2026's Gaming Hall of Fame: The 10 Characters Who Ruled the Year

Video game characters are no longer confined to consoles and controllers. In 2026, they live across social media feeds, YouTube channels, memes, livestreams and search engines, shaping online culture far beyond gaming itself.

From nostalgic arcade legends to modern open-world heroes, these characters have become global entertainment icons, followed and discussed by millions every day.

A new January 2026 study from innovative games studio Galaxsys set out to measure exactly which characters dominate the internet.

By analysing online popularity across five major platforms, the research offers a rare data-driven snapshot of gaming fame in the digital age. Rather than relying on sales or franchise revenue, the study focused on where fans actually spend their time online.

How The Rankings Were Calculated

Using Instagram hashtags, TikTok posts, YouTube videos and channels, alongside monthly Google searches, Galaxsys calculated a combined Engagement Score for 25 famous playable characters. The results reveal not only who is most recognisable, but also how different generations interact with gaming culture today.

The research tracked five core metrics across major platforms: monthly Google searches to gauge general interest, Instagram hashtags for fan-generated content, TikTok hashtags for viral trends, YouTube videos for content volume, and YouTube channels to reflect creator commitment.

Each character earned an overall Engagement Score based on their combined performance, allowing direct comparison between retro icons and modern protagonists.

The Characters Dominating The Rankings

At the top of the rankings sits Mario, confirmed as the most recognisable video game character in the world. Nearly 19 million people search for the Nintendo icon every month, and its presence on YouTube is vast, with over 1.6 million videos and more than 330,000 channels dedicated to its games.

Decades after his 1985 debut, Mario's adaptability across generations and platforms keeps him firmly embedded in online culture. With another movie along the way, it's not surprising that the plumber continues to dominate.

Close behind is Pikachu, whose strength lies in social media rather than search alone. The Pokémon mascot dominates Instagram and TikTok, appearing in almost 13 million combined hashtags across both platforms.

While fewer people search for Pikachu compared to Mario, its visual appeal and meme-friendly design make it the most popular gaming character among younger audiences on social platforms.

Sonic the Hedgehog follows, driven by a balance of strong search interest and creator enthusiasm. With more than 13 million monthly Google lookups and hundreds of thousands of YouTube channels producing content, the blue hedgehog remains one of gaming's most enduring mascots. His continued relevance reflects Sega's success in keeping the character visible across media and platforms.

Pac-Man's position highlights the power of nostalgia. The arcade legend attracts over 83 million Google searches each month, more than any other character in the study. Although its presence on TikTok and YouTube is relatively modest, Pac-Man's name recognition remains unmatched, proving that early gaming icons still hold enormous cultural weight.

Modern and narrative-driven characters also feature prominently. Kratos stands out as the most admired PlayStation character, with strong engagement across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube driven by cinematic combat scenes.

Characters like Jinx and Arthur Morgan benefit from emotionally charged storytelling and short-form video trends, while Kirby, Lara Croft and Donkey Kong demonstrate the staying power of long-running franchises.

Reflecting on the findings, Hayk Sargsyan, CEO at Galaxsys, said: 'Younger readers might not recognise Pac-Man from these rankings, but it's one of the most beloved gaming characters ever. It was among the first games that reached everyday people, not just gamers, and everyone loved how simple and fun it was to play.

Mario followed a similar path later on, though Nintendo kept building its franchise over the decades and made something even bigger out of it. Pac-Man stayed iconic but didn't evolve the same way.'