Presently in the new age social media zeitgeist, Subway Surfers is the sort of game you would expect to have a cast of characters to cash in on those sweet sweet mobile game in-app purchases, along its other mobile gaming brothers and sisters. It absolutely is, however despite this, their designs at times feel genuinely inspired, with the limited edition characters inspired by whatever country or season the game will be located in each month. Not only that, but the main crew have their own little quirks and interesting points as well.
With their myriad of characters, it is surprising that most if not all of them have any real benefit to owning them, other than the occasional character that has a small buff only for a specific period of time. Still, unlocking the characters for mechanics has never been the point–they’re simply a small reward for playing the game more, giving you a fresh new look and a sense of fulfillment for unlocking them.
Still, despite this, it is not as if there is absolutely nothing to work with here. The main cast of characters star in their own animated spin off, with unique stories of their own.
1. Jake
Jake, the iconic protagonist of the series. He is the very first character you play as when you unlock the game, and he is the face of the franchise. Not only that, but his alternate skins look good and he is free. If you’re not playing the game for the aesthetics and only the numbers, he’s a great pick. He might be a little basic, but sometimes basic is alright.
2. Tricky
Another classic character and a member of the main crew, her look is interesting and she is a great alternative to Jake. Not only that, but she is the cheapest character to unlock, needing the least amount of tokens to acquire.
Her demeanor is a great juxtaposition to her canonical background in the animated series, being the heiress to her family’s fortune. Overall, she is charming, sweet, and a great addition to the game.
3. Fresh
Another member of the main crew, Fresh is a little harder to obtain, requiring more of his tokens than Tricky. Like Tricky and Jake, as a classic character I can’t help but like him. He is quite charming, with his smug expression and boombox that he always carries around.
4. Coco
A character first released in Paris, she boasts a unique look and possesses interesting variations of her outfit, those being the Art Outfit and the Jester Outfit. I have a soft spot for Coco, because of how charming she appears to be and how fun the Jester Outfit is to play as.
5. Yutani
The definition of eccentricity. She is one of the most difficult characters to get, since you need to gather 500 of her tokens to unlock her. However, her design is cute and her role in the series is just as interesting. As the crew’s resident inventor, Yutani is cute, strange, and downright adorable.
6. Cathy
Released in the Cambridge update, Cathy is a character definitely meant to be an ungodly amalgamation of Cthulhu and a posh schoolgirl. This combination makes for not only a hilarious concept, but an interesting character design. Her silhouette and overall vibes are incredibly charming, giving her a spot in this ranking.
7. Bob the Blob
Bob the Blob was released in the Mexico update. They have a very visually unique design with their bones floating on their slime jacket. Even without a face, their design evokes a sense of cheerfulness and playfulness, one that makes them deserving of this shout out.
8. Pink
Pink is a character released in Vancouver, and with her two toned hair and pastel outfit, you can’t help but be drawn to her visually. The mask gives an edge to her, and her overall design has a wonderful sense of color theory. Her color combination reminds me of cotton candy and laundry detergent.
9. Scarlett
A halloween character released in New Orleans. Her design is evocative of the Monster High aesthetic, being dark and gothic and yet colorful at the same time, reminding me of a more saturated Corpse Bride. Her alternate designs are just as inspired, with a clear theme for each one that just works.
10. Frank
And finally, Frank. Frank took the internet by storm when his character made an appearance in the animated series, a reputation that gives him the rightful spot as number one. His design in the game implies a man working a 9 to 5 sick and tired of adhering to conformity, while his design in the series gives off the impression of a man of mystery, one that is silent but dangerous. With that, Frank deserves to be the best character of the entire series. (Seriously, look up any TikTok fan edit of this man, you will be amazed at how fond people are of him).
Subway Surfers has plenty of more interesting designs, all of which are unique in their own right and show a very good understanding of design. All of them are charming, and even without any written background their appearance and demeanor imply their history. It’s worth a look every month to see what new characters they come up with, and what characters return, or if they have new looks—it’s a visual treat and one that I look forward to every month.
