Summary
When there is a long-running video game series, oftentimes it will amass a cavalcade of characters. A lot of the time, it seems like certain characters are fixtures, who will continue to appear in the series intermittently if not regularly, but this is not always the case.
There are times when these types of appearances stop in a somewhat abrupt way. Sometimes it’s a simple transition to reduced or archived appearances or, in other cases, characters, and the series proper act like they were never there. Many of these characters do still appear in more recent releases. However, they do so in a greatly reduced context from their previous appearances, often with some archival element at play. Here are some video game characters who are effectively “retired” from their series for the time being.
Last Seen In: The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match (2009)
King of Fighters
Nameless is a character of dubious canonicity, who appeared to replace K9999 in a remaster ofThe King of Fighters 2002. K9999 was himself a controversial character, with his heavy resemblance to Tetsuo Shima fromAkirabelieved to be a contentious legal subject. As a “dream match” game with no bearing on canon, the character of Nameless was to serve as a purely functional replacement for K9999, who SNK seemingly retconned out of existence.
However,K9999 resurfaced inThe King of Fighters XVunder a new name and identity. Additionally, the legal trouble surrounding K9999 was claimed by some SNK insiders to be entirely fabricated. This fact, along with the character’s limited playability in the first place, it seems unlikely Nameless will return in a properKing of Fightersgame. He has, however, made mobile game appearances sinceUnlimited Match, even at times, alongside K9999.
Last Seen In: Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Gambit (2011)
Ace Attorney
Detective Dick Gumshoe is a bumbling homicide detective, who worked on most of Phoenix Wright’s known cases between the originalAce Attorneyand his chronological final onscreen appearance inApollo Justice: Ace Attorney. He often aided Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, including in theAce Attorney Investigationsspin-off duology, which featured the last 2DAce Attorneygame, where he made his proper final appearance to date (save for remasters.)
However, in every known case, after the flashback shown in Turnabout Succession, Gumshoe’s role as detective is taken by either Ema Skye or Bobby Fulbright. That said, while Gumshoe has not appeared in a newAce Attorneygame since 2011, he is still on the force, and characters make occasional mentions of him inSpirit of Justice, the current final game in the series chronologically.
Super Mario
Princess Peach’s elderly steward made his debut appearance in 2002’sSuper Mario Sunshine. Since then, he has shown up in many aSuper Mariogame in a similar capacity. He appeared in several RPGs released between 2003 and 2013, as well as racing, sports, and party games whereSuper Mariocharacters participated.
However, since Dream Team, Toadsworth has not appeared in a newSuper Mariogame. While games released since then have featured him, it is usually in one of two capacities. He has appeared as Trophy/Spirit in twoSuper Smash Bros. games that came out after 2013.
However, these appearances are similar to those made to commemorate many a character who previously appeared in the greaterSuper Marioseries, and utilize previously created assets of the character. The fiveMariogames he has appeared in sinceDream Teamare all remasters of older games such asPaper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, meaning he, in essence, still has not appeared in a new game since 2013,including the recent one which stars Peach.
It is unknown if Nintendo will ever make use of him again in an entirely new capacity, but concept art forThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, unearthed a design for him. However, this did not end up being used in the actual film.
Resident Evil
This Chinese-American femme fatale first broke onto the scene in 1998’sResident Evil 2. Despite her ultimate moral ambiguity, Wong’s missions occasionally find her operating alongside the heroes, most notably Leon S. Kennedy. Wong has had varying reception since her release, having been considered either a feminist character by some or oversexualized by others.
Her popularity was such thatlater installments included campaigns focused around her. While she has consistently appeared in remakes of earlier games she was featured in, along with many non-canonical games Capcom signed off on, Wong has not appeared in a proper newResident Evilgame since 2012. Wong was, at one point, slated to appear in the 2021 installment,Village, but “conflicting scenarios” led to her being cut.
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Countryis responsible in part forthe title character’spopularity in the present day. The series established a continuity for the characters less directly connected to theSuper Marioseries. With this came an extended cast of Kongs, including Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, Kiddy Cong, Lanky Kong, and many more. Donkey Kong also gained enemies in the form of the Kremlings, led by King K. Rool.
At times, such as the second and third installments ofDonkey Kong Country, he is phased out largely in favor of his fellow Kongs. In64, he is notably one of five, with Diddy, Lanky, Chunky, and Tiny also being unlockable. Many of these Kongs and Kremlings also appeared in games such asDonkey Kong Barrel BlastandMario Super Sluggers.
After a soft reboot of the series,Donkey Kong Country Returns, only Donkey Kong and Diddy are playable and are facing largely new enemies. Donkey Kong’s grandfather, Cranky Kong, also returns to assist the player, alongside longtime Kong allies, Rambi and Squawks. Its sequel,Tropical Freeze, reintroduced Dixie and made Cranky playable, along with Funky Kong returning in a support role. The re-release for the Nintendo Switch added Funky Kong as a playable character with his own Funky Mode, a more beginner-friendly style of play. However, for every fan-favorite that returned, a handful of previous Kongs, along with their allies and enemies sat out the newer games.
This was, for a time, speculated to be in part due to the lack of involvement of Rare, a company involved in developing the earlier games, that was since purchased by Microsoft. Some fans believed Rare owned a majority of the characters these games introduced. However, with references and appearances in non-Rare projects, including a few cameos from deeper cuts like Kiddy Kong and Chunky Kong inTheSuper Mario Bros. Movie, it is generally accepted that these characters unseen thus far (such as Lanky, Wrinkly, and Tiny) still exist, just offscreen.
