Spyro the Dragon — Purple dragon Spyro crouching in tropical ruins from Spyro Reignited Trilogy

Spyro the Dragon

1998video game franchiseclassic

Published September 28, 2026

Spyro the Dragon is a PlayStation-era platformer franchise starring a small purple dragon, launched by Insomniac Games in September 1998 as one of Sony's mascot answers to Mario and Sonic1. The series sold over 20 million units, jumped studios repeatedly, powered the toys-to-life Skylanders line, and got a full 2018 remaster that turned the character back into a nostalgia touchstone13.

spyro memes gaming nostalgia memes late 1990s memes character design memes

Overview

Spyro is a small purple dragon whose PS1 trilogy became shorthand for late-90s 3D platforming, sitting next to Crash Bandicoot in the mental attic of anyone who owned an original PlayStation1. The games lean on collectathon gameplay: gliding, charging, flame-breathing through cartoon worlds while hoovering up gems and freeing captured dragons. Stewart Copeland of The Police scored the first four titles, and that soundtrack is a big part of why the games still get talked about2.

Fan output orbits three overlapping eras: the Insomniac trilogy (Spyro the Dragon, Ripto's Rage, Year of the Dragon), the darker Legend of Spyro reboot trilogy (2006-2008), and the Skylanders line that rebranded him as a toys-to-life figure starting in 20113. Community activity lives on the Spyro Wiki, DeviantArt fan art, Reddit threads, and YouTube speedruns and retrospectives of the original games3.

The 2018 Reignited Trilogy is the current entry point for most new fans and gave the franchise a fresh round of memes, screenshots and reaction clips built around the rebuilt visuals of the PS1 originals1.

Origin & Background

Platform
PlayStation (game release) / YouTube and forums (fan community)
Creator
Insomniac Games
Date
1998

The first Spyro the Dragon was developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment and Universal Interactive Studios, releasing in North America on September 10, 1998 exclusively for the PlayStation3. The game pits the young purple dragon against Gnasty Gnorc, who has petrified the elder dragons and stolen their gems3. Two sequels followed on PS1: Ripto's Rage in 1999 and Year of the Dragon in 20003.

After Insomniac left to make Ratchet & Clank, the license bounced through Digital Eclipse, Vicarious Visions, Amaze Entertainment, and eventually Toys for Bob, which folded Spyro into the Skylanders franchise in 20113. Activision now holds the property and used Toys for Bob to rebuild the original three games for the Reignited Trilogy remaster1.

How It Spread

The franchise crossed 20 million units sold across all its releases, a number Activision leaned on when it started the Reignited push13. Skylanders extended the character's reach to a whole new generation of kids in the early 2010s, though Spyro was demoted from title character to one figure among hundreds in that lineup3.

Activision teased the remaster in early 2018 by mailing purple eggs to games journalists signed by 'FalconMcBob,' the Twitter handle attached to Spyro's account, which the official Crash Bandicoot account then followed1. The Reignited Trilogy was officially announced on April 5, 2018, timed to the series' 20th anniversary, and hit PS4 and Xbox One on September 21, 2018 with Tom Kenny reprising the voice role1.

Community presence is spread across the Spyro Wiki, Reddit, Tumblr, DeviantArt and YouTube, where trailers, longplays and retrospectives of the PS1 originals rack up views34. Urban Dictionary entries for 'Spyro the Dragon' date back to November 28, 2003, mostly written by fans mourning the post-Insomniac spinoffs5.

Timeline

1998-09-10

Spyro the Dragon launches in North America on the original PlayStation, developed by Insomniac Games.

1999-11-02

Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage releases in North America.

2000-10-11

Spyro: Year of the Dragon closes out the original PS1 trilogy.

2003-11-28

First Urban Dictionary entry for 'Spyro the dragon' is submitted.

2006

Sierra Entertainment reboots the series as The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning.

2011

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure launches the toys-to-life spinoff franchise.

2018-04-05

Activision officially announces the Spyro Reignited Trilogy for the series' 20th anniversary.

2018-09-21

Spyro Reignited Trilogy releases on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with Tom Kenny returning as Spyro.

Frequently Asked Questions