Pac-Man (character)

Lore & Background

Pac-Man's origins are debated. According to creator Toru Iwatani, the inspiration was pizza without a slice, giving him a vision of an animated pizza racing through a maze. In a 1986 interview, he also said the design came from simplifying and rounding out the Japanese character for mouth, kuchi (口). The name derives from the onomatopoeic Japanese word paku-paku, meaning gobbling something up. The title was changed from 'Puck-Man' for international releases to avoid sounding similar to an expletive and due to fear of vandalism altering the P to an F.

Pac-Man's design was made to be cute and colorful to appeal to younger players, particularly women. Iwatani wanted all characters to be likable and chose yellow because it represented neither an enemy nor a hero. Near completion, Iwatani presented the character to Namco artist Tadashi Yamashita, who added a large mouth, arms, legs, and enlarged eyes. A later game, Pac-Land (1984), used this design with a large nose. Pac-Man's most common antagonists are the Ghost Gang—Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde—determined to defeat him. He has a voracious appetite, consuming vast amounts of food, and can eat enemies by consuming large Power Pellets.

Reader's Guide

Pac-Man is credited as the first video game mascot character and the first to receive merchandise. Since his 1980 debut, he has appeared in over 30 sequels and spin-offs, including Super Pac-Man, Pac-Land, Pac-Mania, and the Pac-Man World series. He appears as a playable guest character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as well as in the Ridge Racer series, Street Fighter X Tekken, and Mario Kart Arcade GP. Outside video games, Pac-Man starred in the first animated series based on a video game (1982–1983) and the reboot Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures (2013–2015). He played a significant role in the film Pixels (2015) and made cameos in Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), South Park, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017). In December 2024, he was adapted in the anthology series Secret Level, with the character voiced by Emily Swallow. Pac-Man has been included on numerous lists of greatest, most iconic, or most influential video game characters, and according to the Davie-Brown Index, he is recognized by 94 percent of American consumers, ahead of Mario at 93 percent.

Did You Know?

• Pac-Man's design was inspired by both a pizza with a slice removed and the Japanese character for mouth, kuchi.
• The name 'Pac-Man' was changed from 'Puck-Man' to prevent vandals from altering the P to an F.
• Pac-Man was the first video game mascot character, though Space Invaders had merchandise before him.
• He is one of the most recognizable video game characters in North America.