In Cold Blood

Coily is one of Q*bert’s primary enemies and one of gaming’s first reptiles. (Incidentally, he’s also the first villain to inspire a video game protagonist to swear out of frustration.) After hatching from his egg, Coily immediately pursues Q*bert for reasons that are never fully explained. By coiling himself up like a spring, he can effortlessly leap around the stepped pyramids that he inhabits. He’s not the most intelligent creature, however, and he will jump right off the edges of said pyramids in certain situations. In the adventure mode of the 1999 PlayStation version of Q*bert, Coily kicked his cruelty up a few notches by kidnapping all of Q*bert’s friends. Outside of the world of video games, Coily was prominently featured in the Q*bert animated series and also appeared in Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph. He’s easily one of the most famous reptiles listed here.

Kid Cobra is a charismatic “snake boarder” who joined the ARMS Grand Prix in an effort to increase the viewership of his radical livestreams. Half-pipes and skate parks might sound like unusual training grounds for an ARMS fighter, but his strong body is a perfect fit for the boxing world and his focus on speed is beneficial in any arena. With extendable arms that look like massive boa constrictors, Kid Cobra could probably pass as one of the Snake Men from Masters of the Universe. His massive arms allow him to fight from a distance, and he can also get the jump on his opponents by slithering on the ground. Many of his attacks are based on speed, but patience can also be an asset. By storing potential energy in his body, Kid Cobra can uncoil himself and unleash a flurry of charged-up attacks.

Bentley was anonymously delivered to an orphanage before he even hatched from his egg and spent his youth avoiding bullies and spending time alone. He buried himself in books, but finally started to come out of his shell when he made friends with a thieving raccoon named Sly Cooper and an adventurous hippo named Murray. As a hacker, mathematician, inventor, chemist, pickpocketer, and demolitions expert, Bentley is clearly the brains of the Cooper Gang. His creativity and technical prowess came in handy after he lost the use of his legs. By building a modified wheelchair, Bentley became more mobile than he was when before his incident. In addition to a myriad of weapons, the chair is outfitted with boosters and a pair of robotic arms. Despite being the weakest member of his crew, Bentley’s various gadgets act as the ultimate equalizer.

Perhaps more so than anyone else on this list, Gex was a product of his era. Snarky animal mascots were the talk of the town in the mid-1990s, and Gex was one of the most notable. Voiced by comedian Dana Gould, the wisecracking gecko was defined by a never-ending stream of one-liners and pop culture references. In a sense, he could almost be described as a PG version of Duke Nukem. Gex spends most of his time watching TV in his Maui home, but he also has a penchant for surfing, playing the ukulele, throwing poi parties, and chasing tail. Gex never takes himself too seriously and often makes jokes at his own expense, but he somehow found employ as a secret agent and is surprisingly efficient when he’s called to action. Like real geckos, Gex can whip enemies with his tail, lash things with his tongue, or cling to walls and ceilings.

One of the two original mini-bosses from the Metroid series, Kraid rules over planet Zebes’ underground Brinstar region. Although he’s surrounded by alien technology, the colossal Space Pirate fights almost exclusively with organic weapons. He envelops himself with spinning claws, spews rock-like projectiles from his mouth, and launches spikes out of his belly as though they were missiles. His jaws are also powerful enough to crush nearly anything. When he’s awakened, Kraid often tunnels out of the ground and stands as one of the largest enemies encountered by Samus Aran during her storied career as a bounty hunter. Given his size, you’d think he’d rely on his brute strength alone, but Kraid is a lot smarter than he looks. He even has the wherewithal to lead his rivals astray through the use of decoys.

Mortal Kombat received a lot of attention for its graphic violence, but one of its most significant contributions to the fighting game genre was the inclusion of secret characters. The roster of the first Mortal Kombat featured two palette-swapped ninjas named Sub-Zero and Scorpion who were dressed in blue and yellow respectively. By meeting certain conditions, players could fight a third ninja named Reptile. Reptile was cloaked in green and could use both Sub-Zero’s and Scorpion’s attacks. His repertoire was changed completely in later games, however. When he’s not busy using moves stolen from other ninjas, Reptile will sometimes spit acid on his opponents or attack them with his sharp claws. Although he often keeps his true form hidden, he’ll occasionally remove his mask in order to devour the heads of his enemies.

Donkey Kong was one of gaming’s most notorious villains prior to the 1994 release of Donkey Kong Country, so King K. Rool built an immediate reputation for himself by opposing the great ape. The malevolent ruler of the Kremlins has been known under a number aliases over the years, and has filled the role of a king, a pirate captain, and a mad scientist at different points in time. He’s repeatedly stolen Donkey Kong’s banana hoard for some reason and has also developed a habit of kidnapping members of the Kong family. Although K. Rool looks like he’s out of shape, he’s deceptively athletic. He’s deceptive in other ways, too. He’ll occasionally fake his defeat in order to catch his unsuspecting opponents off guard, and he’s even been known attack the Kongs after the credits start to roll! He might look like a crocodile, but he acts like a snake.

The clumsy and gullible star of the Oddworld series is an unlikely hero if ever there was one. As a member of a species known as Mudokons, Abe was enslaved from birth and forced to work in a meat-packing plant. After discovering that the factory was selling Mudokons as food, Abe set out to liberate his people from oppression. He’s recognized as the Messiah of the Mudokons, but he’s naïve to a fault and endlessly entertained by farts. When he’s not laughing at bodily functions or accidentally killing his friends, he’s a pretty swell guy. He’s eternally optimistic and unfazed by the horror that surrounds him. Mudokons evolved from an avian species, and it’s debatable if they can truly be labeled as reptiles. I figured they were fair game from this list due to their green skin, turtle-like faces, and the fact that they hatch out of eggs.

There are dozens of Pokémon based on lizards, snakes, crocodiles and other reptiles. As one of three starter Pokémon available at the beginning of the original Pokémon games, Squirtle is arguably the best-known of the bunch. (Charmander is based on a salamander, so I figure he’s more amphibian than reptile.) Squirtle hides in its protective shell and spouts water at every opportunity. The tiny turtle-based Pokémon can eventually evolve into Wartortle and Blastoise – ramping up its water powers with each evolution – but what he gains in power he loses in cuteness. This might sound like a minor point of contention, but half of the reason for Squirtle making it onto this list is because he’s so gosh darn adorable. How could you not want to imprison him in a tiny ball and force him to fight for your amusement?

Mario and his friends have been contending with reptiles ever since the original Mario Bros. Bowser is perhaps the most obvious choice for this list. After all, he’s Mario’s primary rival and the leader of an entire army of reptilian servants. I’m ultimately choosing Yoshi instead because he has appeared in more games and has been the focal point of many spinoff titles. It’s true that Bowser has been around for longer, but Nintendo had wanted Mario to have a dinosaur companion years before Yoshi made his official debut. Yoshi literally carries Mario on his back and protects him from danger by pelting enemies with eggs and eating anything that moves. Certain varieties of Yoshis can shoot fireballs, fly through the air, or somehow turn enemies into platforms by spitting juice at them. Yoshi also played an important role in keeping Mario safe as an infant.