Focused around video game characters, Wreck-It Ralph features numerous video game characters from multiple publishing companies alongside the film's cast of original characters, much like the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Disney
- Tiny the T-Rex from Meet the Robinsons (Appearing as a Generic video game Dinosaur in Game Central Station, heavily playing the role of Sauron from Primal Rage, and also appearing in the fictional game Fatal Assault found in the arcade)
- Vladimir from Tangled
- Maximus from Tangled
- Mickey Mouse on a Double U Dee's (WD's) billboard located behind Litwak's Arcade and Family Fun Center.
- One of the game portals in Game Central Station reads "TRON".
- Bolt on a "lost dog" flyer in Pac-Man.
- Cockroach Hal from WALL-E
- Lefty from Meet the Robinsons (Appearing in the Fatal Assault Game along with Tiny)
LucasArts
- A Star Wars Arcade game can be seen in the wide view of Litwak's Arcade.
- Darth Vader's breathing can be heard while Ralph is evading the Doughnut Police.
Nintendo
- Bowser from Super Mario Bros.
- A Super Mushroom from Super Mario Bros.
- Ducks from Duck Hunt (as obstacles in Fix-it Felix Jr.)
- An NES controller as the vault to Sugar Rush's CPU room.
- (debatable): Princess Daisy from Super Mario Land
- (debatable): Princess Zelda from The Legend of Zelda
(Note: Mario and Luigi, the protagonists of Super Mario Bros. were intended to have appeared in the film, voiced by Charles Martinet. However, the producers could not find a place to work them into the story that felt right for their significance, along with paying a hefty licensing fee. However, Mario is mentioned by Fix-It Felix in the film.)
Sega
- Sonic the Hedgehog from Sonic the Hedgehog
- Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik from Sonic the Hedgehog
- Miles "Tails" Prower from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Picture on a wall in Tapper's Bar)
- Amy Rose from Sonic the Hedgehog CD (on the arcade cabinet of Sonic the Fighters alongside some other Sonic characters; her younger self from Sonic CD is used)
- Knuckles the Echidna from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (on the arcade cabinet of Sonic the Fighters and when Vanellope tell Ralph to "bust it open, Knuckles" (debatable)
- Bean the Dynamite from Sonic the Fighters (on the arcade cabinet of Sonic the Fighters)
- Bark the Polar Bear from Sonic the Fighters (on the arcade cabinet of Sonic the Fighters)
- Fang the Sniper from Sonic & Tails 2/Sonic Triple Trouble (on the arcade cabinet of Sonic the Fighters)
- Neff from Altered Beast
- Cyril the Zombie from House of the Dead
- Saw-Hand Cyborg from Cyborg Justice
- (debatable): Hornet from Daytona USA
- (debatable): Mishaela from Shining Force
Capcom
- Ken Masters from Street Fighter
- Ryu from Street Fighter
- M. Bison (Vega) from Street Fighter II
- Zangief from Street Fighter II
- Chun-Li from Street Fighter II
- Cammy from Super Street Fighter II
- Blanka from Street Fighter II
- Beholder from Eye of the Beholder
(Note: Dr. Wily from Mega Man was originally set to make an appearance in the Bad-Anon villains support group, as shown in an early render image. However, he was cut in the final version of the film and replaced with Smoke.)
Midway
- Kano from Mortal Kombat (aka "Cyborg")
- Paperboy from Paperboy
- Bartender from Root Beer Tapper
- Cowboys from Root Beer Tapper
- Smoke from Mortal Kombat however some speculate that it is not smoke but Ryu Harabusa from Ninja Gaiden and the Dead or Alive series
- Satan from Satan's Hollow, (referred as "Satine")
Namco Bandai
- Clyde from Pac-Man
- Pac-Man from Pac-Man (depicted here as resembling his in-game sprite rather than his official Namco artwork)
- Inky Ghost Monster from Pac-Man
- Blinky Ghost Monster from Pac-Man
- Pinky Ghost Monster from Pac-Man
- Taizo from Dig Dug
- A Pooka from Dig Dug
- A Fygar from Dig Dug
- Ms. Pac-Man from Ms. Pac-Man (appears on a restroom sign when Ralph is exiting the labyrinth.)
- Pino from Toy Pop (appears holding hands with Acha in Game Central Station)
- Acha from Toy Pop (appears holding hands with Pino in Game Central Station)
Gottlieb
Konami
- Frogger from Frogger
- Turtles from Frogger
- Yuni from Dance Dance Revolution
- Leonardo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade cabinet during the wide view of Litwak's arcade)
- An Exclamation point (!) from Metal Gear
Atari
- Paddle 1 and Paddle 2 from Pong
- Charley Chuck from Food Fight (on the Food Fight arcade cabinet during the wide view of Litwak's arcade)
- A racer from RoadBlasters
- (debatable): Bentley Bear from Crystal Castles
Taito
- An Alien Invader from Space Invaders (on a picture)
- The Qix from Qix
Cinematronics
- Dirk the Daring from Dragon's Lair (briefly on the Dragon's Lair arcade screen during the wide view of Litwak's arcade)
Data East
- Peter Pepper from BurgerTime
Williams Electronics
- Knight and Ostrich from Joust
Square Enix
- Two moogles from Final Fantasy
Other
- Beard Papa the Japanese cream-puff store brand mascot (as the Sugar Rush candy-kart factory security guard, voiced by John DiMaggio)
- Skrillex as the DJ at the Fix-it Felix Jr. 30th anniversary party.
- Peter Pan from Peter Pan (one of the Nicelanders is dressed as him at Fix-it Felix Jr. 30th anniversary party.)
- A caricature of Director Rich Moore (seen behind Ralph in Tapper's).
- In the scene in which Sargent Calhoun and Fix-It Felix are in Sugar Rush, they land themselves in a river of Nesquik Sand, made entirely of over-concentrated Nestle Nesquik.
- In the same scene, they must pull themselves out using Laffy Taffy.
- In one of the scenes that takes place in Litwak's Arcade and Family Fun Center near the beginning of the film, a soda with a cup that reads Subway is shown on-screen on an arcade game.
- One of the arcade games in Litwak's Arcade is Undead Apocalypse, made by Crosman and Airsoft.
- The Sorceress bears a resemblance to the Dark Queen from Battletoads with the coloration of Mishela from Shining Force.
Games Featured/Homaged During End Credits
- Stage 1 from Q*bert
- Chemical Plant Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (with the Flame Mobile boss from Sonic the Hedgehog 3)
- An 8-bit version of House of the Dead
- A "Hero's Duty" cutscene referencing Metal Gear Solid
- A "Sugar-Rush" version of Adventure Island
- A 3-D "Hero's Duty" level themed after Doom or Castle Wolfenstein
- Root Beer Tapper
- The car-breaking bonus stage round from Street Fighter II
- An 8-bit version of "Hero's Duty" referencing both Metroid and Super Mario Bros.
Mentions and Allusions
- Mario from Super Mario Bros. (by Felix at the Party)
- Lara Croft from Tomb Raider (used by Wreck-It Ralph as a false name when trying to get past Surge Protector)
- GLaDOS from Portal (used as a nickname by Vanellope to Ralph referring to "stepping out of his comfort zone"; pronounce "Gladys", which is the official pronounciation rather than "GLAD-os" which is the fan pronounciation)
- Aerith from Final Fantasy VII (referenced and written in graffiti as Aerith Lives on a subway wall in Game Central Station)
- Sheng Long from the Mortal Kombat series (his name appears as a graffiti at the portal leading to Sugar Rush)
- Leeroy Jenkins (shown as graffiti on the Terminal Wall as "Leeroy" and later "Jenkins")
- Zero Wing (referenced in graffiti on the Terminal Wall as All your base are belong to us)
- Darth Vader's breathing (when Ralph is breathing through a straw cookie in the chocolate lake)
(Note: The GLaDOS reference has been debated, but Valve has acknowledged and confirmed the reference.)
