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Summary
- Video game protagonists can be tiny in stature but pack a powerful punch, from Kirby to Daxter.
- Despite their small size, characters like Olimar and dwarves from Deep Rock Galactic fight hard to save their universes.
- Short characters like Styx and Mario showcase that size doesn’t limit their strength or impact in gaming.
Video game protagonists always bolster larger-than-life personalities, feats of immeasurable strength, and perseverance, no matter the circumstances. However, despite this, many of them are surprisingly tiny, despite their power scaling to absurd levels. And, hey, we’re not complaining, we support our short kings and queens here.
From the goliaths you’d find fighting in games such as the Soulsborne series or God of War, sometimes it’s nice to take a step back and look at the smaller characters who are fighting just as hard to save their universes. Even if they are also going toe-to-toe with towering enemies the majority of the time, it’s more impressive due to their tiny stature and will to win!
Daxter
Jak And Daxter Series
Initially a human boy, Daxter gets turned into an Ottsel, which is a mix between an otter and a weasel, instantly making him one of the most recognizable and fan-favorite PlayStation characters of all time. It also means he is very, very short as a result.
While Daxter is more of a sidekick to Jak in the series, he did receive his own game simply titled ‘Daxter,’ which is enough for us to add him to the list. Look, we all love Daxter and know he is a short, sassy, and capable character. Let him have his spot in the sun!
Dwarves
Deep Rock Galactic
- ESRB
- T for Teen due to Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ghost Ship Games
- Publisher(s)
- Coffee Stain Publishing
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- N/A
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 3 GB (December 2023)
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- Metascore
- 85
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
ROCK AND STONE, BROTHER! Ahem, sorry about that, it just happens anytime you bring up Deep Rock Galactic and their handy dwarves. Their survival tactics are unmatched, and they know how to party. No matter which way you mine it, you can’t deny they are the definition of short kings.
Deep Rock Galactic is an excellent co-op FPS, and it has everything to do with the dwarves you get to customize and adventure with. If you were just the average-looking protagonist, would it be nearly as good? We think not!
Teenagers
Grounded
Grounded
- Released
- September 27, 2022
- ESRB
- Teen // Blood, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
Next up, we have the teenagers from the beloved Grounded survival game out of Obsidian Entertainment. While they were normal-sized teens, they were suddenly shrunken down to itty-bitty size, making them smaller than even spiders and ants.
An obvious choice, perhaps, but you really can’t get much smaller than this even if you tried. We adore our bite-sized heroes and are thrilled to see them back at it in the recently released sequel. If you love survival games and have yet to dive into Grounded, fix that as soon as possible!
Kirby
Kirby Series
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Cartoon Violence
- Developer(s)
- HAL Laboratory
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- unity
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Kirby
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 12 Hours
Another obvious choice is Kirby, everyone’s beloved pink foodie, who will destroy entire universes in the name of revenge if you steal their cake. Despite his adorableness and tiny stature, Kirby is a god capable of unbelievable power, which is why we love them dearly.
Kirby is always a fun time, and we will always be anticipating their next adventure with baited breath. Kirby was a shoo-in for this list, and everyone knows it. How can you not like this adorable, pink, weapon of mass destruction?!
Styx
Styx: Master Of Shadows
Styx: Master of Shadows
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Cyanide Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Cyanide Studio, Nacon
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Switching paces a bit, our next focus is on Styx, the goblin you assume control of in Styx: Master of Shadows, an excellent stealth-based game from Cyanide. If you love dark fantasy settings and stealth gameplay, while also playing as a knee-high goblin, this is the title for you.
Styx is a fantastic character for this style of game, and we can’t imagine being an orc or other towering being when skulking around castles and other fortresses. We love being short, nimble, and hard to spot!
Captain Olimar
Pikmin Series
Pikmin 4
Systems
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Pikmin
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 17 Hours
Captain Olimar soars into the list next, who is another shoo-in. He’s barely taller than the Pikmin he gathers and orders around, making him super tiny. Like, less than an inch tall at most. But, like all the other entrants on this list, we love that about him.
His ability to navigate the densely packed regions while commanding his army of Pikmin to move objects and create shortcuts is impressive to see and perform. Nintendo loves their short heroes, and so do we, putting Olimar up there with the best of them!
Yoku
Yoku’s Island Express
Speaking of itty bitty characters, Yoku from Yoku’s Island Express is up next, who is a literal dung beetle, who adventures through a unique metroidvania pinball game, which is shockingly fun and engaging from start to finish.
Yoku is an adorable character whom you root for from the moment you begin piloting. If you’ve been itching to play a unique take on the beloved metroidvania genre and want to do it as a pint-sized dung beetle, well, you now know what’s next on your docket!
Six
Little Nightmares
Little Nightmares
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have Six from Little Nightmares, which is drastically different in terms of tone and gameplay from everything else on this list. This game is suspenseful, horrifying, and will creep you out from the moment you begin playing it. And we cannot get enough of it.
Six is extremely small, and is roughly a third of the size of the adults and monstrosities that inhabit the horrific world around her. Slowly making your way through each area gives a sense of dread and foreboding doom, and that’s primarily due to just how tiny you are. We love Six and Little Nightmares!
The Prince
Katamari Damacy
Rolling the ball back into the other direction, we have The Prince from Katamari Damacy, who is barely under two inches tall, making him immensely tiny. However, he is still incredibly strong, as he can roll massive balls of trash around like it’s nothing.
To say we’re thrilled we’re finally getting a new installment in this beloved series would be an understatement, and we cannot wait to get back in and gather up various things littered throughout each stage again!
Mario
Mario Series
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Super Mario Bros.
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 13 Hours
- Metascore
- 97
Lastly, of course, we have Mario, who is THE short king of gaming. While we knew he was always short, it didn’t really register just how short he was until we played Super Mario Odyssey and saw him next to regular-sized adults in New Donk City for the first time.
Mario is very, very short. But, as he demonstrates time and time again, he’s also immensely strong and can swing Bowser around like he’s made of paper. Well, we guess sometimes he actually is made of paper, but that’s not the point. Mario is the quintessential short protagonist in gaming, and no one can take that from him!
