Sonic the Hedgehog crowned most popular video-game character of all time

by JeffHuang | October 21, 2008 at 10:29 am

1664 views | 4 Recommendations | 19 comments

SONIC!? Yes, Sonic the Hedgehog beat out Mario as the all time most popular video-game character. I know many of you expect Mario to be number one, but the poll done to mark the start of the London Games Festival proved otherwise.

His ultra-distinctive blue spiky look has held the attention of children for years, and now Sonic the Hedgehog has been named the most popular video-game character of all time.

Some history of Sonic:

Sonic was created by Sega in 1991 and was famous for his special "spin attack" ability, a skill that saw him roll up into a ball and launched into his enemies.

His debut appearance came on the Sega Mega Drive console and titles starring him are still listed among the biggest sellers on the Nintendo Wii.

100,000 computer gamers is expected to crowd the London Games Festival happening this week.
Here are the top most popular video games characters. Please don't bash out at me if you have any disagreements as I am just the messenger.

1. Sonic the Hedgehog

2. Super Mario

3. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)

4. Donkey Kong

5. Pac Man

6. Link (The Legend of Zelda)

7. Max Payne

8. Pikachu (Pokemon)

9. Niko Belic (Grand Theft Auto series)

10. Blanka (Street Fighter)

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LotusFlower

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 12:18 on October 21st, 2008

JeffHuang, I like this story. It's good stuff. Oldies but goodies! Donkey Kong and Pac Man feature too whoa!

chowdawg

at 12:46 on October 21st, 2008

Sonic takes out Mario huh? Didn't see that coming. I guess he is pretty cute. Sad the the ball from Pong didn't get an honorable mention.

Don_Piano

at 16:37 on October 21st, 2008

Yeeah!! Sonic it's the most popular video game character of all time, I always knew it...

This is my favorite plush of all that I have. I bought it in pair along with knuckles but this it the one that rocks.

This plush belong to my favorite characters' toys and plush collection.

Sonic is the king of the world!

Don_Piano has contributed a photo to this story.

amyjudd

at 16:59 on October 21st, 2008

I think Sonic does not deserve this title. There are way better characters than him.

Personally I think Luigi always gets overlooked...

Ross W (not verified)

at 06:33 on October 22nd, 2008

Lara Croft beats Link and Donkey Kong. The people who voted in this pole are clearly morons. For christ's sake, Max Payne is on the list and Samus Aran is not! I really like that game, but does the character belong in the the top ten game characters of all time? No, he doesn't.

Ross W (not verified)

at 06:36 on October 22nd, 2008

And neither does Niko Belic.

RawHunter (not verified)

at 02:38 on October 25th, 2008

Who voted Sonic as the most popular character OF ALL TIME are completely idiots. You dump asses I mean it is OF ALL TIME isn't it? Mario is the most popular character not Sonic. Sonic sucks ass well ass Sega does. All they wanted was to destroy Nintendo & Mario but they coudn't. Sega isn't a console anymore and Sonic now goes on any console? Think this is better? It's not.. My opinion is: 1st Mario; 2nd Sonic; 3rd Pikachu;; 4th Donkey Kong; 5th Link; 6th Lara Croft; 7th Pac Man. And the rest shouldn't even be in the top.

craZ4knux (not verified)

at 15:58 on December 24th, 2008

yay! I love Sonic, he's favorite video game character [well, actually, Knuckles is, but yeah...] Sonic is awesome!! Sonic rules!!! woohoo! Congrats, Sonic! XD

ur the best, Sonic!! :D

AngelFire4114 (not verified)

at 21:24 on February 3rd, 2009

this is how it goes

1.Sonic

2.Link

3.Pikachu

4.Mario

yoshi eggs (not verified)

at 17:08 on February 15th, 2009

sonic sucks all he can do is run fast

mario is the best he can do heaps more things and his games are more quality

sega try to steal nintendos ideas like sega superstar tennis is just a heaps shitter version of mario tennis

sonic fan (not verified)

at 18:44 on March 18th, 2009

dude for 1 mario is a plumber and not a cute little hedgehog and 2 mario doesnt deserve to even be on the list because he needs power ups to get more power unlike sonic who has 2 moves which are awsome and mario only has 1 power which is jumping on stuff oh and he kills flying turtles mushrooms and even a mutant weirdo named bowser as for sonic has to fight robots which can atcually be made and the piece of crap portable gameboy has a spinach green color unlike the gamegear which has good color instead of crap and who wauld rely on a plumber instead of a super fast hedgehog who is the coolest hedgehog around and mario is stupid mostly his name mario its a pizza guys name oh and sega is ages backwards which made the cachy sloggin to be this good it takes ages to be this good it takes sega and nintendo has no sloggin and sonic atcually looks different unlike mario who pretty much looks exactly the same!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i think ive made my point

Mad Mario fan (not verified)

at 10:19 on March 3rd, 2009

You guys don't get it. How in the world can Mario be beat, if he was the most popular character in the 1980s and 90s. You hold a vote with maybe 100 people, you need every single person who is willing to vote. that includes the US,UK and Asia. And how is Yoshi not on the list. it doesn't really make much sense.

MandotheGreat (not verified)

at 22:58 on March 21st, 2009

Does it really matter? Don't we all have better things to do than argue about who's the best video game charecter? One other point that Sonic might have beat Mario is that SEGA IS ALWAYS RELEASING NEW SONIC GAMES! There's Tv shows games action figures plushies comics, anything a fan could ask for, and pretty easy to buy too. Mario and Sonic should be ranked the same.

SONIC RULES!!!!!!!!! (not verified)

at 06:31 on April 10th, 2009

You know what guys???! I'm so BLOODY HAPPY! Sonic is my all-time favourite video game character and I knew he'd make it in the end! And no offense to all you mario freaks but its no use complaining, Sonic's already ranked 1st! ^_^ and 'sonic fan' i thank you for writing that out or i would have to do it myself and that would really annoy me :P also... i noe sonic's been around for like 18 years but marios older right? so maybe the idea got a bit... outdated? ok, ok, people, don't get mad at what ive written im just trying to say what i think abt this :)

MARIO'S BIGGEST FAN EVER!! (not verified)

at 07:11 on April 25th, 2009

mario is the best his got the complete package sonic was great but the storyline was pointless some guy "eggman" creates the protagonist then goes out too destroy it. It has also taken all marios ideas and made them worse and worse. let me put it this way a sonic party, with what sega stars it would be poitless just like every other sonic game ever. (lets all run too get rings and then jump on a giant robot that cant even crush a little porcupine (hedgehog same thing). Mario is the best game ever because hes mario the character that has been able too constently reinvent himself when eras pass, but too me hell always be the greatest plumber heroe from the best place ever the MUSHROOM KINGDOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dip (not verified)

at 15:51 on April 27th, 2009

Ok at first I just think next gen sonic games just suck but it doesn't change the popularity because of his fanbase. I just think there evenly matched with popularity but by the games there in, Mario wins by a landslide.

Misa (not verified)

at 04:16 on May 22nd, 2009

Yeah..that's just at England where Sonic's more popular, Mario is still turly the WORLDS most popular, other countires such as, Australia, America, Japan love Mario 1st.

Sorry sonic fans :)

kania the cat (not verified)

at 14:37 on May 28th, 2009

Knux shadow silver sonic mario deserved a tie breaker!!!!

The Director (not verified)

at 09:59 on June 9th, 2009

Back in the old days like the first five sonic games kicked mario's arse. However Sonic the hedgehog has become a bit of a sell out so you get quite a few rubbish games with him in recently, you get some good games but mainly rubbish (Sonic unleashed as the hedgehog was the best). Mario on the other hand is reliable for making great games after the first five sonic games (actually as a whole nintendo is brilliant for that area of genre).

Personally i think its quite something for a single company to keep a rivalry with Nintendo. Mario's good but he doesn't appear in enough games on his own (more mario sunshine).