Video games may be decades old at this point, but thanks to the rise of indie games and the growth of the industry at large developers have been able to make experiences with characters ranging from interesting bugs in Hollow Knight to strong female protagonists in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey.
Among all of the animal characters, foxes have been given plenty of places to shine, going as far back as the original Star Fox title, to the recent release of fox-led indie hit Tunic. Foxes are known for being sneaky, but when put in the spotlight they tend to shine as the aesthetic base of some truly fascinating characters.
8 Pretztail (Viva Pinata)
Viva Pinata is currently a niche beloved family series that Xbox gamers are clamoring to be revitalized by Microsoft in some capacity. The games had players raising small pinata-like creatures as they tried to manage both resource management and predator/prey interactions among the creatures.
Though it was never featured as the series' official mascot, the fox pinata species called Pretztail sported a unique and noticeable design. So much so that the animated children's show had various characters of the species as main characters throughout the show's run.
7 Fox (Persona 4)
The Persona series has made its mark on the video game landscape over the years with each new mainline entry building on and growing its fanatical and passionate fanbase. Persona 4 was a major entry point in the series, especially in the West, and Fox was as memorable as they come in a game filled with interesting characters.
Though it wasn't a playable character, it served a pivotal role during the player's navigation of the Midnight Channel. It can be found near the Tatsuhime Shrine and its design sports identifiable scars on both its face and body.
6 Redd (Animal Crossing)
Redd is one of the longest-running reoccurring characters in the Animal Crossing series and has built a reputation for being a kind but untrustworthy salesman. Since he is based on the legend of the kitsune, trickster foxes looking to prank or exploit others, it's only fitting that he makes a living selling both real and counterfeit art pieces.
Many Animal Crossing fans consider Tom Nook to be an exploitative landlord, so Redd being Nook's direct competitor buys him some points of compassion and understanding. That doesn't, however, justify the way he sarcastically thanks the player if they leave his shop without buying anything. Redd truly is a scam artist icon.
5 Foks (Tunic)
Tunic is a recently released indie game where players control a fox as they navigate through a Zelda-like isometric adventure game featuring a voxel-based art style. Through translating the game's unique language players have discovered that the lead protagonist's name is actually Foks.
He may not have the history and lineage of other foxes on this list, but his popularity is a testament to both the quality of Tunic as well as the lack of foxes of note in the world of video games.
4 Gray Fox (Metal Gear)
Now, Gray Fox isn't technically a fox, but when looking at the most iconic characters in video games related to the word fox, the Metal Gear protagonist shines as few others have. Some people know him as Frank Jaeger, but most prefer to use his codename Gray Fox.
He first appeared in the original Metal Gear title back in 1987 but most recently can be seen in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch as an assist trophy. Fans quickly grew attached to Gray Fox thanks in large part to both his sleek design and character arc throughout the series that kept the audience on their toes.
3 Ninetales (Pokemon)
The world of Pokemon is home to various fox-inspired Pokemon designs, but as with most things in the series' history, none are more iconic than the original 151 Pokemon introduced as native species of the Kanto region in Pokemon Red & Blue.
Ninetales is the final evolution of Vulpix, a fox-inspired line of Fire-type Pokemon based on the folklore surrounding the nine-tailed fox or kitsune in Japanese mythology. There's a case for either Vulpix or Ninetales to be on this list, but the more elegant final form seems like the best choice to represent the evolutionary line.
2 Tails (Sonic The Hedgehog)
Sonic the Hedgehog is not only Sega's premier video game mascot but a franchise that has recently made a successful jump to film. Though most people know Sonic, the blue hedgehog, it's safe to say that his sidekick Tails is also quite popular. Tails is an adolescent two-tailed fox that loves to mess with gadgets and help his friends.
In the world of video games there are very few fox characters, and among the most notable Tails easily stands as one of the most popular and recognizable of the bunch. Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which was recently released in theaters likely introduced the beloved orange fox to a whole new generation of fans, as well.
1 Fox McCloud (Star Fox)
Though most people incorrectly call him Starfox based on the long-running franchise he mascots, Fox McCloud is hard to deny as the most iconic fox in video game history. His Star Fox series has been around since 1993, with the most recent release in the series being Star Fox 2 landing on the Super NES Classic Edition.
Appearing in other titles such as the Super Smash Bros. fighting game series and Starlink: Battle for Atlas from Ubisoft has helped Fox McCloud reach a wider audience that likely fell in love with his iconic look and attitude.