April brings many things to the world as calendars everywhere flip over to a new page. In the global north, the weather begins to warm, cherry blossoms bloom and fade, and spring can truly be said to have sprung. In the global south, the high heat of summer begins to cool, banksias offer their nectar to the wildlife, and autumn begins rolling in.
There are many days to celebrate in April, too. In 2023, Easter falls within this month and calls for people to gorge themselves on chocolate eggs. World Autism Awareness Day, World Health Day, and even International Jazz Day are some of the other major events. Late Aries and early Taurus zodiacs have plenty of birthdays to celebrate, as well as the birthdays of these iconic gaming characters.
12 Aloy
As a major protagonist in the Horizon franchise, Aloy may be reluctant to celebrate her birthday on April 4. Though she is a Nora Brave, she spent most of her childhood as an outcast of the Nora tribe due to her uncommon birth.
Though she may be human, Aloy is a genetic clone of an ancient engineer. She was created by GAIA, an AI responsible for restoring life on earth after it was wiped out by a plague of machines. Aloy was birthed from a remote mountain facility and was found by the Nora tribe, who feared her to be a curse sent by the Metal Devil.
11 Ratonhnhaké:ton
Also known by his adopted name of Connor Kenway, Ratonhnhaké:ton is a North American Indigenous Master Assassin in the Assassins Creed franchise. He was born on April 4, 1756, during the American Revolutionary War.
After the loss of his mother while he was still a young child, Ratonhnhaké:ton witnessed the growing impact of the outside world on the Kanien'kehá:ka people. To protect his village and prevent those who killed his mother from returning, he joined the Assassin Brotherhood.
10 Resetti
Sonny Resetti, or Mr. Resetti to most, is a recurring character in the Animal Crossing series of games who celebrates his birthday on April 6. Mr. Resetti is a cantankerous mole who wears overalls, a builder’s helmet, and carries a pickaxe.
Historically, his role has been chastising players who forget to save their games before quitting but got a new job as the operator of the Rescue Service in New Horizons. In addition to Mr. Resetti, there are 33 villagers who celebrate their birthdays during April as well.
9 Captain Falcon
One of Nintendo’s most recognizable characters is the brash and flamboyant Captain Falcon from the F-Zero series. Much of his past in the games remains a mystery; however, the anime reboot confirms his birthday to be April 10.
Despite being the protagonist of his own series of games, Captain Falcon is perhaps most well-known for his role in the Super Smash Bros. Franchise. Aside from his distinctive blue and red flight suit, fans know him best for his Falcon Punch attack.
8 Commander Shepard
Though much of Commander Shepard’s identity is customizable for Mass Effect players, their birthday of April 11 remains the same. Born in the year 2154, they are the main protagonist of this iconic sci-fi franchise.
Shepard’s role in the games is no small one, as they are tasked with preventing the extinction of the entire galaxy. They must prevent the resurrection of a race of machines known as Reapers, a ruthless army bent on purging intelligent life from the universe.
7 Cody Travers
One of the more popular characters in the fighting game franchise Final Fight is Cody Travers, who was born on April 18, 1967. Though he first appears in this series, he has since become a fan favorite of the Street Fighter series as well.
As a reformed vigilante, Cody has a strong sense of justice balanced with a tendency to be combative. Several other Street Fighter characters also have April birthdays, including M. Bison, Fei Long, and Sean Matsuda.
6 Booker DeWitt
A man with a complicated relationship with time is Booker DeWitt, the protagonist of Bioshock Infinite. Born April 19, 1874, Booker is a private investigator sent to the airborne utopian city of Columbia to retrieve a girl named Elizabeth.
Elizabeth, however, is no ordinary human as she has the power to open tears in space and time. Booker succeeds in rescuing her from imprisonment but is pursued by a large mechanical creature called Songbird. The two travel these interdimensional tears to escape but are soon ensnared in Columbia’s murky history.
5 Lucina
Another iconic character known for traveling through time is Lucina from the Fire Emblem franchise. Making her first appearance in Fire Emblem Awakening, Lucina’s birthday is celebrated on April 20. In addition to this title, Lucina also appears in the Super Smash Bros. Franchise.
In the story of Awakening, Lucina disguises herself as a masked swordsman by the name of Marth. She later reveals herself to be the daughter of Chrom, one of the game’s main characters, and that she has traveled back in time to prevent the destruction of Archanea. There are also two other characters in Awakening with birthdays in April: Maribelle and Tharja.
4 Princess Daisy
Making her debut in Super Mario Land, Daisy has since become a fundamental character in the Super Mario franchise. She celebrates her birthday on April 21, the same day as her debut game’s release.
Despite her flowery aesthetic, Daisy is known to be an energetic tomboy and regularly appears as Luigi’s love interest. She most prominently features in the Super Mario games where many of the ensemble cast appear, like Mario Kart, Mario Party, and Super Smash Bros.
3 Leifang
Another fighting game featuring an April-born character is the Dead or Alive franchise. Leifang, sometimes styled as Lei Fang, has been a major character since the original game and celebrates her birthday on April 23.
Leifang’s appearance has gone through several changes since the original game’s 1996 release. However, her outfits and features are always heavily influenced by Chinese culture and design. Leifang is an energetic, dedicated, and somewhat prideful character who has dedicated her life to perfecting martial arts.