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%%* ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'': [[MemeticMutation Isn't it sad, Sacchin?]] But we love you. (ZCE- please elaborate on what makes Satsuki this.)
* Papyrus from ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' has three people in the Underground who give him the time of day, and one of them's his brother. The others are Undyne, [[spoiler:and [[BigBad a soulless flower who's repeatedly killed him]] before you show up.]] Naturally, the main reason he wants to be a Royal Guardsman [[IJustWantToHaveFriends is because people might actually want to be his friend afterwards.]] The fandom, meanwhile, pretty much universally loves him, [[IncorruptiblePurePureness the cinnamon roll that he is.]]
* Papyrus from ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' has three people in the Underground who give him the time of day, and one of them's his brother. The others are Undyne, [[spoiler:and [[BigBad a soulless flower who's repeatedly killed him]] before you show up.]] Naturally, the main reason he wants to be a Royal Guardsman [[IJustWantToHaveFriends is because people might actually want to be his friend afterwards.]] The fandom, meanwhile, pretty much universally loves him, [[IncorruptiblePurePureness the cinnamon roll that he is.]]
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* Papyrus from ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' has three people in the Underground who give him the time of day, and one of them's his brother. The others are Undyne, [[spoiler:and [[BigBad a soulless flower who's repeatedly killed him]] before you show up.]] Naturally, the main reason he wants to be a Royal Guardsman [[IJustWantToHaveFriends is because people might actually want to be his friend afterwards.]] The fandom, meanwhile, pretty much universally loves him, [[IncorruptiblePurePureness the cinnamon roll that he is.
* ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'': WordOfGod has repeatedly emphasized that he created Midori Gurin to be an obnoxious HateSink representing fans pestering him about the game's development, and in-universe, neither students nor teachers have a positive opinion of her. She's nevertheless one of the most recognizable and talked-about characters for [[TheDitz her ditzy behavior]], her [[TheyKilledKennyAgain repeated deaths]] drawing in audience sympathy, and the faint hints [[spoiler:regarding her being an ExpendableClone]], especially amongst ex-fans tired of the game's TroubledProduction who [[StrawmanHasAPoint see her concerns regarding the game as completely legitimate in hindsight]].
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** [[DarkActionGirl Viconia de Vir]]: In-universe a frequent victim of FantasticRacism and almost universally disliked as a result (but also [[{{Jerkass}} for other]] [[ReligionOfEvil reasons]]), among the fandom easily considered one of the best-written characters in the game and the [[EvilIsSexy hottest]] female in the series, with her RomanceSidequest without a doubt being the most popular one in the second game.
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** [[DarkActionGirl Viconia de Vir]]: In-universe a frequent victim of FantasticRacism and almost universally disliked as a result (but also [[{{Jerkass}} for other]] [[ReligionOfEvil reasons]]), among the fandom easily considered one of the best-written characters in the game and the [[EvilIsSexy hottest]] hottest female in the series, with her RomanceSidequest without a doubt being the most popular one in the second game.
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* The Adoring Fan from ''VideoGame/{{Starfield}}''. He's an homage to the character of the same name from ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'', where he was TheScrappy for his obnoxious voice, obsession with the player, cowardice in battle, and general uselessness. His ''Starfield'' iteration, however, is perfectly competent in combat, has [[HumanPackMule enhanced carrying capacity]], and [[UndyingLoyalty will never question the player's actions or challenge their authority]]. For an evil playthrough, the Adoring Fan is easily the best companion: even the most morally grey Constellation members complain when the character does something truly evil and will likely leave them if they keep it up, [[RobotBuddy Vasco]] is a CrutchCharacter whose weapons cannot be upgraded, and the other hirables are {{Flat Character}}s who are often a pain to find and lack the Adoring Fan's useful mixture of abilities.
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* ''VideoGame/CarnEvil'': Despite him being ridiculed in-game as a "kiss-ass", Umlaut seems to be the most popular character with the fandom, receiving more fanart than anyone else. It helps that Umlaut is the {{mascot}} of the game, has a cool design and [[EvilSoundsRaspy voice]] (not to mention ''amazing'' {{Evil Laugh}}s), and has a great sense of BlackComedy.
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** Bang Shishigami. Everyone in-universe (except Hakumen for some reason, and later eventually Litchi) just thinks this HotBlooded {{Boisterous|Bruiser}} LargeHam {{Ninja}} is senile. But amongst the fandom, he's an [[RatedMForManly M-Rated]] MemeticBadass.
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** Bang Shishigami. Everyone in-universe (except Hakumen for some reason, and later eventually Litchi) just thinks this HotBlooded {{Boisterous|Bruiser}} LargeHam {{Ninja}} is senile. But amongst the fandom, he's an [[RatedMForManly M-Rated]] a manly MemeticBadass.
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'''Note:''' Although this is subjective, only blatantly obvious or creator-acknowledged examples should be listed.
'''A Administrivia/{{No Recent Examples|please}} rule applies to this trope''' and examples shouldn't be added until '''3 months''' after the character is introduced.
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* ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'': [[MemeticMutation Isn't it sad, Sacchin?]] But we love you.
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{{Unpopular Popular Character}}s in VideoGames.
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* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'': Arguably, Altair in [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI the first game]]. He has status as a MemeticBadass among fans and the distinction as the first playable character in the series, but many of the other Assassins in-game don't think very highly of him because of his arrogance, to the point that he violates all three tenants of the [[TitleDrop Assassin's Creed]] and is demoted to novice by [[MentorArchetype Al Mualim]]. In particular, Malik--who loses his arm and his brother because of Altair--is pretty unforgiving of him for what he did previously. However, Altair's actions are appreciated by many NPC civilians, who call him a hero, and most of the Assassins warm up to him over time. It zigzags a bit in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations'' where the Assassins are divided between supporting either Altair or another Assassin named Abbas. And by the end of the first game, Malik turned from strongest hater to closest confident and friend so Altair does more than just zigzag this trope.
* ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' has a few particularly successful cases of this:
** [[EvilSorcerer Edwin Odesseiron]]: In-universe an arrogant and entitled SmugSnake who fellow party members will mock and refuse to take seriously at best, and attempt to violently murder at worst, Edwin is TheFriendNobodyLikes taken to its logical conclusion; i.e. he has no friends at all and not even the dialogue choices with him for the player generally offer a friendly response. Among the fandom Edwin is not only widely considered an IneffectualSympatheticVillain for [[EpicFail his humorous failures]], but also has a respectable amount of {{Fangirl}}s (enough to star in his own romance mods!), and an infamous reputation among game-players as a GameBreaker to such an extent that he can effortlessly outperform player-made mages.
** [[AxCrazy Tiax]]: Even more than the aforementioned Edwin, Tiax is a [[OurGnomesAreWeirder gnome]] priest of [[ReligionOfEvil Cyric]] with a [[SmallNameBigEgo delusion of grandeur]]. His party members barely tolerate him but he has a solid fanbase among players.
** [[DarkActionGirl Viconia de Vir]]: In-universe a frequent victim of FantasticRacism and almost universally disliked as a result (but also [[{{Jerkass}} for other]] [[ReligionOfEvil reasons]]), among the fandom easily considered one of the best-written characters in the game and the [[EvilIsSexy hottest]] female in the series, with her RomanceSidequest without a doubt being the most popular one in the second game.
* InUniverse, Alice Angel from ''VideoGame/BendyAndTheInkMachine'' got a less-than-stellar reception upon her release. Out of universe, she’s arguably the most popular character in the game.
* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue''
** Bang Shishigami. Everyone in-universe (except Hakumen for some reason, and later eventually Litchi) just thinks this HotBlooded {{Boisterous|Bruiser}} LargeHam {{Ninja}} is senile. But amongst the fandom, he's an [[RatedMForManly M-Rated]] MemeticBadass.
** How badly is Bang Shishigami treated in canon? Arakune, an insect infested BlobMonster who lives in a sewer and routinely eats {{Catgirl}} kittens refuses to eat Bang because it thinks Bang is too smelly and disgusting.
** Also, Hazama/Yuuki Terumi. He is the #1 most hated character in the ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' universe, and for very good reasons, but amongst the fandom, he's a FauxAffablyEvil [[ManipulativeBastard Bastard]], and that's [[EvilIsCool in the best meaning of those words imaginable]].
* The ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' series has Claptrap, who's a bit of an odd case. In the first game, the Claptraps were {{the Scrappy}}. After that, however, the writers noticed the fandom's negative opinion and went wild with the TakeThatScrappy moments. This actually led to him getting RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap -- the constant, relentless abuse made him [[TheWoobie downright pitiful]], and its {{jerkass}} tendencies eventually gave way to endearingly earnest incompetence.
* ''VideoGame/CorpseParty'':
** Yoshiki Kishinuma. Somewhat of a delinquent and loner, who's implied to have had a FriendlessBackground prior to meeting the main cast members. He suffers from some of the more gruesome Wrong Ends the game has to offer because the BigBad favours him as a [[TheChewToy chew toy]] and being paired with [[DamselInDistress Ayumi]] means he has to go through a lot of effort to keep her alive with little gratitude in return. He's also easily one of the most popular characters in the series, for being very level-headed in a crisis, surprisingly kind-hearted, and because fans just sympathize with the poor guy.
** Sakutarou Morishige, to a lesser extent. He suffers from LonersAreFreaks in-universe due to being so anti-social, but fans like him either because they can relate to that aspect of him [[spoiler: or because his [[NightmareFetishist creepy hobby]] later in the game is equal parts entertaining and tragic]].
* The Maple Heights district of ''VideoGame/CriminalCaseGrimsborough'' introduces Adam Bentley, a forerunning socialite whom the Grimsborough PD dislike for being a pretentious creep who frequently hangs around rich and powerful people -- most of whom ended up dying -- while the rest of the districts looks down on him for not having an affluent background. He seems to be quite well-liked by the audience, and his murder gathered more than a few mourners among fans.
* ''Franchise/DanganRonpa'':
** [[VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc The first game]] has [[NoSocialSkills Kiyotaka Ishimaru]]. Despite his best efforts to make the students work together, almost everyone else sees him as an annoyance, it is made clear that Mondo is his OnlyFriend, and [[spoiler: [[AngstWhatAngst barely anyone reacts when he's killed]]]]. The fanbase on the other hand loves him and he always scores highly in popularity polls.
** [[VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair The second game]] has two more:
*** Usami/Monomi is treated very badly by almost the entire cast. She gets abused by Monokuma for most of the time, and almost all students are suspicious of her and are very annoyed by her constant appearances, causing them to tell her off and verbally abuse her. Because of all the hatred she receives InUniverse, she's TheWoobie to the fandom, with many players being able to sympathize with her, especially since she is constantly shown to be on her students side no matter how much they hate her. It also helps that she is sometimes useful to the class, such as saving Fuyuhiko and Nekomaru's lives or her role in the GrandFinale.
*** Mikan was bullied relentlessly throughout her life by both her peers and family, repeatedly insulted by [[BrattyHalfPint Hiyoko]], and Fuyuhiko is rather harsh to her before his HeelFaceTurn, while the rest of the cast range from being annoyed or indifferent to being nicer but mildly condescending towards her, with the possible exception of Ibuki and Hajime. [[BaseBreakingCharacter While she is a bit more controversial than other characters listed here due to other factors]], many people express a desire to give the poor girl a hug.
** [[spoiler: Nagito]], Kokichi, and Miu are treated as TheFriendNobodyLikes within their respective stories. However, while some fans view them as [[BaseBreakingCharacter divisive characters]], they have very loyal fanbases. [[https://www.reddit.com/r/danganronpa/comments/5gvti9/rdanganronpa_character_ranking_poll_results_top/ A Reddit poll]] ended up placing [[spoiler: Nagito]] at the top ten and [[http://news.mynavi.jp/ad/2017/entertainment/danganronpa/sp_r/ the official NDRV3 popularity poll]] had Kokichi and Miu at #2 and #4 respectively.
* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'': King K. Rool is detested by the Kongs (''possibly'' related to the fact that he has stolen their bananas, kidnapped them and even tried to blow up their island) and isn’t well-liked even among his underlings [[BadBoss due to how badly he treats them]]. Among audiences, however, the Kremling King is beloved thanks to his refreshingly crazed personality and ridiculous yet effective schemes. He was one of the most popular contenders for a playable fighter in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series, and his reveal in the [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate fifth game]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikubyzm5EcY was met with acclaim]].
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'':
** Alistair is, while not ''hated'', at least viewed as rather annoying and childish by many of the other companions, with even the most positive opinions of him being condescending. Many of the [[EstrogenBrigade fans]], on the other hand, find him hilarious, adorable, or some combination of both.
* ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'' has very clear in-universe popularity rankings for each of the units which often diverge greatly from reality. In-universe, fine is the clear top unit and Akatsuki second, while in reality those two tend to be among the least popular. (Though this is justified by the fact that real-world readers are privy to a lot of information about fine's bad behaviour that the in-universe audience are not, and fine's popularity is at least in part due to Eichi's deliberate manipulation.) By contrast, Knights is definitely the top unit in the real world, with Undead and Ryuuseitai up next. And while Ra*bits isn't hugely popular, it's a hell of a lot more known out of universe than in-universe, where they're a very new unit who got off to a ''very'' shaky start (thanks, again, to Eichi and Akatsuki).
* ''VideoGame/EpicMickey'': Oswald the Lucky Rabbit leans a bit into this trope. In the game, he's portrayed as a vengeful and jealous antihero regarding Mickey's popularity. Though he improves, he's constantly pained with the knowledge that Mickey received his fame. In RealLife, Oswald's inclusion was one of the key aspects which drew people into the game, and he has a solid fanbase in Japan.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' Kefka Palazzo is hated by almost every single character on the game for good reasons. Amongst the returners, he's a cruel commander who has killed lots of people, innocents included, for his callousness and amusement. The empire soldiers on his charge doesn't have a higher opinion of him either, as he's infamous for burning lots of imperial soldiers during a practice. Kefka is so cruel, sadistic and sociopathic he cannot fully get true loyalty from anyone outside of dangerous beasts. And yet, the fanbase loves him for being such a darkly amusing villain who manages to take over the role of the ''BigBad''. A lot of his popularity comes from the ''{{Woolseyism}}'' in the American version, giving him a surprisingly charming humor sense while also showcasing his cruelty and effectiveness as a villain.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'''s Yuffie, certainly not without justification seeing as how she's a thief that attacked the party and tried to trick them after the fight. [[spoiler: If you head to her hometown, it'll turn out that the party was right to be suspicious. She steals your materia and you have to get it back from her. She joins you on the straight and narrow from then on and by the end, some of the group have grown attached to her, such as Red XIII (the only one to point out she's missing when the group re-unites before the final dungeon) and Cloud (who welcomes her back when she comes.)]]
* Serra from the ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade''. ''No-one'' likes her at all unless you engage Supports, yet she's very well-liked by fans.
* In ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSecurityBreach'', it's clear that ''no one'' InUniverse likes [[MonsterClown the Daycare Attendant]], due to it being [[UnnecessarilyCreepyRobot unnecessarily creepy]] even for this series and its tendency to traumatize the children it's supposed to watch over in its [[SplitPersonality Moon form]]. Even [[AllLovingHero Freddy]] doesn't have anything good to say about it. Out of universe, it's easily one of the most popular characters, getting quite a bit of fanart and fanfic.
* Fukushima Masanori is one of the better-known historical Japanese generals, leader of the ''Seven Spears of Shizugatake'', and one of UsefulNotes/ToyotomiHideyoshi's finest (and wasn't reported to be as brutal as his fellow general Katou Kiyomasa, who takes anti-Christianity [[ExaggeratedTrope Up to Eleven]]). However, whenever he makes an appearance in KOEI games (''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'', Franchise/AceAttorney-like game ''Saihai no Yukue''), he is usually portrayed as a bumbling fool nearing TheScrappy level to possibly make Ishida Mitsunari (main protagonist of the latter game) look good. Koei truly hates Masanori.
* ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'' has Hu Tao who is canonically disliked by nearly every character save for a select few. Yet despite this, you would not have guessed that she is one of the most popular characters in the game who also has the ''largest'' fanbase, with her subreddit eclipsing even that of ''Raiden Shogun's''. The fact that her JP dub is voiced by Creator/RieTakahashi probably helps in her insane popularity.
* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'':
** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'': If there's any character in this game that deserves to be in this trope, it would be Ryder. Sure Ryder's an asshole [[spoiler: who betrays the Grove Street Families later in the story]], but he has the charisma and cohesive attitude that makes him a fan favorite to many fans of the game.
** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'': Trevor Philips is undoubtedly one of the most psychotic and murderous playable characters in the franchise history which understandably makes him not very well-liked by anybody around him apart from Michael and Franklin and a handful of other people, with his underlings following him mostly out of their fear for him. For the fans, however, he's easily the most beloved and memorable character out of the three game protagonists thanks to that very same psychotic nature. Trevor's popularity is also helped by his surprisingly complex personality with many HiddenDepths that makes him an entertaining yet also relatable character.
* ''VideoGame/HeavyRain'': Norman Jayden is abused by every police officer in the game, [[spoiler: constantly getting the crap beaten out of him and doesn't have a ''single'' happy ending]] But he's easily the most popular character outside of the game.
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': Tingle is one, but [[AmericansHateTingle only in Japan]]. It's {{Downplayed}} in his [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask debut appearance]]; Tingle's father is certainly embarrassed by his son's obsession with fairies, but it doesn't go as far as hate. Notably, if you bring him a pictograph of Tingle, [[spoiler: he'll reward you with a heart piece.]] The Tingle of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', on the other hand, is clearly viewed as bizarre at best and outright disliked by the laborers on his island -- two of whom are his brothers!
* ''VideoGame/LunarEternalBlue'': Lemina is loud, pushy, money-grubbing, has her fair share of blonde moments, and is somewhat lacking in integrity from time to time (despite her respectable long-term goals). She's sometimes viewed as a slight annoyance by the rest of the group, and certainly by people outside of it.
* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'':
** Kung Lao, at least in more recent games, has often been portrayed as the more jealous second fiddle to [[TheHero Liu Kang]]. Characters often compare him unfavorably to Liu Kang in terms of skill, but he has been a consistent fan-favorite since his debut for his unique abilities. Liu Kang, on the other hand, tends to be a BaseBreakingCharacter among fans.
** [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Johnny Cage]] qualifies as well. He was the resident ButtMonkey of the original timeline ([[RealLifeWritesThePlot as revenge by the writers due to the actor who played him doing work for a ''Mortal Kombat'' knock-off]]) and is something of a NoRespectGuy and TheFriendNobodyLikes even in the new timeline. His popularity with fans however skyrocketed with [=MK9=] due to the many [[Funny/MortalKombat9 CMOFs]] he contributes to the game and for being a DeadpanSnarker [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold with a Heart of Gold]]. Although this appears to be an IntendedAudienceReaction since the new timeline also makes him an AscendedExtra with improved and sympathetic characterization, makes him TheHeart for the good guys ''and'' subverts his FakeUltimateHero status.
** Mileena puts the two previous examples to shame. With the two exceptions of Tanya and Shao Kahn, literally everyone in the cast despises Mileena and consider her a ButterFace freak of nature, Kitana her twin in particular cannot stand Mileena and rejects her on sight. Even when Mileena is empress in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'', she’s hated by the citizens of Outworld and quickly overthrown. Among the fanbase on the other hand, it is a very different story with Mileena being adored pretty much across the board with more than a few character polls even putting her above both Kitana and Sonya. The fact she's considered the series main MsFanservice, despite her face to the point of appearing in Magazine/{{Playboy}} may be the ultimate irony. ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' outright lampshaded Mileena’s popularity in her reveal trailer.
--->'''Mileena''': A coin for your thoughts, Erron?
--->'''Erron Black''': Just trying to reckon why the hell you're back.
--->'''Mileena''': [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall A million souls cried out for my return]].
* Creator/NipponIchi:
** Asagi. Her entire story is that she [[CrossoverCameo cameos in other games]] (or tries to [[HostileShowTakeover take them over completely]]) because [[BreakingTheFourthWall her own game got cancelled]]. Yet she was ''number two'' on an official popularity poll. She's practically a mascot at this point.
** Another Creator/NipponIchi example would be Laharl of ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness''. On the same popularity poll as Asagi, he took the top spot. Yet, in-universe, just ask the VideoGame/PhantomBrave and ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 2|CursedMemories}}'' casts what they think of him. Hell, even his own vassals will take potshots at him given the chance.
** ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'': '''Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth!''' He's one of the most popular characters, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff especially in the west.]] In-universe, however, people disregard him as a total moron who's slow to catch on.
--->'''Laharl''': Aren't you happy, Flonne? [[DeadpanSnarker There's someone even dumber than you]].
** Gig from ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'' is outright hated by most of the cast and it takes most of the game for them to be able to even stand him. The fans, however, love him for how outright LaughablyEvil he is.
* ''VideoGame/Persona4'': Yosuke is liked enough amongst most fans. It's not uncommon for him to end up as the butt of a joke. It's a different story when [[TheWoobie the laughter stops]]: See any scene involving Saki.
* Generally speaking, with the Phantom Thieves from ''VideoGame/Persona5'' receiving AllOfTheOtherReindeer treatment, a few of these are bound to happen. However, these people deserve special mention-
** Ryuji Sakamoto is ostracized by his former track teammates because he was indirectly responsible for getting the team shut down-even though he was trying to call out Kamoshida’s abusive behavior, and while he's not disliked by the other Thieves, he’s definitely the ButtMonkey of the group and they, [[JerkassToOne especially Morgana]], tend to make comments at his expense. In spite of consistently ranking at the bottom on Eastern popularity polls, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff the Western fanbase]] ''adores'' Ryuji due to his endearing, friendly personality and [[HeterosexualLifePartners bromance with the protagonist]], and [[DudeNotFunny many of his fans are not fond of]] the scene where he gets [[DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale beaten up offscreen by the female Thieves while the males do nothing to stop them]] after they escape the last palace.
** The other students at Kosei High treat Yusuke Kitagawa differently due to both his association with Madarame and because of his behavior in general, and after Madarame is arrested, he's actively shunned. However, he manages to be one of the most popular characters in the game due to him being a ComicallySerious {{Cloudcuckoolander}}.
** Upon her introduction it is clear that Makoto Niijima is not very well-liked among her classmates. In fact, it's implied that she didn't have any friends before joining the Phantom Thieves. While she does have a [[VocalMinority vocal]] amount of [[HypeBacklash detractors]], Makoto nevertheless is one of the more popular characters within the Eastern and Western fandom alike, for being useful in battle, her [[TeamMom team mom]] status and a fan favorite love interest of Joker.
** Prior to Futaba Sakura being a shut-in, she was almost completely friendless at school with her OnlyFriend having to be a girl named Kana in which their friendship ended up falling apart. On the other hand, fans really like her due to her {{Moe}} personality, having huge amounts of CharacterDevelopment, and her lacking the AnnoyingVideoGameHelper tendencies that past MissionControl characters have.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
** Magikarp: since it has horrible stats and can learn only four moves outside of events, it is systematically perceived by in-game trainers as useless, and even its Pokédex profile describes it as "virtually useless". In RealLife, on the other hand, everyone knows it evolves into the much more badass and useful Gyarados, so it ended up being [[MemeticBadass the opposite of this trope]] for fans and the {{Trope Namer|s}} for MagikarpPower. This had the side effect of giving the impression that nearly any Pokemon based on a fish is bound to be awful, even when it isn't the case (most of the time anyway).
** Absol is despised in-universe for a widespread but mistaken belief that it starts natural disasters but has quite a hefty fanbase because of a very [[http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Absol_%28Pokémon%29 beautiful design.]]
** This applies to many of the Dark and Ghost types, as well as a few Poison, being widely feared or at least regarded with suspicion in-universe but loved by the fandom for their good designs, usefulness in battle, or just because EvilIsCool.
** Mimikyu is probably one of the franchise's biggest examples yet. It's a tiny ghost who wears a crudely made Pikachu costume made from old Pikachu merchandise in the hopes that it will be noticed and loved more thanks to its resemblance to the widely popular SeriesMascot. Considering its ''massive'' EnsembleDarkhorse status among the Pokémon introduced in ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'', it seems to have achieved this out of universe at least, thanks to its [[TheWoobie Woobie-ish backstory]] and endearing design.
** In terms of human characters, Team Skull is treated as a group of nuisances and losers InUniverse, but out of universe, their comedic qualities, strong personalities, and [[spoiler: surprisingly sad backstory]] resulted in the group being one of the most popular villain teams in the franchise.
* From the ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' series:
** Glass Joe. He may be the ultimate {{Jobber}} with more defeats than most champions have victories, but he'll always be the champion in players' hearts.
** Aran Ryan (at least in the Wii version) is a complete psycho who breaks all the rules and is greeted with a chorus of boos from the in-game audience. He also happens to be one of the most popular characters.
** Super Macho Man (Also Wii version) is met with more audible boos than Aran Ryan, and the crowd cheers harder for when you knock him down than the other combatants. Despite this, he is loved by the fanbase for his overinflated ego and how much of a LargeHam he can be. Add that to the number of things he says falling under MemeticMutation.
* Schezo from ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' often gets no respect from his peers, due to being an intimidating dark mage and generally unpleasant. On top of that, his terrible choices in vocabulary lead to him be taken far less seriously than he would want to be. Fans, however, find his antics entertaining and is well-loved to have better depictions in fanworks, if only to soften his ButtMonkey status.
* Uncle from ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'' and ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' is often berated by other characters for being a lazy, sleazy, drunken freeloader. Out of universe? He's one of the most, not ''the'' most popular character, due to providing much of the {{Comic Relief}}, his {{Jerk with a Heart of Gold}} moments, and [[spoiler: sacrificing his life to save the Marston family]].
* Erik from ''VideoGame/RuneFactoryFrontier''. Despite his sheer awesomeness, he has to bribe people in-game to appear impressed by him.
* Dexter "Dex" Jackson in ''[[VideoGame/SaintsRow1 Saints Row]]''. InUniverse, he's virtually hated by everyone InUniverse for [[spoiler:[[HeelFaceTurn suddenly betraying the Saints for Ultor]], then attempting to kill the Boss, and then becoming a CorruptCorporateExecutive in ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'']]. Outside, he's well-liked for [[DeadpanSnarker his snarky attitude]] and for being [[OnlySaneMan more level-headed than the rest of his gang, especially when compared to]] [[AxCrazy Johnny Gat]]. It doesn't help that Volition [[PutOnABus put both him and his storyline from the second game on a bus]], as the Corporate Warfare [=DLC=] was never released on [[PortingDisaster the infamous PC port]]. Although Dex returned in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowGatOutOfHell'' as part of a revenge sidequest, many long-time fans felt that it was an AntiClimax ending to a feud that went unanswered for two games straight.
* ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}'': Bolo is often treated with disdain from nearly everyone InUniverse, and generally written off as nothing but an idiotic screw-up and pervert. Out of universe, he is loved for being a loyal friend to Shantae, his antics being seen as hilarious, and he is even a popular ship partner for Shantae.
* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
** Tails is often a "victim" of this, especially in ''ComicBook/SonicTheComic''.
** Knuckles seems to be leaning into this area as well due to recent Flanderization. He's bitterly jealous of Sonic and his [[DumbMuscle dopiness]] and [[TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong lack of "team ethics"]] has even [[{{Moe}} Cream the Rabbit]] making snide remarks at him at times, nevertheless he has a fanbase nearly as big as the hedgehog himself (granted, however, Knuckles was an EnsembleDarkHorse even before his transition into a ButtMonkey).
** Same for Dr. Eggman, especially in ''Anime/SonicX'', where the poor guy's really just an AttentionWhore at heart.
* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'':
** [[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha Dan Hibiki]]. The essential JokeCharacter, treated like a fool by everyone, and he's still one of the more popular characters. YAHOOEY!
** A good example of Dan's popularity power born from failure can be seen in the trailer for ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken''. Dan gets blasted through a door following an unfortunate encounter with [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Kazuya Mishima]] on his way to a face-to-face with [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ryu]]. He's the only other character seen in the trailer besides the two flagship fighting game characters, which lends credence to his status as the ButtMonkey with a following. In ''[=SFxT=]'', [[http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2011-x-rush-system-interview/715452 according to]] [[WordOfGod Yoshinori Ono]], Kazuya's NoHoldsBarredBeatdown ''[[DeathByCameo killed]]'' Dan (this is because the dev team [[ShooOutTheClowns didn't want Dan in the game]]). No, '''really.'''
*** It's later revealed that [[spoiler:he didn't actually die; the ending of DLC characters Sakura and Blanka show him [[AuthorsSavingThrow trapped within Pandora]]]].
* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
** Luigi tends to be neglected by the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom and Bowser and his men, apparently the entire population of the Beanbean Kingdom, [[VideoGame/MetalGear Colonel]] [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Campbell]]... his fanbase is fairly large due to this, especially since his own game debut ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' gave him his own personality to stand out from Mario, and it's pretty hard to find someone who doesn't like him nowadays, to the point where most Nintendo fans are likely to tell you they prefer the green-clad plumber to his more iconic brother. In fact, a lot of Luigi's problems in-universe, especially in the ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' games, is that he ''can'' be as good as Mario, but nobody gives him a chance. This has gotten to the point that Nintendo declared 2013 to be Advertising/TheYearOfLuigi to celebrate [[VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon three games]] [[VideoGame/NewSuperLuigiU Luigi]] [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam stars in]].
** Waluigi isn't very well-liked by the characters in-universe due to being a [[CloudCuckoolander crazy]], [[EvilIsPetty petty]] {{Jerkass}}. Outside of the games, a sizable portion of the fanbase loves him for various reasons, including being an underdog (due to his plans often backfiring, Nintendo themselves occasionally teasing him, and his minimal chances at ADayInTheLimelight - the closest to date being the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfbmFCUQfSg Tricksters Episodes]] from the 3DS version of ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndSonicAtTheOlympicGames Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games]]''), having great levels tied to him (such as ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' and ''VideoGame/MarioSportsMix''[='s=] Waluigi Pinball), going through bouts of CrazyIsCool and just plain [[RuleOfFunny hilarious ridiculousness]] (like trying to take over the world with his ''dance moves'' in ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolutionMarioMix''), creating several memes (including "[[VideoGame/MarioKartDoubleDash Waluigi time!]]", the [[VideoGame/MarioStrikers crotch chop]], and Waluigi's Taco Stand), and various combinations of the above. Nintendo once ran a poll asking who you would give a Valentine to, and while their polls usually pull in a couple thousand votes per option, [[https://www.reddit.com/r/Waluigi/comments/dutfr2/dont_know_if_yall_saw_this_but_i_think_we_are/ Waluigi totaled]] more than 1.25 ''million'' votes by the end of March of 2019, becoming the only character on the poll to break a million; for comparison, ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing''[='s=] BreakoutCharacter Isabelle received the second-highest number of votes, and she still didn't even reach half of Waluigi's total. In spite of his [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter lack of presence outside of spinoffs]], Waluigi has managed to pull in a dedicated group of fans, and support for him to have his time to shine, whether in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' or headlining his very own title, is very easy to find on the internet.
** Goombas are the lowest ranked and weakest enemies in Bowser’s army, and never stand a chance against [[GoombaStomp Mario’s almighty shoe soles]]. Yet they are an [[MascotMook integral part of the franchise]], being the most featured enemy along with Koopa Troopas, as well as influential enough in video game culture to have a [[TheGoomba trope]] named after them.
* Raven from ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia''. At best, everyone tolerates him. Usually, the party members are disgusted by his antics, mostly because he's a DirtyOldMan and refuses to act his age. Most of the time they don't even call him Raven; they just call him, "old man". He's still one of the group until the end.
* Lots of ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' fan works (and some canon) show their love for characters like Hong Meiling, Cirno, and Reisen Udongein Inaba by making them into all-round {{Butt Monkey}}s abused by their superiors.
** Tenshi Hinanai too, despite the amount of damage she caused all because she got bored of FluffyCloudHeaven.
** More recently, Kogasa Tatara has become an ''epic'' example of this. She is pathetically weak, doomed to failure at every turn and every other character either ignores or mocks her. The fandom, however, has declared her to be [[MemeticMutation the new youkai moe~]] and love her intensely.
** Koishi Komeiji who debuted in ''VideoGame/TouhouChireidenSubterraneanAnimism'' is the biggest example of this trope from Touhou franchise. [[https://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/THWiki_Popularity_Poll Koishi is the only character other than Reimu, Marisa, and Sakuya to win Fan Popularity Poll (2015)]] while InUniverse, Koishi's existence is somewhat vague to other characters save for a few such as Satori (her sister) and Kokoro (her storyline rival) thanks to her ability to control unconscious minds. Furthermore, many people who interacted with her and did as much as look the other way would eventually forget about her.
* ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'': [[MemeticMutation Isn't it sad, Sacchin?]] But we love you.
* Papyrus from ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' has three people in the Underground who give him the time of day, and one of them's his brother. The others are Undyne, [[spoiler:and [[BigBad a soulless flower who's repeatedly killed him]] before you show up.]] Naturally, the main reason he wants to be a Royal Guardsman [[IJustWantToHaveFriends is because people might actually want to be his friend afterwards.]] The fandom, meanwhile, pretty much universally loves him, [[IncorruptiblePurePureness the cinnamon roll that he is.]]
{{Unpopular Popular Character}}s in VideoGames.
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* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'': Arguably, Altair in [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI the first game]]. He has status as a MemeticBadass among fans and the distinction as the first playable character in the series, but many of the other Assassins in-game don't think very highly of him because of his arrogance, to the point that he violates all three tenants of the [[TitleDrop Assassin's Creed]] and is demoted to novice by [[MentorArchetype Al Mualim]]. In particular, Malik--who loses his arm and his brother because of Altair--is pretty unforgiving of him for what he did previously. However, Altair's actions are appreciated by many NPC civilians, who call him a hero, and most of the Assassins warm up to him over time. It zigzags a bit in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations'' where the Assassins are divided between supporting either Altair or another Assassin named Abbas. And by the end of the first game, Malik turned from strongest hater to closest confident and friend so Altair does more than just zigzag this trope.
* ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' has a few particularly successful cases of this:
** [[EvilSorcerer Edwin Odesseiron]]: In-universe an arrogant and entitled SmugSnake who fellow party members will mock and refuse to take seriously at best, and attempt to violently murder at worst, Edwin is TheFriendNobodyLikes taken to its logical conclusion; i.e. he has no friends at all and not even the dialogue choices with him for the player generally offer a friendly response. Among the fandom Edwin is not only widely considered an IneffectualSympatheticVillain for [[EpicFail his humorous failures]], but also has a respectable amount of {{Fangirl}}s (enough to star in his own romance mods!), and an infamous reputation among game-players as a GameBreaker to such an extent that he can effortlessly outperform player-made mages.
** [[AxCrazy Tiax]]: Even more than the aforementioned Edwin, Tiax is a [[OurGnomesAreWeirder gnome]] priest of [[ReligionOfEvil Cyric]] with a [[SmallNameBigEgo delusion of grandeur]]. His party members barely tolerate him but he has a solid fanbase among players.
** [[DarkActionGirl Viconia de Vir]]: In-universe a frequent victim of FantasticRacism and almost universally disliked as a result (but also [[{{Jerkass}} for other]] [[ReligionOfEvil reasons]]), among the fandom easily considered one of the best-written characters in the game and the [[EvilIsSexy hottest]] female in the series, with her RomanceSidequest without a doubt being the most popular one in the second game.
* InUniverse, Alice Angel from ''VideoGame/BendyAndTheInkMachine'' got a less-than-stellar reception upon her release. Out of universe, she’s arguably the most popular character in the game.
* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue''
** Bang Shishigami. Everyone in-universe (except Hakumen for some reason, and later eventually Litchi) just thinks this HotBlooded {{Boisterous|Bruiser}} LargeHam {{Ninja}} is senile. But amongst the fandom, he's an [[RatedMForManly M-Rated]] MemeticBadass.
** How badly is Bang Shishigami treated in canon? Arakune, an insect infested BlobMonster who lives in a sewer and routinely eats {{Catgirl}} kittens refuses to eat Bang because it thinks Bang is too smelly and disgusting.
** Also, Hazama/Yuuki Terumi. He is the #1 most hated character in the ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' universe, and for very good reasons, but amongst the fandom, he's a FauxAffablyEvil [[ManipulativeBastard Bastard]], and that's [[EvilIsCool in the best meaning of those words imaginable]].
* The ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' series has Claptrap, who's a bit of an odd case. In the first game, the Claptraps were {{the Scrappy}}. After that, however, the writers noticed the fandom's negative opinion and went wild with the TakeThatScrappy moments. This actually led to him getting RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap -- the constant, relentless abuse made him [[TheWoobie downright pitiful]], and its {{jerkass}} tendencies eventually gave way to endearingly earnest incompetence.
* ''VideoGame/CorpseParty'':
** Yoshiki Kishinuma. Somewhat of a delinquent and loner, who's implied to have had a FriendlessBackground prior to meeting the main cast members. He suffers from some of the more gruesome Wrong Ends the game has to offer because the BigBad favours him as a [[TheChewToy chew toy]] and being paired with [[DamselInDistress Ayumi]] means he has to go through a lot of effort to keep her alive with little gratitude in return. He's also easily one of the most popular characters in the series, for being very level-headed in a crisis, surprisingly kind-hearted, and because fans just sympathize with the poor guy.
** Sakutarou Morishige, to a lesser extent. He suffers from LonersAreFreaks in-universe due to being so anti-social, but fans like him either because they can relate to that aspect of him [[spoiler: or because his [[NightmareFetishist creepy hobby]] later in the game is equal parts entertaining and tragic]].
* The Maple Heights district of ''VideoGame/CriminalCaseGrimsborough'' introduces Adam Bentley, a forerunning socialite whom the Grimsborough PD dislike for being a pretentious creep who frequently hangs around rich and powerful people -- most of whom ended up dying -- while the rest of the districts looks down on him for not having an affluent background. He seems to be quite well-liked by the audience, and his murder gathered more than a few mourners among fans.
* ''Franchise/DanganRonpa'':
** [[VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc The first game]] has [[NoSocialSkills Kiyotaka Ishimaru]]. Despite his best efforts to make the students work together, almost everyone else sees him as an annoyance, it is made clear that Mondo is his OnlyFriend, and [[spoiler: [[AngstWhatAngst barely anyone reacts when he's killed]]]]. The fanbase on the other hand loves him and he always scores highly in popularity polls.
** [[VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair The second game]] has two more:
*** Usami/Monomi is treated very badly by almost the entire cast. She gets abused by Monokuma for most of the time, and almost all students are suspicious of her and are very annoyed by her constant appearances, causing them to tell her off and verbally abuse her. Because of all the hatred she receives InUniverse, she's TheWoobie to the fandom, with many players being able to sympathize with her, especially since she is constantly shown to be on her students side no matter how much they hate her. It also helps that she is sometimes useful to the class, such as saving Fuyuhiko and Nekomaru's lives or her role in the GrandFinale.
*** Mikan was bullied relentlessly throughout her life by both her peers and family, repeatedly insulted by [[BrattyHalfPint Hiyoko]], and Fuyuhiko is rather harsh to her before his HeelFaceTurn, while the rest of the cast range from being annoyed or indifferent to being nicer but mildly condescending towards her, with the possible exception of Ibuki and Hajime. [[BaseBreakingCharacter While she is a bit more controversial than other characters listed here due to other factors]], many people express a desire to give the poor girl a hug.
** [[spoiler: Nagito]], Kokichi, and Miu are treated as TheFriendNobodyLikes within their respective stories. However, while some fans view them as [[BaseBreakingCharacter divisive characters]], they have very loyal fanbases. [[https://www.reddit.com/r/danganronpa/comments/5gvti9/rdanganronpa_character_ranking_poll_results_top/ A Reddit poll]] ended up placing [[spoiler: Nagito]] at the top ten and [[http://news.mynavi.jp/ad/2017/entertainment/danganronpa/sp_r/ the official NDRV3 popularity poll]] had Kokichi and Miu at #2 and #4 respectively.
* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'': King K. Rool is detested by the Kongs (''possibly'' related to the fact that he has stolen their bananas, kidnapped them and even tried to blow up their island) and isn’t well-liked even among his underlings [[BadBoss due to how badly he treats them]]. Among audiences, however, the Kremling King is beloved thanks to his refreshingly crazed personality and ridiculous yet effective schemes. He was one of the most popular contenders for a playable fighter in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series, and his reveal in the [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate fifth game]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikubyzm5EcY was met with acclaim]].
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'':
** Alistair is, while not ''hated'', at least viewed as rather annoying and childish by many of the other companions, with even the most positive opinions of him being condescending. Many of the [[EstrogenBrigade fans]], on the other hand, find him hilarious, adorable, or some combination of both.
* ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'' has very clear in-universe popularity rankings for each of the units which often diverge greatly from reality. In-universe, fine is the clear top unit and Akatsuki second, while in reality those two tend to be among the least popular. (Though this is justified by the fact that real-world readers are privy to a lot of information about fine's bad behaviour that the in-universe audience are not, and fine's popularity is at least in part due to Eichi's deliberate manipulation.) By contrast, Knights is definitely the top unit in the real world, with Undead and Ryuuseitai up next. And while Ra*bits isn't hugely popular, it's a hell of a lot more known out of universe than in-universe, where they're a very new unit who got off to a ''very'' shaky start (thanks, again, to Eichi and Akatsuki).
* ''VideoGame/EpicMickey'': Oswald the Lucky Rabbit leans a bit into this trope. In the game, he's portrayed as a vengeful and jealous antihero regarding Mickey's popularity. Though he improves, he's constantly pained with the knowledge that Mickey received his fame. In RealLife, Oswald's inclusion was one of the key aspects which drew people into the game, and he has a solid fanbase in Japan.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' Kefka Palazzo is hated by almost every single character on the game for good reasons. Amongst the returners, he's a cruel commander who has killed lots of people, innocents included, for his callousness and amusement. The empire soldiers on his charge doesn't have a higher opinion of him either, as he's infamous for burning lots of imperial soldiers during a practice. Kefka is so cruel, sadistic and sociopathic he cannot fully get true loyalty from anyone outside of dangerous beasts. And yet, the fanbase loves him for being such a darkly amusing villain who manages to take over the role of the ''BigBad''. A lot of his popularity comes from the ''{{Woolseyism}}'' in the American version, giving him a surprisingly charming humor sense while also showcasing his cruelty and effectiveness as a villain.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'''s Yuffie, certainly not without justification seeing as how she's a thief that attacked the party and tried to trick them after the fight. [[spoiler: If you head to her hometown, it'll turn out that the party was right to be suspicious. She steals your materia and you have to get it back from her. She joins you on the straight and narrow from then on and by the end, some of the group have grown attached to her, such as Red XIII (the only one to point out she's missing when the group re-unites before the final dungeon) and Cloud (who welcomes her back when she comes.)]]
* Serra from the ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade''. ''No-one'' likes her at all unless you engage Supports, yet she's very well-liked by fans.
* In ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSecurityBreach'', it's clear that ''no one'' InUniverse likes [[MonsterClown the Daycare Attendant]], due to it being [[UnnecessarilyCreepyRobot unnecessarily creepy]] even for this series and its tendency to traumatize the children it's supposed to watch over in its [[SplitPersonality Moon form]]. Even [[AllLovingHero Freddy]] doesn't have anything good to say about it. Out of universe, it's easily one of the most popular characters, getting quite a bit of fanart and fanfic.
* Fukushima Masanori is one of the better-known historical Japanese generals, leader of the ''Seven Spears of Shizugatake'', and one of UsefulNotes/ToyotomiHideyoshi's finest (and wasn't reported to be as brutal as his fellow general Katou Kiyomasa, who takes anti-Christianity [[ExaggeratedTrope Up to Eleven]]). However, whenever he makes an appearance in KOEI games (''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'', Franchise/AceAttorney-like game ''Saihai no Yukue''), he is usually portrayed as a bumbling fool nearing TheScrappy level to possibly make Ishida Mitsunari (main protagonist of the latter game) look good. Koei truly hates Masanori.
* ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'' has Hu Tao who is canonically disliked by nearly every character save for a select few. Yet despite this, you would not have guessed that she is one of the most popular characters in the game who also has the ''largest'' fanbase, with her subreddit eclipsing even that of ''Raiden Shogun's''. The fact that her JP dub is voiced by Creator/RieTakahashi probably helps in her insane popularity.
* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'':
** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'': If there's any character in this game that deserves to be in this trope, it would be Ryder. Sure Ryder's an asshole [[spoiler: who betrays the Grove Street Families later in the story]], but he has the charisma and cohesive attitude that makes him a fan favorite to many fans of the game.
** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'': Trevor Philips is undoubtedly one of the most psychotic and murderous playable characters in the franchise history which understandably makes him not very well-liked by anybody around him apart from Michael and Franklin and a handful of other people, with his underlings following him mostly out of their fear for him. For the fans, however, he's easily the most beloved and memorable character out of the three game protagonists thanks to that very same psychotic nature. Trevor's popularity is also helped by his surprisingly complex personality with many HiddenDepths that makes him an entertaining yet also relatable character.
* ''VideoGame/HeavyRain'': Norman Jayden is abused by every police officer in the game, [[spoiler: constantly getting the crap beaten out of him and doesn't have a ''single'' happy ending]] But he's easily the most popular character outside of the game.
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': Tingle is one, but [[AmericansHateTingle only in Japan]]. It's {{Downplayed}} in his [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask debut appearance]]; Tingle's father is certainly embarrassed by his son's obsession with fairies, but it doesn't go as far as hate. Notably, if you bring him a pictograph of Tingle, [[spoiler: he'll reward you with a heart piece.]] The Tingle of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', on the other hand, is clearly viewed as bizarre at best and outright disliked by the laborers on his island -- two of whom are his brothers!
* ''VideoGame/LunarEternalBlue'': Lemina is loud, pushy, money-grubbing, has her fair share of blonde moments, and is somewhat lacking in integrity from time to time (despite her respectable long-term goals). She's sometimes viewed as a slight annoyance by the rest of the group, and certainly by people outside of it.
* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'':
** Kung Lao, at least in more recent games, has often been portrayed as the more jealous second fiddle to [[TheHero Liu Kang]]. Characters often compare him unfavorably to Liu Kang in terms of skill, but he has been a consistent fan-favorite since his debut for his unique abilities. Liu Kang, on the other hand, tends to be a BaseBreakingCharacter among fans.
** [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Johnny Cage]] qualifies as well. He was the resident ButtMonkey of the original timeline ([[RealLifeWritesThePlot as revenge by the writers due to the actor who played him doing work for a ''Mortal Kombat'' knock-off]]) and is something of a NoRespectGuy and TheFriendNobodyLikes even in the new timeline. His popularity with fans however skyrocketed with [=MK9=] due to the many [[Funny/MortalKombat9 CMOFs]] he contributes to the game and for being a DeadpanSnarker [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold with a Heart of Gold]]. Although this appears to be an IntendedAudienceReaction since the new timeline also makes him an AscendedExtra with improved and sympathetic characterization, makes him TheHeart for the good guys ''and'' subverts his FakeUltimateHero status.
** Mileena puts the two previous examples to shame. With the two exceptions of Tanya and Shao Kahn, literally everyone in the cast despises Mileena and consider her a ButterFace freak of nature, Kitana her twin in particular cannot stand Mileena and rejects her on sight. Even when Mileena is empress in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'', she’s hated by the citizens of Outworld and quickly overthrown. Among the fanbase on the other hand, it is a very different story with Mileena being adored pretty much across the board with more than a few character polls even putting her above both Kitana and Sonya. The fact she's considered the series main MsFanservice, despite her face to the point of appearing in Magazine/{{Playboy}} may be the ultimate irony. ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' outright lampshaded Mileena’s popularity in her reveal trailer.
--->'''Mileena''': A coin for your thoughts, Erron?
--->'''Erron Black''': Just trying to reckon why the hell you're back.
--->'''Mileena''': [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall A million souls cried out for my return]].
* Creator/NipponIchi:
** Asagi. Her entire story is that she [[CrossoverCameo cameos in other games]] (or tries to [[HostileShowTakeover take them over completely]]) because [[BreakingTheFourthWall her own game got cancelled]]. Yet she was ''number two'' on an official popularity poll. She's practically a mascot at this point.
** Another Creator/NipponIchi example would be Laharl of ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness''. On the same popularity poll as Asagi, he took the top spot. Yet, in-universe, just ask the VideoGame/PhantomBrave and ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 2|CursedMemories}}'' casts what they think of him. Hell, even his own vassals will take potshots at him given the chance.
** ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'': '''Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth!''' He's one of the most popular characters, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff especially in the west.]] In-universe, however, people disregard him as a total moron who's slow to catch on.
--->'''Laharl''': Aren't you happy, Flonne? [[DeadpanSnarker There's someone even dumber than you]].
** Gig from ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'' is outright hated by most of the cast and it takes most of the game for them to be able to even stand him. The fans, however, love him for how outright LaughablyEvil he is.
* ''VideoGame/Persona4'': Yosuke is liked enough amongst most fans. It's not uncommon for him to end up as the butt of a joke. It's a different story when [[TheWoobie the laughter stops]]: See any scene involving Saki.
* Generally speaking, with the Phantom Thieves from ''VideoGame/Persona5'' receiving AllOfTheOtherReindeer treatment, a few of these are bound to happen. However, these people deserve special mention-
** Ryuji Sakamoto is ostracized by his former track teammates because he was indirectly responsible for getting the team shut down-even though he was trying to call out Kamoshida’s abusive behavior, and while he's not disliked by the other Thieves, he’s definitely the ButtMonkey of the group and they, [[JerkassToOne especially Morgana]], tend to make comments at his expense. In spite of consistently ranking at the bottom on Eastern popularity polls, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff the Western fanbase]] ''adores'' Ryuji due to his endearing, friendly personality and [[HeterosexualLifePartners bromance with the protagonist]], and [[DudeNotFunny many of his fans are not fond of]] the scene where he gets [[DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale beaten up offscreen by the female Thieves while the males do nothing to stop them]] after they escape the last palace.
** The other students at Kosei High treat Yusuke Kitagawa differently due to both his association with Madarame and because of his behavior in general, and after Madarame is arrested, he's actively shunned. However, he manages to be one of the most popular characters in the game due to him being a ComicallySerious {{Cloudcuckoolander}}.
** Upon her introduction it is clear that Makoto Niijima is not very well-liked among her classmates. In fact, it's implied that she didn't have any friends before joining the Phantom Thieves. While she does have a [[VocalMinority vocal]] amount of [[HypeBacklash detractors]], Makoto nevertheless is one of the more popular characters within the Eastern and Western fandom alike, for being useful in battle, her [[TeamMom team mom]] status and a fan favorite love interest of Joker.
** Prior to Futaba Sakura being a shut-in, she was almost completely friendless at school with her OnlyFriend having to be a girl named Kana in which their friendship ended up falling apart. On the other hand, fans really like her due to her {{Moe}} personality, having huge amounts of CharacterDevelopment, and her lacking the AnnoyingVideoGameHelper tendencies that past MissionControl characters have.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
** Magikarp: since it has horrible stats and can learn only four moves outside of events, it is systematically perceived by in-game trainers as useless, and even its Pokédex profile describes it as "virtually useless". In RealLife, on the other hand, everyone knows it evolves into the much more badass and useful Gyarados, so it ended up being [[MemeticBadass the opposite of this trope]] for fans and the {{Trope Namer|s}} for MagikarpPower. This had the side effect of giving the impression that nearly any Pokemon based on a fish is bound to be awful, even when it isn't the case (most of the time anyway).
** Absol is despised in-universe for a widespread but mistaken belief that it starts natural disasters but has quite a hefty fanbase because of a very [[http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Absol_%28Pokémon%29 beautiful design.]]
** This applies to many of the Dark and Ghost types, as well as a few Poison, being widely feared or at least regarded with suspicion in-universe but loved by the fandom for their good designs, usefulness in battle, or just because EvilIsCool.
** Mimikyu is probably one of the franchise's biggest examples yet. It's a tiny ghost who wears a crudely made Pikachu costume made from old Pikachu merchandise in the hopes that it will be noticed and loved more thanks to its resemblance to the widely popular SeriesMascot. Considering its ''massive'' EnsembleDarkhorse status among the Pokémon introduced in ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'', it seems to have achieved this out of universe at least, thanks to its [[TheWoobie Woobie-ish backstory]] and endearing design.
** In terms of human characters, Team Skull is treated as a group of nuisances and losers InUniverse, but out of universe, their comedic qualities, strong personalities, and [[spoiler: surprisingly sad backstory]] resulted in the group being one of the most popular villain teams in the franchise.
* From the ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' series:
** Glass Joe. He may be the ultimate {{Jobber}} with more defeats than most champions have victories, but he'll always be the champion in players' hearts.
** Aran Ryan (at least in the Wii version) is a complete psycho who breaks all the rules and is greeted with a chorus of boos from the in-game audience. He also happens to be one of the most popular characters.
** Super Macho Man (Also Wii version) is met with more audible boos than Aran Ryan, and the crowd cheers harder for when you knock him down than the other combatants. Despite this, he is loved by the fanbase for his overinflated ego and how much of a LargeHam he can be. Add that to the number of things he says falling under MemeticMutation.
* Schezo from ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' often gets no respect from his peers, due to being an intimidating dark mage and generally unpleasant. On top of that, his terrible choices in vocabulary lead to him be taken far less seriously than he would want to be. Fans, however, find his antics entertaining and is well-loved to have better depictions in fanworks, if only to soften his ButtMonkey status.
* Uncle from ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'' and ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' is often berated by other characters for being a lazy, sleazy, drunken freeloader. Out of universe? He's one of the most, not ''the'' most popular character, due to providing much of the {{Comic Relief}}, his {{Jerk with a Heart of Gold}} moments, and [[spoiler: sacrificing his life to save the Marston family]].
* Erik from ''VideoGame/RuneFactoryFrontier''. Despite his sheer awesomeness, he has to bribe people in-game to appear impressed by him.
* Dexter "Dex" Jackson in ''[[VideoGame/SaintsRow1 Saints Row]]''. InUniverse, he's virtually hated by everyone InUniverse for [[spoiler:[[HeelFaceTurn suddenly betraying the Saints for Ultor]], then attempting to kill the Boss, and then becoming a CorruptCorporateExecutive in ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'']]. Outside, he's well-liked for [[DeadpanSnarker his snarky attitude]] and for being [[OnlySaneMan more level-headed than the rest of his gang, especially when compared to]] [[AxCrazy Johnny Gat]]. It doesn't help that Volition [[PutOnABus put both him and his storyline from the second game on a bus]], as the Corporate Warfare [=DLC=] was never released on [[PortingDisaster the infamous PC port]]. Although Dex returned in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowGatOutOfHell'' as part of a revenge sidequest, many long-time fans felt that it was an AntiClimax ending to a feud that went unanswered for two games straight.
* ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}'': Bolo is often treated with disdain from nearly everyone InUniverse, and generally written off as nothing but an idiotic screw-up and pervert. Out of universe, he is loved for being a loyal friend to Shantae, his antics being seen as hilarious, and he is even a popular ship partner for Shantae.
* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
** Tails is often a "victim" of this, especially in ''ComicBook/SonicTheComic''.
** Knuckles seems to be leaning into this area as well due to recent Flanderization. He's bitterly jealous of Sonic and his [[DumbMuscle dopiness]] and [[TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong lack of "team ethics"]] has even [[{{Moe}} Cream the Rabbit]] making snide remarks at him at times, nevertheless he has a fanbase nearly as big as the hedgehog himself (granted, however, Knuckles was an EnsembleDarkHorse even before his transition into a ButtMonkey).
** Same for Dr. Eggman, especially in ''Anime/SonicX'', where the poor guy's really just an AttentionWhore at heart.
* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'':
** [[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha Dan Hibiki]]. The essential JokeCharacter, treated like a fool by everyone, and he's still one of the more popular characters. YAHOOEY!
** A good example of Dan's popularity power born from failure can be seen in the trailer for ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken''. Dan gets blasted through a door following an unfortunate encounter with [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Kazuya Mishima]] on his way to a face-to-face with [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ryu]]. He's the only other character seen in the trailer besides the two flagship fighting game characters, which lends credence to his status as the ButtMonkey with a following. In ''[=SFxT=]'', [[http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2011-x-rush-system-interview/715452 according to]] [[WordOfGod Yoshinori Ono]], Kazuya's NoHoldsBarredBeatdown ''[[DeathByCameo killed]]'' Dan (this is because the dev team [[ShooOutTheClowns didn't want Dan in the game]]). No, '''really.'''
*** It's later revealed that [[spoiler:he didn't actually die; the ending of DLC characters Sakura and Blanka show him [[AuthorsSavingThrow trapped within Pandora]]]].
* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
** Luigi tends to be neglected by the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom and Bowser and his men, apparently the entire population of the Beanbean Kingdom, [[VideoGame/MetalGear Colonel]] [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Campbell]]... his fanbase is fairly large due to this, especially since his own game debut ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' gave him his own personality to stand out from Mario, and it's pretty hard to find someone who doesn't like him nowadays, to the point where most Nintendo fans are likely to tell you they prefer the green-clad plumber to his more iconic brother. In fact, a lot of Luigi's problems in-universe, especially in the ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' games, is that he ''can'' be as good as Mario, but nobody gives him a chance. This has gotten to the point that Nintendo declared 2013 to be Advertising/TheYearOfLuigi to celebrate [[VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon three games]] [[VideoGame/NewSuperLuigiU Luigi]] [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam stars in]].
** Waluigi isn't very well-liked by the characters in-universe due to being a [[CloudCuckoolander crazy]], [[EvilIsPetty petty]] {{Jerkass}}. Outside of the games, a sizable portion of the fanbase loves him for various reasons, including being an underdog (due to his plans often backfiring, Nintendo themselves occasionally teasing him, and his minimal chances at ADayInTheLimelight - the closest to date being the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfbmFCUQfSg Tricksters Episodes]] from the 3DS version of ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndSonicAtTheOlympicGames Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games]]''), having great levels tied to him (such as ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' and ''VideoGame/MarioSportsMix''[='s=] Waluigi Pinball), going through bouts of CrazyIsCool and just plain [[RuleOfFunny hilarious ridiculousness]] (like trying to take over the world with his ''dance moves'' in ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolutionMarioMix''), creating several memes (including "[[VideoGame/MarioKartDoubleDash Waluigi time!]]", the [[VideoGame/MarioStrikers crotch chop]], and Waluigi's Taco Stand), and various combinations of the above. Nintendo once ran a poll asking who you would give a Valentine to, and while their polls usually pull in a couple thousand votes per option, [[https://www.reddit.com/r/Waluigi/comments/dutfr2/dont_know_if_yall_saw_this_but_i_think_we_are/ Waluigi totaled]] more than 1.25 ''million'' votes by the end of March of 2019, becoming the only character on the poll to break a million; for comparison, ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing''[='s=] BreakoutCharacter Isabelle received the second-highest number of votes, and she still didn't even reach half of Waluigi's total. In spite of his [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter lack of presence outside of spinoffs]], Waluigi has managed to pull in a dedicated group of fans, and support for him to have his time to shine, whether in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' or headlining his very own title, is very easy to find on the internet.
** Goombas are the lowest ranked and weakest enemies in Bowser’s army, and never stand a chance against [[GoombaStomp Mario’s almighty shoe soles]]. Yet they are an [[MascotMook integral part of the franchise]], being the most featured enemy along with Koopa Troopas, as well as influential enough in video game culture to have a [[TheGoomba trope]] named after them.
* Raven from ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia''. At best, everyone tolerates him. Usually, the party members are disgusted by his antics, mostly because he's a DirtyOldMan and refuses to act his age. Most of the time they don't even call him Raven; they just call him, "old man". He's still one of the group until the end.
* Lots of ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' fan works (and some canon) show their love for characters like Hong Meiling, Cirno, and Reisen Udongein Inaba by making them into all-round {{Butt Monkey}}s abused by their superiors.
** Tenshi Hinanai too, despite the amount of damage she caused all because she got bored of FluffyCloudHeaven.
** More recently, Kogasa Tatara has become an ''epic'' example of this. She is pathetically weak, doomed to failure at every turn and every other character either ignores or mocks her. The fandom, however, has declared her to be [[MemeticMutation the new youkai moe~]] and love her intensely.
** Koishi Komeiji who debuted in ''VideoGame/TouhouChireidenSubterraneanAnimism'' is the biggest example of this trope from Touhou franchise. [[https://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/THWiki_Popularity_Poll Koishi is the only character other than Reimu, Marisa, and Sakuya to win Fan Popularity Poll (2015)]] while InUniverse, Koishi's existence is somewhat vague to other characters save for a few such as Satori (her sister) and Kokoro (her storyline rival) thanks to her ability to control unconscious minds. Furthermore, many people who interacted with her and did as much as look the other way would eventually forget about her.
* ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'': [[MemeticMutation Isn't it sad, Sacchin?]] But we love you.
* Papyrus from ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' has three people in the Underground who give him the time of day, and one of them's his brother. The others are Undyne, [[spoiler:and [[BigBad a soulless flower who's repeatedly killed him]] before you show up.]] Naturally, the main reason he wants to be a Royal Guardsman [[IJustWantToHaveFriends is because people might actually want to be his friend afterwards.]] The fandom, meanwhile, pretty much universally loves him, [[IncorruptiblePurePureness the cinnamon roll that he is.]]
