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.
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