Summary
- Nintendo princesses have evolved from damsels in distress to powerful heroines, with unique abilities and strengths.
- Princess Peach's powers have grown over time, making her incredibly versatile and powerful.
- Princess Zelda, with her magical prowess and connection to Hylia, is considered the strongest Nintendo princess in terms of potential and abilities.
Nintendo has created some of gaming's most famous mascot characters over the years, with Princess Peach being one of the most popular. What few fans realize, however, is just how many princess characters Nintendo has created across its many successful franchises.
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While many of these female characters originally started out as damsels in distress for the likes of Mario and Link to save, they've evolved over time. These days, the best Nintendo Princesses are heroines, strong enough to give the male heroes a run for their money. Seeing as they all hail from different worlds and their powers can change from game to game, ranking these leading ladies in strength is no easy task. Based on their feats and powers within their own universes as well as across franchises, here's how they stack up.
Updated March 18, 2024 by Robbie Mitchell: So, it turns out Nintendo has produced more Princesses than you might expect. In fact, they’re responsible for creating more female royals than Disney. But unlike many of Disney’s princesses, Most of Nintendo’s aren’t just damsels in distress. They kick butt too. With that in mind, we've updated this article with some of Nintendo’s strongest princesses from across some of their most popular franchises.
10 Princess Daisy - Super Mario Series
A Power Athlete
Super Mario Land
- Released
- July 31, 1989
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo R&D1
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Game Boy
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Princess Daisy first appeared in 1989 in Super Mario Land as the ruler of Sarasaland, and has been a recurring character in the Mario series ever since. Ranking her power level isn't easy since Daisy has appeared as a playable character in quite a few games, with her powers often changing between entries.
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For a start, the various Mario sports games have shown Daisy to have enhanced strength, agility, endurance, and reflexes compared to "normal" humans. Other games have given her the ability to summon everything from flowers and rainbows in combat to deadly crystals. While these abilities make her a formidable opponent, most Mario characters have shown similar feats at this point, earning Daisy a bottom ranking.
9 Princess Eirika - Fire Emblem Series
Speed And Skill Rule The Day
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
- Released
- October 7, 2004
- ESRB
- Everyone // Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Game Boy Advance
- Genre(s)
- Tactical, RPG
As one of the best Fire Emblem protagonists, Princess Eirika deserves her spot on this list. First Appearing in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, Princess Eirikia is known for her fearsome combat abilities and leadership skills. In particular, she's a skilled swordfighter, wielding the Rapier and Sieglinde effortlessly. Her agility and speed mean she's able to strike most opponents twice before they can hit her.
This all makes Eirika a princess no one would want to mess with. By Fire Emblem standards, she's pretty strong. That being said, compared to other princesses on this list, she's a bit low-level. Eirika is a powerful warrior, but other Nintendo princesses can wield magic and warp reality.
8 Lucina - Fire Emblem Awakening
Not Just A fearsome Warrior But A Skilled Leader Too
Fire Emblem: Awakening
- Released
- February 4, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems, Nintendo SPD
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, Strategy
- Platform(s)
- 3DS
Much like Eirika, Crown Princess Lucina of Ylisse isn't all that strong when it comes to sheer firepower. She doesn't really have any particularly strong magical abilities and relies almost solely on melee attacks. However, when taking into consideration her role in Fire Emblem lore, it's foolish to underestimate her.
In battle, she tends to wield falchion swords, which she puts to great effect. Using her signature skill, Aether, she can boost her offensive abilities while healing herself. In Fire Emblem Engage, she's a powerful support character who can shield enemies while coordinating powerful team attacks. As a character, she's a brilliant leader and master tactician. She was responsible for traveling through time to prevent a cataclysmic future and save the world. Brave, decisive, and dedicated to her cause, there are few other Nintendo princesses we'd rather follow into battle.
7 Princess Celica - Fire Emblem Series
Wields A Sword And Magic
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
- Released
- May 19, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 3DS
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
As both the princess of Zofia and a priestess with magical powers who also wields a sword, Celica makes for a formidable opponent. In melee combat, Celica wields the sword Beloved Zofia, which allows her to combine magical attacks with deadly sword strikes. While not as physically strong as Eirika, her magical abilities put her a step above.
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By the end of the game, Celica can cast powerful spells like Ragnarok and Seraphim, with Ragnarok being particularly powerful. When injured, she can also heal herself with magic. Unfortunately, while impressive, these magical abilities pale in comparison to some of Nintendo's other princesses.
6 Mipha - The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Princess And Champion Of The Zora Domain
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Released
- March 3, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U, Switch
The Legend of Zelda series has plenty of powerful princesses and Mipha is a fan favorite. The princess and champion of the Zora domain in Breath of the Wild, Mipha has some impressive magical abilities and is no slouch with a spear. Chosen by Zelda to pilot the Divine Beat Vah Ruta, Mipha quickly mastered the beast and used the legendary Lightscale Trident in battle.
Shy by nature, Mipha has shown impressive courage and determination when it comes to protecting those close to her. Even after her death, she helped Link by gifting him Mipha Grace, an awesome ability that revives him with full health if he falls. Beloved for her combat skill, healing powers, and dedication, Mipha's people celebrate her through the Champion festival. Perhaps not Nintendo's most powerful princesses, Mipha is one of their most impressive.
5 Princess Hilda - The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Zelda's Dark Counterpart
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
- Released
- November 22, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
When people think of the Legend of Zelda, obviously Princess Zelda is the first royal to come to mind, but there are others. The series has plenty of great female characters, and Hilda is arguably one of the best. Princess Hilda is a dark version of Zelda who rules over Hyrule's shadow version (kind of) Lorule. While she's technically yet another version of Zelda, Hilda is also a character in her own right.
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While she doesn't possess the power of Goddess Hylia like Zelda does, Hilda is still plenty powerful. She wields Lorule's Triforce of Wisdom and can use powerful dark magic like creating barriers and summoning shadow entities.
4 Princess Midna - The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Power Of Shadow Magic
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Released
- November 19, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
Midna may not have access to the power of a goddess, but as the true ruler of the Twii, she has access to a dizzying array of abilities. Among other things, she can create portals, summon energy fields, phase through walls, and, using the Fused Shadow, transform into a giant creature.
In fact, in her shadow form, she's the only character in the game strong enough to destroy the Mirror of Twilight, allowing the heroes to defeat Zant. Midna doesn't just have one of the best backstories in The Legend of Zelda series; she's one of its strongest princesses. Midna should be able to hold her own against the majority of Nintendo's princesses.
3 Princess Peach - Super Mario Series
No Longer A Damsel In Distress
Princess Peach: Showtime!
- Released
- March 22, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Princess Peach has been around for a long time. When she first appeared in 1985's Super Mario Bros., she was little more than a damsel in distress with no agency. Boy, has she grown since then. With countless game appearances under her belt, she's grown into not just one of the best female Mario characters, but one of Nintendo's most powerful princesses.
On paper, Peach's abilities may not sound that impressive, but they've increased over time. In Super Mario Bros. 2, she can float; in Super Princess Peach, her emotions give her magical powers; and in Super Smash Bros., she's a fierce combatant. With each new game she appears in, Peach gains new powers, making her incredibly versatile. Throw in the fact that, like Mario, she can use power-ups, and Princess Peach quickly starts to look overpowered.
2 Princess Rosalina - Super Mario Galaxy
Wields Cosmic Powers
Super Mario Galaxy
- Released
- November 1, 2007
- ESRB
- E For Everyone due to Mild Cartoon Violence
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Platform(s)
- Wii, Nintendo Wii U
- Genre(s)
- 3D Platformer
Peach might be powerful, but she's got nothing on Super Mario Galaxy's Princess Rosalina. Rosalina is arguably the most powerful of all of Mario's lady friends, wielding powers on a cosmic scale. It's her responsibility to protect Mario's entire multiverse/cosmos, and she has the powers to perform this duty.
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Rosalina is either immortal or almost immortal, having witnessed the death and rebirth of entire universes. Able to use cosmic magic, she was able to take on Bowser's entire fleet and is responsible for creating the Comet Observatory, which allows Mario to traverse the best galaxies in Super Mario Galaxy. She's an absolute powerhouse, which makes one wonder why she needs the little Italian plumber at all.
1 Princess Zelda - The Legend of Zelda Series
The Reincarnation Of Hylia
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Released
- May 12, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Action, Open-World
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Talking about the Legend of Zelda series' wider canon and Princess Zelda's connection to the goddess Hylia opens up a ridiculously massive can of worms, so we're going to sidestep it as much as possible. Much like Princess Peach, the original Princess Zelda was little more than a damsel in distress for Link to rescue, but over time, Nintendo has developed her into a heroine in her own right.
As the lore behind the multiple incarnations of Zelda has expanded, so has her power set. She's a powerful magic user, a skilled warrior, and can reinforce her powers through various transformations, like the Sheik Transformation. On top of this, her use of the Triforce of Wisdom grants her heightened intelligence and the ability to foresee and influence events. Fans may argue over the precise nature of Zelda's connection to Hylia, but that connection makes her Nintendo's strongest princess, and gives her seemingly limitless potential.
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