The 9 Best Lions In Video Games

If we said they’re not great we would be lyin’.

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There’s a reason lions are listed first in that famous old chant from The Wizard of Oz. They pretty much demand it. Astrologists have been saying it for centuries – lions are Leos, and Leos are prideful beasts.

Lions have been basking in the video game limelight since the Magnavox Odyssey. By all available metrics, they don’t seem poised to leap out of the industry anytime soon, either. In honor of their monarchical presence, we’ve selected the very best lions in gaming.

Some have origins in other forms of entertainment. Others are entirely native to this glorious interactive medium. All are worthy. Love these lions.

9 Lion Head (Giten Megami Tensei: Tokyo Mokushiroku)

Our proud first pick is none other than Lion Head, one of several hundred demons in the Megami Tensei franchise and its popular Persona offshoots. What makes Lion Head stand out from the rest of the pack? Somehow, this well-dressed and winged gent has only ever appeared in one entry. Do you know how rare that is? These Megami Tensei demons, they breed like weeds, they’re all over the place.

Not so for fair Lion Head. The gladiatorial and surely territorial terror has never seen a single Western shore, confined to a PC-only 1990s game that has, woefully, sealed him away indefinitely.

8 Gado the Lion (Bloody Roar series)

Gado hopes to ease any difficulties in species classification by referring to himself as Gado the Lion. This is actually less than helpful since Gado is a human being when he isn’t in his beast form. Frustratingly, he does not refer to himself as Gado the Human when that happens.

People tend to forget the Bloody Roar series even exists. This is understandable when the four-volume fighting game brand only lasted from 1997 until 2002, with its final installment rather less than beloved. But to forget Bloody Roar is to forget Gado the Lion is to run the risk of this big guy beating you up. Be careful out there.

7 Leo (Red Earth)

Speaking of forgotten fighting games, enter Capcom’s one-hit-wonder Red Earth. We know a lot about Red Earth’s barbarian lion, Leo. B’s his blood type, he’s 35, and most importantly he’s the 35-year-old half-lion king of Greedia.

Wait, half-lion? Does that mean someone… you know what, this paragraph ends right here.

Instead, let’s talk about that sword-arm. The dinosaur thing, that’s not its official name probably, is very “come at me, bro.” This is what forensic scientists later call “a fatal mistake.”

6 Leomon (Digimon series)

Leomon is a champion of justice in his every incarnation, a forthright and fiercely honorable friend you’ll want by your side in a pinch. A Digimon anime debut, the royal powerhouse has gone on to appear in nearly every video game adaptation.

It’s wonderful cheese hearing him shout out attacks like “Fist of the Beast King” and “Lion Sword,” but stay on your guard. This man’s an absolute bro to any and all Digidestined, and if you dare upset the natural balance of the digital world you’re in for a world of pain.

5 Scar (The Lion King; Kingdom Hearts series)

There’s a lot to be said for Scar’s role in the Kingdom Hearts series. Probably not nearly as much as can be said for any plot point that doesn’t involve Disney characters, but surely enough to fill a page or two.

It’s best not to broach the subject of the tyrant’s reign in Westwood Studios’ adventure platformer, The Lion King. Whether players sample the Sega Genesis or the Super Nintendo version, they sample horror. Scar serves as the not-so-surprising final boss, and his scratches and slashes have such absurdly high frame priority over Simba’s own that tears have been wept for decades when the hero meets ignominious end after ignominious end.

4 Litleo (Pokemon series)

Yeah, Pyroar’s pretty great too, but despite its small stature Litleo is the undisputed stare-down master. The criminally underrated cub has something going for it that really demands more awareness – its facial expressions are terrifically diverse. In the above image, Litleo looks as stupefied as Bidoof. It’s a charming if slightly off-putting look.

But sometimes? Sometimes Litleo looks like it’s late to a very important date debating summer fashion with Whoopi Goldberg on The View. On other occasions, it seems convinced it can kill Scar (it can’t). And occasionally, it’s just plain adorable.

3 Barong (Megami Tensei series)

Unlike poor Lion Head, Barong has been in dozens of Megami Tensei games, including newer fare like Shin Megami Tensei 5. If you’re wondering why we didn’t use a screenshot from a game with more modern graphics like that one, we think its earlier, NES-era representations, are far more frightening.

Now, pretend this is Pokemon X & Y’s “Pokemon-Amie” screen. The resemblance is there. Go on, pet it with the stylus. Feed it a few berries.

We dare you.

2 Lionel (Animal Crossing series)

There are several lion-like villagers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ exhaustive database of potential new neighbors, but none are quite so fascinating as Lionel. He is the epic encapsulation of everything lion-like; the proud and powerful presence, the self-obsessed grandeur; the distinct lack of pants. (Granted, he does wear pants. Sometimes. But then, there are probably some lions out there who do the same, right?)

Lionel commands the player’s steadfast attention. He is regal and regales you with tales of his quests, but we all know they’re boasts at best. He must spend a lot of time perfecting that ridiculous handlebar mustache – er, rather, bold white mane.

Sometimes, Lionel builds a gilded golden toilet. Take that as you will.

1 Red XIII (Final Fantasy 7)

At the climax of Square Enix’s monumental Final Fantasy 7 Remake, a villain inquires into the identities of the heroes who stand before him. Borrowing a bad description from Barret, Red claims to be a “lab rat dog.” It’s played for laughs. It’s genuinely funny. It’s wrong.

Red XIII is clearly a lion thing. Vaguely wolf-like to be sure, but above all a reddish lion. The debate will continue to rage until the entire Final Fantasy 7 Remake series is out, and likely decades thereafter, so if you’re coming to this article in the year 2062, just know that we did our best to ensure the good name of the very best lion in video games.

Link Source : https://www.thegamer.com/best-coolest-video-game-lions/