The world of fantasy has been a setting in video games since the days of Atari. It's one of the most popular video game genres, encompassing some of the industry's most popular franchises: World of Warcraft, The Legend of Zelda, and Final Fantasy, to name just a few. In franchises like these, there are often creatures from all across the fantasy canon.
A common creature in these games are fairies, as commonly found in European folklore and Romantic art. Fairies have come in many shapes and sizes, but the term most often describes small, winged, humanoid beings. They're also very common in the world of video games, especially when it comes to these iconic fairies throughout gaming history.
10 Eos & Selene — Final Fantasy 14
Fairies are quite common in the Final Fantasy series, though they primarily appear in smaller roles. In the Final Fantasy Legend series, fairies are enemies; meanwhile, in Final Fantasy 11, fairies are creatures capable of being summoned by players for healing or defensive support.
In FF14, the Final Fantasy MMO, Eos and Selene are support fairies that are summoned by players of the Scholar job. Their abilities are quite similar, including healing capabilities as well as increasing magic potency among all party members. While these are certainly useful allies to any Final Fantasy players, the series could definitely use a more prominent Fairy character.
9 Sprixies — Super Mario 3D World
Often in the Mario franchise, the titular plumber's goal is to rescue Princess Peach from the clutches of Bowser. However, the Wii U titled Super Mario 3D World features a different selection of damsels-in-distress with the Sprixie Princesses. These fairies are featured prominently in the story, which finds Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad teaming up to rescue them.
There are seven Sprixie Princesses that Mario and his friends save at the end of every world. Additionally, several Sprixies appear in levels throughout the game to aid Mario; for example, the Binocular Sprixie, who lets players see the level ahead of them. The green-colored Sprixie Princess was even added as a playable character in the Wii U's Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash.
8 Brentilda — Banjo-Kazooie
The Banjo-Kazooie games, though few and far between, feature some pretty memorable characters. One of the most memorable is the game's villain, the evil witch Gruntilda, who resembles the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. Similar to that source material, Gruntilda has a benevolent sister, the fairy princess Brentilda.
In the original Banjo-Kazooie for Nintendo 64, Brentilda appears throughout Gruntilda's Lair to assist the bear and bird on a quest to defeat her sister. Her only advice is seemingly-random facts about Gruntilda, such as the name of her band and her favorite drink. However, these answers come up later during a game show section, forcing players to actually listen to Brentilda.
7 Ori — Ori and the Blind Forest
Ori and the Blind Forest is a Metroidvania game released in 2015 that was praised by the gaming community for its gameplay and design. Players control the titular Ori, a spirit who sets off to save their Forest from a mysterious curse known as Decay. The game was successful enough to spawn a sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, which came out in 2020.
Though Ori is not an ordinary fairy, the character definitely encompasses some aspects of fairies as they appeared in some traditional folktales. Specifically, certain Irish or German mythologies classify fairies as spirits of either the dead or nature. Ori's gender and personality are up to interpretation of the player, and the game is very emotionally powerful.
6 Stella — Dragon Quest 9
Dragon Quest IX was released exclusively for Nintendo DS in 2009, with releases outside Japan coming a full year later. The game features Stella, a brash and arrogant fairy, as one of its most prominent main characters. Stella serves as a companion to the playable Hero in Dragon Quest IX, often interacting with players via menus and dialogue.
She also plays a big role in the game's story, first encountering the Hero on her quest to find a Celestrian who can pilot the Starflight Express. Stella comes across the Hero, a Celestrian, and accompanies them on their quests throughout the game. While she's a bit combative with the player early on, she eventually warms up to them and becomes a valuable ally.
5 Ribbon — Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
The beloved Kirby franchise often finds the titular pink puffball adventuring through side-scrolling worlds, copying the abilities of enemies. However, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards takes advantage of 3D space, merging Kirby's linear movement with new perspectives. Along the way, Kirby is joined by Ribbon, a fairy who helps Kirby locate the Crystal Shards.
In Kirby 64, players get to control Ribbon during Kirby's fight against Zero Two, the game's final boss. After Kirby and Ribbon defeat the creator of Dark Matter, Ribbon even gives Kirby a kiss on the cheek, causing the iconic Nintendo character to blush.
4 Airy — Bravely Default
This RPG was released in 2012 for the 3DS, attracting players with its rich story. Part of that story involves Airy, an NPC who acts as the companion and guide for Agnès Oblige, the game's protagonist. Together, Airy assists Agnès on a quest to awaken four elemental crystals, only to (spoiler alert!) Betray her in the game's climactic moments.
It is revealed that Airy's true allegiance was towards Ouroboros, the god of destruction and Bravely Default's main antagonist. Airy even assumes her true form as a monstrous caterpillar, changing into a butterfly for her final battle with Agnès and the party. However, if the party is strong enough, they defeat Airy and move on to fight Ouroboros.
3 Tippi — Paper Mario
The Paper Mario series is unique in its depiction of Mario's allies and enemies. These games are often deeper and more emotionally complex than the more straightforward, kid-friendly platformers. Super Paper Mario is no different; this Nintendo Wii title finds Mario teleporting to another dimension to prevent the evil Count Bleck from destroying all realities.
Mario is assisted by creatures known as Pixls. The central Pixl to the game's story is Tippi, who supports Mario by finding secret doors and revealing info about various enemies. However, her true identity is Lady Timpani, who fell in love with Count Bleck when he was Blumiere, but her father's objection to the marriage caused Count Bleck to decide to enact his evil plan.
2 Navi — The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Video game fans who have played this iconic Legend of Zelda installment have Navi's voice burned into their brains. This fairy is Link's companion throughout the game, accompanying him on his quest to stop Ganondorf from taking over the land of Hyrule. Along the way, she often badgers Link with tips, exclaiming her iconic lines: "Hey! Look! Listen!"
Additionally, Navi helps Link focus on targets using the Z-Lock ability. She also helps Link communicate with several characters, such as Saria. At the end of Ocarina of Time, Navi sadly leaves Link after the two return to the past after defeating Ganon and rescuing Zelda. Link then sets off on a journey to find Navi, which leads the Hylian hero to the events of Majora's Mask.
1 Jigglypuff — Pokemon Franchise
Pokemon X & Y were huge for the Pokemon franchise, as they introduced a new type for the first time in 13 years. The Fairy-type was added to both balance the overpowered Dragon-type and add some variety to old and new Pokemon. As a result, many significant Pokemon got changed to Fairy-type, including Gardevoir, Togepi, and Mr. Mime.
However, the most iconic Pokemon to adopt the Fairy-type was Jigglypuff, who became Normal/Fairy-type. Jigglypuff is most recognizable for its role in the Pokemon anime, showing up at random to put all characters in a scene to sleep — a common power for fairies in folklore. It's possible that Jigglypuff is not only one of the most popular Pokemon, but one of the most popular fairies in video game history.