Nearly from the beginning of time, people have been telling stories. We tell them to our children to help them behave, we tell them to ourselves in the midst of a hard day. We tell them to our friends and family who may be struggling. But one thing is for sure; we have fallen in love with the main characters of our favorite games. They may have inspired us, cheered us up or entertained us from the very first time we picked up a controller or mouse and keypad. In any case, the characters we love deserve to have some epic pictures of themselves to be shared around the community.

We've found some truly epic art from around the internet to bring you a compilation of the coolest video game characters. The PlayStation console was and is home to so many of gaming's most iconic heroes and settings, that fans of all skills have added something to the community. While I couldn't find something on every game, here are 25 of them that you may or may not remember and have played.

Their stories have resonated and stayed with artists of all different kinds of media who create works of art and then share them with the fandom. Luckily you don't have to be good at art in order to enjoy it. With all that being said, we hope that you thoroughly enjoy this list of 25 PlayStation characters who have been re-imagined by artists in truly epic ways.

25 Come To The Dark Side

via: hannahgrace.deviantart.com

Jak and Daxter was one of the staples of the PlayStation as a console, having games on both the PlayStation One and Two. Depicted here is Jak when he uses dark eco to power up. Hannah Grace on DeviantArt gives a good idea of the ferocity that Jak can unleash when using this ability. From his stance to the detailing in his coloring and the immersive background, this picture adds to an already pretty solid franchise. Jak looks ready for battle.

Art by Hannah Grace.

24 Just Another Tuesday

via: kardisart.deviantart.com

Lara Croft has made a name for herself from both the games and movie spin-offs in the Tomb Raider franchise. She was originally created to be the female Indiana Jones, but has since taken on a life of its own. In this stunning piece for a contest, KardisArt relives one of Lara's more recent origin stories. This looks like it could have been concept art. How do people get so good? From the perspective to the lighting, this picture does everything right.

Art by KardisArt.

23 One Sly Thief

via: rocketchainsaw.com

Sly Cooper was one of my favorite franchises growing up. It was fun, had good characters and an interesting story. Each of the sequels that I've played has followed up with the same charm and fun the first one did.

Sly always gets the job done.

Adam Ghiggino captured the air of mystery Sly keeps while on a job, and the many searchlights mean that something big is about to go down. I love how Sly has just enough of himself in the light so that you know who he is, aside from his iconic cane.

Art by Adam Ghiggino.

22 First Of His Kind

Detroit: Become Human was one of those awesome games that somehow flew mostly under the radar. It is relevant to today and tells an amazing story of three androids who find themselves asking the question what it means to be human. One becomes a mother, another a son, and the third, a leader. Marcus here plays a vital role in the change that occurs. I love how this picture paints him. He's determined to follow his path, whether peaceful or angry.

Art by AngelAssassin19.

21 One Fine Hunter

via: patrickbrown.deviantart.com

The first of a couple pictures on this list (and all in varying styles, which is even more impressive) is artist Patrick Brown. Based on the most recent game, this picture gives people a clear idea of what they're getting into when they pick up a copy of Devil May Cry. Dante here is taking down all of the bad guys who want to get in his way. Dante isn't known for sitting still and being idle. No, instead he runs around, guns blazing. Even though his hair has changed, he's still the same old Dante.

Art by Patrick Brown.

20 A Game No More

via: nickinamerica.deviantart.com

While Ratchet and Clank didn't start out being a larger tale about saving the universe, it certainly ended that way. Here Nicholas Anderson makes a really cool drawing of Ratchet doing what he does best-defending himself and the planets.

The perspective makes this picture fun.

To make the picture look like you're seeing what's happening outside of a monster's mouth is really creative and helps to focus on the action of the picture. The bold coloring brings memories to old comics to mind, reinforcing the idea that Ratchet is a superhero.

Art by Nicholas Anderson.

19 What's Behind Door Number Two?

via: ari-spike-nadelman.deviantart.com

It looks like it's been a hard day for Ada Wong. Given how unlucky she's been, we're guessing she also left her stove on at home. A staple of the Resident Evil franchise, it's not unusual to see fan art of how she'd survive the zombie apocalypse. Ari-Spike-Nadelman takes an already grim and dark world and amplifies it 100%. The shading helps give an idea about the conditions that our heroes find themselves in and the positioning of the camera intensifies a feeling of dread.

Art by Ari-Spike-Nadelman.

18 A Metaphorical Villain?

via: tumblr.com

Poor Sebastian Castellanos. Only a few years after finding the love of his life and having a child with her, she walks out and a fire presumably ends their daughter, Lilly. Now the world seems to be ending and he is facing nearly impossible odds in a world that is run by a madman. Inside his head. The Evil Within really not only told a good story, but gave some really great atmosphere. This picture by Tumblr user Zowiegranz does the same, providing an uneasiness about where our hero is going.

Art by Zowiegranz.

17 It's Dangerous To Go Alone

via: kipine.deviantart.com

When I was in college, a friend of mine offered to let me play this really amazing game called Journey. It had no dialogue, but instead some really amazing music and a simple story. You're basically trying to climb a mountain and become like others of your people, a scarf-wearing wandering people.

The climb is a metaphor.

I love this picture by Pauliina Linjama! This is a picture of your character after you make it to the top and rise above what you were.

Art by Pauliina Linjama.

16 Mortal Enemies Forever

via: awanqi.deviantart.com

Can you find a more iconic rivalry on the PlayStation than that of Cloud and Sephiroth? With a remake coming sometime in the future, it's hard not to get excited to see all of the cutscenes updated to today's best tech. Artist awanqi captured the fluid motion that these two seem to have when they're wielding their nigh impossible to use swords in battle. Not only is the picture well-posed, but it's also just darn pretty. From the coloring to the lighting, it's hard not to love it.

Art by Awanqi.

15 There Can Only Be One

via: foxinshadow.deviantart.com

Given that these two were basically just pallet swaps of each other in the original game, it's pretty interesting to see how far the Mortal Kombat games have come as far as lore goes. The whole point of the game is to be as powerful as possible, giving your opponent no chance to escape intact.

These fighters are giving their all.

FoxInShadow pretty faithfully recreated what a fight between these two might look like, at least before anyone got a good hit in. My money is on Sub Zero.

Art by FoxInShadow.

14 Not For Honor, But For You

via: darkdux.deviantart.com

I've never played the Metal Gear Solid games, but I've seen enough to know that Wilde Rudy's 80s action movie poster is a perfect fit for the series. Each of the characters in this piece is masterfully drawn. They're positioned on the poster to claim your attention long enough and the lifelike features they have make it all the more convincing that this could be a real action movie. I can't imagine how long this must have taken from start to finish. It's a real work of art.

Art by Wilde Rudy.

13 Divine Lineage

via: pinterest

The most recent God Of War game may have been my first, but my goodness it was worth the research I put in to figuring out the story of the Ghost of Sparta. The developers of this game did an absolutely amazing job at creating character ties and arcs that wrapped up beautifully. The twist at the end threw me through a loop, and I loved the whole game. Adam Ryu Ford's picture of Kratos and family is epic because you can see the changes made in each of the characters.

Art by Adam Ryu Ford.

12 The Final Chapter?

via: newgrounds.com

Words can't express how excited I am for Kingdom Hearts 3. I've played it since the very beginning, and I have loved seeing all of the adventures, despite my small groan involving Halloweentown and Atlantica repeats. This picture is epic because it really helps to sum up everything in preparation for the game's release next year.

It's hard not to love so many characters.

Even though the story doesn't always make sense, it's a combination from two of my favorite big companies, and a solid part of my childhood.

Art by Wavechan.

11 A New Hero

via: artstation.com

For as silly as this picture is, the amount of detail is pretty dang amazing. Sackboy has become a very recognizable character with his unique design and honestly fun game. It's kind of fun to see video game characters swap places every so often. It gives a new spin on the character's point of view and how they react to certain things in their own universe. Now it would be kind of cute to see how Link would do in Sackboy's world.

Art by Baptiste Bélier.

10 A Sleeper RPG

via: artstation.com

Legend of Legaia is one of those RPGs that you don't know about unless you or someone you know played it on the PlayStation 2. My husband introduced it to me, and it was pretty cool. The story follows three characters and their Ra Seru (magical arm fighting companions) as they attempt to save the world from quite a few villainous foes. There's even some time travel thrown in, just for fun. It's a great game, and Roy Ugang paid some epic tribute to the main character, Vahn.

Art by Roy Ugang.

9 Another One Bites The Dust

via: patrickbrown.deviantart.com

The Last Of Us painted a pretty grim version of what the world would be like after a zombie outbreak. The story tears at your heartstrings, and the ending still makes me wonder what would have happened had things been different.

Their faces say it all.

Back on this list, Patrick Brown posts Joel and Ellie in the wake of an attack, clearly showing Joel and Ellie's relationship by their body language and facial expressions. Joel focuses on battle, while Ellie looks to him for guidance.

Art by Patrick Brown.

8 One Wild Bandicoot

via: shiinrai.deviantart.com

While he may look a bit more like a fox here, Crash looks like he's going to enjoy his wumpa fruit. Artist Shiinrai goes a different route than most who draw Crash Bandicoot's titular character. Instead of making him more buff or human, Shiinrai imagines what Crash could be if he joined the dark side. His glowing eyes are menacing, and you can tell he's up to no good with that smirk. This is the image of Crash that could have been. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to be caught on his bad side!

Art by Shiinrai.

7 The Prophecy Fortells

via: fiimi.deviantart.com

This is Alyssa. Alyssa is a rooter; or in other words, she is able to travel through time to bring peace troubled spirits. Being weaponless for most of the game, it's a nice change to have access to a bow and arrow at the end. The game was pretty spooky, and the story was intriguing. This picture helps illuminate how relieved the player might be feeling when Alyssa comes into her power and is able to stand and fight instead of running away so much.

Art by Fiimi.

6 Never Skip Leg Day

Patrick Brown graces our list once more with his interpretation of the Uncharted series. Nathan Drake always seems to get himself into quite the trouble, and unfortunately, it usually involves things and people that want to end him. This picture reminds us of the sheer scope of the game.

Nathan Drake is always getting himself in and out of trouble.

There are so many details and ways to move about the open world that sometimes it can be hard to remember where we're going. Although we'll always go away from attackers.

Art by Patrick Brown.