Majestic Twelve: Best Dogs Ever

You know something I like? Dogs. So here are the best dogs in fiction. 

(Don't like random topics for a top 12? Too bad). 

#12 – Rush (Mega Man)  / Blade-Wolf (Metal Gear Rising) – It’s a bit of a cheat, but these two get lumped together for one simple reason. Robot dogs will never replace real dogs (to me anyway). Yes, they’re cleaner, can do more, and both can also communicate on a level beyond normal dogs. But they still aren’t really dogs… ya know? That said, Rush has always been Mega Man’s dependable side-kick for all kinds of big adventures. Whereas Blade-Wolf was torn between his two masters Jetstream Sam and Raiden. But, in the end, he sticks with Raiden. Partly because Raiden cuts Sam in half.

#11 – Odie – Not everyone enjoys Garfield, but I do. Though, I will admit that the classics are where it’s at. Back when the jokes were still fresh and we still speculated Jon’s roommate was trapped in his basement. And it’s through that tortured house-mate we get Odie, a dog with an unknown breed that spends his entire life trying to befriend Garfield, only to be treated like rubbish for most of that time. To be fair, there are times when Garfield puts aside his animosity towards his canine-friend, but those are the holiday specials when they need to bring the family together or run away from ghost-pirates.

#10 – Fang / Fluffy – Both these Harry Potter dogs are lumped together solely for the fact you don’t see them too often throughout the series. But Fang steals a lot of the scenes his in from the films and Fluffy is just a badass three-headed dog (cerebrus) that guards the Sorcerer’s Stone (or Philosopher’s Stone if you’re British and smell like fish-n-chips). But after the first book/movie, Fluffy never appears again and Fang only makes cameo appearances.

#09 – Akamaru – Naruto is not everyone’s favorite anime, but can’t we all agree the ninja who has a dog as part of his skill-set is still fairly impressive? Kiba has trained his dog, Akamaru, to fight alongside him throughout some pretty tough fights. The dog can transform into his master, merge with his master to become a giant two-headed white wolf, and can piss on opponents… which is used for tracking them by scent. After the big time-skip, Akamaru is big enough for Kiba to ride which is also a huge plus in my book. I want a dog that’s basically just a furrier and more fun horse.

#08 – Brown – Most readers probably aren’t familiar with the game Rule of Rose. You play as a girl named Jennifer in this horror-esque game where you battle imps and collect gifts for snotty-kids to join their club. But to find the gifts, you rely on the only character in the game you can trust, Brown. Brown is a golden-retriever-type dog who sniffs out hidden items for you as well as leads you to goal objectives in the labyrinth map that is the airship/orphanage. He also aids in bossfights to a degree, but seems to get his ass kicked more than anything else.

#07 – Scooby Doo – Most of us are familiar with the cowardly speaking dog (no, not that crappy pink one). Classic Scooby is a cartoon icon most of us are hard-pressed to forget. Constantly eating and palling around with his stone-master, Shaggy, the duo made for some of the most entertaining moments of the TV show. But since the only other characters to follow were Freddy and Daphne, yeah, it wasn’t much of a contest. But talking dogs? Yeah, that gets a spot on the list.

#06 – Duck Hunt Dog – Who can forget the dog from classic Duck Hunt? A loyal friend who aided you in your quest to murder all the ducks in all the lands. But he would turn on you and mock you if you failed to deliver on your quest. He was a very polarizing figure in games for a long time but, THANKFULLY, Sakurai of Nintendo has made it possible for us to punish or forgive this pet in the latest installment of the Smash Bros series. You can unlock the dog (with duck compatriot in toe) to either fight against common foes or just beat the ever-loving crap out of him. Please note, we do not condone animal violence to any degree. Fictional animal violence against this little bastard is fine though.

#05 – Dogmeat – One of your only true companions in Fallout, Dogmeat is one of few characters who will join your party no matter what your karma level is. He also respawns upon death (though you have to find him) and is basically one of the most loyal friends you could have out in the Wasteland. Why not ranked hire? Because the dogs above this pooch have just a little more going for them aside from just being an additional party-member.

#04 – Amaterasu – Okami gave us the chance to play as Japanese Shinto God, Amaterasu. But instead of making the figure human-shaped like we’d expect… we get to play as a cut cel-shaded puppy who casts magic spells with a paint-brush. You’re guided around by a talking bug who helps you throughout your adventures in this beautifully made and all-around fun experience.

#03 – Ace – Ace has made appearances in various Batman iterations, but the one I still like the best is obviously Batman Beyond where Ace goes with Terry on several outtings. He saved his life against Shriek AND the returned Joker. Ace wasn’t always fond of Terry, but the two, to me, are inseparable like Batman and Robin. Only Ace doesn’t spout bad dialogue every five minutes. Holy exaggerated reaction, Batman!

#02 – Poké-Dogs – The dog-based Pokémon of the Pokémon series are among some of my favorite dogs in all of gaming. Which is your favorite? Do you like Houndour/Houndoom? What about Poochyena and Mightyena? There’s that newer Terrier-looking thing that I just can’t stand at all. There’s the three legendary beasts that are basically dogs in generation 2 (Entei, Suicune, and Raikou). But the classics that all fans seem to love are Growlithe and Arcanine. Totally naming one of my dogs after these if given the chance.

#01 – Naga – This isn’t solely because I’m an Avatar or Legend of Korra fan (though those certainly help). I love Naga because she’s not just a dog, but a Polar Bear Dog. A big white dog who can swim and eat people is one of the coolest things about this dog. It’s like if a New Finland breed was given radioactive grown hormones. Naga has few scenes in the series, but most of them are adorable to watch and it makes Naga all the more fun to see. 

Yeah... so that's the top twelve dogs... Don't take this entry all that seriously. I know I certainly didn't. See ya next time.