If you like to follow the Chinese Zodiac, then you are probably already aware that 2020 is the year of the rat. Rats have long been apart of video games, and many RPGs use the creatures as starting enemies. Other games like Dishonored take control of a horde of rats to turn them into a deadly weapon.
To celebrate the rat, we've scoured the internet to learn about some of the most popular rats in gaming culture. The rats we listed below have many different roles from being an annoying obstacle to a businessman with an unhealthy obsession with chairs.
10 Rattata
Rattata is one of the very first Pokémon you encounter in the Pokémon series. Rattata has been the center of memes, jokes, and comedy throughout the series' history. Many fans will reference a youngster trainer named Joey, who is obsessed with the species. The Pokémon even got an Alolan form in Sun & Moon. Rattata also has an evolved form named Ratticate that the Pokémon evolves into a level 20.
This gen 1 Pokémon may not be as popular as Pikachu, but almost any gamer who has played the series will recognize this purple (or black) rat.
9 Twitch
Twitch is a playable champion in League of Legends who uses a crossbow to attack his opponents. Twitch was released in 2009 and has a secondary assassin class. Many of his attacks revolve around using venom or poison-related attacks to whittle down his opponents, HP. When fighting Twitch, players may find it best to guard themselves closely to keep from being picked off from afar.
In the lore of the game, Twitch is a plague rat who revels in living a filthy lifestyle. Twitch regularly fawns over thoughts of causing the downfall of humanity and searches for strange treasures.
8 Freya Crescent
Freya Crescent is a character in Final Fantasy IX. Freya is a dragon knight on a quest to find Sir Frantley. She can be found and added to your party when you reach Burmecia. The intelligent knight has fallen for Frantley and wants to reconnect with him in hopes of developing a blossoming romance.
In battles, Freya uses a spear to pick her enemies off from a safe distance and can use high jumps to evade enemy attacks easily. Freya has been praised by many fans of Final Fantasy IX and is considered to be one of the strongest party members in the game.
7 Slade
Slade is one of the party members in Shining Force II who is forced into combat by the other protagonists. In the game, Slade is responsible for throwing the world into chaos by stealing the jewel of light and evil that helps keep the evil being Zeon sealed. Upon being found by the main party, they urge him to join them in their request to restore the world to its balanced state.
He is part of the thief and ninja classes; he uses daggers and swords to cut down his enemies. He can also learn elemental spells to cause damage to opponents from a distance.
6 Royal Rat Authority
If you haven't had enough punishment while playing Dark Souls II, then do we have the boss for you. Royal Rat Authority can be found by entering the fog gate near Ordeal's End bonfire. When you enter, the boss won't try and attack you, but once the smaller rats have become aware of your presence, he will jump down into the arena to begin the battle.
Royal Rat Authority can hit you with the toxic condition, which can quickly drain your health. The boss will come at you with swings, and you should be prepared to dodge quite often in order to win this Dark Souls battle.
5 Daroach
Daroach is the main antagonist of Kirby: Squeak Squad. His goal in the game is to obtain a treasure that will provide him and his gang an endless amount of power. Sadly, once Daroach finally opens the treasure chest containing this fabled power, he becomes possessed by Dark Nebula. Daroach is saved by Kirby and ends up giving up on his quest for power afterward.
In Kirby Star Allies, Daroach appears in the second wave of friends as a playable character that can help Kirby as he travels through space.
4 Skeevers
Skeevers are one of the most basic enemies you can come across in the Elder Scrolls Skyrim. Skeevers plague several parts of Skyrim and are considered by the residents of the land to be pests. They often can be found in large groups where they will work together to attack the player. Skeevers can also carry Ataxia that makes lockpicking and pickpocketing harder for the player.
Despite the hate for Skeevers, the player's child can bring one home and ask to keep it for a pet in the Hearthfire expansion.
3 Rat
Simply called rat, these creatures in Zelda can be a nuisance in dungeons that drive many players crazy. The enemy first appeared in Link to the Past and have been featured in almost every title since. Depending on the title you are playing, rats can be simple enemies that appear from nests, or even carry the small keys you need to traverse the dungeon.
If you're playing The Wind Waker, then rats are able to grab bomb flowers and run into you, causing them to explode. The rats also become a problem in Twilight Princess as they can cling it Wolf Link, making traversing levels impossible.
2 Ratooey
Ratooey is a species of rat people in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. In the game, there are two major Ratooey characters you will come across named Lumpy and Businessman. Lumpy can be found in Rogueport, where Mario can donate coins to help fund his oil hunt in Dry Dry Desert from the first game in the series.
Businessman can first be found on the Excess Express, where he has lost his company briefcase. Later on in the game, he is part of a side-quest that sends Mario all over the game world to count chairs.
1 The Phantom Rats
In Persona 5, you will have to traverse a cruise ship as one of the final levels. In order for the phantom thieves to progress through parts of the boat, though, they have to turn into the Phantom Rats. In rat form, the thieves keep on identifying accessories such as Joker's mask so that players can tell them apart.
While in rat form, the Phantom Thieves can't fight and must be extra careful of enemy encounters. The rat transformations gave the palace a surprising challenge that many gamers had to learn to overcome safely.