We all know Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Bowser, but the best Mario games have expanded the cast of characters to a huge roster of friends and foes. Very few get their own games, but many do get invited to a few games of Mario Party or one of the many sports outings. Granted, even Mario’s RPGs are light in terms of character building, but there are a few characters who manage to stand out with just a few lines or even just based on their designs. With over 30 years of games across console generations, we have looked back through to review and rank the absolute best Mario characters of all time.
The Mario franchise is not over, so there’s always room for an upcoming Switch game to introduce a new character that breaks into this list.
10. Waluigi
There’s a weird amount of love for Waluigi out there despite him only ever appearing in the spinnoff games like Mario Tennis and Mario Party. This is the evil version of Luigi who…is purple. That’s about all the character he’s been given, and yet something about this lanky man has caught on in the Mario fanbase. He certainly has an interesting design and the potential to be a cool character, but we haven’t seen it come to fruition yet.
9. Wario
Wario, meanwhile, has fully embraced his own personality as the greedy, gross, and brutal version of Mario. Originally a boss, Wario has spawned his own line of games focused on collecting treasures and using his strength to bulldoze his way through levels. He’s lovably stout and has managed to step out from Mario’s shadow and into a popular character all on his own.
8. Mario
Yes, we have to put Mario himself this far down the list of best Mario characters. He has the iconic look and phrases, but he’s the vanilla ice cream of the Mushroom Kingdom. He’s just too pure to be all that interesting a character. He will always save the day with a smile, which is inspiring but a bit boring. Even in games with other characters, Mario is treated as the default. His stats are always perfectly balanced. He’s reliable but very unremarkable.
7. Donkey Kong
We love a great tale of a villain turned hero. Sure, we never see the change in Donkey Kong take place, but we’re happy to have the big ape starring in his own adventures. Besides the fact that just adding a tie to a gorilla is an amazing design, DK arguably has created his own universe beyond Mario, with his own family of Kongs, villains, and worlds. We’re waiting to see him get a new 3D adventure, but his 2D games are some of the best platformers ever made.
6. Yoshi
Who doesn’t love Yoshi? Mario’s dinosaur friend also started as a side character that grew to star in his own games. As a mount, Yoshi is better than any power-up you can get. He can eat enemies, give you an extra jump, sometimes fly or shoot fire, and gives you an extra hit. But beyond all that, he’s just adorable. Whether he’s made of wool or running through a storybook, Yoshi is pure joy.
5. Birdo
The only slight disappointment about Birdo is that their most defining trait is hidden in the manual. Birdo is considered to be the first trans character since she was described as “He thinks he is a girl and he spits eggs from his mouth. He’d rather be called ‘Birdetta.’” That description isn’t as progressive and nuanced as we’d like, especially since Nintendo has never confirmed Birdo to be trans, but is still a huge leap for representation from a company that usually shies away from these issues.
4. Pauline
Before Peach, Mario was trying to save Pauline from Donkey Kong. She vanished after that original arcade game until reappearing as the Mayor of New Donk City with a fresh new look and singing the insanely catchy “Jump Up, Super Star!” song during the climax of the world. We decided to highlight Pauline over Peach since Peach, despite her new game, still gets sidelined too often as just the damsel in distress.
3. Rosalina
Of all the princesses, Rosalina is easily the best of the bunch. For once, Nintendo allowed a princess to have a deep and interesting story as the adoptive mother of the Lumas. Rosalina’s Storybook tells an abridged story of her life and sets up her motivations and character. Almost no Mario character before or since has gotten this level of care put into them, which is a shame.
2. Mallow
Geno almost made it on the list, but Mallow’s character arc in Super Mario RPG is just better. Sure, Geno has the cooler design, but we learn about Mallow’s life and past across the entire game. This little cloud person starts off as a coward who thinks he’s a tadpole only to grow his confidence and learn he is actually the prince of a far-off land. Considering Mario doesn’t speak in this game, Mallow could even be considered the main character.
1. Luigi
He started off as just a color-swap of Mario, but now Luigi is his own man. Starting with Luigi’s Mansion, Mario’s green brother has gotten infinitely more development than Mario. He’s fearful and a little clumsy, but is willing to swallow that fear when it falls upon him to save the day. In the RPGs, Luigi is packed with personality, whether it be through reading his journal or his animations. He’s the wise guy to Mario’s straight man but is also able to carry an entire franchise on his own.
