10 Painfully Cute Video Game Characters *\(^O^)/*

They squeal, they bounce, they get away with murder of the third degree… The cutest video game characters of all time are cute not only for their outward appearance, but also for their unique personalities, quirks, and yes, even their mistakes.

What make a video game character beautiful are its flaws, and what makes them adorable are their ability to commit intolerable acts without punishment. Of course, not all of these characters are destructive forces. Some are just puppets of greed or blinded by fear, while others are just a bit dim.

In any case, none of these little guys can be blamed for their actions—they just don't know any better. Let's take a closer, non-judgmental look at these cuddly scoundrels. I mean who could stay mad at these faces? In no particular order, here are some of the most adorable characters in modern video gaming history.

Pikachu from Pokémon

Of all the fictional species in the Pokémon universe, Pikachu is hands down the "pika pika" of pocket monster cuteness. Loyalty, determination, the ability to discharge paralyzing shocks from its electric cheek sacs… what more could you want?

Kirby from the Kirby series

Kirby is a round, pink spirit with an insurmountable positive attitude. He also appears to be naked, but I guess those could be shoes? His favorite activities include inhaling other creatures live, singing poorly, and defeating his enemies in a cute manner. As one of the more quirky characters, he’s also freakishly obsessed with tomatoes and manages to make eating an entire watermelon whole not look disgusting.

Yoshi from the Mario series

Yoshi is the cutest domicile dinosaur you could ever hope to see. Equipped with a saddle for easy riding, stylish red booties, and a squeaky baby voice, his abilities include extending his sticky tongue to terrifying lengths and swallowing anything he can fit into his mouth. The ingested articles then either turn into projectile regurgitation or come out his other end as an egg, which can be used for flinging. Yoshi's charm is undeniable, though he is admittedly less cute in the live action movie Super Mario Brothers.

Mog from Final FantasyXIII-2

If you’re a Final Fantasy fan, you already know that this Mog is just one of the many adorable moogles from the series. Moogles are a mild-mannered, industrious species that are most often categorized by small, bat-like wings, white fur, and a (very sensitive) pom-pom attached to their head via an antenna. This particular Mog has the additional attributes of pinchable cheeks, a “fancy time” stick, and can also transform into a deadly bow-sword.

Wheately from Portal 2 [NOTE: video has SPOILERS]

No one can resist the charm of the frantic, British voice packed into Wheately's spherical robot body. As the deuteragonist of Portal 2, Wheately is an enthusiastic but moronic sidekick designed to "assist" the protagonist throughout the game. In reality, he just isn't very good at anything, but his disabilities make him all the more endearing. While we're on the subject of Portal's personality cores, there's another passionate android ball worth mentioning: Space Core. Simply adorable.

Sackboy from Little Big Planet

This raggedy munchkin hails from the fantastical and imaginative Little Big Planet, and, according to the official game guide, is "all stuffed with fluff… and ice cream." Ice cream or not, there's no arguing the adorableness of Sackboy's mindless enthusiasm for adventure despite imminent danger.

The Prince from Katamari Damacy

The story of Katamri Damacy begins with the Prince's father, the King of All Cosmos, drunkenly destroying all the celestial bodies in the sky, including stars, constellations, and the Moon. But wait, it gets cuter. The King then gives the five-centimeter tall Prince the task of rebuilding the cosmos by using an adhesive ball called a katamari to collect enough materials to recreate the stars and constellations. The Prince then descends upon Earth, where he mercilessly rolls up objects, people, houses, and eventually entire towns in his sticky ball of destruction. What could be cuter than this tiny green guy uprooting your home and annihilating everything you love?

BOY from Noby Noby Boy

BOY is a semi-quadrupedal, noodle-y creature who has the ability to stretch endlessly all over his environment. Wherever he goes, his chaotic stretching causes him to completely wreck the place by knocking down people and houses in a totally non-malevolent way. Sometimes he gets inconsequentially ripped in half, doubling the cuteness! To become whole again, all BOY has to do is eat his other half, which I'm sure tastes like rainbow spaghetti.

Tom Nook from Animal Crossing

The sole owner of Animal Crossing's village shop, Nook is an adorable little raccoon-dog with sultry eyes and a sexy apron who lives by the motto, "Get money, get paid." Though on the outside he seems cuddly, he doesn’t mess around when it comes to business. All in all, he's definitely the cutest virtually living thing to ever be described as having the "cold, dead heart of a megalomaniac."

ilo and milo from ilomilo

Resembling thumbs with tiny arm and leg nubbins, ilo and milo are an inseparable couple. So inseparable that when they think about leaving each other, they cry enough to cause a few of the game’s levels to be played underwater. Every morning starts with the pair meeting by a tree in the park to "drink apple tea and munch on maple leaf flavored biscuits." Together, they solve the puzzles of their sweet but complicated world and try to figure out a way to be together forever. Awww~

@abilaurel