. The other DOA girls speculate that she might be an alien, and there’s ample evidence to support this theory. Her name is an obvious reference to the Moon, for instance, and her unconventional rabbit-like poses are clear allusions to Moon Rabbits. She often puts her hands above her head to emulate rabbit ears, and she literally makes “boing” noises as she hops around like a bunny. Also, she was unveiled in an event that was titled, “Messenger from the Moon.” It’s entirely possible that she’s just a weirdo, but how many teenage anthropologists do you know?

The Rabbids are wild, rabbit-like creatures who love to create mischief. They wreak havoc wherever they go, and they’re defined by uncontrolled chaos. Although they have a propensity for violence, they’re actions can be attributed to intense stupidity rather than malice. Their primary forms of communications are speaking gibberish and screaming at the top of their lungs. Rabbids were depicted as antagonists when they made their debut in Rayman Raving Rabbids, but they upstaged Rayman himself and soon became the focal point of their own franchise. In Rabbids Go Home, the titular creatures work together to create a junk pile large enough to return to their home on the Moon. It’s unlikely that the Moon was their home to begin with, but they still qualify as Lunarians because they (sort of) reach their goal by the end of the game.

The plot of Killer Is Dead involves a malevolent energy that emanates from the dark side of the Moon. This energy has a negative affect on weak-willed humans, so an egomaniac named David assumes control of the Moon in order to release its malice upon the Earth. Moon River is the rightful ruler of the celestial body, and she acted as a magistrate of the Earth before she was usurped. Her ethereal beauty is fitting for someone of such high importance, and her name and appearance are obvious references to Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. As the Goddess of the Moon, Moon River can communicate with people through their dreams. This is how she’s able to contact an American assassin named Mondo Zappa. Naturally, Moon River takes a contract out on David’s life and compels Mondo Zappa to travel to the Moon to bail her out.

The Moon People from Dark Cloud could be likened to the Jawas from Star Wars with their glowing eyes and distinctive robes. The mysterious creatures are often cloaked in shadow, and they are deeply suspicious of humans. They’re eventually revealed to be a race of anthropomorphic rabbits, but that’s probably not surprising. If this list is any indication, you should expect Moon People to have rabbit-like features. Osmond is a genius inventor designs his own weapons and gadgets. He has everything from jetpacks to flamethrowers at his disposal, and he even designs a giant battle robot! Moon People live for a long time, and Osmond appears in the sequel set centuries after the first game. Although he’s still a brilliant scientist, he apparently honed his comedic skills during the layover period.

The moon is a recurring location in the Mario series, and it plays an especially important role in Super Mario Odyssey. The celestial body is visible in all of the game’s kingdoms, and it’s the place where Bowser intends to marry Princess Peach. It also happens to be where the Broodals reside. The villainous rabbits live in a carrot-shaped tower on the dark side of the moon, but they can be found in various locations throughout the game. The Broodals were hired to plan Bowser’s wedding, and they’ll do whatever they can to keep Mario from crashing the party. It’s common for rabbits to be pulled out of hats, but most of the Broodals have a tendency to go into their hats. The hats in question resemble flying saucers, and this serves as a constant reminder of their otherworldly origins.

The events of Final Fantasy IV was set in motion by Lunarians. The ancient race came to the “Blue Planet” when their own home world was about to be destroyed. Humans had not yet fully evolved, and it became clear that they could not co-exist with them. Thus, the Lunarians fled to the Red Moon and awaited the day they could live peacefully with their celestial neighbors. FuSoYa was charged with watching over his brethren during their slumber, and the knowledge he possesses is overwhelming. Lunarians are almost indiscernible from humans, but they’re natural mages with various high-level spells at their command. The adventure is almost over by the time FuSoYa shows up, but the information he provides changes the context of the entire game. Although he doesn’t get a lot of screen time, he’s instrumental in stopping the main villain.

Many years ago, the Moon was inhabited by an advanced species of humanoids with a profound knowledge of technology. When a mysterious cataclysm occurred, Waka escaped to the Celestial Plain by using the Ark of Yamato as a rescue ship. After living among the gods, he fled to the mortal realm to help mount a defense against Orochi and its legion of demons. Although Waka has the gift of clairvoyance, the self-proclaimed prophet speaks in riddles rather than giving straightforward answers. His advice always proves useful in hindsight, but he’s not an easy individual to read. Waka has all sorts of unearthly powers – such as the ability to walk on water – and he also introduces Moon Tribe technology to Nippon. His headquarters are loaded with holographic screens and other high tech devices that only he can use.

Magnolia Arch is an eccentric warrior who hails from the moon of Luxendarc. After her home was attacked by fearsome beings known as Ba’als, Magnolia took it upon herself to fight back. To that end, she built a small one-person craft in order to hunt down the hostile monsters. When she travels to the Luxendarc surface, Magnolia is hit with a serious case of culture shock. She’s largely defined by her curiosity, and she tends to enjoys things that others consider to be laborious or burdensome. Magnolia laces her speech with phrases from her native language, and her bewilderment leads to all sorts of misunderstandings. She’s able to win everyone over with her bubbly personality, however, and she finds a great group of friends. When it’s time to return home, she sends an empty ship back to the moon and decides to stay on Luxendarc.

Although the Touhou moon looks like a lifeless rock, its far side has forests, seas, and a bustling metropolis. The hidden Lunarians thought they were being attacked during the Apollo missions, and Reisen Udongein Inaba was so concerned that she fled to the Earth in the wake of the supposed invasion! She was tainted by impurity in the process, so she couldn’t go back home under normal circumstances. Nevertheless, the anxious moon rabbit took it upon herself to defend the Lunar Capital from malicious fairies. (One of these fairies was a mischievous clown who draped herself in a star-spangled outfit to mock the Lunarians!) Resien can receive ESP waves with her rabbit ears and manipulate others with her lunatic red eyes. She plays an integral role in saving the Lunar Capital, even though she can never return again.

The characters in Lunar are Lunarians in the strictest sense. The moon they inhabit is even called Lunar! Thousands of years before the games, the Lunarians lived on an Earth-like planet known as the Blue Star. When the planet became corrupted by a dark god, its population prayed to a the Goddess Althena for help. She was able to transport her followers to the moon, and they’ve called Lunar their home ever since. Almost any Lunar character could have been mentioned on this list, but Luna Noa is the obvious choice. She comes across like the girl next door, but she’s actually a routine reincarnation of the Goddess Althena. This basically means that she’s responsible for everyone in the game being Lunarians in the first place! Incidentally, Althena wants to live among her followers and experience what their lives are like.