Despite Mario Kart World having such an extensive roster of characters that will release more kart racers than ever before, there are still some Mario-centric characters that have not received an invite to the races, and have been left behind. Mario Kart World’s great roster still lacks some iconic characters, and some fun obscure ones.
Mario Kart: 8 Biggest Traditions In The Series
Every Mario Kart will be familiar with these recurring mechanics, systems, and tracks that show up in most titles.
Some fun Mario characters from previous games deserve a chance to get their karting license and get behind the wheel to drift around some iconic tracks alongside some iconic characters, so while there’s nothing official about the characters listed below, it would be nice to see them added in content updates to Mario Kart World.
7 Diddy Kong
Donkey Kong’s Best Friend, Who Won’t Be Monkeying Around
- Debuted in: Donkey Kong Country (1994)
Despite being Donkey Kong’s best friend, Diddy Kong never really seems to get out of his shadow in recent years. Diddy Kong is beloved by fans, but has been lacking invites for day one racing tracks, and only recently appeared as part of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s finale to the Booster Course Pass. With a red cap at the ready and a tail to grip the steering wheel, Diddy Kong deserves to hoop and holler with every stunt he pulls off.
It's strange that Diddy Kong isn’t considered for a day-one contender, as the character is owned by Nintendo. While Diddy Kong was created by Rare, it’s still a Nintendo character, and one so closely associated with Donkey Kong that it’s a shame not to see this banana-eating duo in action once more.
6 Cappy
A Spectral Hat Who Can Take the Form of Others
- Debuted in: Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
Debuting in the instant classic of Super Mario Odyssey, Cappy became integral to Mario’s adventure by replacing the iconic red hat of the leading plumber. Cappy has a lot to say, and his design is a lot of fun, which could make for an epic racer that could even decide to take the form of his own kart as he drifts across the map to success.
While Cappy isn’t the most well-known of Mario characters, he is one that deserves to be seen, thanks to how truly amazing Super Mario Odyssey was, and how fun his friendship with Mario was. Cappy should get his own kart, even if it would be easier for him to capture other racers.
5 Luma
Rosalina’s Adoptive Children Deserve Their Chance
- Debuted in: Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
The Lumas have different colors and personalities, and these star creatures love fun almost as much as they love Rosalina. Creatures from the Mario franchise that hark back to 2007’s Super Mario Galaxy, the Lumas have often made short cameos behind and alongside Rosalina, but isn’t it about time that the Lumas get their own kart to control?
Mario Kart 8: 23 Best Characters
The best characters in Mario Kart 8 range from visual style to secret stats that give them an advantage against the rest.
If more obscure characters can get a kart of their own, then it would be nice to see a Luma in one. From different colors all over the rainbow, the Lumas can provide players with just as much detail and color as the variations of Yoshi and Shy Guy that have featured in Mario Kart 8, albeit with cuter aesthetics.
4 King Bob-omb
The Lord of All Blasting Matter for an Oversized Racer
- Debuted in: Super Mario 64 (1996)
If players think King Boo and Bowser are big, then they clearly haven’t spent enough time around King Bob-omb. King Bob-omb is a classic Mario villain, a moustache-twirling foe who wears a crown atop his head to conquer the other little bombs that just love exploding. King Bob-omb wouldn’t just look hilariously oversized in a small kart, because he’d look pretty cool with his crown and mustache.
King Bob-omb hasn’t exactly had further adventures as big as his role in one level of Super Mario 64, but he’s still featured across the franchise for years since 1996, and it’s about time he gets his own kart to run laps on the other characters.
3 Blooper
A Squid Who’s Responsible for Annoying Power-Ups
- Debuted in: Super Mario Bros. (1985)
The Blooper is a face that many might dread in Mario Kart, for it releases an ink substance that will practically blind all players as they try to race through dangerous tracks with ink covering their screen until it expires or they run through a speed boost. While the Blooper annoys players with its power-up, isn’t it about time it gets to be more than that?
Every Mario Kart Game, Ranked
With over 30 years of Mario Kart fun, it's time to look back at the best Mario Kart games and rank every Mario Kart game so far.
Sure, it’s a fun opportunity to throw green shells as the Blooper for revenge, but it’s also a fun opportunity to play as a cute squid who just wants to race instead of being reduced to a vicious power-up. With more obscured Mario characters and villains filling roles, Blooper deserves to be one of them.
2 Cranky Kong
The Original Donkey Kong, Back in the Saddle Again
- Debuted in: Donkey Kong Country (1994)
Cranky Kong was the very first Donkey Kong, but age has not been on his side. Cranky Kong is older now, bound to his rocking chair, and he needs a cane when he walks. His eyes might not be what they used to be when he was kidnapping Pauline and throwing barrels at Mario, but this elder Kong still has fight left in him that can be assisted by a kart.
Cranky Kong deserves to use what’s left of his life and his mobility to get behind the wheel and cause some chaos against Mario and his friends, alongside Donkey Kong himself. Cranky Kong could be a fun karter, and while the character might have been created by Rare, it’s still a Nintendo character who deserves a spot.
1 Geno
An Absolute Fan-Favorite, Owned by Square Enix
- Debuted in: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (1996)
Mario’s epic partner from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Geno, was one of the coolest characters to feature thanks to his wooden design, cool cloak, and ability to fight. Everyone seems to want Geno, and if he can’t fight, then he can race.
Despite the love that fans have for Geno, and the demand that has been shared for years as a guest fighter in Super Smash Bros, it seems that Geno might never get his spot on a roster in another Mario game, especially Mario Kart, since Geno is actually the intellectual property of Square Enix, despite being a Mario character.
Mario Kart World
- Released
- June 5, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- Racing, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch 2
