A well-made video game character seduces players with their personality or their ability to swing a sword and save the world, but rarely is a character well-loved for their mask. Masks can serve to protect from harm or hide an identity, but in the video game world they can do so much more.
Some masks increase a character's power level to world-shattering heights, while others grant beautifully telling backstories that fill out the gaps in a moving plotline. Regardless, it is often the mask itself that shines in the spotlight rather than the one wearing it.
With Halloween quickly approaching, and masks at the forefront of current events, these ten titans of gaming refuse to let players forget exactly who is on the screen. With their masks come an odd anonymity that juxtaposes their immense fame and popularity with their complete lack of identity, in some cases. Players can perhaps utilize some of these characters as costume or fashion inspiration for themselves, while others would be near impossible to replicate. These ten masked icons are unfettered by their choices of disguise, and some have never felt stronger.
#10 - Needles Kane from Twisted Metal
video game mascot of Twisted Metal since its release by Sony in 1995. Not much is known about Needles except that he's a raging maniac, but his mask is known to send a chill up players' spines. While originally Needles seemed to wear clown make up and green hair, he is more commonly seen now with a flaming head of fire and a leather strapped clown mask, adding volumes to his already frightful visage.
#9 - Krieg from Borderlands
Krieg is the psycho players love to love. Originally appearing in the second defining icon for the series. He wears his mask to protect himself from toxic conditions, but it adds so much personality to his image that players have to wonder - would he really be Psycho Krieg without it?
#8 - Pinwheel from Dark Souls
Arguably one of the easiest bosses in Dark Souls, Pinwheel is still a chilling foe. A Necromancer of sorts, Pinwheel is controlled by three masks - The Masks of the Father, Mother, and Child. It uses attacks of pyromancy to gain the upper hand, but it also has the ability to clone itself, surrounding the player with the still & creepy stares of its three faces.
When defeated, this Dark Souls boss grants the player one of its valuable masks that can upgrade various features like health and stamina. No one really knows what is underneath the masks, but also maybe that's a question no one wants to know the answer to.
#7 - Cubone from Pokémon
One of fan theories that circulate regarding its origins, and as far as masked Pokémon go, it is the first (and saddest) to come to mind.
#6 - Caustic from Apex Legends
One of gaming's most polished Battle Royale-style representatives is Respawn Entertainment's Caustic utilizes a toxic gas to earn the title of Champion, and he ensures his own safety by always wearing his PPE. Players must pay or play to unlock this formidable fog expert and when they do, they better start holding their breath.
#5 - Samus Aran from Metroid
One of Nintendo's most beloved characters is the well-equipped bounty hunter known as Samus Aran. Metroid first released for the NES in 1986, and has taken the video game world by storm ever since. Players were first introduced to Samus in her iconic suit of armor, including an impressive helmet/mask that hid her identity and gender until well into game.
Samus proves, in the first moments of the game, that she is fully capable of carrying the franchise on her shoulders, and it is widely believed that her mask helped her appeal to gamers of all walks of life. In the beginning, no one knew the bounty hunter's gender, age, or demeanor, which allowed players to fall in love with the character without bias. These days, Samus is often seen in her Zero Suit form which leaves less to the imagination, but she is an absolute powerhouse that has defined Nintendo for decades behind a mask.
#4 - Scorpion & Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat
Video games have been pitting players against one another in battle for years. No gaming experience has taken the fight to the same level, though, as MK11 Ultimate Edition) but there is no doubt that the other fighters fall in line well-behind the masked duo in both fame and intrigue.
#3 - Shy Guy from Super Mario Brothers
Another character that gets their fame from its anonymity is Shy Guy from Nintendo's crowning achievement, Super Mario Brothers. Shy Guy actually first makes an appearance in the lesser known Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, which was later repurposed as Super Mario Bros. 2 for the NES. Shy Guy has been a Mario staple for years, though, and never once have players seen them without the mask. An easy foe to dispose of, Shy Guy is seen wearing a variety of colors, and is also a very common enemy in many Yoshi titles as well. Shy Guy's mask is masterfully devoid of personality and emotion, and yet somehow serves as a totem of gaming from what is arguably the pinnacle franchise of video games. Quite an impressive feat for such a shy little guy.
#2 - Meta Knight from Kirby
Another massive contribution to modern gaming is Nintendo's Super Smash Brothers franchise as well.
Meta Knight, while recognized immediately by his silver mask, has been seen bare faced on occasion, and to the surprise of players everywhere, he looks nearly identical to Kirby himself (save for some differing colors). Meta Knight has grown to be known as an honorable & capable swordsman and a huge asset to the Kirby series, and he's managed to do it all under a faceless mask. A huge accomplishment indeed!
#1 - Skull Kid from Majora's Mask
Skull Kid first makes an appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. He is introduced as a mischievous, though friendly, scarecrow-like child that plays his flute in the Lost Woods. While there are several different Skull Kids littered about the franchise, the most famous and dangerous of them all is the one wearing the mask.
Majora's Mask is a unique game within the Zelda series that messes with the flow of time as Link struggles to save the world from Skull Kid, who is wearing the evil Majora's Mask. The mask provides Skull Kid with limitless power that allows him to bring the moon crashing down to Termina. The player must navigate through the world and the timeline to rid Skull Kid of this power and return Majora's Mask to the ever-creeping Happy Mask Salesman. Majora's Mask may be the most popular video game in history that centers its storyline around a mask, and Skull Kid is the (un)lucky character to wear it.
Honorable Mentions - Aku Aku & Phanto
While these two characters can't necessarily be labeled "masked", they simply must be mentioned because they ARE masks. Aku Aku is the ever-helpful assistant to Crash in Crash Bandicoot, providing Crash with more health to complete his quests. Phanto, on the other hand, is a nasty foe that just won't quit from Super Mario Bros. 2. These two just don't get the credit they deserve for the contributions they make to the gaming world, so they deserve to at least take home the trophies of Honorable Mentions.
Masks are items of power, and of destruction. Masks are protectors and masks are disguises. The medium of video games has the power to put these concepts of mysterious power and intrigue to the forefront of players' minds worldwide, and there is no limit to their influence. What better way to channel these fascinating possibilities into the hands of players than through the enchantment that masks can bring to the story? Gaming pushes the limits of potential, and masks push the limits of players' imaginations. As a team, they may have the ability to change the world.
