The animal known as “man’s best friend” has been featured in many video games. Sometimes they are the protagonist, and other times they are even a boss players have to defeat.
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Dogs are animals with a ton of symbolic meaning. They stand for loyalty and friendship, which often makes them valued video game sidekicks. Players can’t get enough of them. Even when their roles are small they are often the most valued characters. Many gamers are just programmed to love animals, especially dogs.
Updated August 08, 2025 by Allison Stalberg:Dogs and everywhere in video games, even when they are not, as recently shown inElden Ringwhere players are writing messages next to turtles that just say “dog.” Popular video game dogs are ever-increasing, such as the newest addition, Argos, fromFinal Fantasy 14. There are also older faces that deserve attention, such as the mabari fromDragon Age: Origins. From post-apocalyptic German Shepards to bipedal guitarists, video games have given society a lot of memorable dogs.
14K.K. Slider From The Animal Crossing Series
Isabella is very popular, but K.K. Slider was around since the beginning and enchanted players with his mellow speech and passion for song. He is not a one-trick pony either, as he has over 90 songs sinceNew Leafcame out!
He is also a unique dog character since he can talk and is either a boss, sidekick, or protagonist. He is just a famous traveling artist and sticks true to the laid-back and cute style ofAnimal Crossinggames.
13Argos From Final Fantasy 14
Argos is one of the newest dogs to gaming, playing an important role inFinal Fantasy 14: Endwalkerandlater being accessibleas a mount for players to ride on. The golden-haired dog belonged to Venat a very long time ago but has survived the test of time due to being a familiar rather than your average animal.
The dog has become a favorite mount among players, standing as a symbol to them completing the Endwalker story. Argos is also named after a dog from Homer’sOdyssey.
12Dogmeat From The Fallout Series
Falloutis a big series, and Dogmeat isone of its most iconic characters. He first appeared in the original game in 1997 and continued to pop up in the games as a companion all to way toFallout 4.
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Fans loved this dog so much that they would reload their save files if he ever ended up dead. Sometimes that meant undoing hours of game progress! So fans were very happy onceFallout 4made it so Dogmeat could not die (though some still do not like that the dog can be attacked at all).
11The Mabari From Dragon Age: Origins
The mabari companion inDragon Age: Originsis the one unquestionably faithful friend in the party. No matter what the Warden does, the dog remains loyal. Like other companions, it can be part of banter while the player explores. This results in a lot of humorous relationships between companions and the dog.
The dog is also quite skilled in battle, able to knock down enemies and tear them to shreds. Players could also get and give gifts to the dog as well as decorate it with warpaint and collars.
10The Dog In Fable 2
The dog ofFable 2is most well known for being part of one of the biggest choices in the game. The dog, who is your loving companion throughout the game, dies protecting you in a boss fight. At the end of the game, you get to choose a major reward. You have three choices: a ton of wealth, reviving the people who died or reviving your dog. Guess what a lot of players end up choosing?
9Sif From Dark Souls
This boss fight broke a lot of hearts, as you had to defeat a wolf that was protecting the grave of its fallen comrade. First of all, the wolf’s design is awesome. It is huge, epic, and carries a giant sword. Also, its backstory is very tragic. Players felt very stronglyabout this boss fightdue to the lore behind the wolf and its dead companion.
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Players didn’t want to kill Sif, so rumors spread that Sif could be spared and a ton of players hoped it was true. Unfortunately, the rumors were false. Sif is not an optional boss.
8D-Dog From Metal Gear Solid 5
Players fell in love with this companion the moment they saw him as a little puppy inSnake’s hands. D-Dog (also known as DD) and Snake even got matching eye patches. You get to see the dog grow from a puppy to a grizzled military dog. Before you know it, the dog is sniffing out and taking down enemies.
The dog has a lot of skill and tricks, following commands such as wait, come, bark, keep enemy busy, knock an enemy out, kill an enemy, and wound an enemy.
7Polterpup From Luigi’s Mansion 3
Who said spooky cannot also be cute? Polterpup may be a ghost, but it still has all its dog charm. Also, the name is adorable. Fans were very excited when they learned they could pet Polterpup inLuigi’s Mansion 3.
A major complaint from many animal-loving gamers is when there are cute animals, but you cannot pet or interact with them. Luckily, Polterpup became available for pets, and he certainly deserves them for being a good boy.
6The Duck Hunt Dog
The dog fromDuck Huntis one of the oldest video game dogs, asDuck Huntwasreleased for the NES in 1984. Unlike other dogs in gaming, the duck hunt dog is actually one of the most hated characters. This is because he would laugh at players if they missed ducks.
Despite being a symbol of annoyance for many, the dog has become a very iconic video game character to the point that he joinedSuper Smashtitles as a playable character.
5The Annoying Dog From Undertale
This dog has become somewhat of a symbol forUndertaleas a whole. The dog is just a troublemaker and appears in short instances throughout the game. It plays a part in one of Papyrus' traps, steals bones from Papyrus, is an actual bomb at one point, and absorbs an item you get for completing the difficult piano puzzle.
Besides those instances, there are a lot of other minor encounters with this mischief-maker. The dogs' antics are absurd and funny, which is quite true toUndertale’shumorous tone.
