Video game bees often get a bad rap. In real life, we may at least value their delicious honey more than we fear their wrathful sting, but in games, they’re frequently reduced to yet another hazard to avoid or murder. A simple online search will return no shortage of dangerous bee representation: Angry Bees from ToeJam & Earl, Zingers in Donkey Kong Country, those bastards that mess up your face in Animal Crossing…hell, there was even a title for the Magnavox Odyssey 2 that was just straight up called Killer Bees!

Here at VGBees, we know better: there are some great digital bees out there that have elevated themselves above the ranks of the common riff-raff. After hundreds of hours of painstaking research and heated arguments back at the VGBeehive, we bring you this: The Definitive Top 10 List of Video Game Bees.

10. Mr. King Bee (Conker’s Bad Fur Day)

Alright, we’ve gotta get this one out of the way right at the top, partially because Mr. King Bee is not worthy of anything greater than a #10 crown, but mostly because I need to set a baseline metric for how (not) horny all following bees are.

When Conker meets Mr. King Bee, he’s been kicked out of his home for being unfaithful to his wife (this is also extremely bottom tier bee-havior) and lusting after a particularly busty sunflower. The sunflower doesn’t seem to be down to clown until a swarm of smaller “tickly bees” is unleashed upon her, which apparently opens her up to be “pollinated” by Mr. King Bee.

Isn’t nature incredible?

9. Bumblebee (It Takes Two)

The second chapter of It Takes Two finds our heroes May and Cody (who clearly aren’t a good fit for each other and should definitely get a divorce) caught up in a war between a militarized scurry of squirrels and wicked wasps. Equipped with a gun that shoots sap and a rocket launcher that detonates said sap, they stage an assault on the Wasp Queen…which is not actually a wasp at all, but actually a robotic suit piloted by an undercover squirrel agent that has defected to the enemy’s side.

Uh…what was I talking about again?

Oh, right – after a bombastic boss fight, it’s revealed that the defector squirrel is, in fact, NOT a squirrel at all: it’s a bumblebee. Apparently, she went on a bit of a power trip in that giant wasp suit and decided queendom suited her better than the life of an average bee. Upon being exposed, however, all of her insecurities come flooding back and she’s an anxious mess once again. Who can’t relate to that?

8. Hachisuke

Perhaps the most prolific bee on our list, Hudson Soft’s cute little mascot has graced the covers of hundreds of video game titles. I’m sure you’ve heard of their hit series like Bomberman, Adventure Island, and Bonk, but did you know they also created a cartridge for MSX computers called the “Bee Card?”

Hudson would go on to collaborate with NEC on the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 console, which used an evolution of the Bee Card (the HuCard, which is also pretty cool).

7. Mojo King Bee (Gitaroo Man)

Gitaroo Man is a game stacked with wall to wall bangers, but Stage 3’s Bee Jam Blues is inarguably the best track in the mix. Underneath the moody moonlight, Mojo King Bee effortlessly cements himself as one of the sexiest bees on our list as he makes sweet, sweet love to that trumpet. All manner of forest critters, from frogs to owls, join in with a “yeah, yeah, yeah!” as he and our hero U-1 do battle…and how could you not, watching these two go at it??

6. Bee (Minecraft)

These boxy boys can be your angle or your devil depending on how you treat them – Minecraft bees float around passively until they’re provoked, at which point they’ll round up the rest of the gang and poison your ass using _their_ ass.

Much like a real life honeybee, a Minecraft bee will sadly die shortly after losing their stinger. However, they also get to pollinate flowers, live in beehives, and most importantly: fuck.

Also, you can put a leash on one and take it for a walk. If that’s not a fantasy you’ve always wanted to live out, I simply don’t understand what you’re doing on vgbees.com.

5. Bees (I commissioned some bees)

The thing about bees is that there’s a lot of them, usually. Many of our friends on this list are flying solo, which is fine, but sometimes don’t you just want a nice cozy swarm?

Well, no. A swarm is kinda threatening. How about a nice cozy “scatter” instead?

I commissioned some bees is about as cozy and scattered as it gets, with over ONE THOUSAND bees snuggled up within some beautiful artwork. Also, the game only costs two bucks, which is easily the best bee-per-dollar value of any game I’ve played.

Oh, and if you’re not convinced, there’s a free prequel to get you in the mood to find some bees. And then there are FOURTEEN sequels (plus holiday specials). That’s a lot of fucking bees, my friend.

4. Q-Bee (Darkstalkers)

Buzzing in from the fighting games scene is Q-Bee (short for Queen Bee, obviously) and let me tell you folks, you do not want to get on her bad side. She leads a race of soul-eating bees (aptly named Soul Bees) and could absolutely murder you in an instant. Her most memorable (and disturbing) attack involves her stinging her prey, transforming them into a giant egg before dying mid-combat, then being reborn from the egg. Wild.

It’s also worth noting that her sexy anime girl look is purely to attract prey, so don’t be(e) fooled into looking into the wrong set of eyes or your soul will be hive chow in no time.

3. Bee Banjo (Banjo-Kazooie)

The first thing to say about Bee Banjo is that he’s adorable. The second thing to say about Bee Banjo is that he’s anatomically incorrect. Bees, as I understand them, typically come equipped with a rear stinger and NOT a big pointy nose, but we’ll forgive Mumbo Jumbo for botching this transformation just because it’s so damn cute.

Let’s just be thankful it wasn’t like…a Jeff Goldblum in The Fly situation or anything like that.

Bee Banjo is the final form to appear in the original Banjo-Kazooie and the only form to return for the sequel, Banjo-Tooie, in which he gains the upgraded ability to fire stingers. Clearly, this one was a favorite amongst fans and his legacy continues even two decades later, with a stunning limited edition figurine just recently released for the low price of $279.99 USD.

2. Benny (Go! Benny!)

Not all bugs are created equal. Sometimes you get a creepy crawly in your home that you’d really prefer to Just Not. Luckily, our bootleg bud Benny is more than capable of taking care of it.

Big spider crawling up your wall? Go! Benny!

Silverfish skittering ’round your shower? Go! Benny!

Whole ass bat flying around your den? Go! Benny!

Benny can dispatch any threat with his unlimited stinger missiles (or nail gun, it’s hard to tell what exactly is going on in these old games sometimes) and look adorable doing it with his Lemmings-esque hair. Unlike many bees on this list, he’s one you would absolutely bring home to meet your mother.

Hell, Benny might even be marrying material.

1. Buck Bumble (Buck Bumble)

If Benny is the boy you bring home to meet your mother, Buck Bumble is the man who picks you up on his motorcycle after dinner is over and you’re done pretending to be into the nice guy.

Buck Bumble is the full package: He’s a bee. He’s a cyborg. He’s got a rocket launcher. Most critically, the plot of his 1998 video game takes place in 2010, so he was tough enough to survive Y2K. Just an all around badass bee, if you ask me.

Fun fact: Kendrick Lamar is a big fan of Buck Bumble! Just look at the lyrics:

It’s levels in it, you and I know

Bitch, be BUMBLE.