10 Video Game Characters Who First Appeared Sooner Than You Think
These gaming icons made premature debuts.
Every classic video game character has their coming-out party - the single game that introduces them to the mainstream crowd and ultimately ensures they become an iconic franchise mainstay forever more.
But every now and then, you might be surprised to learn that one of your favourite gaming heroes (or villains) has actually been around a little longer than you were ever aware.
These 10 video game characters all made their inauspicious debuts before most fans in fact realise, typically by making a cameo in a prior entry into the series or, better yet, slyly making a below-the-radar appearance in another IP altogether.
Only the most hardcore fans of these gaming icons will even remember that they showed up in these titles, as for more casual players, they didn't arrive for months, years, or even almost an entire decade later.
Prepare to have your mind blown by these premature appearances from some of gaming's most indelible and recognisable names and faces...