Which famous gaming mascot was originally created as a placeholder character but became so popular that the company kept it as their official brand representative?

Brand mascots are powerful symbols in the gaming industry, representing companies and becoming iconic figures in their own right. From plumbers to hedgehogs, these characters often transcend their original games to become cultural phenomena. This trivia question tests your knowledge about a famous gaming mascot's unexpected origin story that changed gaming history. Do you know the behind-the-scenes facts that shaped one of gaming's most recognizable characters?

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Kirby from Nintendo - originally a simple white blob placeholder that later gained his pink color and personality
Sonic the Hedgehog - initially designed as a rabbit that could grab objects with extendable ears before being changed to a hedgehog
Master Chief from Halo - first conceived as a generic robot placeholder before becoming the iconic Spartan soldier
Crash Bandicoot - started as a temporary wombat character before developers settled on the final bandicoot design