Summary
Nintendohas some of the all-time best villains in video games. In theMariofranchise, Bowser reigns supreme, always trying to kidnap Princess Peach, destroy the Mushroom Kingdom, and generally being a thorn in Mario’s side.The Legend of Zeldafranchise has Ganon, or Ganondorf depending on the timeline, who also loves stealing princesses and ruining Link’s day. Come to think of it, Nintendo seemingly has a thing for villains who like to kidnap women.
Oddities aside, these villains are iconic, but those villains have kinder sides too, just like Nintendo’s many protagonists. Even heroes have dark sides to them, which is exactly what this list will explore.Are these Nintendo heroes worse than their true villains like Bowser or Ganon?
Captain Olimaris from thePikminseries, which are like mini-RTS adventures. Most games follow Captain Olimar or his fellow cadets on a mission to gather materials on a new planet. To aid in their adventures, the explorers befriendthe titular Pikmin, and task them with doing everything from fighting monsters to gathering goods. This is all while Captain Olimar and the others sit back and watch, thus leading tomanyPikmin deaths.
It’s sad to see the little spirits evaporate off of these tiny plant creatures. It’s even more depressing when Captain Olimar abandons a planet as quickly as possible after a victory (or defeat), leaving Pikmin behind to presumably die. This can be blamed on players for their actions, but Captain Olimar and the others are culpable too in the franchise’s lore.
Donkey Kongbegan as an threat to Mario in his titularDonkey Kongarcade series. With the advent ofDonkey Kong Countryon the SNES, Donkey Kong suddenly became a hero, along withhis fellow Kongs. Since then, he’s mostly been seen as a hero in the games he appears in. However, Nintendo still releases occasional entries to remind fans that this banana-loving ape has a darker side.
Mario vs. Donkey Kongwas the first game in this puzzle platformer series, which began on the GBA. It recently received a remake on the Switch in 2024. It was a good remake, and it was also a good reminder that Donkey Kong still has some amount of deep-seated resentment towards Mario, which he needs to let out from time to time.
Kirbywas seemingly created to appeal to an even younger demographic than even Mario could cater to. He’s pink, fluffy, he can fly, and his sucking ability is instantly intuitive. Kirby began on the Game Boy withKirby’s Dream Landwhich was followed up byKirby’s Adventureon the NES. InKirby’s Dream Land, Kirby could merely suck and shoot enemies.
InKirby’s Adventure, certain enemiesgave Kirby power-upslike the ability to wield a sword. It’s a cool gameplay mechanic, but also areallydark idea. While Kirby may look innocent, all of that eating is kind of sick and twisted. How horrifying would it be to be eaten in one gulp? Not only that, but Kirby never seems to… “process” what he eats. So what happens to those creatures? Do they die in his stomach, or do they become a part of Kirby when he absorbs their abilities? Are they still conscious? The concept gets darker and darker the more deeply it’s examined, but it’s undeniable that Kirby has a loose set of morals when it comes to his food.
Nintendo’s flagship character has a darker side too, and it all began withSuper Mario Bros.on the NES. In the manual, it states that the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom were turned into bricks. These bricks, of course, are the ones players (and, by extension,Mario) break in the game. Nintendo could retroactively state that not all bricks contain Mushroom Kingdom souls, or any souls at all, but even if Mario isn’t out crushing them, it is a grotesque situation regardless.
Besides that nugget, Mario’s behavior in all of his games could be considered sociopathic. He wantonly kills enemies without a moment’s hesitation, from Goombas to Koopa Troopas. That’s howtheMariogamesare designed as platformers, and they ask players not to think about the consequences of their actions. It’s a dark thought to have about Mario, but one worth dissecting further.
Spoilers Ahead for Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Noahis theprotagonist ofXenoblade Chronicles 3. This is a major spoiler, but the faction that Noah and his teammates fight in the game is seemingly led by two characters initialed as N and M. In a plot twist, N turns out to be Noah from another timeline, and Mio, his love interest, is M.
N was sick and tired of seeing his comrades, especially M, die repeatedly. So, he turned to the dark side in hopes of keeping his allies alive. Noah struggled with this revelation, wondering if he too would succumb to this sickness. It’s a lesson about how far one will go for the love of their life.
Spoilers Ahead for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Princess Peachhas had some evil interactions too. Players who are into theremake ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Dooron Switchmay already know where this is going. In the game, Princess Peach is kidnapped, as usual, but this time its not Bowser doing the evil deed, but an organization known as the X-Nauts.
Led by Grodus, he wants to sacrifice Princess Peach to the Shadow Queen, who needs a vessel to be resurrected. In thefinal battle ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Princess Peach is possessed by the Shadow Queen and seemingly kills Grodus, after which she attempts to take over the world. Princess Peach can largely be forgiven for these actions, since this was a possession. But who knows if Peach may have enjoyed the power a little?
