The very best dogs in video games
Dogs are universally loved, and there’s a good reason for that. Aside from being darn cute, they’re loyal, affectionate, and will often go out of their way to help and protect those who care for them. It’s perhaps because of that, that whenever there’s a dog in a video game we always want to protect it with our lives. And, most of them time, they’re eager to do the same for us. But who are the very best dogs in video games, you ask?
To answer that question, we’ve put together a list of some of our very favourite dogs in video games. Many of these furry companions have been through thick and thin with us. Some have even saved our video game lives on numerous occasions. All have won our hearts. So, scroll on down to see the very best doggos video games have to offer.
1. Dogmeat (Fallout 4)
Dogmeat is one of the best dogs in video games because he’s just such a good boy. This pawesome pet appears throughout the entire Fallout series but was most recently featured as the very first companion you get in Fallout 4. After having your son ruthlessly stolen from you while you’re frozen inside a vault, you need a pick-me-up – and a puppy companion is the next best thing to a child anyway… right?
Dogmeat is extra great because he fights enemies for you. And while he might die pretty quickly, you just shoot him full of drugs and he’s back up on his feet again. Not to mention you can dress him up. No dog has looked cooler than Dogmeat with goggles and a sweet bandana.
2. Torgal (Final Fantasy XVI)
Okay, so Torgal is technically a wolf, but what is a dog if not a domesticated descendant of the wolf? For that reason, Torgal has found himself on this list, and he very much deserves it because he’s a good boy indeed. Play Final Fantasy XVI and you’ll find that he rarely leaves his protagonist’s side, and will even assist in combat to make sure you achieve victory.
Needless to say, Torgal quickly wins you over in Final Fantasy XVI, and you’ll be glad that he accompanies you nearly everywhere. When he’s not simply being cute, he’s alerting you to danger or helping you in combat by either healing you or attacking enemies. Pick up some free DLC for Final Fantasy XVI and you can even give the lovable Torgal a bit of a makeover if you wish.
Read our review of Final Fantasy XVI
3. Chorizo (Far Cry 6)
Dachshunds are already cute as heck, but Far Cry 6’s Chorizo melts our hearts thanks to the fact that he has to use a modified dog wheelchair. That’s right; despite losing his back legs due to a tripwire, Chorizo remains a happy pup, and he’s willing to assist you in Far Cry 6 providing you feed him some crocodile meat.
While Chorizo isn’t suited for attacking your enemies, he will assist you in numerous other ways, such as distracting foes so you can more easily sneak up on them. Over time, you may also unlock additional skills for Chorizo, such as being able to give him some scratches to heal your health, and highlighting nearby crafting materials. He’s such a good boy!
4. Barbas (Skyrim)
The reason we remember Barbas so vividly is because he was possibly one of the most random things to ever happen in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. And a lot of random stuff happens in Skyrim. Barbas is a dog that approaches you while you’re walking around the Falkreath area. It is just a random happenstance that you come across the quest to help Barbas find his “master” – but the weirdest part is that he talks.
That’s right: Barbas is a talking dog. The player must escort Barbas back to his master who happens to be a Daedric Prince, Clavicus Vile. You can either kill Barbas for Vile to get a weapon, or reunite Barbas with him and get an artefact. We love Barbas because of the craziness of the entire situation… and we can never bring ourselves to kill him.
Read our review of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
5. Isabelle (Animal Crossing)
Everyone knows and loves Isabelle the Shihtzu from Animal Crossing (although we’re pretty sure she’s a secret agent). She first appeared in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, although her most recent appearance is as a Resident Services employee in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Not only is she in charge of helping out the player with changing the town tune or flag but she can also scold villagers that players think have been dressing or speaking inappropriately. She does it all, making her one of our favourite dogs in video games.
Not to mention she went to the gym and got swole so that she could join the Super Smash Bros. roster. And she got her driver’s license so she could be a driver in Mario Kart 8. Isabelle goes above and beyond what is expected of her and that makes her a great widdle doggie. You can’t pet her though. She’d probably find it a bit patronising.
Read our review of Animal Crossing: New Horizons
6. Bullet (Blair Witch)
Another of our favourite dogs in video games is Bullet from Bloober Team’s Blair Witch. In the game you play as Ellis Lynch, a former police officer who joins a search party looking for a boy that’s gone missing in the Black Hills Forest. It’s clear very early on that Ellis is suffering from some psychological trauma and Bullet is there to keep him in check.
What we love about Bullet specifically is that you can pet him pretty much whenever you want. If you’ve never played a game with a dog in it, you have no idea how satisfying it is to be able to pet a dog. If more games would let us pet dogs, more games would be our favourite games. Point made. Moving on.
Read our review of Blair Witch
7. Walt (Valiant Hearts: The Great War)
The First World War was a horrible, violent time in history and Valiant Hearts: The Great War portrays this beautifully. The main characters go through hell and back during the story and it breaks our hearts every time we think about it. Walt, a Doberman Pinscher, is a character in the game that helps players solve puzzles. He’s a medic dog that got separated from his owner and is adopted by the other characters.
We love Walt because during all of the chaos, killing and bloodshed, he’s there to help you out. He makes you feel safe in an otherwise unsafe war zone and we think that makes him one of the best boys.
8. Rosie (Telltale’s The Walking Dead: The Final Season)
Rosie is a terrifying-looking dog that players interact with in the final season of Telltale’s The Walking Dead. She was originally the Headmaster’s dog at Ericson’s Boarding School until the Headmaster left. The kids at the school adopted her, and Rosie does a great job protecting all of the kids.
Clementine is wary of Rosie at first because of her bad experience with a dog in season two, but Rosie grows on her. By the end of the season, Rosie is good friends with both AJ and Clementine. What a good girl!
Read our review of Telltale’s The Walking Dead: The Final Season Episode One
9. Any of the dogs in Undertale
There are so many great dogs in Undertale that we couldn’t pick just one. Undertale has a huge variety of funny and ridiculous characters, but none moreso than the dogs. There’s Annoying Dog who is teeny tiny and adorable, Dogamy and Dogaressa who are in love with each other, Great Dog and Lesser Dog – and they’re all so darn cute.
One thing, among many, that we truly love about the Undertale dogs is that, despite their scary armour or angry dialogue, they’re just pups underneath – and you can pet them and throw sticks to “defeat them.” Pretty fitting if you ask us.
10. PaRappa the Rapper
PaRappa the Rapper is a music/rhythm game that was released for PlayStation way back in 1996. With its weird visuals, even weirder cast of characters and truly catchy songs, it quickly became a hit. And so, 25 years later, PaRappa himself is still something of a sensation.
A cool dog with baggy pants, red tennis shoes and an orange hat, what’s not to like about PaRappa? He’s also, you guessed it, a pretty wicked rapper. PaRappa might just be the coolest dog on this list for his rapping skills alone – but that outfit was pretty cool too.
