The classic Super Mario series has many touchstones, such as its iconic power-ups, music, and characters. Bowser stands out as the ever-present villain of the series. With a range of personalities varying from affable to sadistic and a memorable design, he is definitely the best of Mario's antagonists.
7 Best Mario Games With Playable Bowser
There are so many Mario games focused on bringing Bowser down, but the villain is actually playable a surprising number of times.
Even so, certain games have decided not to have him as a villain. Mario characters are often treated as players on a stage, and sometimes Bowser fits the mold of a supporting role rather than the main antagonist. Additionally, certain games billing Mario do not feature Bowser as a villain at all. Here are some of Mario's best foes outside the Koopa King.
5 Wart
Super Mario Bros. 2
- Debuted in Doki Doki Panic
- Appeared in Super Mario Bros 2, a reskin of Doki Doki Panic released for western audiences
- Leads a group called the 8 Bits, which consists of every enemy fought in Subcon
Although not originally a Mario villain, this vegetable-hating, dream-hopping frog thing fits like a glove in the palm of the still-developing Mario series. He took over Subcon, a dream land with connections to the Mushroom Kingdom. Subcon's inhabitants told Mario and friends in their dreams about Wart's weakness and urged them to stop him. After a couple of vegetables are thrown his way, he is eventually defeated.
Oddly enough, Wart also makes a less antagonistic appearance in the Legend of Zelda series, namely Link's Awakening. Here, he goes by his Japanese name, Mamu, and teaches Link the "Frog's Song of Soul" in exchange for 300 rupees. Much like Super Mario Bros 2 and Doki Doki Panic, Link's Awakening also takes place in a land of dreams, namely Koholint Island.
4 Smithy
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
- First appeared in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
- Leads the Smithy Gang, which is made up of most villains who are original to the game
- Has not appeared in any subsequent game since
Hailing from a heavily industrialized world made of weapons, Smithy seeks to take over Mario's world as well. He stations his minion, Exor, in Bowser's keep and destroys the Star Road, the source of the world's wishes. Smithy is encountered deep in his factory, which is only accessible after being inhaled by Exor, with his mouth serving as a gateway between Smithy's world and Mario's. Smithy is shown to have multiple forms as a final boss, with each having its own strengths and weaknesses. His head can transform into anything from a tank to a cloaked sorcerer. However, Mario and friends succeed in defeating Smithy and restoring the Star Road.
Smithy's ambitions make him feel in line with the earth-destroying goals of many a Square villain, but the cartoon design he is given, along with his factory, allows such a villain to make sense in Mario's world, or more accurately adjacent to it.
3 Wario
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
- Introduced as a proper antagonist to Mario in Super Mario Land 2
- Although occasionally an antagonist since then, he is more commonly a rival or ally to Mario instead
- Most commonly involved with Mario in spin-off games at present, otherwise sticking to his own series
Wario feels so far removed from his original appearance that more casual fans of the series may not realize he was ever a proper main antagonist at all. That said, he was designed to be an archnemesis to Mario. In Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Wario, a childhood acquaintance of Mario, steals the plumber's castle and puts an evil spell on it to make it his own. He confronts Mario in the game's final stage, where he initially attacks Mario by charging into him. He has two additional forms he takes after his initial defeat, Bunny Wario and Fiery Wario. Once each is defeated, he is shrunken down to size and his spell is broken.
Since this initial appearance, games with Wario as a proper villain are very few and far between. He is instead often portrayed as more of an anti-hero. Despite having his greed intact, Wario is the protagonist of series such as WarioWare and Wario Land, a sequel/spinoff of Super Mario Land. In these instances, he can, in rare instances, perform heroic or kind actions, despite his ulterior motives. Most commonly, Wario features in spinoffs such as Mario Kart and Mario Party, where he is often treated as a hero if the spinoff has a narrative. Although conceptually Wario is a fun villain, the best realization of his character traits comes when they're contrasted with his role as the protagonist.
2 Fawful
Mario & Luigi Series
- First introduced as a supporting villain in Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga
- Makes a cameo in Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time
- The main antagonist in Mario and Luigi Bowser's Inside Story
Introduced as Cackletta's right-hand man, the chortling Fawful is known for his odd speech patterns and sinister tricks. He and Cackletta often prank the brothers in Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, like the time they fed Queen Bean a Belly Blech to distract the brothers from his theft of the Beanstar. He is even responsible for possessing Bowser, offering his body for Cackletta to possess. Despite his efforts, the crafty Beanish and his master are both defeated by the brothers. Fawful subsequently returns in Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, where he tricks Bowser into inhaling a vacuum shroom, setting the events of the game in motion.
Every Super Mario RPG, Ranked
For over 20 years, Mario RPGs have been a surprise gem for Nintendo fans. They balance the cartoonish world of Mario with JRPG gameplay.
He eventually steals energy from the Dark Star, becoming the powerful Dark Fawful, one of the game's final foes. He ends his efforts with a suicide bombing after becoming a stomach bug, trying to destroy the Mario Bros. Along with himself. However, he is unsuccessful, instead only reversing the effects of the vacuum shroom. Fawful is somewhat fascinating as a villain, in part because of his development between his two major appearances. Although he is fine playing second fiddle to Cackletta, he is subsequently shown to pull the strings himself in the following game he is a villain. More interestingly, Cackletta's own defeat seems to have little to do with his motives in Bowser's Inside Story, as he only mentions her once in passing, specifically in the French version of the game.
1 Count Bleck
Super Paper Mario
- First appeared in Super Paper Mario
- Has four major minions of note: Nastasia, O' Chunks, Mimi, and Dimentio
- Brainwashed Luigi into becoming Mr. L
Formerly known as Blumiere, Count Bleck was once a member of the Tribe of Darkness. He rejected his father's demand to not get involved with humans and fell in love with a woman by the name of Timpani. Unfortunately, once found out, Blumiere's father curses Timpani, leaving her amnesiac and banished from their dimension. It was around this time that Blumiere became Bleck and desired to destroy every world with the Dark Prognosticus.
Bleck sends his subordinates to deal with Mario and his companions from afar, but he secretly hopes they can stop his plan upon confirming Mario's helpful fairy companion, Tippi, may actually secretly be Timpani. However, once defeated, he is betrayed by Dimentio, who wishes to use the Chaos Power to become a god. However, he is ultimately thwarted by Blumiere and Timpani's mutual re-declaration of love, which summons the Pure Hearts and weakens Dimentio, leading to his defeat at the hands of Mario and his friends. Although Blumiere believed he and Timpani would die as a result of their pure-hearted sacrifice, an ending visual along with some words from Nastasia; Bleck's former assistant, and Merlon; Tippi's savior, implies the pair are living together happily in a separate world.
Top 10 Partners In The Paper Mario Series (Ranked By Usefulness)
Nintendo's Paper Mario franchise sees Mario teaming up with all sorts of partners, but which proved the most useful to the legendary plumber?