Fantasy video games are full of weird and wonderful monsters, from terrifying bosses to curious mascots. With so many different creatures to choose from, it's perhaps not surprising that some of them have been cast as companions to their games' human heroes. What is surprising is that some of these monsters would be genuinely great pets in the real world too. With that in mind, it's time to take a closer like at five such fantastical friends.
These creatures come in all shapes and sizes, from the summoned spirits of Final Fantasy to the demonic creatures of Shin Megami Tensei. Wherever they're from, however, each member of this quintet of cuties is united by the abilities, personalities and overall fluffiness that would make them the best pets a hero could ask for.
Carbuncle (Final Fantasy)
While some would say moogles or chocobos are the better Final Fantasy representatives, there's something about little Carbuncle that makes them more suited to being pets. First, their small size makes them more manageable than the iconic yellow birds. Second, as cute as moogles are, there's too much variance in what they're capable of. Some continuities depict them as cute animals, but sometimes their morals and intelligence can be just as varied as humans. As such, owning one could invite a lot of ethical problems.
Carbuncle, on the other hand, is more consistently a helpful animalistic sprite whose defensive powers would make them effective at protecting their owners. This makes them by far the best choice for a pet in the Final Fantasy multiverse.
Pegasus (Fire Emblem)
The only thing more adorable than a pony is a flying pony, which is probably why Fire Emblem's pegasus knights are such popular units. There's more to them than just being flying cavalry mounts, however, as the series also shows pegasi to be smart, faithful and empathetic creatures that form lifelong bonds with their human companions. These qualities would be especially helpful around children, as a pegasus' ability to read emotions could help ease frightened kids out of their shells.
That being said, they'd be a hard pet to maintain. Caring for horses is a demanding task in the real world, and there's no reason to think pegasi would be any different. Furthermore, Fire Emblem lore generally depicts them as being skittish around men, and as such, they quite literally wouldn't be a pet for everyone.
Cheagle (Tales of the Abyss)
Tales of the Abyss is an excellent RPG, and its mascots are similarly-creative. While not the most-recognizable fantasy creatures, cheagles make up for that with their loyalty and creativity. They're capable of using magical Sorcerer's Rings to talk to humans, crushing obstacles and even helping their partners fly for a short amount of time. Combine that with their natural fire breath, ideal for making camp and roasting marshmallows, and one has a perfect partner to go adventuring with.
Cheagles are also incredibly devoted to their friends and will stand by them even while facing overwhelming odds. This was best shown by Mieu, the cheagle companion of Abyss' hero Luke, who stayed with his friend on an entire world-saving adventure and never backed down no matter how big the bosses got. As the old saying goes, sometimes the best things really do come in small packages.
Audino (Pokémon)
Pokémon is full of wonderful creatures that would make for great human partners, but an Audino might be the best way to complete a family unit. Their pink and peaceful appearance is one of the most adorable in the entire franchise, and their kind and gentle nature would let them easily bond with anyone from frightened kids to lonely adults. Not only that, but their abundance of healing and recovery moves would make for excellent care-givers. This would let them do anything from patching up cuts caused by playing rough or tending to peoples' mental welfare.
Despite a lack of human speech, Audino are smart enough to assist in complex medical practices. This implies an intelligence that would make them not just worthy carers, but lifelong friends and even work partners. Add this to a surprisingly large set of abilities and a rather impressive Mega Evolution, and it's clear that Audino would make for incredibly special companions.
Cerberus (Shin Megami Tensei and Persona)
It may seem strange to call the original hellhound an ideal pet but, in the world of Shin Megami Tensei and Persona, Cerberus is the one monster that really gets to have it all. He's intelligent and capable of speech, he's a loyal enough friend to stand by partners for decades and, if that wasn't enough, the demon fusion of his home franchises makes him capable of anything from healing to protecting to breathing fire.
On top of that, Atlus' RPGs generally depict Cerberus as both big enough for kids to ride and having an incredibly fluffy mane that looks perfect for snuggling up against. Though his demonic nature could make him hard to train, his depiction throughout the series as a devoted and capable ally for those he loves means it'd be more than worth the effort. When it comes to perfect fantasy pets, Cerberus might just be the leader of the pack.