Animal Companion

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Animal Companions are animals that follow characters around and aid them in being adventurers. Unlike familiars, animal companions aren't usually magical in nature, though they can be exotic, such as dinosaurs, exotic predators or alien fauna. It's a very simple and very old archetype that can be seen in many different genres; in a Western, an animal companion may be something like an extremely well-trained horse that can do clever tricks or a loyal-to-the-death dog, or it could be an exotic predator that somehow has befriended the hero (or villain), like a wolf that regards them as a packmate, a tamed falcon or a pet bear. The name was popularized by Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition, but the concept predates that game considerably.

Deadlands

Rules for having a faithful animal companion in Deadlands Classic can be found in the first bestiary; Rascals, Varmints & Critters.

D&D + PF

In Dungeons & Dragons, animal companions are predominantly associated with the druid and the ranger, who could acquire animals as followers in the older editions. They became core class features of these classes in 3rd edition, and thus in Pathfinder Roleplaying System.

The "holy steeds" of Paladins sit somewhere between being animal companions and being familiars.

Warhammer

In Warhammer Fantasy, Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer: Age of Sigmar, certain special characters are particularly defined by the unique animal companions that they can take into battle. Particularly prominent examples are the Space Wolves, who can take Fenrisian Wolves in various ways, and the Orcs & Goblins special character Skarsnik, who is forever accompanied by the loyal squig Gobbla.