Video game victory poses have been around for almost as long as gaming itself. They can serve as a great way for a game’s developers to show a character’s satisfaction at having overcome a particularlychallenging task or enemywhile simultaneously mirroring the feelings of the players who helped them to achieve these epic victories.
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As time has gone on,victory poses have become a lot more varied, with many games now giving players the power to decide which one they use. Some choose to use this power for evil, taunting fallen opponents in order to rub extra salt into their wounds. However, the best video game victory poses typically avoid such antics and are instead remembered for their cool or comedic nature rather than their trolling potential.
Mario’s Shine Get! (Super Mario Sunshine)
Video game mascotsare no strangers to victory poses, with Crash Bandicoot and Sonic the Hedgehog having busted out their fair share of iconic dances and poses over the past few decades. However, everybody’s favorite Italian plumber has the pair well-beaten, if only for the sheer number of victory poses that Mario has treated players to over the many years since his debut.
There are plenty of greatMariovictory poses to choose from but one of the more iconic examples can be found inSuper Mario Sunshine. As one of the earliest3DMariogames, the attention to detail that went into this pose was incredibly impressive for the era, but it’s perhaps the poorly translated “SHINE GET!” that sometimes pops up alongside him which makes the pose so hard to forget.
Diddy Kong’s Rap (Donkey Kong Country 2)
When most people hear the words “Donkey Kong” and “rap” together in the same sentence, their minds usually jump either tothe DK Rap from the beginning ofDonkey Kong 64or some of the more questionable attempts at rapping found throughout the god-awful computer generatedDonkey Kong Countryanimated series. However, there is a DK rap that predates both of these things, though the “D” in “DK” doesn’t stand for “Donkey” this time around.
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Having served as the second player in the first game inthe fantasticDonkey Kong Countrytrilogy, Diddy Kong was given a leading role in the game’s sequel, with Dixie replacing him as the sidekick. Upon completing a stage with Diddy, he’d pull out a boombox, put on a pair of sunglasses, and begin making adorable monkey noises in time with the background music. As far as video game victory poses go, it’s definitely one of the best.
Chun-Li’s Yatta (Street Fighter 3)
There are plenty offantastic victory poses in theStreet Fighterseries, from Ryo’s iconic back turn to Vega’s yodeling inStreet Fighter 5, but it’s perhaps Chun-Li’s Yataa pose fromStreet Fighter 3which stands out the most. Not only is it incredibly cute, but it’s also a surefire way to wind up a defeated opponent, which, for many, is what video game victory poses are all about.
It certainly helps thatChun-Li is one of the most popularStreet Fightercharacters of all timeand has been on the scene since the series' breakthrough title (Street Fighter 2) hit arcades more than three decades ago. Its simplicity also works in the pose’s favor and helps it to stand out even among some of its more elaborate peers.
There are a ridiculous number ofgoal celebrations in modernFIFAgames, ranging from the Griddy to Ronaldo’s iconic Siuu. A couple of them stand out more than others though, either due to their humorous nature or their ability to really rub it in the opposing player’s face. When it comes to the latter, the Robot celebration popularized by Peter Crouch probably takes the cake, but it falls a little short of being the best celebration inFIFA.
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That accolade arguably goes to the Dead Fish (aka the Brick Drop/Fall), which is a much lesstoxic goal celebrationdue to its shorter animation and comical nature. It’s inspired real-world celebrations in other sports too, with Daniil Medvedev pulling off a Dead Fish after beating Novak Djokovic at the 2021 US Open and former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Chris Moore cranking it out after hitting the end zone in an NFL match in 2017.
Final Fantasy’s Fanfare (Final Fantasy 7)
Thoughthe Victory Fanfare has been a part of theFinal Fantasyfranchise since its very first installment, it wasn’t untilFinal Fantasy 7that it truly became iconic. Perhaps it was the leap to 3D models or the higher-quality music that made7’s Fanfare stand out so much, or maybe it was seeing Cloud swinging his ridiculously large Buster Sword around above his head.
Whatever the reason,Final Fantasy’s post-battle fanfare is arguably the best victory pose in gaming and a big part ofwhat makes the series' battles so satisfying. Though7will no doubt take most of the plaudits for popularizing the idea, bothFinal Fantasy 8andFinal Fantasy 10also deserve a special mention, as these games also featured incredibly iconic victory poses.
