Given that most of the population are right-handed, the videogame industry has doubled down on ensuring most characters you come across follow in a similar light. Any games that involve shooting or swordplay will likely feature right-handed characters who wield their respective weapons accordingly.
However, there are videogame characters throughout time that go against the grain and favor their left side. Nintendo being the biggest advocate of all gaming studios to include some left-handed representation in their games. So while most characters you play are probably going to be right-handed, some of the most iconic and well-known characters actually favor their left hand.
8 Bowser Jr - Mario Power Tennis
As Bowser’s only child, Bowser Jr serves as a secondary antagonist in a lot of their features across the Mario series. First introduced in Super Mario Sunshine, Bowser Jr has now become a staple character and is featured across many games.
While Bowser Jr’s default setting is to be right-handed in games like Mario Power tennis, other titles such as Mario Super Sluggers depict him as using his hand.
7 Waluigi - Mario Superstar Baseball
The Mario series happens to feature quite a few left-handed and ambidextrous characters. This is in large part due to Mario creator Shigero Miyamoto’s preference for left-handed characters given he is left-handed.
While characters do chop and change between being left and right-handed in the Mario universe, Waluigi’s inclusion in the Mario Baseball games cement him as a left-handed character. In both Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers, Waluigi bats and fields left-handed, unlike almost all the other characters on the roster.
6 Raphael Sorel - Soulcalibur 2
Raphael Sorel is a recurring character that features across many titles in Namco’s Soulcalibur series. First appearing in Soulcalibur 2, Raphael later returned as a starting character for the third and fourth games and was then an unlockable character in Soulcalibur: Lost Swords.
Raphael’s fighting style in the games largely relies on his fencing mastery, making him a quick and agile swordsman. What sets him apart from most fencers in games is that he holds his trusty Rapier in his left hand, rather than his right. Later on in the series, Raphael’s daughter Amy also features and is left-handed, just like her father.
5 Sheva Alomar - Resident Evil 5
Sheva Alomar was one of the main characters in Resident Evil 5 and serves as one of the games deuteragonists, alongside Chris Redfield. She was an agent of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA) and was known as being a strong and versatile fighter with a great experience.
Unlike her counterpart Chris Redfield however, Sheva Alomar is depicted as left-handed. She can be seen wielding weapons with her left hand. Developer Capcom’s attention to detail on her character design extends to having a separate reloading animation that further highlights her left-handed disposition.
4 Mega Man - Mega Man
Mega Man, also known as Rockman in Japan, is the titular character of the long and beloved Mega Man series. First making his debut in 1987, the character has gone on to become a classic figure and has featured in a plethora of games over the years.
Despite Mega Man’s ability to shoot his Mega Buster from either hand, most concept art, and features of the character focus more so on his ability to shoot out of his left hand. Therefore, across the existence of the character, Mega Man is most commonly depicted as left-handed.
3 Nero - Devil May Cry 4
Nero is the nephew of the legendary Devil Hunter Dante and is one of the main protagonists of the series. He features as a playable character in both Devil May Cry 4 and 5.
While he may not have always been left-handed, Nero’s combat and sword fighting centers around his left arm. This is a result of his right arm turning into the devil bringing and serving as a manifestation of his demonic power. Therefore, Nero is forced to wield his sword in his left hand to leave the right free and able to utilize this power.
2 Crono - Chrono Trigger
Crono is the silent protagonist of the popular Chrono Series and was introduced in 1995 title Chrono Trigger, a game that is often cited as one of the greatest of all time. And while Crono may have little to say, a big thing that makes him stand out in the crowd is his left-handed tendencies.
Most images and official artwork of the character showcase Crono wielding his Katana in the left hand. During combat in the original Chrono Trigger, he can also be seen wielding the sword in his left hand and following this up by striking from this original stance.
1 Link - The Legend Of Zelda
Arguably the most iconic and well-known left-handed gaming character of all time, fans of the series will best know The Legend of Zelda’s hero to wield his legendary Master Sword in his left hand as opposed to his right.
While fans of the recent Zelda title Breath of The Wild may argue Link is right-handed, any Zelda game dating before the introduction of motion control combat will feature Link as left-handed. It was only in the Nintendo Wii titles that Link began the transition to being right-handed, due to more players wielding the Wii controller in their right hand.