Highlights
- Captain Toad is a standout character in the Mario franchise, known for his identity and his noble quest to collect power-ups for Mario and his friends.
- Professor E. Gadd is a kooky character who provides guidance and gadgets to Luigi, and his wild appearances add a unique element to the series.
- Luigi is a more compelling character than his brother Mario due to his cowardice and self-doubt, which allow him to evolve and showcase growth throughout the series.
The Mario franchise is one of the oldest video game series on the planet. It is globally recognized and remains healthy decades later. Games are getting made left and right with the next one being Super Mario Bros. Wonder on Switch this Fall. Then there was the rousing success of The Super Mario. Bros Movie in April that could lead to a cinematic Nintendo universe.
With so many games and other media adaptations out there, there are now hundreds of characters. Some of them are great, while others feel like first-draft creations. Of the hundreds out there, who are the best? Does Mario even make his own list?
8 Captain Toad
Captain Toad deserves a small nod on this list. There are a lot of Toad people that could be highlighted but Captain Toad is the biggest one who was given his sense of identity. He first appeared in Super Mario 3D World as a mini-game. That mini-game would expand into Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker which also added Toadette to the roster. The idea of a brave Toad going around to collect power-ups for Mario and the gang is noble especially since this explorer cannot jump.
7 Professor E. Gadd
Professor E. Gadd is one of the kookiest characters in the series. He first appeared as an NPC in Luigi’s Mansion and acted as a guide for the titular hero. The wacky professor hooked Luigi up with various gadgets throughout the series to suck up ghosts, track them, and even found a way to clone Luigi via Gooigi in Luigi’s Mansion 3. One of his wildest appearances happened in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga wherein he became a barista and offered players coffee that would boost stats. There’s no getting around how wild Professor E. Gadd is and hopefully, he will make a reemergence soon.
6 Cranky Kong
Cranky Kong is the one Kong that belongs on this list. Why he’s so beloved is in his name. This cranky old codger is constantly annoyed with Donkey Kong throughout the Donkey Kong Country series. He loved to talk about the good old days which was a secret way for the developers to insert fun facts about Nintendo’s history.
He was a fun character to listen to, but he finally got his day in this sun via Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. He became playable for the first time and hopped around on his cane like Scrooge McDuck in the DuckTales games.
5 Bowser
Bowser has that real #KENERGY from the Barbie movie which is to say Bowser is kind of pathetic. He acts tough when he needs to be but deep down he is just hiding his emotions. He is in love with Peach, hates that she likes Mario, and is then resentful toward Mario because of this. He shows his true self a lot in the RPG franchises, especially in Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story wherein he finally got a big leading role. In the end, Bowser is not such a bad guy so much as he is misunderstood.
4 Luigi
Luigi is ten times the character his brother is. That’s not to say he is more talented because Mario has it all. He has the franchises, the lead roles, Peach, confidence, and so much more. It makes Mario a milquetoast character though because he has no growth. Luigi’s cowardice and self-doubt give him an identity beyond Mario and thus allows him to evolve. Luigi has gotten through his fears to save the day like in the aforementioned Luigi’s Mansion series as well as the various RPG series.
3 Fawful
Fawful is the second in command to the main antagonist, Cackletta, in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. He may start as a sidekick but he soon becomes the overarching villain of this franchise. He has a lot more personality than Cackletta thanks to his broken leet speak.
“I HAVE FURY” and “Fink-rat” are just two of his favorite quotes throughout the first game. He’s a silly villain that won’t strike fear in the hearts of players but that’s not a bad thing.
2 Wario
Wario is the character that Nintendo uses to experiment with the most from his platformer series to his mini-game collections in WarioWare. It’s a shame he hasn’t gotten a platformer in a while, but all in good time. Waluigi is a close second, but since he is delegated as a supporting character in the sports spinoffs, he hasn’t had a lot of time to build his personality next to Wario. It would be amazing to see these two weirdos get their own RPG spinoff like Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga but that is pie-in-the-sky stuff. For now, let’s celebrate the stinky garlic-loving schemer that is Wario.
1 Geno
There is a reason why the Internet campaign to get Geno into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was so strong. The fan adoration for Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is high and a lot of that love is spent toward one of the party members, Geno. For those that have never played the game, Geno is a star spirit that possesses a doll. He is a fish out of water, sworn to his duty, and has no idea how to act around others. He’s a straightforward but cool character and that’s probably why he’s so beloved by fans.