Graffiti is a controversial topic both in reality and in gaming. Often seen either as a defiant form of public artistic expression or an illegal defacing of private property, it can take many forms from simple tagging to high street art.
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In gaming, graffiti is often used as a somewhat tired trope to bake a sense of edgy rebellion into an urban landscape, though some games have attempted a more thoughtful approach. Certain games, ranging from fighting titles likePokemonandStreet Fighterto open-world titles likeInfamousandConcrete Genie, allow you to take up the mantle of a street artist or tagger.
10Grafaiai
A somewhat unexpected entry on this list is an unconventional graffiti artist, the ninth-generation Pokemon Grafaiai. A small lemur-like creature, Grafaiai is found in forested groves, marking trees with signature designs using its colorful saliva. This Poison/Normal-type Pokemon covers its hands in its saliva to mark its territory and create traps for Bug-type Pokemon that it hunts.
While Grafaiai does not inhabit an urban space nor use paint to create its tags, it qualifies as a graffiti artist, sporting a signature design that it will replicate throughout its whole life. One could easily imagine its designs brightening any building if a trainer were to capture this Pokemon and loose it on Levincia.
9Jake
Perhaps one of the most famous graffiti artists in gaming, Jake from Subway Surfers has been tagging subway cars with that same knowing smirk since the mobile game’s debut in 2012. While the mobile game is not explicitly about graffiti, it is certainly focused on youthful urban mischievousness like graffiti, parkour, and skateboarding. The game always opens with our protagonist trying to finish a tag before getting busted by a cop.
Aside from Jake’s love of street art and skateboarding, his personality in-game doesn’t go too far beyond that. Along with the repetitive nature of his tags, this fact places Jake near the bottom of our list, despite Subway Surfers being an immensely successful mobile game, one that even inspired a YouTube animated series.
8Bowser Jr.
The little lord of the Koopas arrives armed with his bandana and his signature Magic Paintbrush to fill our next spot. First appearing inSuper Mario Sunshine, Bowser Jr. was introduced as the tagger responsible for disrupting the peaceful Isle Delfino with graffiti, all while disguised as Shadow Mario. He is even able to imbue his graffiti with magical properties like fire, electricity, or teleportation.
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While modern Bowser Jr. seems to be more reliant on the Koopa Clown Car these days, his Magic Paintbrush has reappeared in some spin-off Mario titles to create more colorful chaos. Despite Junior’s impressive reign in Sunshine, he is still a young kid looking to frame Mario, whose skills with the brush are far from polished. Maybe one day, Junior. Maybe one day.
7Ash
Taking the next position on our list is the protagonist of Concrete Genie, the introverted and creative Ash. Set in a small port-town called Denska which has been ravaged by a force called Darkness, Concrete Genie follows the young artist Ash as he uses a magic paintbrush to fight back. Ash’s graffiti is particularly unique in that his street art (usually in the form of monsters called Genies) can come to life and aid him in fighting Darkness.
As Ash fights the Darkness and local bullies, we see thatConcrete Genie is a heartwarming storyabout how creative expression can be an asset in understanding others, even those who seek to harm you. Ash’s approach to graffiti sets him apart, as it’s rare to see anyone make art truly come to life like him.
6Kimberly
The exuberant Ninjastar Kimberly is a new character to the world ofStreet Fighter 6who screams color and excitement. A practitioner of Bushinryu ninjutsu mixed with parkour, Kimberly implements spray paint intoher fighting styleby firing colorful shuriken paint bombs. Kimberly views graffiti as a way to spread the news about Bushinryu, creating tags in areas of Metro City that are rife with criminal activity.
One of the quests you undertake while bonding with her in World Tour Mode involves you undertaking this project, using Kimberly’s tag to let troublemakers know that they’re being watched by the Ninjastar. It’s clear that Kimberly’s graffiti is an integral part of who she is and how she makes a difference.
5Trane
The defiant protagonist of Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure takes the next spot on the list. Perhaps the most realistic game about graffiti, this story follows the young tagger Trane and his attempt to fight back against the oppressive government of New Radius. Through building a crew and tagging increasingly prestigious structures, Trane takes a stand against the corrupt Mayor Sung and his increasingly violent police force, the C.C.K.
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Unlike other entries on this list, Trane’s tags are not imbued with any sort of magical ability but are simply ways to gain notoriety among other graffiti crews and to take a stand for justice. Trane’s grounded reasons and relatable environment place him higher on this list than some of the others.
4Pmidge, The Artist
Our next entry on the list adds atmosphere to a game that is already dripping in style. Pmidge is the visionary hand behind all the graffiti within the world ofHi-Fi Rush, which functions as collectibles for the protagonist Chai. Designed by a Head of Vandelay Technologies, Pmidge is a premium version of the practice robot Smidge (quite literally a smart fridge).
Pmidge is focused on the pinnacle of aesthetics and is quite vain, not accepting a compliment less than unbelievable for his street art. After finding all 24 of the Artist’s tags scattered throughout Hi-Fi Rush’s world, Pmidge will move into Chai’s Hideout and paint a curious self-portrait on the floor without permission, demonstrating that even robots can be pretentious artists.
3Ghost
This entry truly embodies the anonymous spirit of graffiti, as his appearance is never seen on-screen. Ghost, the protagonist of the indie game Sludge Life, is only communicated via his tags. Tasked with proving himself to other taggers and fighting against the mega-corporation Glug on a smoggy ’90s shipyard, Ghost is a rebel in the classic sense: tagging, smoking cigarettes, and ‘zooming’ on psychedelics.
Ghost is able to collect 100 tags throughout the game, even combining his signature tag with other styles on the island to gain renown. The game’s trippy art style and grungy humor combine to make Sludge Life a game like no other. His versatility and ability to capture distinct vibes make Ghost a standout graffiti artist.
2Delsin Rowe
Taking a high spot on this list is the protagonist of Infamous Second Son, the graffiti artist Delsin Rowe. A resident of Seattle and a member of the Akomish tribe, Delsin is a Conduit with the ability to control absorbed elemental matter like smoke, neon, video, and concrete. With this power, Delsin is tasked with saving his tribe from a corrupt governmental agency called the D.U.P.
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Delsin utilizes a form of graffiti called Stencil Art, often used by real-world street artists to quickly tag complex designs. This can be used to undermine the D.U.P.’s control over Seattle while also bolstering Delsin’s good or bad karma, determining the ending you receive. A quintessential example of graffiti’s power, Delsin’s counter-culture activism puts him high on the list.
1Beat
Perhaps the most classic example of graffiti in video games, Jet Set Radio’s Beat takes the top position. In this game, you are tasked with dodging law enforcement and tagging the streets of Tokyo-to. Beat is a Rudie (an in-game term for ‘street punks’) and is the founder of the GG’s gang. While you can play as several Rudies, Beat is the one that you’re first presented with and is considered to be the series mascot.
Beat consistently dodges the police force and the corrupt Rokkaku group led by the series antagonist, Goji. Jet Set Radio’s signature sharp and cartoonish cityscapes and focus on creating tags of varying difficulty set this game apart from the rest. With his classic story about standing up against injustice, Beat truly understands what it means to be a graffiti artist.
