Top 20 Weirdest Unlockable Characters in Video Games

Top 20 Weirdest Unlockable Characters in Video Games

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were counting down our picks for the most bizarre characters in video games that you can unlock - without DLC.

#20: Fred DurstFight Club (2004)

Given that fight is in the name, it should come as no surprise that there was a Fight Club video game. What is surprising is one of the guest characters. If you complete Story Mode, youll unlock Fred Durst, lead singer of Limp Bizkit. The inclusion of a nu metal bands lead man is pretty baffling, but theres a likely explanation. Its believed that Durst had a contract that stipulated that any games that licensed his bands music must also include him as a playable character. This would also explain his appearance in several WWE games. Dursts moves arent any better or worse than most other fighters. But he does have plenty of experience at rollin, rollin, rollin!

#19: Snoop DoggTrue Crime: Streets of LA (2003)

Continuing the trend of musicians in gaming, Snoop Dogg is another surprisingly frequent guest in video games. One of his earliest appearances is in True Crime: Streets of LA. An open world game thats basically GTA but from the police side is an odd choice for the Snoopest of Doggs - particularly given his own run-ins with the law. Still, the rapper can be unlocked by either a cheat code or by collecting 30 Dogg bones found around L.A. You play as him in the Dogg Patrol mission, where you have an hour to solve as many crimes as you can. If the crime is who smoked the most weed, we have a feeling he might be guilty though.

#18: Bill & Hillary ClintonNBA Jam Tournament Edition (1995)

The 90s featured some wild sports titles before everything became about realism, and NBA Jam was arguably the king. In addition to fun cheats like Big Head Mode, some codes allowed you to play as figures from the real world, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton and then-First Lady Hillary Clinton. Pitting politicians against some of basketballs all-time greats and winning is wild! Who knew Bill and Hillary could dunk or sink shots from downtown? And why didnt any NBA franchise try recruiting them after they left the White House?

#17: Colonel SandersPhantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity (2011)

A sci-fi action RPG from Sega might seem the furthest thing away from Kentucky Fried Chicken to most people. However, thats probably because most people arent aware of how gigantic KFC is in Japan. The real-life founder of the restaurant chain can be found running a chicken joint in the game. After talking to him, the Colonel will give you a partner card that lets you summon him to fight in battle. Seeing a fast-food spokesperson beating up monsters with a cane is absolutely surreal, but still finger lickin good!

#16: David HasselhoffCall of Duty: Infinite Warfare (2016)

The Zombies mode of the Call of Duty games often features some strange guest characters, and one of the more bizarre is David Hasselhoff. The Baywatch and Knight Rider star appears in the Zombies in Spaceland segment, where he assists the player in fighting zombies and gives hints to help you. However, after you complete the level, you can quickly enter a code in the lobby screen to play as Hasslehoff himself. Its something of a hassle, but for fans of the Hoff, its essential in order to experience his gameplay.

#15: Michael JacksonReady 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 (2000)

When you think of celebrities who could be boxers, the King of Pop is probably one of the last people that springs to mind. Sure, Michael Jackson had fancy footwork, but the guy was not built like a fighter. Still, his dad was a boxer, so its not entirely crazyTo play as Jackson, you need to complete the Arcade mode twice or else enter a cheat code. It may be just a game, but fighting as Michael Jackson can certainly give you a Thrill whenever you Beat It, to the point where you Dont wanna Stop Til You Get Enough.

#14: ShrekTony Hawk's Underground 2 (2004)

Who knew swamps had their own skate parks. Thats gotta be the only explanation for how this DreamWorks ogre grinds and kickflips so well, right? Well, either that or his movie tie-in game had the same developer as the Tony Hawk series. Even knowing the explanation, it doesnt change how weird it is to see Shrek in modern day, catching air and pulling off tricks. To unlock the big green skater, you only need to beat the game on easy mode or enter a cheat code. Now if only we could play as Donkey too

#13: Gon Tekken 3 (1997)

The Tekken series is no stranger to bizarre fighters. In fact, Gon isnt even the first dinosaur character in the franchise! Still, his miniature, cartoonish appearance is wildly different from the tone of the series, which makes him stick out like a sore thumb. You can unlock him as a fighter by beating him at the Tekken Ball minigame, or getting a high score in Survival mode and putting in his name. Gons short reach can be both a blessing and a curse. Computer characters struggle with his small size, but against other players, Gon is easily dealt with unless you know how to play him. Either way, someones ending up extinct.

#12: A DuckGunman Clive (2012)

This short but sweet futuristic western game sees you go up against bad guys as the titular Clive tries to rescue the mayors daughter. And what kind of reward do you unlock for completing the game and enduring a gauntlet of platforming shooter gameplay? A duck! Exactly! Thats right, now you can play as a duck. You cant shoot back at enemies anymore. Instead, the gameplay switches to waddling and flapping past your foes and obstacles instead. And sure, it makes for a fun change of pace, butits still an odd choice going from gunslinger to waterfowl

#11: Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, & a Zombie CopTrick'N Snowboarder (1999)

By entering a certain series of button inputs on the title screen of this snowboard game, you can play as three different Resident Evil characters. I guess when your game is also developed by Capcom, these kinds of crossovers are possible. Still, the bigger question is WHY?! Sure, Claire and Leon being pro snowboarders when theyre not ridding Raccoon City of the undead seems possiblemaybe. But why is a zombie policeman shredding the gnar with the rest of them? As far as we know, the prize for winning isnt brains. But speaking of Resident Evil...

#10: Tofu

Resident Evil 2 (1998)

Picture this: you've finally completed all scenarios under two and a half hours each, six times for each mission, flawlessly. Your reward? A playable block of tofu. In the self-parody mini-game The To-Fu Survivor", you must fight your way through zombies armed with only a knife, to locate a helicopter in order to escape the ruined Raccoon City. As absurd as a playable block of tofu is, this mode makes for some interesting gameplay, as the tofu will change colors depending on health and condition. Hey, Capcom, how about putting this into the next Resident Evil installment? You'll have our money, then.

#9: T-800 Terminator

WWE 2k16" (2015)

Pre-order me if you want to live! Traditionally, unlockables are included in-game and can be accessed through various methods, the most common being cheat codes or completing parts of the game. This one is stuck behind a paywall. Still unlockable...technically. If you pre-ordered WWE 2k16", you'll be given the ability to play as Arnie himself posing as the Terminators from the original film and T-2. We know the former governor of California has been open about his appreciation of WWE and has even been placed in the WWE Hall of Fame. But, come on, man. This never felt off to anyone? Nevertheless, at least we get to see Arnie take on John Cena! Cue the memes.

#8: Mr. Game & Watch

Super Smash Bros. Melee" (2001)

You've fought to hell and back, collecting trophies, defeating new challengers like Dr. Mario and Mewtwo, until you encounter the last challenger. Itsa 2-D silhouette of a stick figure? Let's be honest, who didnt have a giant question mark above their heads when they unlocked Mr. Game & Watch? While he has become a mainstay in the Smash Bros series, it was still odd to find this ancient mascot from Nintendo's old days of producing Game & Watch devices. In combat, he can fling food, drench his enemies in oil, or judge his own hammer strike to launch opponents. Since Melee", we've learned to accept and appreciate his presence, especially since we've seen weirder in recent titles...Pac-Man.

#7: Spud of War

God of War: Chains of Olympus" (2008)

Even the most serious and gritty of games cant take themselves seriously all the time. God of War is another franchise to add to that list. In God of War: Chains of Olympus, beating the game on any difficulty will allow you to play through the game as the Spud of War. Basically, its Kratos after he attended a bad Halloween party. Strange, yes, but its hard not to laugh seeing a baked potato slaughtering enemy soldiers and beating the crap out of Greek gods. We also have to give a shout-out to the two other costumes for Kratos, known as McKratos and the Mime of War. Hmmm...that last one sounds a little contradictory for someone as loud as Kratos.

#6: Spider-Man

Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 (2000)

This game is legendary for a number of reasons; it improved upon the original formula of the first Pro Skater game, boasted a Create a Skater option, and featured Spider-Man as a secret character. Yes, you heard right. Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is here to pull some sick tricks with you. Not exactly the type of game we thought the web-slinging hero would appear in, but we guess it makes some sense? If you wish to unlock the Marvel icon, it will require some patience and may prove to be difficult, as you will have to create a skater and complete the game 100% with said skater. Thought this was out of the ordinary? Pro Skater 3 had Doom Guy, Wolverine, and Darth Maul. So, yeah.

#5: Meat Man

Skate 3 (2010)

Even though Skate 3 doesnt offer a diverse cast as the Pro Skater, they still have a couple of characters that seem out of place, like Isaac Clarke from Dead Space. While that one is certainly strange, we have to give it to the steak slab known as Meat Man. In a world of regular humans, its odd seeing a giant piece of meat roaming around and pulling tricks. Have we caught your interest? Unlocking this character simply requires you complete all missions given by the Hall of Meat, a mode that rewards you with points by injuring yourself as severely as possible. Have fun breaking those bones and try not to cringe!

#4: Hornet

Fighters Megamix" (1996)

Before Fighters Megamix, cars in fighting games had a purpose of either being part of a special move or to be smashed to pieces by the likes of Ryu in Street Fighter. But, Fighters Megamix cranked the weirdness dial up from 4 to 100 by adding in Hornet from Daytona USA. Just seeing screenshots of this makes us question reality. We have to give the sentient vehicle credit, though, as it proves to be one of the more unique fighters in the game. Once its hood and armor are knocked, its engines are exposed and Hornet changes to a different fighting style. It even has a stage dedicated to the Daytona games. But, still...what?

#3: A Toilet

Saints Row: The Third" (2011)

Is it really any surprise? This is coming from a game that lets you beat people up with a dildo. So, a playable toilet is kind of expected. Assuming youve already beaten the campaign, this single costume makes the entire game replayable, making for an interesting Saturday night. Witnessing a floating toilet with a flapping toilet seat is, by far, one of the craziest things in Saints Row: The Third. Want to get even more wild? Equip that certain sausage-like weapon we mentioned earlier. Just make sure there arent any children around when youre playing this.

#2: Pepsiman

Fighting Vipers" (Japanese Version) (1995)

That's right, you can fight and play as one of the most absurd advertising mascots ever created. In comparison to our other selections on this list, hes probably one of the easier characters to unlock. Simply lose your first fight. Afterwards, you'll hear the Internet famous theme song and will be challenged by the muscular soda man. Despite our love of Pepsiman, it's still weird seeing a soda mascot in a game filled with martial arts experts. But why else would they fill the game with Pepsi ads in the background? To foreshadow the appearance of the best character in the game? Let's ponder that over a nice can of Pepsihashtag not sponsored.

#1: Barney the Dinosaur

Xenophage: Alien Bloodsport (1995)

He loves you, and you love him I think, but sometimes, the constant breaking into song makes us want to tear his heart out. Thanks to Xenophage", that's a dream come true. If you fiddle with the game's configurations, the children's TV icon will be available to take your anger out on. That doesn't mean he won't fight back. If you somehow manage to lose, Xenophage" will make sure you feel shame. Seriously, how embarrassing is it to lose to a purple dinosaur that shoots bloody hearts of love? On the plus side, if you end up playing as Barney, he quickly becomes the most overpowered and broken character in the game. Unleash your love upon your enemies!

Is there a head scratcher of a secret game character we forgot? Get rollin down to the comments to share your favorites!